U.S. Auto Market News and Reviews

uplanderguy · April 2015

Concerning sport coupe sales, I wouldn't buy any of the three.

I think the Challenger is closest to the original in styling, but whenever I see one, I wish it had more 'tumblehome' and from the rear, I don't like how chunky it looks. I don't like the Camaro or Mustang either.

Although not in the same class, those compelled to go to Chevy for a sport(s) car have the Corvette to look at too, unlike Ford or Chrysler. Oh sure, there's the GT and the Viper, but neither sells in the units-volume the Corvette does.

Not exactly the same, but it's a little like GM for decades building two full-size pickups, handing off the 'best-selling' title to Ford almost automatically since their sales are split into two different makes.

tlong · April 2015

Judge Rules GM Can Keep Its Bankruptcy Shield
Ruling could allow the auto maker to block billions of dollars in legal claims over defective ignition switches

I guess it is a good business decision, but not a very moral one - given that it is the US taxpayer kept THEM alive, but they can't cover claims for not keeping their drivers alive.

stever · April 2015

If GM had been able to get financing during an "ordinary" chaper 11, new GM could have avoided the claims too (assuming no one pins knowledge on Barra and the other execs). Not that any banko of this size is ordinary, and bankruptcy courts seem to have a lot of leeway on approving reorganization plans.

I guess the other wrinkle is that new GM can't just accept responsibilty for old GM claims without getting sued by the current stockholders, although paying out now may pay more dividends down the road. Guess that would be new GM's defense to the stockholders if they did the "right" thing.

stever · April 2015

Here's a good oped from Forbes last year on the mess, focusing on the ignition switch, with fingers pointed at GM and the NHTSA. There's a comment there about one of our editors knocking the switch off in a Cobalt on a test drive. The writer is a tort reformer with lots of misgivings over GM.

General Motors: Poster Child for Products Liability

uplanderguy · April 2015

Have there been any posts here--besides my one--on the Takata recalls?

tlong · April 2015

uplanderguy said:
Have there been any posts here--besides my one--on the Takata recalls?

You can certainly say more about them if you would like to. A supplier screwed up big time, it affected a lot of brands and models. Recalls in progress.

uplanderguy · April 2015

The GM ignition switch recall was a huge blunder. As an owner of two of the cars involved, I can admit that although I never felt unsafe in either. As I've mentioned before, I feel far more unsafe with all the cars I see daily with zero headlights on at night...not even daytime running lights.

I'm just saying if there were even fifty times more deaths with the ignition switch recall than the Takata recall, we might see 1/50 the number of posts, but I doubt that's even happened.

And although Takata crosses different manufacturers, I think it's clear to most that Honda is the company most-affected by it.

circlew · April 2015

While Toyota says there have been no related injuries or deaths involving its vehicles, a New York Times report in September found a total of at least 139 reported injuries across all automakers. In particular, there have been at least two deaths and 30 injuries in Honda vehicles. According to the Times, Honda and Takata allegedly have known about the faulty inflators since 2004 but failed to notify NHTSA in previous recall filings (which began in 2008) that the affected airbags had actually ruptured or were linked to injuries and deaths.

How many deaths from the GM ignition switch? I stopped counting but someone must surely know.

stever · April 2015

84 is the "official" number to date per Automotive News.

tlong · April 2015

uplanderguy said:
The GM ignition switch recall was a huge blunder. As an owner of two of the cars involved, I can admit that although I never felt unsafe in either. As I've mentioned before, I feel far more unsafe with all the cars I see daily with zero headlights on at night...not even daytime running lights.

I'm just saying if there were even fifty times more deaths with the ignition switch recall than the Takata recall, we might see 1/50 the number of posts, but I doubt that's even happened.

And although Takata crosses different manufacturers, I think it's clear to most that Honda is the company most-affected by it.

Yeah, but I think the quantity of posts isn't just a function of the number of recalls, or the number of deaths even. It is when the car company does things that are illegal or immoral that you see a lot of posts. Such as the Toyota SUA, and the GM ignition switches. Both situations totally warranted major posts and criticisms of those companies.

