Federal Officials Ask Honda Why It Delayed Product Defect Recall
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is asking Honda Motor Co. and Takata Corporation about why the auto maker delayed an important vehicle defect recall involving defective airbags. According to a news report, the federal agency is questioning Honda and Takata, who are Honda's airbag supplier, and asking for an explanation as to why the first recall did not include cars from the second recall. A total of 444,000 Accord and Civic sedans were recalled for potentially deadly airbag defects. The airbag inflator in these Honda vehicles can apparently rupture from too much internal air pressure sending metal fragments through the airbag and striking the occupants of the vehicle.
Serious Honda Airbag Defects
In this product defect, the flying shrapnel from the airbags can cause serious personal injury and also result in the airbag getting punctured and not deploying in the event of a car accident. This particular vehicle defect has so far resulted in one fatality and several injuries, some of them critical.
According to NHTSA's Web site, officials are demanding that Honda and Takata "to more fully evaluate the scope and timeliness" of the two recalls. The auto maker recalled 3,940 Hondas during the first recall in November 2008. The second recall did not come until June 2009 and involved most of the 440,000 vehicles that were finally recalled. A month later, the second recall was expanded to include additional 2002 Accords and Acuras. Honda officials have denied that they did anything wrong and have promised to cooperate with NHTSA's investigation, which started this month.
Auto Product Liability Issues
How are Honda officials explaining this delay? A spokesman says that the Hondas that were initially recalled for the airbag defects were part of a recall based on a small sample of "problematic airbag deployment." They say that it took more consumer reports and complaints with regard to airbag deployment for them to be able to make a determination that they were part of the same problem.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a serious car accident involving a defective auto product please consult with a reputed personal injury attorney in California to find out more about your legal rights and options. In any auto products liability case, you would be well-advised to preserve the vehicle, which is the main piece of evidence. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free and comprehensive initial consultation to car accident victims and their families.
