Honda has recalled 500,000 vehicles in North America over a potentially life-threatening issue with seat belts.
According to the automaker’s filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seat belts in certain models can fail to latch properly, increasing the risk of injury during an accident. This is caused by deterioration of the surface coat lining the buckle channel, without which the internal mechanisms can shrink in cold weather, preventing the belt from locking into place.
The issue can be found in roughly half a million cars made in the last six years making the recall one of the largest in 2023 so far. Affected models include the 2017-2020 CR-V SUVs, 2018-2019 Accord sedans, 2019-2020 Odyssey vans, 2019 Insight sedans and 2019-2020 Acura RDX SUVs. Honda dealers will fix or replace the seat belt unit for free once customers bring them a vehicle with the issue. Owners who want to check if their car is subject to the recall can visit the NHTSA’s website and enter their vehicle identification number. Although customers should seek a technician as soon as possible, the automaker is not aware of any injuries or deaths caused by the defect.
The pace of automotive recalls in the U.S. has remained steady since the end of 2022. Several weeks ago, Tesla recalled 362,000 units under pressure from the NHTSA to patch an issue in the company’s driver assistance software. The seat belt recall is Honda’s largest yet in 2023, overshadowing an earlier instance in February which affected 114,686 cars. Ford has earned two consecutive years as the most-recalled brand in the U.S., although it currently lags behind other automakers.
