Tokyo, Japan — April 8, 2015 — Honda hopes to address concerns in multiple models linked to a potentially dangerous airbag issue with its latest recalls. As part of an ongoing attempt to attend to risk, the manufacturer has been extending the existing recall to more and more vehicles, currently encompassing more than 5 million cars, according to the Associated Press. These include SUV’s and Civics produced over a ten-year period, beginning in 2001.
To allay operational concerns, owners can have airbags in these vehicles replaced by dealers for free. Honda is just one of several major names, including BMW, Chrysler and Nissan, that are participating in similar recalls, all of which stem from faulty airbag deployments systems installed by Takata Corporation.
The source described the possible life-threatening hazards associated with this defect. Due to the sensitive chemicals needed to trigger airbag inflation, some Takata systems could deploy too quickly, leading to vehicle damage and injury. Six people have been killed by this problem, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been overseeing Takata’s attempts to test and improve its airbags for safety.
In a press release from the NHTSA last month, Administrator Mark Rosekind affirmed his organization’s continuing involvement in this matter.
“There is a strong public safety interest in ensuring that testing moves forward, and that NHTSA has access to all test data,” he said. “We have worked closely with attorneys for private plaintiffs to construct this order so that it protects plaintiffs’ legal rights while also supporting our efforts to protect public safety.”
When recalls affect this many different companies and vehicles, the recall information needs to be accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date. Affected parties should pay attention to all of the related data while still performing the actions relevant to their specific case.
Sources:
http://www.al.com/business/index.ssf/2015/03/honda_recall_2015_air_bags_can.html
