The car company Honda has announced a recall of almost 500,000 vehicles due to a manufacturing problem affecting the front seat belts, which may prevent them from latching.
The affected models include the 2018-2019 Accord and Accord Hybrids, 2017-2018 CR-V, 2018-2020 Odysseys, 2019 Insight, and 2019-2020 Acura RDXs.
According to documents detailing the defect, the buckle channel surface coating may wear off with time, and the release button may shrink against the channel at low temperatures, increasing friction, which can lead to issues with the seat belt buckle latching. Honda warns that an unlatched buckle can increase the risk of injury.
The company has stated that its dealers will replace the front seat belt buckle release buttons or buckle assemblies in any affected vehicles at no cost.
Honda has not received any reports of injuries or deaths related to the issue as of the beginning of March.
