|
|
The Facts on Honda Recalls
Open the paper, watch the news, or listen to the radio reports on any given day and you will likely catch a bit about one automotive manufacturing company or another. Just yesterday, for example, in my email box, where I get Levine Breaking News daily, I read about the latest debacle involving Ford Motor Corporation--about their advertising in gay publications and refusing to back down for the wishes of conservative Christians, but also in light of the many recalls Ford has to make. In the same respect, and to be fair, however, consider the numbers of other car manufacturers. Consider their records, their histories, and their individual recall patterns. Recalls are, mind you, a good thing…though they do not exist because of something good, usually.
Okay. So think about the recall patterns of a company like Ford and then compare the same years, etc., to another equally dynamic, successful (on the whole), and popular maker of autos. For example, Honda recalls are numerous and spread over many years, too. I wouldn’t be surprised if these Honda recalls sometimes outnumber Ford’s in any given year. But hold on. I am not going to go fist-to-cuffs with anyone, am not trying to start some ridiculous argument, and surely am not going to compete in a peeing competition over who says what about whose car is better. So. Let’s get on with some of those specifics or generalities regarding Honda recalls.
From 1976 to 2006, for thirty years, there have been 390 Honda recalls. In one case, for example, Honda recalls were so vital that they were made based on two deaths--due to a faulty defibrillator in the Honda Civic. In the same year, the Honda Accord had recalls to fix faulty frontal air bags and problems with the tires on the 2006.
For the Honda CR-V, fourteen recalls have been made for problems ranging from those found in the electrical system’s ignition switch in 1997 to the side/window air bags in the 2005. Likewise, or, with 15 and 26 recalls, respectively, the Passport and Odyssey have had recalls for such problems as the fuel pump and automatic transmission in the 2002 Passport and the power train/automatic transmission and engine cooling issues in the Odyssey of the same year.
Honda recalls have included problems with seat belts and electrical system ignition switch (2000); the gasoline storage tank, filler pipe and cap assembly, engine cooling, headlights, seat belts, fuel pump delivery (2001); engine cooling, headlights, frontal air bags, and accelerator pedal (2003/6) issues and problems.
But you know, as much as we might stay faithful to one auto maker or model, and as often as we rib and dig the owner of the other model or make fanatic, from what I have seen, most auto manufacturers have problems and have to do recalls. For example, since I started by mentioning Ford (and though I am a die-hard Ford lover), I will note how the Honda recalls of one year often parallel the Ford recalls of the same or another year. Ford also has had accelerator control problems, seat belt issues, and crises involving brakes and fuel pumps (the latter of which, when faulty, can cause everything from engine surging to hesitation and can possibly result in crashes, for instance).
It makes sense that a vehicle may start out perfect then fail in some department or area or may never be perfect to begin with…given the margin for error humans have and should be acknowledged as having.
|
|
