Honda is now recalling vehicles in China to investigate potential defects with Takata air bags after similar campaigns in the US, Canada and Japan.
Bloomberg News, citing a statement on the website of China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said local joint venture Guangqi Honda, one of the Japanese automaker’s Chinese joint ventures, would recall 527,136 Accords produced from May 2002 to December 2007 to replace driver’s side air bags.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Another Honda venture would recall 26,128 Elysion minivans made from June 2012 to June 2014, the automaker told Bloomberg.
These latest recalls will add to the over 13m cars Honda has recalled worldwide to replace Takata air bags that can deploy with too much force and fire metal parts at occupants.
Honda has contracted two alternative air bag suppliers to make substitute parts after Takata inflators were linked to four fatalities in the US and the death of a pregnant woman and her unborn child in Malaysia.
“Because of the increasing use of common components, carmakers can be extremely vulnerable if a single, key supplier, like Takata, fails in quality,” Seiji Sugiura, an auto analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Centre, told Bloomberg. “Honda and other carmakers will have to switch to other suppliers in the longer term.”
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataNo injuries and deaths have been linked to the recalled vehicles in China, Honda Japan spokeswoman Misato Fukushima told the news agency. The automaker will announce more campaigns in other markets once it determines how many vehicles to recall, she said.
Honda China spokesman Zhu Linjie told Bloomberg the recall would take place from 28 February 2015 because the replacement parts aren’t available immediately. Motorists can drive the cars as usual and don’t have to disable the air bags, he added.
Bloomberg noted Honda’s latest action was an investigative recall which automakers conduct as a preventive measure to fix vehicles before establishing a defect officially exists.
US: Mazda to recall 330,000 more vehicles with Takata airbags
