2004 Honda Accord Ex Coupe 2-door 2.4l on 2040-cars

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Honda fined $70 million for failing to report deaths, injuries

The federal agency charged with keeping US motorists safe announced Thursday it has fined Honda $70 million for failing to report death and injury data in a timely manner. Honda failed to report 1,729 incidents involving death or injury over an 11-year period, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officials. Federal law requires automakers to report deaths, injuries and certain warranty claims. Officials said Thursday that information could have been used to spot trends in automotive defects and potentially save lives. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said it is possible the Department of Justice could conduct a criminal investigation into the failures, but it was not immediately known whether the Justice Department would pursue such charges. NHTSA officials still don't know much about the 1,729 incidents of death or injury that were missing from the Early Warning Reporting records, because in some cases, they still haven't been reported. Mark Rosekind, the agency's new administrator, said Honda is still in the process of sending investigators the missing information. "Our first task will be to review that, and determine actual deaths and injuries," he said. "That data is in the process of coming to us and being processed right now." The $70 million is the largest civil penalty levied against an automaker in history, officials said. It actually consists of two $35 million penalties, the maximum allowed by statute for a single TREAD Act violation. In this case, NHTSA broke the fine into separate violations, one for the missing deaths and injury information and one for the company's failure to report certain warranty-claim information. Honda reached an agreement with the federal government in late December, in which it accepted additional regulatory oversight and third-party audits that will ensure reporting is properly completed in the future. Image Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Government/Legal Honda transportation

Is Honda working on airbags for smartphones?

Smartphones are expensive yet delicate - a single impact on a hard surface can shatter their touchscreens, often damaging them beyond repair. Fitting a case offers only so much protection, but what about an airbag? Honda has explored the concept with the airbag-equipped Case N and even made a video about it. But alas, it isn't real.
For some reason, we really want it to be. Honda has a knack for surprising us with nearly unbelievable inventions designed to improve mankind's quality of life, contraptions like the Walking Assist Device and the UNI-CUB personal mobility devices, so the Case N isn't as far-fetched an idea for the company as you might think.
Head below to watch the video, where you can see the Case N concept in action. You'll also see its generous proportions, which is one reason why it's just a case of Honda humor - not (yet) a market reality.

New Honda Civic Natural Gas goes on sale end of November

For folks who prefer to put natural gas directly into their vehicle rather than converting it to electricity first, CNG vehicles offer a cleaner alternative to gasoline power while still using a traditional powertrain. If you're looking for a sedan that runs on CNG, your current options are pretty limited - especially in the US - and you'll almost certainly be taking a look at Honda. The 2015 Honda Civic Natural Gas goes on sale starting November 19 in 37 states. The new CNG-powered Civic sedan has a base MSRP of $26,740 (not including $790 destination fee). Opt for the Leather Navi trim, and you're still looking at a starting price below $30,000 (before destination), at $29,390. It comes equipped with a seven-inch touchscreen audio display, rearview camera and LaneWatch display as standard features. It's built at Honda's Greensburg, IN manufacturing facility. The 2015 Civic Natural Gas can only be had with the five-speed automatic transmission. Its fuel economy is rated at a gasoline gallon equivalent of 27 miles per gallon in the city/38 highway/31 combined. It's not quite as impressive as the Civic Hybrid's 44/47/45 rating, but you will be burning natural gas, which burns cleaner and can be sourced from North America, if you're into that sort of thing. Furthermore, the American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy called the Civic Natural Gas one of its top 10 greenest vehicles of 2014, and Kelley Blue Book as one of its 10 Best Green Cars. Learn more in Honda's press release below. 2015 Honda Civic Hybrid and Civic Natural Gas Provide Superior Environmental Performance With Sophistication and Value - Automotive and environmental experts recognize the Civic Hybrid and Civic Natural Gas as among the best green cars of 2014 - Available features include 7-inch touchscreen Display Audio, leather-trimmed seats, Honda LaneWatch™ and standard rearview camera - 2015 Civic Hybrid launches Nov. 5, and 2015 Civic Natural Gas goes on-sale in 37 states beginning Nov. 19 TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Joining the already released 2015 Civic Sedan, Civic Coupe and Civic Si, the 2015 Civic Hybrid and Civic Natural Gas vehicles provide consumers with additional choices for even greater fuel efficiency and environmental performance from an already fuel-efficient lineup. The 2015 Civic Hybrid launches at Honda dealers nationwide on November 5 with a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at $24,7352.