1993 Acura Integra Gs Hatchback 3-door 1.8l on 2040-cars

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Honda airbags are being stolen

The latest hot target for car thieves might just be the airbag mounted inside your steering wheel. And late-model Honda and Acura vehicles are a particularly hot target right now, for reasons not well understood. USA Today reports that criminals across the country are stealing airbags out of relatively new Honda models for apparent resale online or to black market repair shops. It's a trend that has caught the attention of law enforcement agencies in cities like Miami, New York City and Washington D.C. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) estimates that around 50,000 airbags are stolen each year. In Miami-Dade County, thieves stole 875 airbags in 2017, up from just 13 in 2013, according to police records obtained by USA Today. In the Virginia suburbs outside Washington D.C., thieves recently smashed the windows of 10 Hondas at an apartment complex to steal the airbags. Second Lt. Jonathan Bryant told the local Fox affiliate that stolen Honda airbags often end up in chop shops and can command between $300 and $500 each. A quick search of eBay listings for Honda steering wheel airbags turns up results being sold for as high as $700, though most are listing for hundreds less than that. New replacement versions purchased from dealerships approach $1,000. Many dishonest repair shops install the stolen airbags as new and charge the owner or their insurer full price for the replacement, a version of insurance fraud. Last year, police in Coral Springs, Fla. published an alert on the neighborhood social networking site Nextdoor urging residents who own a Honda or Acura to park in a garage or well-lit area, "or if you have another vehicle, pull it as close to your driver's side door as possible," they wrote. "We have seen an increase in airbag thefts, primarily in Acura and Honda models," the posting added. "The suspect(s) often disarm the alarm by cutting the battery, punch the driver side door lock or smash the window. It is believed these criminals take approx. 5-10 minutes to steal the airbag." One theory for the apparent rise in airbag thefts is that a spate of airbag recalls in recent years — including the ongoing recall of nearly 50 million potentially explosive Takata airbag inflators that left suppliers scrambling to make new parts — may have boosted demand for replacements. Most of the vehicles involved are late-model Honda Civics and Accords, but it's not clear exactly why Honda is being targeted.

2024 Acura Integra Type S is official, looks like a luxurious Civic Type R

Rumors have flown about an Acura Integra Type S since the Integra Prototype was revealed last year, and today, Acura confirms those rumors. The Integra Type S is real. It’s under development, and itÂ’s coming in summer 2023. Photos of a camouflaged test car are what we get for visuals right now, and it looks decidedly more aggressive than a regular Integra. The front end is completely different. Camo is hiding a hood bulge of sorts. On the side, much wider fenders play host to massive tires. Visually, it looks like itÂ’s rocking the same size wheel and tire setup as the new Civic Type R with its big 265-section-width tires. In the rear, the Type R wing is replaced by a subtle lip spoiler. Plus, the Integra gets an entirely different rear bumper with some diffuser vanes on either side. Framed by this lower valence is a tri-tip center-exit exhaust. YouÂ’ll notice that all three tips are the same size, unlike the Type R that has two smaller tips and one extra-large one. This suggests the Type S will get a unique exhaust system, similar to how the regular Integra has a unique exhaust versus the Civic Si. Details from Acura are thin, but suggest the Integra Type S will essentially be a Civic Type R thatÂ’s been given a dose of luxury in a new body. ItÂ’ll be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes “over 300 horsepower.” This is surely the Type RÂ’s engine. A six-speed manual transmission is the exclusive shifting option, and just like the Type R, the Integra Type S is fitted with a limited-slip differential. Acura says it will provide “ultimate street performance and driver engagement.”  More details beyond the above will have to wait until a later date. Acura says the Type S is coming for the 2024 model year and set to go on sale in the summer of 2023. Related video:

Honda's latest fuel pump recall covers 761,000 vehicles worldwide

Honda will recall around 761,000 vehicles worldwide to replace fuel pumps that could fail and lead to stalling engines. This recall, which is described in the National Highway Safety Administration campaign number 21V215000, isn't the Japanese automaker's first recall for bad fuel pumps. It includes 628,000 vehicles sold in the United States. Honda isn't aware of any crashes or injuries related to the issue. This most recent recall includes models from both Acura and Honda, some from 2019 only and others stretching into the 2020 model year. From Acura, some ILX, MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX and TLX models are included. From Honda, the recall covers certain Accord (including the Hybrid), Civic (Coupe, Sedan and Hatchback and including the Si and Type R), Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline. Finally, some Honda CR-V models from 2018 and 2019 are also included. Less than a year ago, Honda issued a recall over the fuel pumps of 136,057 vehicles in the U.S., some of which seem to overlap with this latest recall. Back in 2019, two separate recalls covered well over half a million vehicles for other fuel pump-related maladies, though it's not clear if any or all of these issues are related. With so many recalls over fuel pumps, it would be a good idea for owners of 2018-2020 Honda vehicles to enter their VIN numbers at either Honda's dedicated recall website or use the various tools provided by NHTSA. Related video: Featured Gallery 2019 Honda Pilot View 37 Photos Green Recalls Acura Honda