Honda Supports Creation of a New Law to Increase Vehicle Recall Completion Rates

WASHINGTON, March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Honda recently announced its support for legislation that would require any outstanding safety recall to be completed before a vehicle could be legally registered in a state, thereby increasing vehicle recall completion rates. The bill was introduced on March 2, 2015, by Senators Edward Markey (D- Mass) and Richard Blumenthal (D- Conn.).

"Our goal is to achieve a 100 percent repair rate for every recall in order to prevent injuries and save lives, and this legislation will help achieve that.  We look forward to working with Senators Markey and Blumenthal, the Congress and other safety stakeholders as this proposal works its way through the legislative process," said Rick Schostek, executive vice president of Honda North America, Inc. 

About a third of all cars and trucks recalled in America for safety defects are never brought to the dealer for repair. While newer vehicles enjoy higher completion rates when a safety recall is initiated, the completion rate is much lower for older vehicles. As a result, too many of the required repairs are never made and, unfortunately, drivers and passengers in the affected vehicles are unnecessarily exposed to the risk of death or injury. This legislation provides an additional avenue to ensure recalled vehicles are brought in for repair.  

Honda first called for this this type of legislation on November 20, 2014, in testimony before the Senate Committee on Energy and Commerce, on which both Senators Markey and Blumenthal sit.  Prior to the hearing, Schostek met Stephanie Erdman, who was seriously injured by a ruptured Takata airbag inflator in a 2002 Honda Civic. 

In support of the new Markey-Blumenthal bill, and based on their shared concern for the safety of the driving public, Schostek and Erdman co-authored a commentary that appears in the March 2, 2015 edition of Automotive News.

"We are working together on a proposal that we believe will help prevent injuries and save the lives of others by significantly increasing the repair rates for vehicles recalled in America," Erdman and Schostek write.  "In the coming days, we will work together to move this proposal forward.  When it comes to ensuring that safety-related recalls are completed, automakers, government and concerned citizens need to work together to protect drivers, passengers and others on the road.  Everyone has an important stake in making sure these vehicles are repaired." (A full copy of this Automotive News Commentary is attached to this news release.)

Honda has been taking significant steps to encourage owners of Honda and Acura vehicles affected by a recall or safety improvement campaign due to Takata airbag inflators to take immediate action to make the needed repairs at an authorized dealership.  This has included millions of mailed notifications in both English and Spanish, phone calls, the use of social media, sending notices by registered mail and overnight delivery services and even enlisting the services of special investigative firms to locate registered owners. 

"Unfortunately, far too many affected vehicles remain unrepaired. Honda believes that requiring the resolution of open recalls before completing registration would greatly reduce the risk of death and injury that can occur to people in unrepaired older model vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators," Schostek said.

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Honda encourages anyone who owns a Honda or Acura vehicles to check its recall status by visiting recalls.honda.com, or call 1-800-999-1009, option 4, and recalls.acura.com or call 1-800-382-2238. Honda encourages customers with an affected vehicle to take immediate action to have their vehicle serviced at their authorized dealership. If a customer affected by the Takata airbag inflator recalls or campaigns requests alternative transportation until their vehicle can be repaired, including use of a loaner vehicle or rental vehicle, Honda will accommodate their needs at no charge.

Commentary follows.

This Commentary appears in the March 2, 2015 edition of Automotive News.

Increased Recall Completion Rates Will Save Lives and Prevent Injuries

Stephanie Erdman, a resident of Florida, was seriously injured by a Takata airbag inflator in a 2002 Honda Civic.  Rick Schostek is Executive Vice President of Honda North America, Inc.

Our first meeting was a little awkward, taking place just moments before we both testified before a U.S. Senate committee investigating deaths and injuries from rupturing Takata airbag inflators. One of us was injured by an inflator in a car accident, resulting in a severe eye injury, emotional trauma and months of recovery. One of us works for the company that manufactured the car. What brought us together was tragic.  However, now we are working together on a proposal that we believe will help prevent such injuries and save the lives of others by significantly increasing the repair rates for vehicles recalled in America.

Millions of vehicles made by some 10 different automakers have been recalled to replace front airbag inflators on the driver's side, passenger's side, or both. But the distressing truth is that despite the best efforts of automakers, about a third of all cars and trucks recalled in America for safety defects are never brought to the dealer for repair. The rate is much worse for older cars. As a result, the required repairs are never made and, unfortunately, drivers and passengers in the affected vehicles are unnecessarily exposed to the risk of death or injury.

There are a number of other reasons as well.  When automakers mail recall notices, customers might miss a recall entirely due to a change of address.  Or, if the owner does receive a notice, it might be discarded in error because they think it is junk mail.  And sometimes, the owner might intend to get the repair completed, but doesn't recognize the importance and simply forgets or cannot find the time.

We are working together now to support an effort to achieve 100 percent completion of every automotive recall campaign in America.  At the Congressional hearing last fall where we met prior to giving testimony, Honda proposed a requirement that all outstanding safety recall repairs be completed before a vehicle can be legally registered in a state. We stand ready to support legislation that will soon be introduced by Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) that will accomplish this important goal.

In every state of the union, vehicle owners are already required to register and license their vehicles. We believe the process of vehicle registration is a logical point to require an additional check for any open safety recalls in order to ensure that repairs are completed.

The reality is that the majority of the Takata airbag ruptures to date have involved vehicles that are more than 10 years old.  Despite millions of notifications in both English and Spanish, the use of phone calls, unique mail campaigns and even the use of private investigators to help track down customers, too many recall repairs remain uncompleted. 

This is why we are joining forces to advocate for a new requirement to check for safety recalls at the time of vehicle registration. There is ample precedent that it will work. Many states already decline vehicle registration renewals until the owner's vehicle passes a tailpipe emissions test. And this is now a routine part of the registration process for millions of American vehicle owners.

If each state will require that open recalls related to safety issues also be addressed before completing registration, the risk of death and injury to people in unrepaired older model vehicles will be greatly reduced.

While we are proposing that the states take a role in helping to increase recall completion rates, we want to be clear that automakers will always have a critical responsibility in notifying owners. And all dealerships and repair facilities should be required to check for, and notify the customer of, any open recalls when a vehicle is in for service, or when selling a used vehicle.

In the coming days, we will work together to move this proposal forward.   When it comes to ensuring that safety-related recalls are completed, automakers, government and concerned citizens need to work together to protect drivers, passengers and others on the road.  Everyone has an important stake in making sure these vehicles are repaired.

In the meantime, we encourage anyone with a vehicle affected by any recall to take immediate action to make the needed repair at their authorized dealership.

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SOURCE Honda North America, Inc.