I don't see the same (to my knowledge) cover ups regarding the airbag situation - it just affects a lot of vehicles.

uplanderguy · April 2015

Were not Honda and Takata both fined earlier this year for hiding recall-relevant data?

uplanderguy · April 2015

Answered my own question:

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/01/08/375914334/honda-fined-70-million-for-underreporting-deaths-and-injuries

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/20/us-autos-takata-usa-idUSKBN0LO1IF20150220

GM's problem was worse, no question about that, but I do think it's odd that this issue has resulted in virtually zero chatter here.

imidazol97 · April 2015

Edmunds says:
"It's the gas prices, stupid." Five words sum up Edmunds' findings - and we've heard that somewhere before, haven't we? Not only are overall hybrid and EV sales falling, down a half-percent so far this year, but Edmunds' numbers show that the number of green-car defectors is rising: in 2012, 60 percent of green-car owners traded in for another green car; so far this year that's down to 45 percent.

"The greater heresy: many of those buyers are trading in for SUVs. In 2012 just 11.9 percent of hybrid and EV owners traded their car for an SUV, while 18.8 percent did the same last year. The average national gas price three years ago was $4.67. Checking the American Automobile Association, at the time of this writing, the price is $2.46 per gallon.

"The 50-percent discount on the annual gas bill is making it hard to buyers to justify the cost premium for hybrid cars. Or put another way by Edmunds, "it looks like many hybrid and EV owners are driven more by financial motives rather than a responsibility to the environment." The press release below has more information."

But the real question is why did the former green folks decide to buy an SUV?
1. Were they unhappy with their green car?
2. Did they not like paying a lot extra for the privilege of saving some gas?
3. Or most likely, had they had their one-time run at showing their "greenness" by buying a car supposedly good for the economy overall, and then went back to buying the cars that are more practical for their needs and wants.

Link: http://www.autoblog.com/2015/04/22/edmunds-ev-hybrid-buyers-loyalty-study/

Article is missing research behind the buying decisions. This report is like standing on sidelines after football game, looking at the score, and asking about the plays within the game. Need to interview some of the owners who changed.

fushigi · April 2015

I went from owning a sedan to an SUV because I was a homeowner and found increasing numbers of times that I needed to haul cargo that simply wouldn't fit in a trunk or be too heavy for a sedan's suspension (like tossing in 900 pounds of dirt). That was the main reason, but there were others:
1. As a snow-belter I wanted AWD for a change even though I'm used to FWD in midwestern winters. Side benefit: 8.5" minimum ground clearance.
2. I wanted a higher ride height & more upright seating position. I find that with my weak knee it's more strenuous to rise out of a sedan v. the pivot-and-stand to get out of the SUV.
3. Fuel economy of what I bought was practically the same as the old sedan so daily operating expenses wouldn't really change.

Now, having owned my SUV for a few years I don't' think I'll be going back to a sedan. I would like better fuel efficiency, though, and am hoping to get a PHEV crossover for my next ride.

My wife has, and will continue to use, a sedan. When taking trips or running errands we match the vehicle to our immediate need or we trade off to balance the amount of driving we each do.

imidazol97 · April 2015

fushigi said:
I went from owning a sedan to an SUV because I was a homeowner and found increasing numbers of times that I needed to haul cargo that simply wouldn't fit in a trunk or be too heavy for a sedan's suspension (like tossing in 900 pounds of dirt).

Was your sedan a hybrid?

stever · April 2015

The other biggie is that "normal" new cars and SUVs have a lot better mpg these days than just a few years ago. So even if gas was still pushing $4 a gallon, the mpg hit between 50 mpg of a hybrid and 30 to 40 for a car isn't all that big on a percentage basis.

Michaell · April 2015

I believe I am a person who would benefit from a hybrid - most of my driving is in-town (pizza delivery) with frequent starts and stops.

What stopped me from going with a hybrid on my last lease was the cost - I leased a 2013 Elantra GT for just over $200/mo. An equivalent Prius or Prius C would have easily been another $50-75 per month more. While I test drove a Prius C, it felt tinny compared to the Hyundai.

