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Honda Under Investigation for Defective Airbag Recall

Honda is being investigated for its delay in recalling thousands of vehicles for defective airbags.

According to the New York Times, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether the automaker delayed the recall of approximately 440,000 vehicles for an airbag defect that could allow pieces of metal to injure the driver. In November 2008, Honda announced a recall of about 3,900 Accord and Civic models because of a hazard from an excessively powerful  airbag inflator. This defect can cause serious airbag  injuries to the driver, because it can result in metal shards going through the airbag and hitting the motorist.

At the end of July, the automaker sent the NHTSA another letter, claiming that the 2008 recall needed to be expanded to cover about 440,000 more vehicles. These vehicles include even more Accords and Civics, as well as 2002 Accords and some Acura 3.2 TL models. According to the automaker, it had conducted investigations and found unusual airbag deployments in May and June of this year.

However, the NHTSA has questions about why the first recall which was issued last year was so limited, and restricted to just 3,900 vehicles, and why the number of defective vehicles grew so suddenly. The NHTSA has written to the automaker asking for a detailed explanation. The agency says that it is evaluating the “timeliness” of Honda’s recall. According to auto safety advocates, it is rare for the agency to send a letter like this to an automaker.  Honda insists that it expanded the recall because it became aware that the airbag deployment continued to be an issue.

If the investigation shows that Honda was aware of airbag deployment problems but restricted the recall to only a few vehicles, then the automaker can face hefty civil penalties. It isn’t the first time Honda has been fined for delaying or failing to recall defective products. In 1996, the automaker was fined $50,000 for failing to recall defective seatbelts quickly enough.

Another automaker also faces investigations into fire hazards with its vehicles. The NHTSA is investigating a possible fire defect in Jeep Wranglers. According to the Associated Press, there have been at least three complaints filed by Jeep Wrangler owners. The complaints say that the vehicle transmission overheated and, in at least one case, there was smoke. One of the complaints reported that the fire broke out after the transmission over heated. So far, no injuries have been reported. The investigation is focusing on 2007-2008 model Jeep Wranglers that come with automatic transmissions.

Meanwhile, Chrysler has issued a statement saying that it is cooperating with the NHTSA in the investigation into the Jeep Wrangler defects. The company says it is aware of such fires involving Jeep Wranglers in China, but it is not aware of any such reports in the US.

A recall can be bad news for an automaker. The company can stand to sustain financial loses when a vehicle is recalled for safety hazards.  Worse than the financial losses is the loss of reputation and goodwill. To avoid this, automakers often delay recalling defective vehicles as quickly as possible.

The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of airbag defects. Please visit our website at trlglaw.com. If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us.

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