Blowing out of proportion: Honda issues even more recalls

MANILA: It seems the Honda - Takata inflator recall issue has not blown over just yet. As many as 10461 vehicles are now being recalled right at the tail of the 200000 that were recalled back in December. Despite all the air based puns, it may inspire, this is no laughing matter.

As you may recall (no pun intended), the Takata incident began way back in 2013. Their airbag inflators were deploying with too much internal force when activated. So much force that they broke the inflator casing, sending shrapnel and debris at the passenger. These resulted in over a hundred cases of injuries and at least 16 reported deaths. The Takata Corporation, which once owned 20 percent market share in airbags, had to file for bankruptcy in 2017 as a consequence.

The current recall is for the 2013 Honda City and the 2012-15 models of the Jazz and the Pilot. Honda has taken many steps to ensure that no car is left unattended. If you are a Honda owner and want to check if your car has been recalled, you can do so at the recall webpage at hondaphil.com/services/vin-search. Just enter your car’s chassis no. or the Vehicle Identification Number, both of which can be found in the Certificate of Registration.

You can also call the dedicated Honda hotline numbers at 1-800-1000-HONDA (46632) or (02) 857-7240 between 8 AM to 5 PM from Monday to Friday. They are also reachable through email at update@hondaphil.com. If you want to contact Honda dealers, then they are open from 9 AM to 5 PM, Monday to Saturday.

Honda has promised to replace the parts in contention, free of cost at any of the 37 authorized Honda dealerships and the three service outlets across the country. HCPI says that the replacement process takes just an hour.

The local market is yet to report any incidents related to this severe fault. It is in your best interests that you help Honda maintain this record.