Honda adds 4.89 mn vehicles to recall over exploding airbag fears

TOKYO - Honda on Thursday said it is recalling 4.89 million vehicles over fears about airbag inflators that could explode, widening a global auto parts crisis linked to several deaths.

Japan’s number three automaker announced the recall just a day after Toyota and Nissan said they were calling back a combined 6.5 million vehicles over fears about airbags made by embattled supplier Takata.

Source;
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/business/14-May-2015/honda-adds-4-89-mn-vehicles-to-recall-over-exploding-airbag-fears

Honda ran tests on fatal air bag flaw, frustrated by Takata reticence: sources

By Norihiko Shirouzu


TOKYO (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co 7267.T was so concerned by mounting recalls for Takata 7312.T air bags, and frustrated by its supplier's failure to explain why some have exploded, killing five people with shrapnel, that it bought used and scrapped cars in Japan to conduct its own tests.

Around 21 million vehicles have been recalled globally by automakers since 2008 for defective Takata inflators. Honda alone has recalled about 14 million cars, mostly in the United States, where four of the deaths occurred. The fifth was in Malaysia.

Two senior Honda insiders, who asked not to be named, said the tests on 100-150 Takata air bags at Honda's quality center near Utsunomiya, north of Tokyo, in the first half of this year indicated shortcomings in Takata's manufacturing quality and cast doubt on the competence of a company Honda considered part of its core group of suppliers, or 'keiretsu'.

“We doubted if Takata was producing air bags to the specifications we had mutually agreed on,” one of the insiders said. “When we did not receive a clear analysis of what was happening, we decided to conduct our own tests ... and we found the quality of those inflators to be all over the map in term of key quality metrics.”

Takata denied that Honda tested used air bags because it was dissatisfied with Takata’s explanations and said it had not been told of any quality problems found.

A Takata spokesman said: “If Honda did the kind of quality tests on Takata inflators you’re describing, wouldn’t you assume Honda would communicate with us, to ask us about the quality lapses they supposedly found? As far as we know, and we looked into it extensively, there has been no such communication between us.”

The Honda insiders said the tests did not identify the cause of the defect but led the company to believe manufacturing quality issues could have played a role.

Honda's chief spokesman Kaoru Tanaka confirmed that it conducts component quality tests at times when defects are suspected, but doesn't usually release the results or comment on specific tests.

"What's most important to us is our customer, and to take necessary action as quickly as possible for their safety ... and remove fears and worries felt by the customer as part of the air bag recalls," Tanaka said.


'EXTREMELY SLOPPY'

One of the Honda insiders said inflators from the used cars examined by Honda showed Takata was "extremely sloppy" in making the propellants that ignite to inflate the air bag in a fraction of a second in a collision.

He said the inflators contained varying amounts of the prescribed mix of ammonium nitrate and secondary ingredients, with many going beyond predetermined margins of error, and varying amounts of chemical compounds that strayed from Honda-approved recipes for inflators.

Some propellants that one of the individuals said he saw at the test center showed colorings he attributed to damage from exposure to moisture, a leading theory for the fatal defect.

Honda CEO Takanobu Ito's view on Takata, which supplies roughly a fifth of the world's air bags and whose ties to Honda, its biggest customer, go back more than a quarter of a century, soured around mid-year, after the tests. He felt he wasn't getting enough information from Takata on the cause of the defect, one of the insiders said.

The person said Ito felt "angry" and "betrayed" by Takata, and considered Honda a "victim" in the crisis.

It was not clear whether Ito ordered the tests.

Since the tests, the insiders said he had told people close to him that he had no sympathy for Takata and would not step in to rescue the company if it slipped into financial trouble.


They added that Ito's personal view did not necessarily reflect how Honda as a company might respond.

As the number of recalls has risen steadily, Honda has said it is looking to rival air bag inflator makers Autoliv Inc ALV.N and Daicel Corp 4202.T for replacement parts to carry out the Takata-related fixes.

It wasn't immediately clear if Honda carried out similar random testing in the United States, but 10 automakers involved in the U.S. recall, led by Toyota Motor 7203.T, are expected soon to hire an independent engineering firm to test Takata air bags.

Source;
http://ca.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idCAKBN0JV09820141217?sp=true

Honda’s move to Autoliv signals beginning of rupture with Takata ties?

The third-largest Japanese automaker has been the No. 1 customer for the auto safety parts supplier Takata Corp, but as the airbag auto safety crisis deepens globally, their more than 50-year relationship could strain.

