Honda calls for industry-wide third-party airbag inflator research effort

Honda, which has been among the large number of global carmakers affected by the explosive airbag recall that has affected 14 million cars in the US, has called for coordinated, industry-wide, third-party testing of Takata airbag inflators with the goal of ensuring that all of the inflators that require replacement are accurately identified and fixed as quickly as possible. Honda is Takata’s biggest customer.

“We believe that the industry can achieve greater results by sharing information and putting its collective efforts behind the same objective third party testing program,” said Rick Schostek, executive vice-president of Honda North America, Inc. “Honda continues to quickly address the needs and concerns of our customers, and this industry-wide initiative will bring additional energy and focus to this effort.”

Honda is encouraging all automakers affected by the various airbag inflator recalls to join in this effort to engage an independent engineering analysis expert to test airbag inflators. Honda is also calling on Takata to provide the necessary testing data to support this new initiative.

On November 20, in a statement before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Rick Schostek, had said: “Like many automakers, Honda partnered with Takata for the supply of airbag components because Takata was an internationally-recognized safety systems supplier. As the manufacturer of the complete vehicle, we relied on Takata for its expertise in this specific area of technology. We provided our performance requirements and Takata designed the airbag components to those criteria.

Beginning with the 2001 model year, Takata began to supply Honda with a new generation of airbag components. By 2004, we had sold approximately 3.8 million vehicles equipped with these Takata airbags, when we learned of an airbag inflator rupture in one of our vehicles, and reported it to NHTSA. This remained the only airbag inflator rupture we were aware of until three years later.

Since 2007, we have been involved in a safety investigation of Takata airbag inflators. Throughout this investigation, Takata identified specific manufacturing issues as the primary factors of the rupture events. Starting with a recall in November 2008, and with every subsequent recall, we gathered component parts from the time period corresponding to Takata's manufacturing issues and provided those to Takata for further investigation. Additionally, we recalled units that were outside the range Takata had identified, for the purpose of analysis.

As new evidence identified new risk, Honda acted to expand our recall populations. The investigation process has, since 2007, been designed to replace defective Takata inflators and to seek out data using the public recall process. The investigation continues to this day.

With regard to the 2004 inflator rupture, Takata advised us that their analysis demonstrated that it had distinctly different characteristics compared to the ruptures that led to the first recall.

Honda has conducted seven recalls and two safety improvement campaigns in the U.S. related to Takata driver and front passenger airbag inflators. These actions represent our continued due diligence and focus on the safety of our customers.

It is our practice to actively communicate with our customers who own an affected vehicle in order to get them to take immediate action to have their vehicle repaired. Over and above the required first class mail notification, we provide multiple notices in English and Spanish, as well as other means of reaching customers, both directly and indirectly. We plan to continue these activities for all recalls.

We also have employed other communications techniques in an effort to increase the completion rate for our recalls. We consulted with the U.S. Postal Service to try new methods to get people to open their recall mailings. We also have used overnight delivery. We have called more than 700,000 hard-to-reach customers by phone, using our customer relations staff, our dealers, and automated calls.

Based on our efforts, we have experienced completion rates that are considered high for the recall of older model vehicles. Still, we are concerned when multiple recall notices go unheeded by some registered owners. We want our customers to complete each and every recall.

At Honda, the founding principle of our company places the highest priority on the quality of our products and the satisfaction of our customers. Now, we are operating with even greater energy and focus to quickly address our customers’ needs and concerns and, with every action of our company, dedicating ourselves to honor the relationship we have with our customers.”

Honda operates 16 manufacturing plants across North America, including eight auto plants producing nearly 95 percent of the Honda and Acura automobiles the company sells in America, using domestic and globally sourced parts. Honda also operates 16 R&D facilities in the region.

Honda’s cumulative capital investment in North America exceeds $22 billion, and its purchases of parts and services from suppliers in North America reached a record of more than $25 billion in fiscal year 2014 (ended March 31, 2014). Over the past two years, Honda has invested an additional $2.7 billion in its North American manufacturing operations, including more than $1 billion in its U.S. operations.