For the want of a rivet, the Honda airbag is lost…
Honda is recalling 2009-2013 Pilot crossover models and 2011-2013 Odyssey minivans built in Alabama because rivets that attach the airbag module to the airbag cover may be missing. The absence of more than one rivet could alter the performance of the driver’s airbag during deployment. In a required filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration made public today, Honda told NHTSA that a manufacturing defect from supplier Neaten Rome increases the risk of injury during a crash on more than 748,000 U.S.-built vehicles.
Honda first became aware of the problem last July. Honda, which had the dubious distinction of recalling the second highest number of vehicles in 2012 covering 3.4 million vehicles, told NHTSA it has not received any warranty claims or complaints from customers for this defect, nor have there been any claims alleging death or injury related to this concern. (Read AutoInformed on More Than 17.8 Million Safety Recalls During 2012 in U.S.)
The Honda safety recall is expected to begin on16 February 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 about recall campaign number S75. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to www.safercar.gov.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
