Defective Honda seatbelts could cause injury, recall announced

We all know the process for product development: an inventor has an idea, they design the product, someone produces it, someone distributes it and another person sells it. Although products are fairly heavily tested for safety in this day and age, any mistake during the process could lead to serious injury for a consumer.

When a car is manufactured, it is especially important that there are no errors in production. Even one defective motor vehicle part could lead to serious personal injury or even death. Honda announced this month that they would be recalling approximately 310,773 Honda Pilots beginning on October 3, 2011 due to a defective seatbelt.

The automobiles affected by the recall are the Honda Pilots manufactured in model years 2009 through 2011. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the defect is in the way that the anchor webbing on the bottom of the seatbelt was stitched. A young woman on the assembly line reportedly failed to see that the top spool on the machine had run out of thread.

According to the NHTSA, “If the stitching is incomplete or missing, the seatbelt may detach from the anchor webbing, increasing the risk of personal injury in a crash.”

Honda representatives claimed that as of yet there are no reported injuries or fatalities that relate to the defect. They have offered to replace any seatbelts that they determine unsafe after inspection.

Recalls are a way to help prevent further injury to consumers; however, once a defective product is released into the market, the damage may already be done. If you have been injured by a defective product, it is your right to seek compensation for the losses that you suffer.

Source: boston.com, “BMWs with defective lights recalled,” Sept. 2, 2011