Honda Pilot and Ridgeline trim may block curtain airbag

NHTSA campaign 18V848000 · Reported 2018-11-28 · Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

medium How serious is it? About this label

Moderate: nothing goes wrong during normal driving, but in a side-impact crash the curtain airbag may not protect people as well as it should, so have the bracket installed when convenient.

What's wrong, in plain English

The plastic trim on the roof pillar beside the front passenger seat is held on by a clip. On these vehicles the holes for that clip may be too big, so the clip may not hold the trim in place. In a side crash, the loose panel could get in the way of the curtain airbag that drops down from the roof to protect your head. Dealers add a bracket that holds the clip securely.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if your 2019 Pilot or Ridgeline is covered by recall 18V848000 (Honda code D3D).
2. Call your Honda dealer, or Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138, to make an appointment.
3. Have the dealer install the new bracket on the right center pillar; the work is free.

Affected vehicles (2)

2019 Honda Pilot
2019 Honda Ridgeline

Who to contact

Honda — official Honda recall lookup

Customer service: 1-888-234-2138

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Honda Pilot, Passport and Ridgeline body and frame recalls explained · all 6 Honda recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Honda Ridgeline and Pilot vehicles. The mounting holes for the clip that secures the right center pillar trim panel may be larger than intended. In the event of a crash necessitating right side curtain air bag deployment, the clip may not hold the center pillar trim panel in position and it may potentially interfere with the curtain air bag deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection," and 226, "Ejection Mitigation."
Safety risk: In the event of a crash, if the curtain air bag does not deploy as intended, it can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install a bracket on the right center pillar that will securely hold the center pillar trim clip, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is D3D.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.