Honda recalls more than 300,000 Accords, HR-Vs over seat belt issues

Honda is recalling more than 300,000 vehicles over faulty seat belts.

In a notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Tuesday, the automaker said some front seat belts in 2023-2024 Accords and HR-Vs have missing pretensioner rivets. A pretensioner is the seat belt component that tightens it in place during an accident, preventing the seat occupant from flying forward. Defective pretensioners increase the risk of injury in the event of a collision, Honda said in the notice.

According to the NHTSA, wearing a seat belt in a passenger car decreases the likelihood of death by 45% and reduces the risk of moderate and critical injury by 50%.

In a safety recall report also filed with the NHTSA, Honda said it received the initial complaint about the seat belt issue in May. However, it "received the affected parts and began to investigate the issue" on September 20.

As of November 16, Honda said it has not received any reports of injuries or deaths as a result of the malfunctioning part.

This is Honda's second major recall in just over a week. On November 17, the company announced a recall of some 250,000 cars due to a manufacturing error that may damage the engine. Honda has issued 14 other recalls this year, affecting more than 1 million vehicles in total.

Honda did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Owners affected by this recall will be contacted by mail after January 8, 2024, and will be able to take their vehicle to be inspected at a Honda dealership. Dealers will replace the necessary part free of charge.

To determine if your car is affected, visit www.recalls.honda.com.

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