Honda – which has recalled around half of the vehicles involved in the Takata airbag inflator debacle, also has the unfortunate claim over all five reported deaths. And, just as Takata acknowledged it was struggling to increase production of the replacement kits, the automaker also tapped Autoliv to provide the necessary fix for its US models. Besides tapping Stockholm-based Autoliv Inc., Honda also currently negotiates with Japan’s Daicel Corp. on getting even more components – as the carmaker seems ready to reclaim some of its dented reputation. And, just hours after Takata disregarded a deadline set by the US auto safety regulator NHTSA to order a nationwide recall, Honda proceeded to voluntarily embark on the asked expansion that targets driver-side airbags.

While not long ago executives from both Honda and Toyota expressed their deep commitment to their long-time partner Takata Corp, the latest moves from Honda show the ties might get tested in the near future. That’s bad news for Takata, with analysts and brokerages predicting the company might need financial support from the carmakers – transferring onto themselves at least a part of the costs of recalling millions of vehicles worldwide.

Source;
http://www.inautonews.com/hondas-move-to-autoliv-signals-beginning-of-rupture-with-takata-ties#.VIHEoGf4Kr8

Honda cuts sales forecast as recalls delay new model roll-outs

Tetsuo Iwamura, Executive Vice President of Honda Motor Co, walks into a news conference at the company's headquarters in Tokyo October 28, 2014. Honda Motor Co Ltd cut its sales forecasts for this year citing competition in Japan and China as well as the impact of recalls on new model launches, but said a weak yen will help it stick to its operating profit estimate at 770 billion yen.

Credit: Reuters/Yuya Shino

By Chang-Ran Kim and Mari Saito

TOKYO Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:52am EDT

(Reuters) - Honda Motor Co Ltd (7267.T) has trimmed its full-year sales forecast citing "tough" competition in Japan and China as well as the impact of recalls on new-model development, but said a weak yen would help it maintain its operating profit goal.

The Japanese automaker also said on Tuesday that operating profit fell 4.1 percent to 164.4 billion yen ($1.52 billion) in the second quarter, missing the 184.1 billion yen average estimate of 14 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

The results came on the day Honda was named as a defendant in a proposed class-action lawsuit over recalls of vehicles with air bags made by Takata Corp (7312.T) that have been linked to four deaths, all in Honda cars. Honda said it had not received the lawsuit and therefore could not comment.

Honda has also been struck by five separate recalls for the same car - the hybrid version of its Fit subcompact - in just a year since its launch. Chief Executive Takanobu Ito and 12 other executives have taken responsibility in the form of pay cuts.

"As a result of this (latest Fit) recall, we have had to do a full inspection of all the new models" in the pipeline, Honda Executive Vice President Tetsuo Iwamura said on Tuesday. "This has caused a delay - and it differs according to model - but some by as much as six months."

The direct consequence is Honda selling 80,000 fewer vehicles in Japan this business year ending March, Iwamura said.

FORECAST CUT
Overall, Honda cut its sales forecasts for Japan and China by 100,000 vehicles each, and left its North America estimate unchanged. It lowered its global forecast by 4 percent to 4.620 million vehicles.

Honda now expects revenue of 12.75 trillion yen rather than 12.80 trillion. It still expects 770 billion yen in operating profit, but now sees net profit of 565 billion yen, 5.8 percent less than forecast in July.

Operating profit is likely to be buoyed by a weak yen, which makes Japanese exports more affordable. But slumping sales in Japan since a consumer tax hike in April as well as in China contributed to the decision to cut forecasts, executives said after the earnings results.

"The overall market in China is growing, but that growth has slowed a bit. We, as well as some other car makers, have not been able to keep pace with the overall growth," Iwamura said.

On a quarterly basis, operating profit fell in July-September after weaker sales in Japan and North America compared with the year prior, Honda said. Profit was also constrained by higher purchase incentives, particularly in the United States.

Shares of Honda closed 0.7 percent lower before the earnings release, compared with a 0.4 percent decline in Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index .N225.

TAKATA RECALLS
Clouding the outlook is the risk of more Takata-related recalls in the United States - Honda's biggest market - where the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating reported failures of Takata air bag inflators in places with hot, humid weather.

The investigation is centered on whether hot and humid conditions cause the inflators to explode with dangerous force in the event of a collision.

Around half of Honda vehicles produced in 2014 used Takata air bags. Of that total, half use Takata's inflators, while the rest use inflators supplied by Daicel Corp (4202.T), Iwamura said.

Honda expects to collect all recall-related costs from Takata, another executive told reporters.

