Statement by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Regarding Expansion of Driver's Airbag Inflator Recall

Honda has expanded a previously announced recall of certain 2001 and 2002 model-year vehicles to replace the driver's airbag inflator in an additional 378,758 vehicles in the U.S. The driver's airbag inflators in these vehicles may deploy with too much pressure, which can cause the inflator casing to rupture and could result in injury or fatality.

In total, Honda is aware of 12 incidents related to this issue as of February 2010. While Honda was aware of two additional events when the decision to first expand the recall was made in July 2009, we are not aware of any new events that have occurred after July 2009. However, we have concluded that we cannot be completely certain that the driver's airbag inflator in the vehicles being added to this recall at this time will perform as designed. Therefore, we have decided to add certain 2001 and 2002 Accord, Civic, Odyssey, CR-V, and selected 2002 Acura TL vehicles to this recall.*

Honda is announcing this recall expansion to encourage all owners of these vehicles to take their vehicle to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification from Honda that their vehicle is affected. Notification to customers will start within this month.

As with nearly all Honda and Acura safety recalls, Honda originally brought this matter to the attention of NHTSA and has kept NHTSA apprised of our decision to include additional vehicles in the expanded recall.

When Honda identifies concerns of this nature, nothing is more important to the company than fulfilling our obligation and responsibility to alert our customers. To this end, as with the July 2009 recall expansion, in addition to contacting customers by mail, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicle requires repair by going on-line or calling. Honda owners can go to http://owners.honda.com recalls or call (800) 999-1009; Acura owners can go to http://owners.acura.com/recalls or call (800) 382-2238. When owners of these vehicles receive written notification of this recall from Honda, they should contact their authorized Honda or Acura dealer to schedule an appointment for repair. Honda will also follow the mailed notifications with telephone contact to each customer.

BACKGROUND:
As background, sixteen months ago Honda announced to NHTSA a plan to conduct a recall on fewer than 4,000 model year 2001 Accord and Civic vehicles to replace the driver's airbag inflator, based on our analysis of four instances attributed to the cause of airbag deployments that resulted in rupture of the driver's airbag inflator.

After the original recall in November, 2008, two additional incidents were reported, including one fatality from a vehicle not included in that recall. Our ongoing analysis led us to recognize the potential for additional vehicles to exhibit this symptom, and in July, 2009 Honda expanded that recall to include approximately 440,000 model year 2001 and 2002 Accord, Civic and certain 2002 Acura TL vehicles. To date, Honda is aware of a total of twelve incidents.

If the driver's airbag deploys in an affected vehicle, the driver's airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure which may cause the airbag inflator casing to rupture, resulting in metal fragments passing through the airbag cushion material and possibly causing injury or fatality to vehicle occupants.

There were two types manufacturing machines used in pressing the inflator propellant. One propellant manufacturing process allowed us to verify that all of the propellant was within specification, but we cannot validate the other process to our satisfaction at this time. We have decided to recall all inflator assemblies that were not confirmed by 100-percent automatic inspection during production because we cannot be absolutely certain they will all perform as designed, even though recent testing of units from this production process performed correctly.

* We are also adding one (1) Honda Pilot and one (1) Acura CL vehicle, each produced in late 2002, to this recall.

Honda's Super Bowl Ad to Tout All-New Accord Crosstour

As one of the most-watched TV programs of the year, the Super Bowl is the ideal environment to prominently draw attention to Honda's all-new Accord Crosstour. Airing during the fourth quarter, the 30-second spot features an animated squirrel with an insatiable appetite for "squirreling away" all things cargo, set to the tune of "Funky Stuff" by Kool & The Gang. "Squirrel" is part of an integrated, multiplatform advertising campaign developed by Honda's long-standing agency of record, RPA, to support the vehicle launch.

"Our newest Accord Crosstour spot, ‘Squirrel,' is intended to leverage media's largest stage to announce Honda's newest entry into the world of next-generation, sporty, crossover vehicles," said Tom Peyton, senior manager, national advertising, American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

Reaching beyond the Super Bowl game, Honda's "Squirrel" spot will be featured on the following Web sites:

• MSN home-page takeover on Sat., Feb.6–Sun., Feb. 7
• Fox Sports home-page roadblock on Sun., Feb. 7
• YouTube masthead on Mon., Feb. 8

The series of Accord Crosstour spots ("Instruments," "Box," "Snow Trip," "Squirrel"), produced by Elastic, rely on atypical, pronounced polygonal animation and rhythmic music to showcase the all-new Honda Accord Crosstour, an alternative to the SUV/CUV category.

