Honda Airbag Recall Too Slow?
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether Honda delayed the recall of almost 440,000 vehicles for an air bag defect that could allow shards of metal to hit the driver.
Last November, Honda notified the safety agency that it was recalling about 3,900 2001 Accords and Civics because the air bag inflator on the driver’s side might be too powerful. That could result in metal pieces going through the air bag and striking the driver.
Then at the end of July Honda sent another letter to the agency saying it had determined the earlier recall needed to be expanded and would cover about 440,000 vehicles. That would include more 2001 Accords and Civics, as well as some 2002 Accords and Acura 3.2 TL models.
Honda said further investigation and the expanded recall had been prompted by its investigation into “unusual” air bag deployments in May and June.
But in a recent letter, N.H.T.S.A. had a lot of questions about why last year’s recall was so small and suddenly grew so much. The agency is asking Honda for a detailed explanation, saying it is evaluating “the timeliness” of Honda’s decision and noting that “failure to respond promptly, truthfully, and completely” could subject Honda to “significant civil penalties.”
