The Windsor Star reports that Honda is recalling 12,000 of its 2015 Fit subcompacts to retool the bumpers after its first iteration failed the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) small overlap test.
The Fit received only a marginal rating from the IIHS due to the weakness of its front bumper. In the small overlap test, researchers simulate a 40 mph crash with a stationary object to test whether the front corner of a vehicle can withstand the impact.
Honda has since decided it will be retooling the 2015 Fit subcompacts to strengthen the bumpers. By reinforcing the welds of the front bumpers, the kinetic energy the vehicle absorbs in a crash will be spread over the entire front of the car. This, they say, will improve the vehicles overall safety.
If you have been injured in a Honda 2015 Fit due to its bumper issues contact one of our personal injury lawyers today to find out your legal options.
After Honda engineers made this change, the IIHS gave the 2015 Fit an acceptable rating and selected it as a Top Safety Pick.
Since the second IIHS crash test, Honda is asking the owners of approximately 12,000 of its 2015 Fits to return them to dealers, who will replace the bumpers. The lawyers at Greg Monforton know this product recall is critical.
According to the Stars report, Hondas chief safety engineer Chuck Thomas says, We want to make our cars as safe as we can make them for our customers. The bumper replacement should take only 30 minutes at the dealer, he notes, but was unsure what the cost of this replacement will be to Honda.
We want to make our cars as safe as we can make them for our customers.
Honda Chief Safety Engineer Chuck Thomas
Russ Rader, an IIHS spokesman, said it’s rare for automakers to call cars back to dealers after they are retested, but it has happened about two dozen times since 1999. Most were to change air bag deployment or fix post-crash fuel leaks, he said.
Honda claims that all owners will be notified whether their vehicles have been affected in late September, and that these parts will be replaced at no cost.
Were you or a loved one injured in a vehicle with a defective part? The auto accident lawyers at Greg Monforton & Partners have years of experience litigating claims on behalf of those injured by the negligence of another, be it a corporation or an individual.
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