Hard to justify the price premium at this time. When my lease is up in November 2016, I'll take another look at what's on the market, but I'm thinking I want something with AWD - the only car really available is the Subaru Crosstrek XV Hybrid. Which is pretty close to $30K.

tlong · April 2015

imidazol97 said:
Edmunds says:

But the real question is why did the former green folks decide to buy an SUV?
1. Were they unhappy with their green car?
2. Did they not like paying a lot extra for the privilege of saving some gas?
3. Or most likely, had they had their one-time run at showing their "greenness" by buying a car supposedly good for the economy overall, and then went back to buying the cars that are more practical for their needs and wants.

Perhaps they want to more easily roll their vehicles in an accident?

It goes to show you that people claim to be interested in the environment but ultimately most are selfish and just get what they want rather than what would make more sense from a planetary perspective.

fushigi · April 2015

imidazol97 said:

fushigi said:
I went from owning a sedan to an SUV because I was a homeowner and found increasing numbers of times that I needed to haul cargo that simply wouldn't fit in a trunk or be too heavy for a sedan's suspension (like tossing in 900 pounds of dirt).
Was your sedan a hybrid?

Nope. V-6 midsizer.

I also tend to hold onto my cars for awhile so the sedan was over 10 years old & had 152K miles on it when I got the crossover. So another reason for getting a new vehicle, though not necessarily an SUV, was that I was simply tired of the old ride & ready for something new.

And regarding tlong's rollover comment, my CUV has torque vectoring AWD & an aluminum roof for a lower center of gravity. It slaloms as fast as many sedans.

tlong · April 2015

fushigi said:

imidazol97 said:

fushigi said:
I went from owning a sedan to an SUV because I was a homeowner and found increasing numbers of times that I needed to haul cargo that simply wouldn't fit in a trunk or be too heavy for a sedan's suspension (like tossing in 900 pounds of dirt).
Was your sedan a hybrid?

Nope. V-6 midsizer.

I also tend to hold onto my cars for awhile so the sedan was over 10 years old & had 152K miles on it when I got the crossover. So another reason for getting a new vehicle, though not necessarily an SUV, was that I was simply tired of the old ride & ready for something new.

And regarding tlong's rollover comment, my CUV has torque vectoring AWD & an aluminum roof for a lower center of gravity. It slaloms as fast as many sedans.

I always feel unstable in high SUVs. Seems like if I swerved I'd roll.
We knew a couple that many years ago bought a brand new Range Rover. The first week they swerved to avoid a car cutting them off and rolled it, totalling it. Luckily they were wearing their seatbelts so no major injuries.

My mom also rolled her Highlander when she was broadsided.

fushigi · April 2015

tlong said:

I always feel unstable in high SUVs. Seems like if I swerved I'd roll.
We knew a couple that many years ago bought a brand new Range Rover. The first week they swerved to avoid a car cutting them off and rolled it, totalling it. Luckily they were wearing their seatbelts so no major injuries.

My mom also rolled her Highlander when she was broadsided.

I hope your mom survived with no major or lasting injuries.

My stepmother roller her Mazda 323 back in the '90s with no assistance from another vehicle.

Anyway, SUVs/CUVs seem to be quite a bit better at stability control than they were back in the Suzuki Sidekick days. And even if those fail and one were to roll, modern design requirements are such that a car can take at least 2.5 times it's weight on the roof. I'm not concerned about safety at all.

stever · April 2015

The safety mavens are recommending newer SUVs for new drivers now, thanks to the stability systems.

imidazol97 · April 2015

stever said:
The safety mavens are recommending newer SUVs for new drivers now, thanks to the stability systems.

The thinking that some have about stability systems is that the system can keep a vehicle
from going off a curve, e.g., but by the system just applying a little brake here and little brake there. But
there is no way a stability system can keep the inertia of the vehicle from forcing it to
continue straight and go off the road if the road curves. There is a limit to the amount of
centripetal force the four patches of rubber can exert to change the straight path of the
body in motion with inertia at play.

