NHTSA pushes for nationwide Takata airbag recall

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Jun 24, 2004
Messages
14,505
Location
Top of Virginia
Great news in my opinion. I've long been an opponent of "geographical recalls". It apparently stems from a 2007 crash in a Ford Mustang in North Carolina. North Carolina is not designated in most of these recalls as a "high humidity" state. Additionally, Honda later added California to its list of states included in the recall due to a crash there.

NYTimes article

For its part, Honda has now stated that it will replace an airbag at the owner's request, even if it's not part of the original geographic recall. With recent developments, however, Honda may, either on its own or under duress by NHTSA, recall them all anyway.

Autonews article

I'm going to call our local Acura dealer and have the one in our MDX replaced. In my opinion, southern North Carolina, where we live, is as humid as most of the states included in the original recall, including South Carolina.
 
Hear, hear. Geographical recalls may save some money, but seem like bad policy if protecting the consumer is the main intent.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Hear, hear. Geographical recalls may save some money, but seem like bad policy if protecting the consumer is the main intent.


Sort of but a few on my Subaru have been rust related to salt corrosion(brake lines and fuel lines junction) and make less sense to check.
 
Originally Posted By: rjundi
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Hear, hear. Geographical recalls may save some money, but seem like bad policy if protecting the consumer is the main intent.


Sort of but a few on my Subaru have been rust related to salt corrosion(brake lines and fuel lines junction) and make less sense to check.


So nobody that lives in a salt air/waterfront environment in the high humidity south have to worry about this? What if you moved to Texas tomorrow, would you still be covered by a geographical warranty?
 
Forget the airbag and put on a nice NARDI wood steering wheel
smile.gif
nardi.classic-wood-gold_d.jpg
 
Last edited:
They should all be done. Just because a vehicle is registered in one place, that doesn't mean it doesn't spend a lot of time in other places that may be more humid.
 
Originally Posted By: benjamming
Not all airbags for Honda were made by Takata.


Correct. Our CR-V, for example, doesn't use them at all. The 2003-2006 MDX, however, does. Ours is not part of the original recall, since we don't live in a state that was designated as having a humid climate, but it now looks like Acura will replace the airbag at our request, even if it never is eventually recalled.
 
I may be old and cranky but I don't care for something that blows up in my face. Young people probably like it under the guise of it being hi tech.
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
I may be old and cranky but I don't care for something that blows up in my face. Young people probably like it under the guise of it being hi tech.


Trolling.gif


Good one!
crackmeup2.gif
 
Geographical recalls are stupid. What if the vehicle is sold used out of state? Or you spend a few months of the year in a humid state? The product works as designed in all reasonable conditions or it does not. End of story.
 
I think Honda has done a poor job with this.

Our 2005 Civic is listed as included in the recall, every owner communication indicates:

What you should do:
Call any authorized Honda dealer to make an appointment to have your vehicles front airbag inflator replaced at no cost to you.

No where in any owners communication does it indicate that the air bag may be "inspected".

As early as September when we had a check engine light in Denver we were informed it was subject to a recall but "no parts were available". When we returned home I called the local dealer and they checked the VIN and ordered an airbag. When I called this morning because no one has called to let me know parts were in, they said they had "a couple hundred back there", took my VIN and called back to say the air bag was there.

I was transferred to service and they said just bring it by, which I did.

I checked it in and after about an hour and a half or two they called me on the intercom to say it was ready.

I was handed my paperwork and I was on my way... but wait... that airbag does not look new? RO says "DRIVER AIRBAG INFLATOR IS GOOD"

WAIT WHAT?

So I find the service advisor who is bit dim and ask what up and he's unable to provide any real additional information... So I call Honda... Honda looks up the VIN and says that our car is just one that Honda decided they wanted to look at and it is not affected by the recall...

I ask point blank if it is a TAKATA bag, and he says he doesn't know but the airbag serial number must not have been "affected". I tell him that not good enough... and he took my information to have someone higher up call me back.

Note: NO ONE to this point has said that there is a chance this airbag was not manufactured by TAKATA.

So I come home and do some research and find the actual dealer communication indicating that AUTOLIV may have manufactured the bags.

Now don't you think that would be a key piece of information an owner might need to know? You would think at the very least the customer service department at Honda would know that?

Frankly as hard as Honda has been pushing back on this and fighting the recall, I'm not sure I believe them... even when someone gets around to telling me from Honda.

When there are stories like this one: http://www.autonews.com/article/20141117...-in-honda-alert out there it makes one skeptical.

You would think the owner letter provided when you log into owners.honda.com would indicate that the bag might be inspected. I'd be a whole lot less mad if they had explained it up front...
 
Last edited:
Update 1.

American Honda called and said the dealer should have replaced the air bag and is calling dealer, going to call me back.

I do think they should replace them all and perhaps prioritize parts supply by regions most likely to be affected.
 
Update 2, 3, 4. or something like that ...

American Honda called back (same person) and explained that the airbag is an Autoliv not Takata. I explained my frustration that no one (including her) had mentioned that 2005 Civic driver airbags might be made by someone other than Takata and she did say she understood. I told her that I was going to need something that said that my car did not contain a Takata airbag and she said she would have to call the dealer.

I called the dealer and left a message for the service manager.

American Honda called back and said that the dealer would provide the repair order stating it was an Autoliv bag.

Service manager called back and seemed about as frustrated as I am, he said a good many don't have the Takata bags.

So I guess this is good news that even though a car is on the recall list and the owner notification says the bag will be replaced it may not have a Takata bag. I just wish someone would have explained that before, because it isn't what the information Honda is putting out leads one to believe.

BTW, there is a senate hearing tomorrow on the nationwide recall, if anyone wants to push for a nationwide recall, may still be time to contact the senate on it.
 
Originally Posted By: CT8
I may be old and cranky but I don't care for something that blows up in my face. Young people probably like it under the guise of it being hi tech.



Exactly.

Bottom line is that the ONLY reason automakers ever installed these
explosive items into our vehicles is because the dumbfork public refused to use common sense and buckle up en mass.

How many seatbelt recalls have we had compared to these things...
and even if a seatbelt fails it probably won't puncture your
carotid artery.

I think we we should call and write our reps to have these
dangerous items banned from future vehicles. I know I am going to.

The ADAC did a study some years ago and found that a properly belted driver will fair just as well as the one with belt and
explode-o-bag together.

The Germans argued against airbags long and hard and only
caved when the US made them mandatory by law.
 
If a seatbelt failed you'd probably be dead.

I recall dad's Astrovan got seatbelt anchor bolts replaced at like age 4 or 5. Was in the dealer something else, they simply replaced them.

Done right the airbag should be a supplementary restraint system. The seatbelt keeps your torso in the seat, and the airbag ought to pop out and help keep your head from whipping around.

I suppose the alternative is to wear a neckbrace while driving. Wouldn't that be fun?
 
Originally Posted By: supton
Done right the airbag should be a supplementary restraint system.


That is what they are...and that's even what is molded into most airbag covers: SRS.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top