Honda Motor Co. (HMC) Recall Expands To Over 900,000 Vehicles

For once, it isn't Toyota Motor Corp. (NYSE: TM) issuing a recall over safety concerns.

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (NYSE: HMC) announced on Wednesday in Asia that the automaker would expand a recall of 2001 and 2002 models to more than 900,000 vehicles worldwide.

Since 2008, Honda had issued recalls covering more than 500,000 vehicles sold in North America, Japan and other markets.

The recalls were issued because problems were found with airbags. The malfunctioning airbags led to a few reported incidents, including a fatality.

According to Honda: "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."

The current, expanded recall includes nearly 400,000 vehicles that were sold in the United States.

Honda said that it's not aware of any further incidents since the July 2009 recall but, "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."