Airbag.jpg (Photo : Reuters)
Two joint ventures of Honda Motor Co. in China have issued a recall order on over half a million cars due to defective airbags made by Takata Corp., a Japan-based automotive parts company.
Following similar campaigns in the U.S., Canada and Japan, Honda will recall 527,136 Accords produced between May 2002 and Dec. 2007 by Guangqi Honda.
Another recall consisting of 26,128 Elysion minivans made by another Honda venture between June 2012 and June 2014 has been issued.
According to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the vehicles were identified to have defective driver-side airbags and need to be replaced due to high risk of danger to car owners.
This latest batch of recall adds to the over 13 million cars from three regions called back by Honda due to Takata airbags that could inflate with too much force and spew metal parts at motorists.
In recent years, 20 million cars equipped with Takata airbags have been recalled by various automakers.
Honda has decided to use airbags from two alternative suppliers after the defect of Takata's inflators caused four fatalities in total.
Seiji Sugiura, an auto analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Center, said that carmakers using a component from a common supplier will be forced to recall vehicles if such device fails in quality.
According to Misato Fukushima, Honda's spokesperson, no injuries and fatalities have been caused by the units subject for recall.
Honda said that the recall for the mentioned vehicles will start on Feb. 28 once replacement inflators are available. Meantime, owners can drive the cars normally without disabling the airbags.
