PUSH BUTTON START INTERMITTENTLY DOES NOT START CAR -- LIGHTS COME ON BUT WONT START THINK IT MAY BE PART OF THE PROBELMS STATED ONDER TSB 16002 APPARENTLY A DEFECT IN THE DESIGN OF THE STARTER SYSTEM N--- HOWEVER HONDA WILL NOT PAY IF OUT OF WARRANTY AT 45000 MILES SHOULD NOT HAPPEN HONDA NEEDS TO MAN UP
2014 Honda Accord
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most Accord years
Owner complaints for the 2014 Honda Accord are substantially higher than the model-year median of 356.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Accord years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
579 reports with mileage · 401 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 378 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 179 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Steering. Review the 142 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
378 reportsTHIS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY VEHICLE HAS HAD SOME ODD PROBLEMS, SOME THAT MADE THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE, 1) AC COMPRESSOR CLUTCH MELTED ONTO COMPRESSOR. FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. 2) TIMING BELT TENSIONER LEAKED FLUID, FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. 3) DEALER DIAGNOSED ABS MODULE FAULT. AN INTERMITTENT FAILURE. CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS PROBL…
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THIS JUST OUT OF WARRANTY VEHICLE HAS HAD SOME ODD PROBLEMS, SOME THAT MADE THE CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE, 1) AC COMPRESSOR CLUTCH MELTED ONTO COMPRESSOR. FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. 2) TIMING BELT TENSIONER LEAKED FLUID, FIXED UNDER WARRANTY. 3) DEALER DIAGNOSED ABS MODULE FAULT. AN INTERMITTENT FAILURE. CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS PROBLEM CAUSED EVERY OTHER ELECTRONIC SAFETY SYSTEM IN THE CAR TO INTERMITTENTLY FAIL. OPENED A CASE WITH AMERICAN HONDA WHO DENIED ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROBLEM. THESE UNITS FAIL RARELY AND SHOULD LAST THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. THE PART (36,000 MILE 3-YR WARRANTY) WAS EVEN BACK ORDERED FROM THE MANUFACTURER. FOR EXAMPLE, ONLY 1 UNIT WAS REPLACED IN ATLANTA, GA SINCE 2014, THEY WANTED ALMOST $1,600 TO FIX THE ISSUE. TOOK IT TO ANOTHER SPECIALIST WHO FIXED IT FOR UNDER $600 BY FINDING A USED PART. I THINK HONDA SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ACCOMMODATING AND CONCERNED. THIS PROBLEM CAUSED THE ABS, LDW, FCW, AND TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEMS TO EVENTUALLY FAIL. LITERALLY, I WAS LUCKY THAT I DIDN'T GET IN A BAD ACCIDENT AS THE ABS WAS ACTUALLY FUNCTIONING (THE DAY A CAR TURNED LEFT IN FRONT OF ME) AND SAVED ME FROM SKIDDING INTO AND T-BONING ANOTHER CAR. BUT ALL THESE ODD ISSUES JUST LEAVES ME WONDERING... WHEN'S THE NEXT WEIRD PROBLEM GOING TO POP UP?
OFTEN TAKES MULTIPLE TIMES TO START THE CAR. SOMETIMES IT STARTS RIGHT UP, OTHER TIMES IT TAKES 2,3,4,5...10 TIMES TO START, AND SOMETIMES IT CAN TAKE UP TO 20 MINUTES TO GET IT STARTED. ONCE IT'S STARTED, THE CAR RUNS VERY WELL. THE PROBLEM IS BECOMING MORE FREQUENT. WHEN YOU PRESS THE IGNITION BUTTON, SOMETIMES IT MAKES A CLIC…
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
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE 2013 HONDA ACCORD FOR SIMILAR ISSUES. THE VEHICLE WILL AT TIMES NOT START AND ONLY MAKE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN DEPRESSING THE START BUTTON, THIS STILL OCCURRING AFTER CHANGING THE BATTERY AND STARTER TWICE IN ADDITION TO THE FOB BATTERY. I SPECULATE THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM MAY CONTRIB…
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PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE 2013 HONDA ACCORD FOR SIMILAR ISSUES. THE VEHICLE WILL AT TIMES NOT START AND ONLY MAKE A GRINDING NOISE WHEN DEPRESSING THE START BUTTON, THIS STILL OCCURRING AFTER CHANGING THE BATTERY AND STARTER TWICE IN ADDITION TO THE FOB BATTERY. I SPECULATE THAT THE BRAKING SYSTEM MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THIS ISSUE AS SOMETIMES THE CAR WILL START AFTER PUMPING/PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL A FEW TIMES OR JUST HOLDING IT AFTER INITIAL ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR (VERY FRUSTRATING). NEW ISSUE INVOLVES THE CAR STARTING WHILE ONLY PRESSING THE BRAKE AND MOVING THE GEAR SHIFTER (DANGEROUS AS A KID CAN START THE VEHICLE WITHOUT PRESSING THE START BUTTON). HAVE REPORTED THE ISSUE TO HONDA (LOCAL/CALIFORNIA MAIN) AND SPOKE TO A HONDA REPRESENTATIVE YESTERDAY (5/7/2019) TO NO AVAIL. PLEASE ISSUES A RECALL FOR THESE CARS HAVING THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT, OR WORSE, LOOSES THEIR LIVES. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS AND IS ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS, LAST EVEN WAS TODAY.
