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Honda replaces CEO Takanobu Ito with Takahiro Hachigo

At its upcoming shareholders' meeting in June, Honda is set to make a raft of changes to its senior personnel, including new board members, directors, auditors and operating officers. But the most pivotal of the new appointments will see the replacement of its president and chief executive. That job currently belongs to Takanobu Ito, who will step down in June and hand the reins over to Takahiro Hachigo, subject to ratification by the shareholders. Hachigo-san has been with Honda since 1982, rising up the ranks and holding a series of key executive and R&D posts with the Japanese automaker in locations around the world – including here in the United States, where he spearheaded development of the original Odyssey minivan and directed the company's American R&D center. He subsequently headed Honda's European operations and currently serves as its most senior officer in China. He's 55 years old. He takes over from Ito-san after a tumultuous period for Honda. Ito, 62, joined Honda in 1978 and similarly rose through the R&D ranks, holding some of the same positions along the way that Hachigo would later, albeit more focused on the company's operations at home in Japan. Ito took over as president and CEO in 2009, steering Honda through a difficult period marked by fluctuating currencies, the tsunami disaster of 2011 and flagging quality issues that have forced Honda to issue unprecedented recalls, focusing much criticism on Ito's leadership. Honda recently recalled millions of vehicles that were fitted with Takata's faulty airbag inflators, which had the unpleasant tendency to spew shrapnel at consumers. Ito will remain on board as a director and advisor, but what we'll be most interested to see is the direction in which Hachigo will take the company. Under Ito's leadership, Honda has brought back performance icons like the NSX and Civic Type R, launched innovative environmental technologies, delved into aerospace with the HondaJet and re-entered Formula One. One of Hachigo's first priorities will undoubtedly be to restore the company's reputation for quality, but we'll have to wait and see what (if any) sort of new and exciting developments he'll spearhead once he takes office. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. Announces New President & CEO Tokyo, February 23, 2015 --- Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Airbag recall widens to include BMW, Chrysler, Ford and Toyota

The recall of faulty airbag inflators supplied by Takata has exploded today to grow to seven automakers. In most cases, only models in certain high-humidity regions were affected because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found in its investigation that moisture played a roll in determining whether there would be a problem. However, some companies opted for national campaigns. The exact number of affected models for these campaigns isn't yet known at this time.
BMW is recalling an undisclosed number of 325i, 325Xi, 330i and 330Xi models from the 2001 through 2005 model years and the 2001-2006 model year versions of the 325Ci and 330Ci for the driver side and passenger side inflators. Only vehicles currently registered in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands are covered under this recall.
Neither Chrysler's filing with NHTSA nor its press release list the specific models affected, but a company spokesperson told Autoblog that at this time it only covers the driver and passenger side inflators for the 2006 Dodge Charger in Florida, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and the US Virgin Islands

Check out these cool displays from Honda's new Ohio museum

Honda undoubtedly has its roots in Japan, but when it comes to its US operations, the automaker holds some very deep ties to the Buckeye State too. The company has been building cars at its Marysville, OH, campus since 1982 and over 10 million Accords have left there since then. The latest addition there is something that might actually bring brand fans to the site, though. The newly opened Honda Heritage Center museum is part of the recently constructed 160,000-square-foot Technical Development Center. The place offers a chance to take a tour of the company's history. While it's not the lavish, multi-story affair from Japan, the site still shows off some quite cool vintage products. The exhibits include an area dedicated to Honda's racing efforts, examples of its many motorcycles and several of its early models, including a '70s Civic. A HondaJet and displays of some of the company's engines are there, as well. The Heritage Center will open to the public in January, and other portions of the Technical Development Center will be responsible for training Honda employees. The Marysville campus will keep growing in the near future too with production of the upcoming Acura NSX taking place at a new facility nearby there. Check out the gallery for a glimpse of just some of what Honda has on display at its new museum. Honda Heritage Center: A tribute to the past, a focus on the future New Museum in Ohio Showcases Honda History in North America Dec 18, 2014 - MARYSVILLE, Ohio The Honda Heritage Center in Marysville officially opened its doors today, offering the world a glimpse of the innovative history and growth the company has achieved in Ohio and North America during the past 55 years. "The new Honda Heritage Center is a collection of Honda dreams in the form of products that are responsible for millions of customer relationships," said Takuji Yamada, chief operating officer of Honda's North American regional operations. "The great variety of products on display – including powersports, power equipment and automobiles, as well as aviation and robotics – together with the major milestones highlighted, tell the stories of Honda associates in Ohio and from throughout North America." Ohio Gov. John Kasich joined Honda officials and state and local community leaders to celebrate the opening of the new $35 million, 160,000-square-foot facility, which includes a museum, Technical Development Center and office space for Honda North America.