Honda: Houston Fatal Accident May Be Linked

Honda Motor Co. (HMC: Quote) has said that the January 18 death of 35-year-old Carlos Solis IV in Houston could be linked to faulty airbags manufactured by Takata Corp. (TKTDF.PK) used in its vehicles.

The Honda Accord bought in April was not repaired as required by a recall on the airbag issued in 2011.

Honda said it had not inspected the vehicle involved in the crash to confirm that the accident involved a rupture of the airbag inflator.

Takata has been courting controversies over its faulty airbags, with around 10 automakers announcing recalls. The company’s faulty air bags are prone to explode with excessive force and spew metal shrapnels at passengers. More than 24 million cars have been recalled worldwide since 2008 over the faulty air bag issue.

Honda is down 0.3 percent in Tokyo at 3,598 yen. Takata fell 1.8 percent to 1,395 yen.