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Mandatory airbag recall on Honda Goldwings

Honda Goldwing GL1800 airbag radical Goldwings incentive smaller

Despite Honda issuing voluntary recalls and several pleas for owners of Goldwings to have their airbags checked, the ACCC has decided to enforce a mandatory recall.

The recall is part of a worldwide issue affecting faulty Takata driver’s side airbag inflators which have been linked to 18 deaths.

It involves more than 60 million vehicles worldwide, including some 2.3 million vehicles in Australia. The recall process has been underway internationally since 2009.

The recalled airbag inflator used in the 2008-2012 Honda Goldwing GL1800 is basically a passenger side airbag, which is different to the driver’s side airbag involved in the worldwide fatalities.

Our understanding is that no Goldwings have been involved in a similar fatality.

However, the recall has now been extended to 2013-2015 models.

Affected Goldwings

Check the new Vehicle Identification Number list at the end of this article to see if your bike is affected.

The new ACCC recall notice says the the airbag inflator may degrade over time.

“If the airbag is deployed, this degradation may cause the inflator body to rupture, causing metal fragments to pass through the airbag,” the notice says.

“The metal fragments may cause serious injury or death to the motorcycle rider.

“Consumers should contact their nearest authorised Honda dealer and arrange for an inspection and repair of the motorcycle.”

But Honda Australia Motorcycle has been more proactive, so far issuing an unprecedented three separate pleas to owners to bring in their bikes for inspection.

Honda Goldwing GL1800 airbag radical Goldwings
The new 2018 Goldwing airbag is safe

The third came after a 58-year-old Sydney man died on July 13, 2017, when his Honda CRV crashed and he was “struck in the neck by a small fragment” believed to be from a faulty Takata airbag.

While the ACCC says all motor vehicle recalls have been voluntary, in September 2017, a Proposed Recall Notice was issued for mandatory recalls of all vehicles with specified Takata airbag inflators and specified salvaged Takata airbag inflators.

At the conclusion of the consultation period, the ACCC has decided to recommend a mandatory and extended recall for models from 2013 to 2015.

Honda Australia Motorcycle issued the recall again in February 2017, but said at the time only 163 of the 522 bikes affected in Australia had been returned to dealers for repair and to fit new inflators.

They say the replacement inflators are a different desiccated type, compared with the original.

The company also made the unprecedented plea to all motorists who see a 2008-2012 Goldwing on the road to “ask the owner if they have had their airbag changed”.

Owners can call he Honda Customer Service on 1300 559 846 for more details.

YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS ON RECALLS

Recall notices are issued by the manufacturer through a voluntary industry code under the ACCC.

Despite hundreds of recalls by various automotive manufacturers, none has ever been mandatory.  All have been issued by the manufacturer.

While any recall is not good news for the manufacturer, it shows that they are largely diligent in fixing problems.

If you believe there is an endemic problem with your bike that should be recalled, contact the ACCC on 1300 302 502.

To check whether your motorcycle has been recalled, click on these sites:

• Australia

• USA

• UK

• New Zealand

VIN for affected Goldwings

MY VIN No. Production Date
2013 JH2SC68U6DK100003 20/12/12
2013 JH2SC68U8DK100004 20/12/12
2013 JH2SC68UXDK100005 20/12/12
2013 JH2SC68U3DK100007 20/12/12
2013 JH2SC68U3DK100010 20/12/12
2013 JH2SC68U7DK100012 20/12/12
2013 JH2SC68U9DK100013 20/12/12
2013 JH2SC68U0DK100014 20/12/12
2013 JH2SC68U2DK100015 20/12/12
2013 JH2SC68U8DK100018 20/12/12
2013 JH2SC68UXDK100084 24/4/13
2013 JH2SC68U1DK100085 8/5/13
2013 JH2SC68U3DK100086 8/5/13
2013 JH2SC68U5DK100087 24/4/13
2013 JH2SC68U7DK100088 24/4/13
2013 JH2SC68U3DK100105 11/7/13
2013 JH2SC68U5DK100106 15/7/13
2013 JH2SC68U7DK100107 24/7/13
2013 JH2SC68U9DK100108 24/7/13
2013 JH2SC68U6DK100129 20/8/13
2013 JH2SC68U2DK100130 20/8/13
2013 JH2SC68U4DK100131 20/8/13
2013 JH2SC68U6DK100132 20/8/13
2013 JH2SC68U8DK100133 20/8/13
2013 JH2SC68UXDK100134 20/8/13
2013 JH2SC68U1DK100135 11/9/13
2013 JH2SC68U3DK100136 11/9/13
2013 JH2SC68U5DK100137 17/9/13
2013 JH2SC68U7DK100138 18/9/13
2013 JH2SC68U9DK100139 12/9/13
2013 JH2SC68U5DK100140 11/9/13
2014 JH2SC68U2EK200021 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U4EK200022 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U6EK200023 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68UXEK200025 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U1EK200026 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U3EK200027 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U5EK200028 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U7EK200029 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U5EK200031 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U7EK200032 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U9EK200033 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U2EK200035 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U4EK200036 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U6EK200037 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68UXEK200039 17/12/13
2014 JH2SC68U5EK200045 28/1/14
2014 JH2SC68U7EK200046 28/1/14
2014 JH2SC68U9EK200047 17/2/14
2014 JH2SC68U0EK200048 29/1/14
2014 JH2SC68U2EK200049 28/1/14
2014 JH2SC68U9EK200050 28/1/14
2014 JH2SC68U0EK200051 28/1/14
2014 JH2SC68U2EK200052 28/1/14
2014 JH2SC68U4EK200053 28/1/14
2014 JH2SC68U6EK200054 28/1/14
2014 JH2SC68U1EK200057 12/3/14
2014 JH2SC68U3EK200058 12/3/14
2014 JH2SC68U5EK200059 10/3/14
2014 JH2SC68U1EK200060 11/3/14
2014 JH2SC68U3EK200061 10/3/14
2014 JH2SC68U9EK200064 14/4/14
2014 JH2SC68U0EK200065 14/4/14
2014 JH2SC68U2EK200066 14/4/14
2014 JH2SC68U4EK200067 14/4/14
2014 JH2SC68U6EK200068 14/4/14
2014 JH2SC68U8EK200069 14/4/14
2014 JH2SC68U4EK200070 14/4/14
2014 JH2SC68UXEK200090 27/5/14
2014 JH2SC68U1EK200091 27/5/14
2014 JH2SC68U3EK200092 27/5/14
2014 JH2SC68U5EK200093 27/5/14
2014 JH2SC68U7EK200094 27/5/14
2015 JH2SC68U2FK300024 29/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U4FK300025 23/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U6FK300026 23/1/15
2015 JH2SC68UXFK300028 23/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U1FK300029 23/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U8FK300030 23/1/15
2015 JH2SC68UXFK300031 23/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U1FK300032 23/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U3FK300033 23/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U5FK300034 23/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U7FK300035 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U9FK300036 23/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U0FK300037 23/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U2FK300038 23/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U4FK300039 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U0FK300040 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U2FK300041 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U4FK300042 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U6FK300043 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U8FK300044 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68UXFK300045 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U1FK300046 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U3FK300047 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U5FK300048 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U7FK300049 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U3FK300050 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U5FK300051 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U7FK300052 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U9FK300053 27/1/15
2015 JH2SC68U6FK300060 13/2/15
2015 JH2SC68U8FK300061 13/2/15
2015 JH2SC68UXFK300062 25/2/15
2015 JH2SC68U1FK300063 13/2/15
2015 JH2SC68U3FK300064 13/2/15
2015 JH2SC68U5FK300065 13/2/15
2015 JH2SC68U7FK300066 25/2/15
2015 JH2SC68U9FK300067 13/2/15
2015 JH2SC68U0FK300068 13/2/15
2015 JH2SC68U2FK300069 13/2/15
2015 JH2SC68U9FK300070 11/3/15
2015 JH2SC68U0FK300071 11/3/15
2015 JH2SC68U2FK300072 11/3/15
2015 JH2SC68U4FK300073 11/3/15
2015 JH2SC68U6FK300074 11/3/15
2015 JH2SC68U6FK300091 24/4/15
2015 JH2SC68U8FK300092 22/4/15
2015 JH2SC68UXFK300093 8/5/15
2015 JH2SC68U1FK300094 11/5/15
2015 JH2SC68U0FK300118 29/6/15
2015 JH2SC68U2FK300119 25/6/15
2015 JH2SC68U9FK300120 25/6/15
2015 JH2SC68U0FK300121 25/6/15
2015 JH2SC68UXFK300126 28/7/15
2015 JH2SC68U1FK300127 28/7/15
2015 JH2SC68U4FK300140 21/8/15
2015 JH2SC68U6FK300141 21/8/15
2015 JH2SC68U8FK300142 4/9/15
2015 JH2SC68UXFK300143 4/9/15
2015 JH2SC68U1FK300144 21/8/15
2015 JH2SC68U3FK300145 24/8/15