THE MONTH AFTER OUR VEHICLE WARRANTY EXPIRED, EVERYTHING WENT WRONG. I HAD TROUBLE TURNING MY CAR ON FOR THE TIME WHEN I WAS AT WORK (ABOUT AN 8 MILE DRIVE FROM HOME).. I DROVE TO WORK WITH NO ISSUES AND ABOUT 3 HOURS LATER OF IT BEING STATIONARY, IT WOULDN'T TURN ON. I TRIED ABOUT 10 TIMES. I HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR THERE OVERNIGHT…
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THE MONTH AFTER OUR VEHICLE WARRANTY EXPIRED, EVERYTHING WENT WRONG. I HAD TROUBLE TURNING MY CAR ON FOR THE TIME WHEN I WAS AT WORK (ABOUT AN 8 MILE DRIVE FROM HOME).. I DROVE TO WORK WITH NO ISSUES AND ABOUT 3 HOURS LATER OF IT BEING STATIONARY, IT WOULDN'T TURN ON. I TRIED ABOUT 10 TIMES. I HAD TO LEAVE MY CAR THERE OVERNIGHT AND CALL SOMEONE TO PICK ME UP. I WAS LUCKY THAT I REALIZED IT WASN'T WORKING DURING LUNCH. I USUALLY GOT OFF FROM WORK AT 6PM WHEN THERE WAS NO ONE LEFT IN THE OFFICE AND IF I DIDN'T HAVE A PHONE ON ME, I WOULD HAVE BEEN ALONE THERE IN AN UNSAFE NEIGHBORHOOD. .THE MECHANIC TOLD ME IT WAS THE STARTER AND SEEING HOW IT WAS A 3 YEAR CAR WITH NOT ENOUGH MILES TO WARRANT STARTER PROBLEMS, THAT IT WAS DEFECTIVE. WE TOOK IT TO HONDA AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE CHARGES. WE PAID FOR A NEW STARTER OUT OF POCKET AND IT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. NOW THE POWER WINDOW BUTTON ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER WINDOW DOES NOT WORK. ONE DAY IT JUST STOPPED WORKING. I TYPICALLY DRIVE WITH MY MOM IN THE PASSENGER SEAT AND SHE OFTEN GETS ANXIETY ATTACKS. THE WIND MAKES HER FEEL BETTER AND WHEN AN EPISODE WHILE DRIVING HAPPENED, I WASN'T ABLE TO PUT HER WINDOW DOWN TO HELP HER. THE LEFT HEADLIGHT ON THE CAR IS ALSO BROKEN. I DIDN'T REALIZE IT RIGHT AWAY SINCE THE RIGHT ONE WORKS. IN A SENSE, IT'S TERRIBLE THAT SOMETHING IN THE CAR WAS BROKEN AND THAT THERE WAS NO CAR SIGNAL TO NOTIFY ME. WE REALIZE THAT CARS REQUIRE UPKEEP, BUT FOR A 5 YEAR OLD CAR TO HAVE THIS MANY MECHANICAL ISSUES IS RIDICULOUS. I REALIZE THAT THESE
WHEN PUSHING THE START BUTTON, SOMETIMES THE CAR WOULD START, AND SOMETIMES IT WOULDN'T. WHEN IT WOULD NOT START, I WOULD HAVE TO TRY IT 3 TO 5 TIMES TO GET IT TO START. MY 2014 HONDA HAS 71K MILES AND THE STARTER HAS GONE OUT. COST TO REPLACE MY STARTER WAS $537.43. MY FRIEND, WITH AN IDENTIAL VEHICLE, ALSO HAD HER STARTER GO O…
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WHEN PUSHING THE START BUTTON, SOMETIMES THE CAR WOULD START, AND SOMETIMES IT WOULDN'T. WHEN IT WOULD NOT START, I WOULD HAVE TO TRY IT 3 TO 5 TIMES TO GET IT TO START. MY 2014 HONDA HAS 71K MILES AND THE STARTER HAS GONE OUT. COST TO REPLACE MY STARTER WAS $537.43. MY FRIEND, WITH AN IDENTIAL VEHICLE, ALSO HAD HER STARTER GO OUT AT 60K MILES (SAME ISSUE). THE STARTER SHOULD NOT BE GOING BAD THIS SOON ON A "QUALITY" VEHICLE. A RECALL ON THE STARTER SHOULD BE ISSUED.
