Honda confirms 17th U.S. death in Takata air bag rupture

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Honda Motor Co said on Saturday it has confirmed a 17th U.S. death tied to a faulty Takata air bag inflator.

The Japanese automaker said that after a joint inspection with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it confirmed a faulty air bag inflator was to blame for the Aug. 20 crash of a 2002 Honda Civic that led to the death of a driver in Mesa, Arizona.

The defect, which leads in rare instances to air bag inflators rupturing and sending metal fragments flying, prompted the largest automotive recall in U.S. history and is tied to 15 U.S. deaths in Honda vehicles and two in Ford Motor Co vehicles since 2009. More than 290 injuries are also tied to faulty Takata inflators and at least 26 deaths worldwide.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Dan Grebler)