Honda has expanded an earlier recall of defective Takata-manufactured frontal air bags to include an additional 104,871 Pilot, Civic and Accord vehicles, the automaker said.

The safety improvement campaign expansion includes 88,549 2008 model-year Pilot vehicles, 10,868 2004-MY Civic vehicles and 5,454 2001-MY Accord vehicles. Not all 2004 Civics and 2001 Accords are involved, however, in this expansion. Some of them were included in an earlier Takata air bag recall.

Dealers will replace the driver front air bag inflators, free of charge.

With this latest action, approximately 5.5 million Honda vehicles will be covered by two safety recalls combined. The numbers assigned to these safety improvement campaigns are 14V-351 and 15V-153.

The air bag inflators are at risk for rupturing upon deployment. As a result, metal fragments can strike and injure vehicle occupants.

“Honda is announcing this action today to encourage owners to take their vehicles to an authorized Honda or Acura dealer for repair,” the company said. Honda continues to work with Takata and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remove and test front air bag inflators installed in certain vehicles.

Honda also recently launched a new advertising campaign aimed at inspiring Honda and Acura owners to respond to safety recalls more quickly so their vehicles receive the needed repairs to make them safer to drive. This ad campaign focuses primarily on the 11 states and U.S. territories where high absolute humidity increases the risk of air bag inflator rupture. 

"These ads are a strong call to action from our company, designed to break through the clutter, grab the attention of customers driving affected vehicles, and urge that they get required repairs as soon as possible," said John Mendel, executive vice president of the automobile division of American Honda Motor Co.