Nearly half a million Honda vehicles may have an issue over time with front seat belts that don’t latch properly.
On Wednesday, news broke that Honda is recalling some of its most popular cars in the U.S. and Canada to address the critical safety issue with its front seat belts.
According to a defect report Honda submitted to the NHTSA, “The seat belt buckle channel for the driver and passenger seat belts were manufactured out of specification, causing interference between the buckle channel and the release button.” Over time, the company says, the surface coating for the buckle channels can wear down. In cold temperatures, the release button can shrink against the buckle channel, increasing friction to the point where the seat belt buckle won’t latch.
Honda lists the recall population at 448,613 vehicles in the U.S., including the 2017-2020 CR-V, the 2018-2019 Accord (both gas and hybrid models) and the 2018-2020 Odyssey, as well as the 2019-2020 Acura RDX.
While the automaker says it is not aware of any injuries or deaths related to the recall, it has received 301 warranty claims for the problem. It has observed a potential trend in defective seat belt buckle sets since June 2019 and has been working through early March 2023 on a method to duplicate the problem and determine whether a recall was necessary.
Here’s how this Honda recall will proceed
Honda will inform owners on April 17, after which you will be able to have a dealer look at the issue. According to what the manufacturer told safety regulators, dealer technicians will replace the seat belt buckle release buttons. If its necessary, they will replace the front seat buckle assemblies entirely, free of charge.
The automaker will reimburse owners who already paid out-of-pocket to fix this seat belt buckle problem. You can check on the NHTSA’s recall website or Honda’s own lookup tool for more information.