"The style of the work really comes back to the Crosstour itself. It's a modern solution. It gives you a lot of storage, but it doesn't look or drive like other things out there. We wanted the visual style of the advertising to reflect this. So right away, you know that something new is going on here," said Pat Mendelson, SVP, creative director at RPA.

Spots air during high-profile, high-engagement network prime, sports and cable programming, including the championship game of the Bowl Championship Series on ABC, Super Bowl XLIV on CBS and the 2010 Winter Olympics on NBC.

On Jan. 1, branded entertainment in the form of custom-produced vignettes kicked off with a 90-second vignette during the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic on NBC. The vignettes continue through January and co-promote the all-new Accord Crosstour and the return of NBC's Chuck. The story line of the vignettes began at the Winter Classic and follows a journey toward the Winter Olympics.

To leverage the target's heavy print readership, Accord Crosstour print appears in magazines across various categories, including the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition, Men's Health, Time, Forbes and The Economist. In-theater begins in February and outdoor will be featured in more than 20 key markets during the spring.

Extending awareness of the Accord Crosstour online, unique placements included sponsored content that ran across various technology Web sites coinciding with the Consumer Electronics Show.

Consumers can connect with the all-new Accord Crosstour at the following high-impact events, targeting upscale suburbanites: Ribfest Chicago 2010, Safeway National Capitol BBQ in Washington, D.C., and the 36th Annual Sun ‘n Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Florida.

About Honda Crosstour
The Accord Crosstour combines the sophisticated refinement of a premium sedan with versatile characteristics of an SUV to create an entirely distinct concept within the Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) segment. Leveraging the many benefits of a car-based platform, the Accord Crosstour starts with the top-level refinement of the Accord V-6 Sedan and further expands utility with a sleek-yet-functional profile for increased cargo space.

About RPA
RPA, headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., is a leading independent advertising agency, with more than $1 billion in billings. RPA builds momentum for brands by offering its clients truly integrated campaigns that resonate throughout its disciplines, which include traditional advertising, interactive, and direct and event marketing. RPA's client list includes American Honda, both the Honda and Acura brands, California Department of Public Health, La-Z-Boy, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and PENTAX Imaging Company, and it is the media planning and buying agency for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Lenox Financial Mortgage and Reily Foods. For more information, visit http://www.rpa.com.

Honda Accord Crosstour "Squirrel" advertisement

Honda Accord Crosstour "Squirrel" advertisement.
download - 2.3 MB

Honda Accord Crosstour "Squirrel" advertisement

Honda Accord Crosstour "Squirrel" advertisement.
download - 2.3 MB

Honda Accord Crosstour "Squirrel" advertisement

Honda Accord Crosstour "Squirrel" advertisement.
download - 2.7 MB

Honda Accord Crosstour "Squirrel" advertisement

Honda Accord Crosstour "Squirrel" advertisement.
download - 1.9 MB

Acura Announces January Sales Results

Total Acura sales for January reached 7,132, off 1.7 percent versus January 2009, based on the daily selling rate*. The MDX luxury SUV posted a 20.3 percent increase for January and was the best-selling Acura model for the month with sales of 2,358 units.

"The significant enhancements made to the MDX this year have kept it front and center in the luxury SUV segment," said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales. "With its bold new styling, added performance and technology upgrades, the MDX continues to set a high standard."

The TL performance luxury sedan posted January sales of 1,986 units and was the top-selling Acura sedan for the month. The TSX sports sedan reached monthly sales of 1,806 units. The RDX turbocharged SUV sold 700 units for the month. In its first full month on sale, the ZDX four-door sports coupe posted sales of 172 units.

*The daily selling rate is calculated with 24 selling days for January 2010 and 26 selling days for January 2009.

Honda Introduces All-New Large GX and iGX Engines Series

Honda today introduced an all-new generation of its versatile and reliable GX and iGX series of general purpose engines at the 2010 World of Concrete show in Las Vegas. The new generation GX Series, Honda's legendary family of commercial grade engines, brings improvements in power, fuel efficiency, emissions performance and quiet operation to the already popular engine line.

Featuring four all-new models, the large GX engine line combines increased power and versatility with greater fuel economy in the same envelope. The new GX240, GX270, GX340 and GX390 engine models are overhead valve (OHV) horizontal shaft engines that offer users durable power for a wide range of demanding commercial, construction and rental applications.

