Honda is recalling nearly 500,000 vehicles in Canada and the United States due to defective front seat belts that prevent a rider from being properly restrained.
“The seat belt buckle channel for the driver and front passenger seat belts were manufactured out of specification, causing interference between the buckle channel and the release button,” Honda explained in a report on Tuesday to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) describing the defect.
This manufacturing issue could lead to an increase in injuries because the driver or passenger is not firmly restrained in a crash.
The company told the NHTSA that the recalled vehicles include the 2017-2018 CR-V, the 2018-2019 Accord and Accord Hybrids, 2018-2020 Odysseys, the 2019 Insight and 2019-2020 Acura RDXs. These are also known as the automaker’s top-selling models.
“With continuous use, the buckle channel surface coating may deteriorate over time, and the release button may shrink against the channel at low temperatures, increasing friction. This can result in issues with the seat belt buckle latching,” the company said in a public document on Wednesday.
The company says Honda dealers will replace the front seat belt buckle release buttons or the buckle assemblies for customers free of charge.
According to the automaker, as of March, Honda has not received any reports of injury or deaths related to this problem.
Owners of the affected vehicles will be alerted through a letter starting on April 17.
