Honda Finding More Defective Airbags Via Facebook Advertising

Forbes reported that American Honda and Acura are effectively finding owners of potentially defective Takata airbags through social media and rolling billboards plastered on their trucks.

The automaker, who has been particularly aggressive in finding and recalling its cars with defective airbags, is pushing messages to potential owners in their Facebook feed. The automaker may be matching Vehicle Identification Numbers obtained from state agencies with names and locations in Facebook.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 13 Honda or Acura models are affected by the recall, with many of its models in the Priority 1 category defined by the safety organization.

A spokesman from Honda said the automaker had spent millions to advertise its recall, including social media spending. According to the automaker, 41 percent of Honda models affected by the recall have been fixed, including 42 percent in high-risk areas of the U.S., including the Southeast, California, Hawaii and Texas, where increased heat and humidity can trigger the potentially dangerous airbags.

According to a Honda memo, the automaker is also employing private detectives to track down some of its owners.

The automaker has set up websites for Honda and Acura owners to check to see if their cars are affected by the recall. In addition to those sites, owners can call 888-234-2138 to see if their cars are included.

NHTSA said last week when it announced a record fine for airbag maker Takata that it would speed up the recall for cars based on risk. High-risk models would need to be recalled by next year, the agency said.