In addition to the new GX series, Honda is expanding its iGX series with an all- new iGX340 and iGX390 engine. The iGX series offers further enhancements to the GX series, incorporating an electronic self tuning regulator (STR) governor. Similar to GX, iGX engines are also (OHV) horizontal shaft engines, yet provide additional advanced technologies for more complex applications.

"Our new GX and iGX series of engines have been redesigned to provide more power and excellent fuel efficiency while reducing emissions and noise," said Scott Conner, assistant vice president, Honda Engines. "The new GX and iGX bring an enhanced level of value and performance to our customers."

Potential applications for the large GX series of engines include:

• Commercial Concrete Equipment
• Commercial Generators
• Water pumps
• Trenchers
• Chippers/shredders
• Air compressors
• Stump grinders
• Pressure washers
• Aerial lifts and platforms

The new large GX series of engines features a host of technologies and design elements that allow for improved power output. The new GX models produce 6 percent more power than previous models, making them among the most powerful engines in each of their respective categories. This additional power is achieved via an advanced combustion chamber design, the implementation of Digital Capacitive Discharge Ignition (CDI) with variable ignition timing, and an increased compression ratio.

Along with improved power, the new GX series of engines provides a significant reduction in noise and vibration, which is vital to end users of both commercial and residential engine applications. Noise has been reduced up to 5 decibels, making the new GX one of the quietest engines available in its class. A new reed-style breather valve and a new muffler design also contribute to the engine's quiet operation, while a new light weight piston allows an optimized overbalance ratio for less operating vibration.

Although fuel efficiency is a key attribute of all Honda engines, fuel consumption in the new GX family of engines has been significantly improved for 2010. The new large GX engines increase fuel efficiency by 12 percent. In addition to increased fuel efficiency, the new GX engines will meet the 2011 EPA exhaust emission regulations without the use of a catalyst.

The all-new iGX engine series features an integrated electronic control unit (ECU) using Honda STR governor technology. A long life multi layer gradient density-type air filter extends the air cleaner maintenance interval by 50 percent. Premium features such as an electronically controlled governor, fully automatic choke and an automotive style electric starter are standard on the iGX series engines.

Potential new applications and attributes of this technology include:

• pressure washers that automatically respond to the load when the user squeezes or releases the trigger handle;
• water pumps that can be automatically activated by a remote switch based on water level;
• generators that can automatically respond to load and adjust engine speed based on electrical draw.
• drive-by-wire applications, including utility vehicles, scissor lifts, ride-on trowels and other remotely operated products.

Honda is the world's preeminent engine maker, selling more than 24 million units globally in 2008 through a diverse array of automotive, motorcycle, and power equipment products. Honda engines are characterized by the same quiet and fuel-efficient technology that is behind the company's reputation for premium quality.

Honda GX Specifications

Honda iGX Specifications

Editor's Note:

Honda Power Equipment, a division of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., markets a complete range of outdoor power equipment, including outboard marine engines, general purpose engines, generators, lawnmowers, pumps, snowblowers, tillers and trimmers for commercial, rental and residential applications. Its comprehensive product line consists exclusively of 4-stroke engines.

Information for media regarding Honda products is available at www.hondanews.com.
Consumer information regarding Honda products is available at www.honda.com.

American Honda Reports January Sales

American Honda Motor Co., Inc., posted total January vehicle sales of 67,479, an increase of 2.9 percent compared to January 2009, based on the daily selling rate,* which involved two fewer selling days. Honda Division posted January sales of 60,347, an increase of 3.5 percent versus January 2009.

Leading Honda January total car sales of 37,736 were Accord, up 35.6 percent to 20,759, and Civic, up 12.1 percent to 14,693. Honda light-truck sales decreased 11.2 percent to 22,611.

"We're off to a steady start for 2010 and we're optimistic that we can build momentum," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. "We look forward to launching the all-new CR-Z sport hybrid coupe later this year, and next week, we'll give everyone their first look at the exciting new Odyssey Concept at the Chicago Auto Show."

The Acura Division posted sales of 7,132, a decline of 1.7 percent compared to January 2009. The MDX was the brand's best-selling vehicle with 2,358 units sold, up 20.3 percent.

*The daily selling rate is calculated with 24 days for January 2010 and 26 days for January 2009. The year-to-date daily selling rate is calculated with 24 days for 2010 and 26 days for 2009. All percentages reflect the daily selling rate.

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For more information or downloadable high-resolution images of Honda and Acura vehicles, please visit www.hondanews.com or www.acuranews.com. Consumer information is available at www.honda.com.

Honda GX390 Engine

Honda GX390 Engine.
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