The Stabilitrak systems can maximize the control that the four patches of rubber exert
and try to prevent catastrophe, but I just don't see it being the savior that can violate
the laws of physics, and that's what a few people think stability control systems can do.

tlong · April 2015

imidazol97 said:

stever said:
The safety mavens are recommending newer SUVs for new drivers now, thanks to the stability systems.
The thinking that some have about stability systems is that the system can keep a vehicle
from going off a curve, e.g., but by the system just applying a little brake here and little brake there. But
there is no way a stability system can keep the inertia of the vehicle from forcing it to
continue straight and go off the road if the road curves. There is a limit to the amount of
centripetal force the four patches of rubber can exert to change the straight path of the
body in motion with inertia at play.

The Stabilitrak systems can maximize the control that the four patches of rubber exert
and try to prevent catastrophe, but I just don't see it being the savior that can violate
the laws of physics, and that's what a few people think stability control systems can do.

Yes, you can reduce risks but you can't violate physics. High CG = easier to roll.

stever · April 2015

Parents like the physics advantages of "big" cars though.

"IIHS has revised its policy to recommend SUVs for teen drivers, but only newer models equipped with stability controls. McCartt says that the current crop of crossover SUVs have a lower center of gravity than their truck-based predecessors, which makes them less susceptible to rollovers. And their bulk presents an advantage. "The more metal around [teen drivers], the better," she says.

AAA recommends that parents avoid SUVs when shopping for teen drivers, saying that the vehicles are "more prone to roll over in extreme driving conditions." Still, the organization concedes that newer models are safer than older ones, because they offer stability control." (linky)

circlew · April 2015

Ford F-150 aces crash tests; GM's pickup doesn't

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2015/04/16/ford-f-150-crash-ratings-chevrolet-colorado/25889207/

Ford Motor is taking a step some businesses would consider crazy: It overhauled for 2015, at great cost, the F-150 full-size pickup, its high-volume, high-profit, crown jewel -- even though the preceding model has had no trouble attracting buyers. It expects to have the new truck at full inventory by June.

uplanderguy · April 2015

Just to clarify the above, the Silverado, which competes directly with the F-150, did as well as Ford did in the tests. The above article refers to Ford's full-size pickup and GM's smaller pickups, for which Ford does not build a competing truck.

From the above article: "Like Ford with its F-150, GM has highly promoted its new midsize trucks, which have been well received both by critics and buyers."

circlew · April 2015

U.S. sales of pickup trucks increased 4% in March 2015 and 12% in the first-quarter of 2015.

As is always the case, the Ford F-Series was America's best-selling truck line; the best-selling vehicle line overall, as well. The F-Series also managed to outsell the GM combo, the Silverado and Sierra twins.

jpp75 · April 2015

imidazol97 said:

stever said:
The safety mavens are recommending newer SUVs for new drivers now, thanks to the stability systems.
The thinking that some have about stability systems is that the system can keep a vehicle
from going off a curve, e.g., but by the system just applying a little brake here and little brake there. But
there is no way a stability system can keep the inertia of the vehicle from forcing it to
continue straight and go off the road if the road curves. There is a limit to the amount of
centripetal force the four patches of rubber can exert to change the straight path of the
body in motion with inertia at play.

The Stabilitrak systems can maximize the control that the four patches of rubber exert
and try to prevent catastrophe, but I just don't see it being the savior that can violate
the laws of physics, and that's what a few people think stability control systems can do.

I completely agree with the principle that stability control can only do so much and the laws of physics still apply.

To be fair Stever didn't mention Stabilitrak which is GM's version of this feature and has left me stranded twice in rental vehicles with less than 10,000 miles on them. The "Service Stability System" and "Engine Power Reduced" messages have plagued many.

I know you like GM but Stabilitrak has not been their finest moment.

jpp75 · April 2015

uplanderguy said:
Just to clarify the above, the Silverado, which competes directly with the F-150, did as well as Ford did in the tests. The above article refers to Ford's full-size pickup and GM's smaller pickups, for which Ford does not build a competing truck.

From the above article: "Like Ford with its F-150, GM has highly promoted its new midsize trucks, which have been well received both by critics and buyers."

