Business & Tech
Seatbelt Recall For NJ’s Most Popular Car Brand
Front seat belts may not fasten in more than 448,600 newer Honda and Acura models, said transportation officials. See the affected years:
NEW JERSEY — Seat belts might not fasten in almost a half-million newer Honda vehicles sold in New Jersey and around the United States, according to a safety recall alert.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a recall on March 9 for certain Acura and Honda models made between 2017 and 2020 because of an increased risk of injury when the driver's and passenger's seat belts won't latch.
This includes the Honda CRV, which is the top-selling car in NJ according to Edmunds.
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Honda is recalling six models because the seat belt buckle channel may interfere with the buckle and prevent it from fastening. The recall affects about 448,600 cars, according to the safety recall report. Owners should begin receiving letters about the issue in mid-April with instructions on how to get the problem fixed, the company said.
The seat belt buckle channels "were manufactured out of specification," said investigators in a safety recall report, "causing interference between the buckle channel and the release button."
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"With continuous use, the buckle channel surface coating may deteriorate over time, and the release button may shrink against the channel at low temperatures, increasing friction," investigators continued. "This can result in issues with the seat belt buckle latching."
In February, Honda also issued a "Do Not Drive" warning on several older models with deadly, defective airbags. Related article: 'Do Not Drive' Recall On 2 Of NJ's Most Popular Vehicles
Here are the affected models and years for the seatbelt recall:
- Acura RDX: 2019-2020
- Honda Accord: 2018-2019
- Honda Accord Hybrid: 2018-2019
- Honda CR-V: 2017-2020
- Honda Insight: 2019
- Honda Odyssey: 2018-2020
"Dealers will replace the driver and front passenger seat belt buckle release buttons or the buckle assemblies as necessary, free of charge," said the NHTSA.
Owners with questions about the recall may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138, according to the NHTSA.
Honda's numbers for this recall are: NDA, QDB, BDC, MDD, LD9. TDF, FDG, ODH, YDI, ZDE.
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