IGNITION PROBLEMS. CAR WILL NOT START ON INITIAL TRY. IT TAKES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START IT. MY CAR ONLY HAS 66K MILES. IM AFRAID IT WILL LEAVE ME STRANDED SOMEWHERE BECAUSE IT DID NOT START. I PUT A COMPLAINT WITH HONDA, I THINK IT IS A FACTORY DEFECT, WHICH HAS PLAGUED THIS COMPANY FOR YEARS. I AM HOPING YOUR AGENCY CAN …
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IGNITION PROBLEMS. CAR WILL NOT START ON INITIAL TRY. IT TAKES SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START IT. MY CAR ONLY HAS 66K MILES. IM AFRAID IT WILL LEAVE ME STRANDED SOMEWHERE BECAUSE IT DID NOT START. I PUT A COMPLAINT WITH HONDA, I THINK IT IS A FACTORY DEFECT, WHICH HAS PLAGUED THIS COMPANY FOR YEARS. I AM HOPING YOUR AGENCY CAN GO FURTHER WITH THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU
BACKUP CAMERA IS NOW BLACK AND NOT WORKING AT ALL. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS DARK AND PIXELATED THEY OFFERED TO CHARGE ME OVER $400 TO JUST REPLACE IT. NOW WHEN I PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE THE CAMERA IS BLACK, IT HAS STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER. THE 2 LINES STILL SHOW UP ON THE SCREEN, SO THE SCREEN IS NOT…
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BACKUP CAMERA IS NOW BLACK AND NOT WORKING AT ALL. I BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT WAS DARK AND PIXELATED THEY OFFERED TO CHARGE ME OVER $400 TO JUST REPLACE IT. NOW WHEN I PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE THE CAMERA IS BLACK, IT HAS STOPPED WORKING ALL TOGETHER. THE 2 LINES STILL SHOW UP ON THE SCREEN, SO THE SCREEN IS NOT AN ISSUE BUT NO VIDEO. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE. ALSO NOW WHEN I PUT MY BLINKER ON THE SIDE CAMERA SEEMS TO ROLL , LIKE AN OLD TV HORIZONTAL HOLD, BEFORE IT BECOMES CLEAR
ISSUE STARTED MARCH 29TH APPROX. 2014 HONDA ACCORD LX WITH 68,000 MILES 1 OWNER (ME). TRIED TURNING ON CAR AND JUST CLICKED. FINALLY CAME ON AFTER 5 ATTEMPTS.TOOK TO MECHANIC AND QUOTED ME $600 FOR STARTER. DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY SO I KEPT HAVING ISSUE UNTIL IT JUST STOPPED TURNING ON. HAD MY STARTER REPLACED.
PUSH BUTTON START DOES NOT WORK AT TIMES. LEAVING ME STRANDED. VERY COMMON COMPLAINT FOR 2014 HONDA ACCORD AND EARLIER MODELS. NEEDS A RECALL.
