Honda disregarded my inquiry as to why my 2016 CR-V was extensively damaged due to an unnecessary and unwarranted airbag activation, which plunged me into a financially precarious situation. Consequently, they failed to provide me with an explanation.
In a surprising turn of events, Lisa Cook, a seasoned automotive industry reporter with over 30 years of experience, found herself in an unexpected predicament with her 2016 Honda CR-V Touring. Despite the vehicle having only 68K miles on the clock, an airbag deployment occurred during a minor 20-mile-per-hour accident.
The airbag deployment, which occurred without any significant visible damage to the vehicle, left Lisa with a burnt thumb and a totaled car. The insurance company refused to cover the cost of repair, citing it as too much money. The repair bill for the airbag alone amounted to a staggering $4,500.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that airbags are designed to deploy in moderate to severe crashes, not minor ones like a 20 mph accident with no damage. According to the NHTSA, the typical threshold for airbag deployment is roughly equivalent to hitting a solid, fixed barrier between 8 and 14 mph, or a parked car of similar size at 16 to 28 mph or higher.
Airbag sensors measure impact force and are calibrated to trigger deployment only when an impact is severe enough to justify protecting occupants. However, visible damage to the vehicle does not always correlate with proper airbag deployment. Sometimes, severe damage occurs without airbag deployment, and vice versa, depending on the direction and nature of the impact.
In Lisa's case, the seatbelt was enough to prevent injury, and she never even touched the airbag with her head or face. Despite this, the airbag deployed, suggesting a potential faulty sensor or calibration issue.
Lisa's story was originally published by Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. The photo credit for the story is Denis Flierl via Lisa Cook.
As a result of the airbag issue, Lisa had to buy a new car and spent about $1,500 on a rental car. Lisa has since decided not to buy another Honda after her recent experience.
It is important to note that while there have been some complaints about airbag sensor or deployment anomalies with Honda CR-V models, specific widespread sensor issues for the 2025 Honda CR-V have not been documented prominently in recall or investigation data. If an airbag deploys in a minor accident with minimal damage, it may suggest an airbag sensor or system problem that should be professionally checked.
[1] NHTSA, Airbags, https://www.nhtsa.gov/rates-and-statistics/fatalities-and-injuries/traffic-safety-facts/motor-vehicle-safety-features/air-bags [2] CarComplaints.com, Honda CR-V, https://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/CR-V/ [3] IIHS, Airbag Deployment in Minor Crashes, https://www.iihs.org/topics/airbags/minor-crashes [4] Consumer Reports, Honda CR-V, https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/honda-cr-v-suv-overview/
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