Honda is recalling a half-million vehicles due to a problem with the front seat belts, safety officials said.
The automaker is recalling certain 2017-2020 CR-V, 2018-2019 Accord and Accord Hybrid, 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019 Insight, and 2019-2020 Acura RDX vehicles, according to a filing with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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The seat belt buckle channel for the driver and front passenger seat belts were manufactured out of specification, causing interference between the buckle channel and the release button.
With continuous use, the buckled channel surface coating may deteriorate over time and the release button may shrink against the channel at low temperatures, increasing friction.
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This can result in issues with the seat belt buckle latching. If the seat belt buckle does not latch the occupant may not be properly restrained increasing the risk of injury to the occupant.
Investigation Began in 2019
The seat belt buckle channel was manufactured out of specification causing interference between the buckle channel and the release button.
The recall population was based on supplier and manufacturer records, NHTSA said.
Honda began investigating the problem in June 2019 when the automaker noticed a potential trend in seat belt latching issues.
As of March 2nd, Honda has received 301 warranty claims related to the issue between March 22nd 2019 and January 16 with no reports of injuries or deaths reported related to this problem.
Dealers will replace the front seat belt buckle release buttons or the buckle assemblies if needed. Owners will be notified by letter starting April 17.
Last month, Hyundai recalled more than 65,000 of its Genesis luxury vehicles because a seat-belt pretensioner, which tightens the belt in the event of a crash, could explode.
Hyundai had a similar problem last year when the automaker recalled 239,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to exploding seat belt pretensioners. Three injuries were reported in that case, with two in the U.S. and one in Singapore.