(Editing by Christopher Cushing)

Source;
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/28/us-honda-results-idUSKBN0IH0DF20141028

Honda, Nissan, Mazda recall 3m vehicles because of exploding airbags

TOKYO—Honda, Mazda and Nissan are recalling millions of vehicles globally for defective airbags manufactured by supplier Takata Corp. that could possibly explode.

No accidents have been reported related to Monday’s recalls.

Honda Motor Co. recalled 2.03 million vehicles for the airbag problem, including 1.02 million in North America and nearly 669,000 in Japan. It said they were manufactured between 2000 and 2005.

That came on top of a million vehicles Honda recalled last year for similar Takata airbag problems.

Nissan Motor Co. recalled 755,000 vehicles globally manufactured from 2001 through 2003, while Mazda Motor Corp. recalled nearly 160,000 vehicles manufactured from 2002 through 2004.

Like Honda, both companies announced recalls last year, but in smaller numbers.

Takata recently realized that the earlier recall had not included all of the problem airbags, the automakers said.

Toyota Motor Corp. announced an airbag recall earlier this month for 2.27 million vehicles, including some that were recalled last year. One fire was reported related to the defect, but no one was injured in that incident, Toyota said.

Toyota, the world’s No. 1 automaker, was also investigating a crash in Puerto Rico in which the driver suffered a minor cut on the forehead which may have been caused by an abnormal passenger-side airbag deployment.

Toyota’s affected models include the Corolla, Matrix, Tundra, Yaris and Camry. The models recalled at Honda include the Fit, Element and CR-V, while those at Nissan are the Cube, X-Trail and some Infiniti models. Recalled at Mazda were the Atenza and RX-8.

Tokyo-based Takata is a major manufacturer of airbags, seat belts, steering wheels and other auto parts.

Source;
http://www.thestar.com/business/2014/06/23/honda_nissan_mazda_recall_3m_vehicles_because_of_exploding_airbags.html

Honda's Takata airbag recall could top 1 million, report says

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Honda Motor Co. expects to recall vehicles with potentially defective airbags, a move that could expand a massive, multi-company airbag recall by more than a million, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

The recall involves faulty airbag inflators supplied by Takata Corp. and would follow a similar move last week by Toyota Motor Corp. The Honda recall should be announced by the end of June, according to the person, who declined to be identified.

Honda, while waiting for further information from Takata on its inflator problems, is also investigating on its own how many vehicles it may need to call back and where they are, according to the individual. The number of vehicles it recalls could exceed the 1.14 million vehicles Honda called back globally last year, the person said.

Asked whether Honda will expand airbag-related recalls from last year, company spokeswoman Akemi Ando said: "We are conducting investigations quickly and if we decide that there are vehicles that should be called back, we will swiftly file for a recall."

Toyota on Wednesday called back 1.62 million previously recalled vehicles outside Japan as well as 650,000 more in Japan not previously recalled. The additional vehicles brought to more than 7 million the total number of cars equipped with Takata airbags to be called back worldwide over the last five years.

Toyota's recall from 2013 was a part of a bigger recall by automakers that include Honda, Nissan Motor Co. and Mazda Motor Corp. In total, they recalled about 3.6 million vehicles with airbag inflators that could explode in an accident and send pieces of shrapnel into the vehicle.

Toyota said it has determined that the serial numbers of potentially faulty inflators that Takata previously supplied were incomplete. Takata said it supports Toyota's decision to recall the vehicles.

The Japanese Transport Ministry has ordered automakers including Honda, Nissan and Mazda to determine quickly whether they need to expand their recalls. Mazda spokeswoman Misato Kobayashi declined to say when the company would finish its investigations, while Nissan could not be reached immediately.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it had opened an investigation this week into nearly 1.1 million vehicles made by not only Toyota, but also Honda, Nissan, Mazda and Chrysler Group after receiving six reports of airbags not deploying properly in the humid climates of Florida and Puerto Rico.

Source;
http://www.autonews.com/article/20140616/OEM10/140619906/hondas-takata-airbag-recall-could-top-1-million-report-says#

Honda recalling nearly 25,000 Odyssey minivans for air bag defect

TORRANCE, Calif. – Honda is recalling 24,889 Odyssey minivans from the 2014 model year because their side air bags may not deploy during a crash.

Honda says a shorting terminal, which prevents deployment of the air bag before it’s put into the vehicle, may have been damaged during the assembly process. That may illuminate the air bag warning light and prevent the side curtain air bags from deploying.

Honda says no crashes or injuries have been reported related to the issue, which was discovered through warranty repairs.

Dealers will repair the minivans for free. Honda will notify owners starting May 16.

