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Half of Chinese car buyers won't shop Japanese over hard feelings

The hard feelings between China and Japan is no real secret. Besides modern-day disputes, the two countries have had a long-running enmity that dates back to well before the atrocities of World War II. All things considered, then, it shouldn't be a shock that half of Chinese car buyers wouldn't consider a Japanese car. This survey, conducted by Bernstein Research, found that 51 percent of 40,000 Chinese consumers wouldn't even consider a Japanese car – which, again, isn't really surprising, when you consider stories like this. According to Bernstein, the most troubling thing is the location of these sentiments – smaller, growing cities where the population is going to need sets of wheels. We imagine it wouldn't be as big of an issue in traffic-clogged Shanghai or Beijing, but these small cities are going to become a major focus for automakers. "Nationalistic feelings are an impediment. [Japanese] premium brands will struggle," analyst Max Warburton wrote in a research note, according to The Wall Street Journal. Things will improve for Japanese makes, although China will remain a challenge, with Warburton writing, "the one thing that comes out most clearly is that most Chinese really want a German car. While we expect Japanese brands to continue to recover market share this year, ultimately the market will belong to the Germans." There are a few other insights from the study. According to WSJ, Japanese brands are viewed better than Korean brands, and they're seen as more comfortable than the offerings from Germany or the US, despite the fact that everyone in China apparently wants a German car. This is a tough position for the Japanese makes to be in, as there's really not a lot they can do to win favor with Chinese buyers. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, particularly as the importance of the PRC continues to increase year after year. News Source: The Wall Street Journal - sub. req.Image Credit: Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP / Getty Images Honda Mazda Nissan Toyota Car Buying

Toyota, Honda, Mazda and Nissan recall 3.4 million vehicles for faulty airbags

Most vehicle recalls that take place these days are a result of some problem that happens during the manufacturing process by the automaker, but as we see here, parts suppliers can also factor in to problematic safety issues. Automotive News is reporting that a total of 3.4 million vehicles produced by Japanese automakers between 2000 and 2004 are being recalled globally due to faulty airbags produced by an outside supplier, Takata Corp.
According to the report, vehicles from Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Mazda are being recalled because of passenger front airbags that do not inflate properly. Globally, Toyota is said to be recalling around 1.73 million cars including 510,000 in the US composed of Toyota Corolla, Matrix, Sequoia and Tundra as well as the Lexus SC430 for the 2001 through 2003 model years; this is the second time this year the 2003 Corolla and Matrix have been recalled for an airbag problem. Honda is recalling 1.14 million models, Nissan another 480,000 and Mazda 45,463. The article says that Takata supplied faulty airbags to non-Japanese automakers, but it did not specify which ones.
Honda and Toyota have released information on their own websites about the recall, while Nissan and Mazda have not yet commented. Read official press releases from Honda and Toyota, below, and look for updates as we have word from the others.

Honda recalls small number of 2016 CR-V models for airbags

Thought you'd heard the last bit of news regarding exploding airbags from Takata? Think again. Honda has issued a recall for the 2016 CR-V to replace driver-side front airbag modules. Fortunately, only 515 vehicles are covered by this recall, and only 30 affected models were actually in the hands of consumers. And, if you own a 2016 CR-V and haven't gotten a phone call from Honda, you're apparently in the clear. On October 10, 2015, an airbag inflator made by Takata ruptured in Monclova, Mexico, while being tested. Two days later, Takata notified Honda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, prompting this recall. According to Honda's official announcement, though, this faulty inflator is not believed to be the same issue that caused automakers around the globe to recall 19.2 million (and counting) vehicles to replace defective airbag modules that were also made by Takata. Whether that's comforting or not, we'll let you decide. We've included both the official recall notice from NHTSA and the statement from Honda below. Here's hoping the faulty inflator that caused this recall was nothing more than a single defective part. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Driver Side Air Bag Inflator may Rupture Report Receipt Date: OCT 29, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V714000 Component(s): AIR BAGS Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) SUMMARY: American Honda Motor Company, Inc. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2016 CR-V vehicles manufactured October 12, 2015, to October 19, 2015. The metal housing surrounding the driver's air bag inflator in these vehicles may have been manufactured incorrectly. CONSEQUENCE: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death. REMEDY: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver side frontal air bag module, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin December 4, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009. Honda'a number for this recall is JV9. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. Statement by American Honda Regarding Driver Front Airbag Module Recall: 2016 Honda CR-V Oct 30, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif.