A good example of high technology causing problems affects one of the most reliable vehicles in its class, the Honda Accord. A recall totaling 257,616 2004 and 2005 model year Accord sedans has just been announced by the NHTSA, citing airbags that may not deploy properly.
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| "New functionality always presents new complexity, and complexity means more ways to fail," said Joe Ivers, executive director of quality at J.D. Power and Associates. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
In a statement made by Joe Ivers, executive director of quality at J.D. Power and Associates, he said "New functionality always presents new complexity, and complexity means more ways to fail."
One of the biggest recalls of the year, however, affecting approximately 4 million 2000 through 2004 model year GM pickup trucks, was due to an extremely low-tech culprit. A cable holding the tailgate in place when lowered could break off due to corrosion or fracture, causing anyone standing on top to fall.
"They [recalls] tend to add up very quickly when you're dealing with those kinds of numbers," GM spokesman Alan Adler commented.
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| Of the 462 individual recalls identified by the NHTSA for the first nine months of 2004, 356 were initiated by automakers voluntarily. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
It's comforting to know that of the 462 individual recalls identified by the NHTSA for the first nine months of 2004, 356 were initiated by automakers voluntarily, while the other 106 were started by the NHTSA.
"You want customers to be satisfied with what they've got," Alder added. "If you take care of a recall the right way, and the person is not overly inconvenienced, they're generally happier to have had the vehicle recalled."
While it would be better business to fix a potential problem before new customers take delivery, due to the complexity of today's vehicles such a premise would have to be seen as utopian. Rather, high recalls mean that automakers are now taking potentially dangerous problems much more seriously than ever before, and normally fixing faulty components before accidents happen.