Honda (NYSE:HMC) has issued a recall for specific 2023-2024 Accord and HR-V vehicles due to a critical component missing in the front seat belt pretensioners.
This absence poses an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
As per Honda's and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's recent announcements, the pretensioners, responsible for securing seat belts upon impact, might lack the rivet necessary to fasten the quick connector and wire plate.
Consequently, passengers may not experience proper restraint in the event of a collision, as stated by regulators.
The NHTSA attributed this issue to an assembly error. Over 300,000 Accords and HR-Vs are potentially impacted by this recall.
As of November 16, Honda had documented seven warranty claims related to the issue with the faulty pretensioners. There have been no reports of injuries or fatalities associated with this problem.
Honda estimates less than 1% of vehicles possibly affected will need a replacement. However, consumers affected by this recall can bring their vehicles to a dealership where the vehicle will receive a comprehensive inspection on all vehicles and, if necessary, have the seat belt pretensioner assembly replaced at zero cost to the owner.
Notification letters will be sent via mail to registered owners of the affected vehicles starting Jan. 8, 2024. Replacement parts should be available to dealers by the end of the month.
Shares of HMC are down 0.49% in afternoon trading on Tuesday.