The Canyon and Colorado are definitely better than the aging Frontier, but still outsold by the Tacoma. Time will tell if they are really as good as they seem.

uplanderguy · April 2015

jpp, and how long have they been out? I live in Ohio, not far from a GM plant, and I saw my first one on the road only this past Sunday.

uplanderguy · April 2015

Traction control--I have been in one vehicle with the light that stayed on. It was a rental Camry in 2011 with 15K miles. Just for comparison purposes.

stever · April 2015

Hard to be sure from just one post but GM may be stepping up to the plate over the traction control issues.

imidazol97 · April 2015

uplanderguy · April 2015

Generally when someone is told something like the poster in stever's post, a letter is or will be sent out to all customers stating the warranty extension. I have a couple letters over the years like that for my Cobalt, although I haven't had to use them.

circlew · April 2015

Toyota maintains global sales lead on strong U.S. sales

http://www.leftlanenews.com/toyota-maintains-global-sales-lead-on-strong-us-sales-88286.html

jpp75 · April 2015

uplanderguy said:
jpp, and how long have they been out? I live in Ohio, not far from a GM plant, and I saw my first one on the road only this past Sunday.

I don't know exactly how long they've been out, a few months would be my guess. I could count on one hand the ones I've seen but the sales numbers reported seem healthy.

uplanderguy · April 2015

An old high-school friend of mine from near Columbus came up our way last night and we visited. They have a '15 Impala LTZ with every single option available per them. First one I ever rode in. I was way-impressed. It has the 20-inch wheels and tires which look absolutely stunning to me but I probably would opt for smaller and less low-profile. That said, when we went to dinner, there were a recent Lincoln and other Euro and Asian luxury cars in the lot, but to my eyes none looked as elegant and substantial as that Impala. I can't imagine anyone needing more luxury inside, either...black leather with light-color piping and gadgets galore. I miss a large car and that car is large. It smoothed over our ridiculously pothole-riddled NE Ohio roads gracefully. If you can't get past that the car is called a "Chevy Impala" you'd be overlooking a substantial, luxurious large car IMHO. They have 6,500 miles on it and are delighted with it.

imidazol97 · April 2015

jpp5862 said:
To be fair Stever didn't mention Stabilitrak which is GM's version of this feature and has left me stranded twice in rental vehicles with less than 10,000 miles on them. The "Service Stability System" and "Engine Power Reduced" messages have plagued many.
I know you like GM but Stabilitrak has not been their finest moment.

I'm trying to figure out how this has something to do with the topic I was talking about which is stability systems and the idea they DON'T fix bad driving mistakes, especially for new drivers in SUVs.

stever · April 2015

There are plenty of links around where the safety mavens think they help. Together with the mass of an otherwise top-heavy SUV, they make the vehicle recommended for teens and new drivers. Less propensity to roll with a lot of sheet metal and mass around you.

Lots of SUVs are glorified wagons these days too - look how easily the Forester went from being a wagon to an SUV.

jpp75 · April 2015

jpp5862 said:

uplanderguy said:
jpp, and how long have they been out? I live in Ohio, not far from a GM plant, and I saw my first one on the road only this past Sunday.
I don't know exactly how long they've been out, a few months would be my guess. I could count on one hand the ones I've seen but the sales numbers reported seem healthy.

Surprisingly ten minutes after I posted this we were walking to dinner and I saw a black Canyon on the street.

jpp75 · April 2015

imidazol97 said:

jpp5862 said:
To be fair Stever didn't mention Stabilitrak which is GM's version of this feature and has left me stranded twice in rental vehicles with less than 10,000 miles on them. The "Service Stability System" and "Engine Power Reduced" messages have plagued many.
I know you like GM but Stabilitrak has not been their finest moment.
I'm trying to figure out how this has something to do with the topic I was talking about which is stability systems and the idea they DON'T fix bad driving mistakes, especially for new drivers in SUVs.

Well you left out the first part of my post where I agreed that stability control in general is no substitute for many other conditions, inputs, etc.

