Jason Delgado
Attorney General Ashley Moody announced a new program on Tuesday to incentivize Honda and Acura owners who need to replace recalled airbags.
The program will provide designated owners with a $50 to $150 preloaded debit card if they replace the recalled Takata airbags installed in certain Honda and Acura vehicles.
The Attorney General’s Office said the approximately 52,000 eligible Floridians should expect a mail invitation in the coming weeks.
“The safety of my fellow Floridians is of the greatest importance to me and my office,” Moody said in a statement. “Following our successful multimillion-dollar resolution with Honda that will result in added safeguards put in place by Honda to prevent airbag safety risks in the future, my office is instituting this supplemental incentive program, with Honda’s assistance, as a logical next step in furthering our efforts to get these dangerous vehicles repaired and airbag inflators replaced so that our roads are safer for all Floridians.”
The consumer program comes after Moody and 47 other state attorneys general reached an $85 million agreement with Honda over the company’s alleged coverup of the defective airbags.
Florida’s share of the $85 million agreement was roughly $4.7 million.
Moody and the company alleged that Honda engineers were aware that a component within the airbag could send shrapnel into a vehicle’s cabin when deployed.
In all, Honda recalled nearly 12.9 million vehicles potentially impacted.
The defects have resulted in at least 14 deaths and more than 200 injuries in the U.S. alone.
Honda and Acura vehicle owners are encouraged to check with Honda’s airbag recall website to see if their vehicle is subject to recall.
More information on the incentive program and the gift cards can also be found online or by dialing 1(888) 234-2138.
All open recalls can be searched at SaferCar.gov.
A copy of Moody’s letter to eligible Floridians is below.