Source;
http://globalnews.ca/news/1305486/honda-recalling-nearly-25000-odyssey-minivans-for-air-bag-defect/

Looking to see if your vehicle is effected?

You can ask your local Honda dealership's Service Department, or you can call Honda Canada Customer Relations at 1-888-946-6329. Your Vehicle Identification Number will be required in order to check for any recalls. If you ever move, please let Honda Canada know your new address, so we can ensure you receive any future recall notices. Or if you sell your Honda, ask the new owner to notify either a Honda dealership or Honda Canada so our files can be updated with the new ownership information.

150,000 UK cars among 3.4m Toyotas, Nissans and Hondas recalled over airbag defect

Honda Canada says it will voluntarily recall more than 107,000 vehicles because of a potential problem with the front passenger side airbag inflator.

The automaker says inflators in affected vehicles may deploy with too much pressure, which may cause the inflator to rupture and cause possible injuries.

Honda says it knows of one crash attributed to the airbag problem, but it is not aware of any injuries or deaths related to this issue.

The recall covers almost 81,000 Honda Civics and about 11,000 Acura 1.7 EL vehicles from the 2001-2003 model years, 6,140 CR-V vehicles from the 2002-2003 model years and almost 10,000 Odysseys from the 2002 model year.

Honda says owners of all affected vehicles are encouraged to take their vehicles to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive a recall notification, which will be mailed out starting in late May.

Source;
http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/04/11/honda-canada-recalls-more-than-107000-vehicle-with-possible-airbag-problem/

Want to see if your vehicle is affected?
For Canada;
http://www.honda.ca/recalls

For US;
http://owners.honda.com/service-maintenance/recalls

For UK;
https://www.honda.co.uk/cars/owners/youandyourcar/recallsandupdates/

Some 150,000 Japanese cars owned by UK motorists have been recalled after a fault was discovered with their front passenger seat airbags.

The move is part of a global recall of 3.4m vehicles by Honda, Nissan and Toyota but the car firms were quick to reassure drivers today that they weren’t at risk.

The firms said the airbag will not inflate accidentally, only in the event of an accident. There have been no reported problems in the UK so far and just two incidents in the US and three in Japan when airbags at the front seat next to the driver either failed to inflate or over-inflated when a crash occurred. There have been no reported injuries resulting from the fault.

Toyota is recalling 76,000 UK cars but said that the repairs would be undertaken by local dealers and would take just between an hour to two and half hours, depending on the vehicle.

The affected models have all been supplied with front passenger seat airbags by the Japanese component supplier Takata.

Toyota cars recalled are the Corolla, Yaris, Avensis, Avensis Verso, Picnic, Camry and Alesix SC430. The vehicles with the possibly defective airbag will have "X" to "54" registration plate identifiers.

The 59,058 Nissan models affected were built between 2000 and 2004. The vehicles recalled are X-Trail, Patrol, Almera, Almera Tino, Terrano II and the 4x4 Pickup.

Honda, which is recalling 15,475 vehicles, said in a statement that “in certain vehicles, the passenger's front airbag inflator could produce excessive internal pressure. If an affected airbag deploys, the increased pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.

Mazda is recalling 45,463 cars, including the RX-8 and Mazda 6, but none of these are in the UK.
“In the event of an inflator rupture, metal fragments could be propelled upward toward the windshield, or downward toward the front passenger's foot well, potentially causing injury to a vehicle occupant.”

The majority of Honda vehicles affected are CR-Vs built at the Swindon plant between 2002-2003, although there will also be a small number of Jazz and Stream variants built between 2001-2002, the firm said.

The companies said they will be writing to affected customers within the next 30 days. Anyone worried can check before then by contacting their local dealers or garage where the car was bought. In addition Toyota owners should be able to go to the owners section of the website www.toyota.co.uk and put in their registration number to find out if their car is affected. Worried Nissan owners can call 01923 899334.

There will be no compensation for motorists affected by the recall. That’s because under code of conduct rules set out by the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency no compensation is allowed to be offered during manufacturer's recall campaigns. “That’s because it could be construed as bribery to keep customers quiet," one industry insider told The Independent.

The latest recall means across the world Toyota has had to return almost 20m vehicles to forecourts in the last three years, after a range of different problems on its cars. These have included faulty braking, sticky accelerator pedals and defective floor mats. Just last November Toyota recalled 2.7m vehicles, including some 75,000 Avensis, Corolla and Prius models in the UK, because of a steering wheel fault which could have resulted in a “reduction in steering response”.

Source;
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/motoring/motoring-news/150000-uk-cars-among-34m-toyotas-nissans-and-hondas--recalled-over-airbag-defect-8568209.html