I was commenting that you referred to the entire concept as Stabilitrak when Steve was referring to stability systems overall. Much like people used to use "xerox" to mean "make a copy".

imidazol97 · April 2015

jpp5862 said:

jpp5862 said:
To be fair Stever didn't mention Stabilitrak which is GM's version of this feature and has left me stranded twice in rental vehicles with less than 10,000 miles on them. The "Service Stability System" and "Engine Power Reduced" messages have plagued many.
I know you like GM but Stabilitrak has not been their finest moment.
I'm trying to figure out how this has something to do with the topic I was talking about which is stability systems and the idea they DON'T fix bad driving mistakes, especially for new drivers in SUVs.

jpp5862 said:

Well you left out the first part of my post where I agreed that stability control in general is no substitute for many other conditions, inputs, etc.

I was commenting that you referred to the entire concept as Stabilitrak when Steve was referring to stability systems overall. Much like people used to use "xerox" to mean "make a copy".

As I said, I'm trying to figure out why you're bringing up two issues for me,as you claim 1) with stability control in rentals which I had nothing to do with and 2) reduced engine power complaints as if I have something to do with GM== "I know you like GM," To my knowledge a Stabilitrak light does not disable the automobile from being driven same as on any other brand.

I was discussing stability control in general only being able to do what the laws of physics enable to begin with. It is not a savior other than in a minimum number of cases where it can improve contact patch adherence although at the risk of the SUV continuing off a curve due to inertia and lack of centripetal force to control its path.

berri · April 2015

I think GM really does need to get a better handle on Stabilitrak if various blogs about it are all true. Seems to have been a too frequent problem for a rather long time. Maybe they need to either redesign it, or contract the system out to a company that does it better? GM is good at things like ride, engines and transmissions, but maybe not so much in this area?

circlew · May 2015

I think GM really does need to get a better handle on Stabilitrak if various blogs about it are all true. Seems to have been a too frequent problem for a rather long time. Maybe they need to either redesign it, or contract the system out to a company that does it better? GM is good at things like ride, engines and transmissions, but maybe not so much in this area?

http://www.lemonlaw.com/wordpress/stabilitrak-problems/

stever · May 2015

"Dear automotive investors, would you like some positive news? If so, you might like to know that last month is expected -- as all figures haven't been tallied today -- to be the 20th straight month in which light trucks outsell cars, according to Edmunds.com. That equates to big bucks for the auto industry, and especially Detroit automakers."

2 Major Automakers Struggled in April, but These 3 Will Ride 1 Key Factor to Profits (fool.com)

circlew · May 2015

http://www.leftlanenews.com/buick-regal-chevy-sonic-top-list-of-first-year-trade-ins-88408.html

Least likely to be kept

Here are the 7 models that topped the list, turning over anywhere from 2.6 to 4 times faster than the average:

Buick Regal – 10.7% of owners sell after 1 year
Chevrolet Sonic – 8.9% of owners sell after 1 year
BMW X1 – 7.8% of owners sell after 1 year
Dodge Charger – 7.7% of owners sell after 1 year
Mercedes-Benz C-Class – 7.4% of owners sell after 1 year
Chevrolet Cruz – 7.2% of owners sell after 1 year
Nissan Frontier – 6.9% of owners sell after 1 year

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news/7-new-cars-that-consumers-tend-to-sell-after-a-year-050115.html

circlew · May 2015

http://www.leftlanenews.com/gm-still-working-to-overhaul-internal-culture-88403.html

Some executives had blamed lower-level employees for failing to communicate safety issues with higher-level managers. Details of the ignition-switch debacle contradict the claim, however, as engineers apparently designed a safer switch in 2001 but the defective component was preferred by upper-level decision makers due to cost considerations.

Critics suggest that GM will face a difficult time attempting to change corporate culture without purging the ranks. The company has recalled millions of vehicles and payed compensation claims for at least 97 deaths blamed on the defective ignition switches, however only 15 employees were ousted due to their roles in the fiasco.

uplanderguy · May 2015

Any posts on the Takata recalls, in the news lately but mostly missing here.

imidazol97 · May 2015

Honda Vehicles with Defective Takata Inflators

2007 Honda Accord 2001-2007 Accord
2005 Honda Civic 2001-2005 Civic
2006 Honda CR-V 2001-2006 CR-V
2011 Honda Element 2003-2011 Element
2004 Honda Odyssey 2002-2004 Odyssey
2007 Honda Pilot 2003-2007 Pilot
2006 Honda Ridgeline 2006 Ridgeline

Other Honda-built Acura vehicles included in recall, more details at AcuraProblems.com.
Class-Action Lawsuit

Takata faces a probable class-action lawsuit after a fourth person died with wounds consistent with injuries from flying metal from an airbag.

