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Takata airbags were adopted in late 1990s to save a few dollars per vehicle

According to a new report from The New York Times, General Motors started using airbags supplied by Takata in the late 1990s as a cost-saving measure even after receiving warnings about their safety. Takata's airbag modules were reportedly 30-percent cheaper than its competitors' offerings. GM approached Autoliv, which until that time had been its main airbag supplier, to see if it could offer a competitively priced alternative to Takata. Autoliv tested Takata's airbag inflator and found that it was unsafe, according to scientists who worked for the supplier at the time. Chris Hock, who until recently still worked for Autoliv, said the inflator "turned it into shrapnel" when tested. GM was subsequently warned by Autoliv that Takata's ammonium nitrate inflators were potentially dangerous. Still, "General Motors told us they were going to buy Takata's inflaters unless we could make a cheaper one," said Linda Rink, who served as a senior scientist at Autoliv at the time. A spokesperson for General Motors told The Times that it would be inappropriate to comment on discussions that "occurred two decades ago between Old GM and a supplier." So far, no Takata-supplied airbags have ruptured in an accident, and GM was far from the only automaker to make a switch to Takata airbags in order to save money. A total of 64 million airbags have so far been recalled from nearly every automaker selling vehicles in America. A spokesperson from Honda said in a statement to The Times that "There was no industry understanding in the late 1990s" that ammonium nitrate airbag inflators were risky. The majority of deaths linked to Takata airbags were in vehicles built by Honda. Takata still produces airbag inflators that use an ammonium nitrate compound, despite the devices being blamed for at least 14 deaths. Click here for NHTSA's dedicated site on open Takata recalls. Related Video: News Source: The New York TimesImage Credit: Joe Skipper / Reuters Government/Legal Recalls GM Honda Safety autoliv

Honda series follows restoration of its first car in the US

We all have to start somewhere, and for Honda's automotive business in the US the beginning was a green N600. The company brought a handful of the hatchbacks into the US to test the waters. Now, N600 expert Tim Mings has started restoring that special Honda for a weekly documentary series. Mings reckons he has worked on a 1,000 or more N600s and Z600s, but none of them have been as special as this car. He owned it for several years before cleaning off the serial number, which showed this was the very first example in the US. According to Mings, of the first 50 N600s that Honda brought to the US, only three still survive. The N600 boasted a 600cc two-cylinder engine that could rev to 9,000 rpm. Today, you can see a modern interpretation of its boxy design in Honda's N-One Kei-class car in Japan. Honda's documentary series will follow every step of the restoration process, and the completed N600 will go to the company's museum. We can't wait to see how the car looks after Mings brings it back to life. Related Video: HONDA CELEBRATES AUTOMOTIVE HERITAGE AND HISTORY IN THE U.S. IN NEW ONLINE SERIES LAUNCHING ON SOCIAL MEDIA "Serial One," new online documentary series features the painstaking restoration of the very first Honda N600 in the U.S Fans can follow the journey as acclaimed N600 mechanic Tim Mings brings the vehicle back to life Mar 16, 2016 - TORRANCE, Calif. -- The story of American Honda's first N600 vehicle in the United States in 1969 unfolds through the eyes of a determined mechanic, taking viewers on a journey to restore the first American Honda VIN, "Serial One." Launching today on Honda's social channels and at serialone.com, Honda's new weekly online content series pays homage to the company's roots in America and reflects the challenging spirit of Honda by featuring an in-depth look at the step-by-step restoration of the N600 by Los Angeles-based mechanic Tim Mings. In 1969, after a decade of growth that led to Honda becoming the top-selling motorcycle manufacturer in America and the world, Honda embarked on a new mission to sell cars in the United States. Honda entered the U.S. market with the Honda N600, which was just 122 inches in length and could actually fit between the wheels of some full size vehicles in America, which measured up to 225 inches in length and weighed nearly twice as much as the NSX. The N600 had an all-alloy engine that could achieve 9000 rpm and reach speeds of 81 miles per hour.

Gladiators, Pilots, and Palisades, plus a couple boring crossovers | Autoblog Podcast #562

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. The duo discuss the leaked Jeep Gladiator, Ford's Baby Bronco, the Aston Martin DBX, and then touch on other reborn names like the Honda Pilot. They also discuss how boring crossovers have taken over as the family car of choice in the United States and debate the merits of turbocharged V6 engines versus the classic American V8. Finally, we spend your money.Autoblog Podcast #562 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Jeep Gladiator leaked Hyundai Palisade and Honda Pilot teased Aston Martin DBX Ford Baby Bronco leaked Boring crossovers Ford F-150 2.7-liter EcoBoost Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Podcasts LA Auto Show Aston Martin Ford GMC Honda Hyundai Jeep Truck Crossover SUV honda pilot jeep gladiator aston martin dbx hyundai palisade ford baby bronco