1996 Honda Accord Dx Sedan 4-door 2.2l on 2040-cars

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Honda ditching Takata for next Accord's airbags

Today brings unsurprising news that Honda will move away from Takata and source airbags for the next-generation Accord, among other models, from one of the embattled company's competitors. Both companies have been in headlines of late after the former recalled millions of vehicles that were fitted with the latter's airbag inflators, which had the unpleasant tendency to spew shrapnel at consumers. The move, as Reuters explains it, is particularly devastating for Takata. Honda is the company's largest customer, and the Accord represents its biggest product, accounting for over a quarter of the company's sales last year. It gets worse, though, as a confidential source with knowledge of the situation is reporting to Reuters that both the 2016 CR-V and Odyssey will source their airbags from Toyoda Gosei. If true, that'd mean that Takata will be losing out on more than half the cars Honda sells in the US market. At this point, Takata, Honda and Toyoda Gosei have all passed on opportunities to comment to Reuters.

2014 Honda Accord V6 Touring

America's midsize sedan segment is one of the most crowded and fiercely competitive in the business. The Toyota Camry has long been our nation's best seller, while the Honda Accord has dutifully come in second place, like some sort of codependent Cal Naughton Jr. riding Ricky Bobby's back bumper.
There was that one year, 2001, when the Accord briefly broke the Camry's streak, marring what would today have been a 17-year-long run of best-selling car titles. The Accord pulled the opposite move in 2011, letting sales slip far enough to let not only the Toyota by, but the Nissan Altima and Ford Fusion, as well. Aside from those anomalies, the Camry and Accord have been first and second in this segment since before many of you readers could even drive.
It's 2014, and these frenemies have never before faced a threat to their world order as strong as today's class of family sedans. The aforementioned Altima and Fusion are perhaps the most capable challengers, but the Chevrolet Malibu, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Volkswagen Passat and Mazda6 are all capable of convincing new buyers to walk their way.

Takata airbag victim urges consumers to head to the dealership

A man who lost an eye in a low speed collision due to faulty Takata airbags is urging the owners of cars with recalled parts to take their vehicles into a dealership, before it's too late. The public service announcement comes from ConsumerWatch.com. In a video, the consumer rights website gives factual information about the recall, and adds a personal plea from Corey Burdick. The Florida man lost an eye due to shrapnel from an exploding Takata airbag. The Orlando Sentinel reported that Burdick was traveling just 15 mph in his Honda Civic when he collided with another car. There were no other injuries caused by the crash, except for the loss of Burdick's eye. He filed a lawsuit against Honda and Takata this year. "I lost my eye because of a defective airbag. Take your car in today so this doesn't happen to you," Burdick said. ConsumerWatch.com told Honda and Acura owners not to drive their vehicles until the faulty airbags were replaced. Good advice, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also recently advised owners of 2001-03 Hondas and Acuras to get their airbags replaced immediately. NHTSA says airbag inflators in those vehicles have up to a 50 percent chance of exploding in an accident. But replacing the airbags isn't as easy as simply going into the dealership. Many owners who take their cars in for replacement are finding out that new parts are in short supply as manufacturers grapple with the largest automotive recall in US history. Takata may not have enough replacements until 2019, CNN reported earlier this year. The problem is so pervasive that some brand new cars were found to be sitting on dealer lots with faulty airbags still in place months after the initial recall. Some cars have received replacements that were also faulty and now will require a second trip to the dealer. However, waiting is not an option for many owners. At least 13 people have been killed and over 100 injuries have been blamed on the airbags. Related Video: News Source: consumerwatch.com, Orlando Sentinel, CNN Government/Legal Recalls Acura Honda Driving Ownership Safety consumer airbag Takata airbag recall