Official recalls
423V858000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump
Dec 18, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
20V769000 · Power Train:driveline:driveshaft
Dec 10, 2020
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Accord vehicles equipped with a 4-cylinder engine and a continuously-variable transmission that were originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The drive shafts were assembled with a lubricant that may have degraded the drive shafts' protective coating, making it more susceptible to damage from road salt or other contaminants, and potentially cause it to break.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A broken drive shaft may cause a sudden loss of drive power. The vehicle could also roll away if the parking brake has not been applied before the vehicle has been exited. Either condition can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the drive shafts, replacing both the left and right drive shafts, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 4, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
17V418000 · Electrical SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V Battery
Jun 29, 2017
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Honda Accord vehicles. The case for the battery sensor, part of the battery management system, may allow water to get in, potentially causing an electrical short.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An electrical short increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the sensor, free of charge. Dealers will perform an interim remedy of applying adhesive to the case to prevent water intrusion. The recall began November 8, 2017. Owners may contact American Honda Customer Support Center at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KG0.
15V121000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:engine
Mar 2, 2015
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2014 Accord L4 vehicles manufactured July 29, 2014, to July 31, 2014, 2015 Accord L4 vehicles manufactured August 14, 2014, to January 30, 2015, and 2015 CR-V vehicles manufactured September 9, 2014, to February 6, 2015. The affected vehicles may have been assembled with improperly torqued connecting rod bolts, which can cause the engine to lose power or leak oil.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: Loss of engine power may result in a vehicle stall, increasing the risk of a crash. If the engine leaks oil in the proximity of hot engine or exhaust components, there is an increased risk of a fire.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine short block, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JP2 (for Accord models) and JP3 (for CR-V models).
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
2EA21001 · Loss Of Direction Control
Opened May 6, 2021 · Closed Aug 25, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
On May 6, 2021, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA21-001) to assess a sudden loss of steering control, in Model Year (MY) 2013-2015 Honda Accord vehicles. Consumers alleged while driving the steering wheel would pull to the left or the right independently. Steering pull may pose a risk of loss of directional control. Honda stated that they believed the inadvertent steering input was caused by a loose magnet located within the electronic power steering (EPS) system. Due to poor formulation of the adhesive, this magnet can become loose and move up to 2 degrees around the steering column. When the magnet moves, the torque sensor generates a signal that results in unwanted steering in either direction. Honda stated the steering force required to maintain directional control with a loose magnet is a maximum of 3-pound feet. The maximum force of the unwanted steering input can be overcome by the driver and is similar to driving on grooved pavement.The Vehicle Research Test Center (VRTC) sent over 4,000 questionnaires to 2013-2015 Honda Accord vehicle owners. Of the 637 responses, 58 consumers experienced unwanted steering. Consumers experiencing unwanted steering did not report difficulties maintaining directional control. There were no crashes or injuries reported to VRTC. Testing done by VRTC was not able to reproduce the allegations. Analysis of all relevant data indicates that the subject condition has a relatively low failure rate. The poor adhesive formulation was addressed by the supplier with three (3) counter measures in the manufacturing process.There has been a declining trend in consumer complaints to NHTSA which indicates possible exhaustion of parts prone to failure. In view of the low rate, declining complaint trend, the nature of failure, and resolution of the adhesive formulation, this Engineering Analysis is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exist. The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.The ODI complaints cited above can be viewed at www.NHTSA.gov under the following ODI identification numbers: 11538714, 11528538, 11528008, 11522953, 11496557, 11495837, 11494328, 11478680, 11477167, 11476758, 11476263, 11471198, 11470001, 11467026, 11466561, 11466016, 11465626, 11464143, 11463558, 11462759, 11461500, 11460777, 11460191, 11455540, 11454334, 11452198, 11448114, 11447666, 11444888, 11444823, 11444172, 11443324, 11443243, 11443105, 11441374, 11439520, 11438345, 11437261, 11436824, 11436350, 11435994, 11435079, 11434969, 11434545, 11434442, 11434381, 11433824, 11433745, 11433555, 11433368, 11433176, 11431206, 11430465, 11430253, 11430009, 11429253, 11428301, 11427449, 11426841, 11426340, 11425928, 11425261, 11425230, 11423611, 11423245, 11422445, 11422395, 11422351, 11422220, 11422138, 11422069, 11421683, 11421589, 11421540, 11420573, 11419338, 11419270, 11418147, 11418143, 11417768, 11417742, 11417570, 11417437, 11416804, 11416699, 11416401, 11416378, 11416375, 11416155, 11416117, 11416084, 11416051, 11416032, 11416028, 11416024, 11416000, 11415933, 11415915, 11414105, 11406220, 11398736 ,11387075, 11387049, 11375580, 11364698, 11361125, 11351660, 11349961, 11327909, 11327170, 11301957, 11289067, 11282525, 11277659, 11258017, 11256914, 11218752, 11208077, 11196050, 11194358, 11189901, 11165075, 11163481, 11154891
