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Honda Accused of Hiding Airbag Problems

The Washington, D.C.-based Center for Auto Safety is calling for sanctions against Honda Motor Co. for failing to report airbag defects promptly.
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The Washington, D.C.-based Center for Auto Safety is calling for sanctions against Honda Motor Co. for failing to report airbag defects promptly.

The consumer watchdog's complaint centers around Takata Corp. airbag inflators that explode and send shrapnel into the passenger compartment. Honda and nine other carmakers have recalled some 10.5 million vehicles worldwide over the past five years to replace the defective parts.

Carmakers are required to file quarterly early warning reports to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about warranty claims, lawsuits, customer complaints and injuries and fatalities involving their vehicles. But the Center for Auto Safety cites cases where Honda took much longer to flag airbag problems.

The center also says the overall number of early warning reports submitted by Honda appears suspiciously low. General Motors and Toyota each reported more than 1,700 such claims last year compared with 28 from Honda, according to the center. It wants NHTSA to ask the Dept. of Justice to investigate the issue.

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