The lawsuit will allege a cover-up resulted in millions of vehicles being unsafe to drive.
How Weather Plays a Role

Areas with high absolute humidity have problems with moisture building up in the airbags. Absolute humidity is defined by the National Weather Service as "a measure of the actual amount of water vapor (moisture) in the air, regardless of the air's temperature. The higher the amount of water vapor, the higher the absolute humidity."

NHTSA says its especially urgent to get your vehicle repaired if you live with there's high absolute humidity, this includes: Florida, Puerto Rico, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Hawaii.
Honda Owners Killed or Injured by a Takata Airbag Inflator

A list of alleged Takata airbag deaths and injuries going back to 2003 has started to surface following government investigations, recalls and a growing number of lawsuits. That includes the tragic stories of the following Honda owners:

Ashley Parham of Midwest City, OK — On May 27, 2009, just days after graduating high school, Ms. Parnham's 2001 Honda Accord bumped another car at slow speeds in a parking lot. It was enough to trigger the airbags and the defective Takata inflator ruptured and sent metal shards throuh Ms. Parnham's carotid artery. She was only 18 years old and dreamed of becoming a teacher.
Gurjit Rathore of Richmond, VA — On Christmas Eve 2009, 33-year old Gurjit Rathore was driving her 2001 Honda Accord when she hit a mail trunk. The airbag detonated and sent shrapnel through the cabin that tragically caused Ms. Rathore to bleed to death in front of her children.
Hein Tran of Orlando, FL — Mrs. Tran was killed by an exploding Takata airbag in her 2001 Honda Accord during a low speed accident. When law enforcement showed up, the wounds were so severe that they thought she had been stabbed in the neck.
Law Suk Leh of Borneo, Malaysia — Mrs. Leh was killed while driving her 2003 Honda City from a severe puncture wound to the neck. She was in the final week of her pregnancy.

Just six months before Ashley Parham's death Honda had recalled 4,000 Accord and Civics from the 2001 model year. Parham's particular vehicle wasn't included in the original recall. Two months later it was part of an expanded recall which summoned back 500,000 cars globally.

Some were a little luckier and escaped with only injuries. Kristy Williams of Atlanta, GA was struck in the carotid artery by shrapnel from a Takata airbag but was thankfully saved. Sharonda Blowe of Jacksonville, FL was struck in the head by metal during her accident. Josepth Nasworthy of Jacksonville, FL suffered severe eye and nose lacerations during his accident. And so on, and so forth.

Add Your Complaint

Join thousands of frustrated car owners who have voiced their opinion and notified other consumers of issues at CarComplaints.com.
Most Common Honda Problems

Takata Airbag Explosions UPDATED: A dangerous recall
Civic Premature Tire Wear Class-Action Settlement
Excessive Oil Consumptionin the Accord, Crosstour, Odyssey and Pilot
Uncomfortable Seats in many 2008-2015 Honda vehicles
Honda TPMS Warning Light On Finally, a fix!
Honda's Massive Airbag Problemsin pretty much every model
Transmission Failure in the Accord, Civic and Odyssey
MPG Lawsuit in the Civic Hybrid
Visor Falls Apart (Settlement)in the Civic
Honda Peeling Paint and Clear Coat on the Accord, Civic and Odyssey
Premature Brake Problems on the 2008-09 Accord
Honda Fit Bumper Safety why Honda finally redesigned
Soft Brakes Recalled in the Element and Odyssey
Latest Honda Problem Trends

Click the links above for additional details and any pending class action lawsuit information.
Become a Fan
Honda Consumer Affairs Department

1919 Torrance Blvd. Torrance CA 90501-2746

Phone: 800-999-1009
Twitter (US): @HondaCustSvc
Web: Visit Site

U.S. Auto Market News and Reviews

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles