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Honda FIT Recall 15V697: Side curtain airbags may be punctured in a crash

NHTSA campaign 15V697, reported October 23, 2015, 25,367 vehicles potentially affected.

What this recall means for you

Certain 2015-2016 Honda Fit LX vehicles without a sunroof were built with rear grab handle brackets that were not manufactured properly. During an airbag deployment, these brackets may puncture the side curtain airbags, which means the airbags may not protect rear outboard seat occupants as intended in a crash, raising their risk of injury.

The repair is free. Honda will notify affected owners, and an authorized Honda dealer will replace the rear grab handle bracket at no cost. You can check whether your vehicle is included by entering your VIN at the NHTSA recall lookup site or contacting Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138 (Honda recall number JV8).

If you own one of these vehicles, schedule the repair with an authorized dealer as soon as possible. Until then, keep in mind that the side curtain airbags may not perform as designed in a crash.

Check whether this recall is open on your vehicle

The repair is normally free at an authorized dealer.

Official recall notice

Safety recall 15V697Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Component
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW; STRUCTURE
Problem
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015-2016 Fit LX-trim vehicles manufactured April 11, 2014, to July 02, 2015 and not equipped with a sunroof. In the affected vehicles, the rear grab handle brackets were not manufactured properly, and as a result, the brackets may puncture the side curtain air bags upon their deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection" and number 226, "Ejection Mitigation".
Risk
If the side curtain air bags are punctured upon deployment, the outboard seat occupants may be at a higher risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear grab handle bracket, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JV8.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Affected vehicles

Honda FIT20152016