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Honda claims another injury from Takata airbag failure

Honda has confirmed another injury caused by a faulty Takata airbag inflator in one of its vehicles. The incident occurred on March 20 in Florida to the driver of a 2003 Honda Civic, and according to Reuters, police and hospital reports indicated that shrapnel from the ruptured inflator struck the person in the neck. Honda has indicated that the owner was notified about the airbag at least four times – three of those for the driver's side. The mailings dated back as far as September 29, 2014, and as late as March 23, 2015, which was three days after the crash. The vehicle was eligible to receive new inflators on both sides. In March, Honda issued a high-profile warning to owners in newspapers and on the radio to get their cars fixed. The automaker also broadened its recall during the month to include 100,000 more vehicles, which brought the US total to around 5.5 million. So far, the faulty inflators have been linked to at least six deaths and 139 injuries. In one case, a woman in Florida has filed a lawsuit alleging that she became a quadriplegic when a piece of shrapnel in a 2001 Civic struck her in the neck, and an incident in Texas reportedly caused a man's death. Related Video: Statement from American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Re: Confirmed Rupture of Takata Airbag Inflator in Florida April 13, 2015 American Honda has confirmed that the Takata driver's airbag inflator ruptured in the crash of a 2003 Honda Civic on March 20, 2015 in Florida. This crash resulted in an injury to the driver of the vehicle. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the driver and his family during this difficult time. The legal representative of the owner involved in this incident has acknowledged in comments to media that a March 23, 2015 mailed notification was received by the owner. However, multiple mailed notices previously went to the same address, and none of these notices were returned as undeliverable. The vehicle involved in this crash is included in a recall affecting the passenger's front airbag inflator (14V-700) and a safety improvement campaign affecting the driver's front airbag inflator (14V-351), and our records indicate that neither of the necessary repairs was ever completed. American Honda has sent one mailed notice related to the passenger front inflator and three mailed notices related to the driver front inflator, the earliest of which was sent on 9/29/2014.

Suppliers love Toyota and Honda: Why that matters to you

You might think that a survey of automotive suppliers and their relationship with OEMs is the automotive equivalent of nerd prom. In some ways that's what the North American Automotive OEM-Supplier Working Relations Index (WRI) is. The study, the 17th annual conducted by Planning Perspectives Inc., is based on input from 652 salespeople from 108 Tier One suppliers, or, PPI points out, 40 of the top 50 automotive suppliers in North America. Suppliers to General Motors, Ford, FCA, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. But the results have consequences in terms of tens of millions of dollars for OEMs - and in the quality, technology, and cost of the next vehicle you buy. There are a couple of ways to look at the results of the WRI. One is, "So what else is new?" And the other is, "Damn! How did that happen?" The study looks at five relationship areas — OEM Supplier Relationship; OEM Communication; OEM Help; OEM Hindrance; Supplier Profit Opportunity — within six purchasing areas — Body-in-White; Chassis; Electrical/Electronics; Exterior; Interior; Powertrain. In the overall rankings, Toyota is on top for the 15 th time in 17 years, with a score of 328. Honda, the only company to best Toyota (in 2009 and 2010), comes in second, at 319. Those two companies, explains John Henke, president of PPI, have collaborative working arrangements with colleagues and suppliers alike built into the very fabric of their cultures. This, however, is not a situation where one can readily conclude it is about "Japanese companies," because the third company with headquarters on the island of Honshu, Nissan, came in dead last. This is the "How did that happen?" portion. The Nissan score of 203 puts it 125 points behind Toyota. There hasn't been a number that low since the then-Chrysler Corp. scored 187 in 2010, when the company was clawing its way out of the recession. Clearly, the suppliers don't feel particularly engaged by the buyers at Nissan. Henke explains that whether a company does well or not on the WRI is rather simple. All people do things based on what they're measured on. "If you're measured on taking 10% out of your annual buy, you immediately know how to do it. But if you're also measured on improving relations, suddenly there is a new dynamic as to what you can do to achieve both.

Honda and Michael Bolton wish you happy holidays, social-style

There's nothing like landing a big celebrity for a high-profile advertising campaign to say to the world "Our brand has still got it!" Dodge, for instance, has been getting huge publicity by landing Will Ferrell as Ron Burgundy, to pitch its entire lineup on TV and on YouTube. Honda meanwhile, has reeled in the biggest fish in the 1990s Soft Pop category, the ineffable Michael Bolton. (We're assuming that Kenny G was booked.) We don't see how this can backfire, Honda.
In an effort to promote its annual holiday-season sales event, Honda has tapped the multitalented Bolton - he sings, acts and stares longingly at you from across the room - to dangle himself as a prize for ardent social media users. That's right, for the next few days (November 18 to 22), people that use the hashtag #XOXOBolton on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Vine, will be entered to win one-of-a-kind "musical greeting cards" from the now very blond crooner.
Not enough Bolton for you? Don't worry, Honda's got Michael booked for six TV commercials to air throughout the holiday season, too. Scroll down to get lost in Bolton's luxuriant eyes watch the promotional video from Honda.