EA19001 · Electrical Overstress
Opened Apr 19, 2019 · Closed Sep 19, 2024
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation to determine if the failure of airbags to deploy during severe crashes, in certain vehicles, was the result of a safety related defect. During the investigation a complex failure was studied that can result in non-deployment of subject vehicle air bags and other restraint system devices in severe crash events. The subject vehicles may be equipped with an airbag control unit (ACU) for the supplemental restraint system (SRS) Electronic Control Unit (ECU) manufactured by ZF-TRW. The ECU receives signals from crash sensors mounted in the vehicle and deploys the vehicle air bags and seat belt pretensioners in accordance with manufacturer design specifications. The ECU in the subject vehicles contains a model DS84 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) which controls the communication of the crash sensor signal, firing commands (i.e., when to deploy the airbag(s) and/or pretensioners), and fault information (e.g., diagnostic trouble codes). In September 2016, FCA announced recall 16V-668 for certain model year (MY) 2010 to 2014 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep products manufactured with the subject ZF-TRW ACU. In this recall, FCA discussed an EOS condition that resulted in a failure of the subject DS84 ASIC, which caused air bag non-deployment. FCA noted that the defect condition had only been observed in vehicles equipped with sensor harnessing routed across the front of the vehicle. Other FCA vehicles that also used the subject ACU, but were not equipped with cross-car harnessing, had not experienced EOS failures, despite similar time in service. During the course of this investigation, ODI sent two separate Information Request (IR) letters to six vehicle manufactures (including FCA, Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Toyota) and one IR letter to ZF-TRW. These IR letters resulted in ODI receiving comprehensive data from these manufacturers and suppliers. Studies of this data found that the DS84 ASIC does not have sufficient protection against negative electrical transients or electrical overstress (“EOS”) that can be generated in certain severe crashes. An electrical transient occurs when the electrical power supplied to a circuit changes momentarily over a short duration of time. In these severe crash cases, the crash sensors and other powered wiring can be damaged and short circuited so as to create a negative electrical transient of sufficient intensity and duration (that are outside the vehicle manufacturer's specification) to damage the ASIC before the restraint device deployment signal is received by the SRS ECU. This damaged signal can lead to incomplete or nondeployment of the air bags and/or pretensioners. Airbag non-deployment and/or lack of pretensioner operation can increase the risk or severity of injury in a crash.A total of 8 fatalities and 14 injuries were associated with known EOS events. The common element in all investigated manufacturers vehicles is the SRS ECU containing a DS84 ASIC manufactured by ZF-TRW. The risk associated with the ASIC is equally shared among all OEMS involved in the investigation. The actual real-world risk can be mitigated by other factors which were assessed by ODI during this investigation. The first mitigating factor involves protections built into the ACU design which protect the DS84 ASIC from damage. There are multiple strategies and levels of protection employed by different OEMs that provide effective EOS mitigation. The two most common strategies at the ACU level are circuit protection diodes on the remote senor signal lines, and current limiting resistors that protect critical components. The second mitigating factor is found at the vehicle level and involves the location and routing of the wires leading from the crash sensors to the SRS ECU. If the wires are well protected in a crash and are not routed with other power wires carrying large currents, the risk for an EOS event is significantly reduced or eliminated. These design specific factors combine to produce a spectrum of risk for the vehicles equipped with ACUs using the DS84 ASIC. Given the many of years of field exposure, it is possible to divide the subject population into two groups; vehicles which have experienced EOS events, and vehicles which have not experienced EOS field events. Four of the six OEMs involved in this investigation have experienced EOS field events on at least one of their models equipped with a DS84 ASIC. All vehicle models (including the Toyota models identified in the Failure Report Summary of the opening resume for this investigation) with field events have been recalled. In an abundance of caution, ODI kept this investigation open five years to monitor field performance and did not identify any field events on vehicles not included in existing safety recalls. Given the spectrum of risk identified in this investigation and that all vehicles with a demonstrated unreasonable risk have been recalled, ODI is closing this investigation. ODI is closing this investigation with the following manufacturer safety recalls: 16V-668, 18E-043, 18V-137, 18V-363, and 20V-024. With the recall actions taken by the subject vehicle and equipment manufacturers, this investigation is closed. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by NHTSA that a safety-related defect does not exists on other model or model year vehicles outside of the recall scopes. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.
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