Chrysler Caves…but Smartly

Well, my ex-employer and keeper of my future pension caved to NHTSA in the Takata affair after all, agreeing to a nationwide recall of its vehicles with the dreaded air bag inflators. Only thing, Chrysler did it the right way, saying they would replace the bad parts on all vehicles affected, BUT (key here) in a common sense and coordinated approach going after those customers in harm’s way first. If you have a Chrysler vehicle impacted by the recall and you live in Fargo, your wait will be appropriately longer than for a customer in Miami or New Orleans.

It was a smart move by Chrysler – excuse me, the newly named FCA – and seems to be just the latest in a growing pattern of smart moves by the boys and girls in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The same can not necessarily be said for Honda and Ford who earlier agreed to a nationwide recall with seemingly few if any conditions. It will interesting to see if Chrysler get any blowback from their planned recall roll-out. And, count on the plaintiff attorneys and alleged “safety advocates” to call Chrysler’s move “not good enough.”

Meanwhile, BMW remains the lone holdout, still demanding the recall of their affected products be regional and not nationwide. Assume that by Monday, BMW caves, proving that almost always in this country, hype, hysteria and activism trump science.

Sony Pictures caved; but so were Ford and Honda FORCED to…and folks may die

Sony Pictures caved, but then so has Ford Motor Company and Honda Motor Company. The former was just spineless; while the latters are just stuck in a very bad spot by their air bag supply company, Japan’s Takata. Interesting that both of these debacles are happening on the western shore of Asia.

By now, we all know the air bag crisis that Takata has presented for its customers. But wait; Takata’s customers are not the buyers of Honda and Ford cars. Takata’s customers are the automakers, who have been left holding the bag while the seat belt and air bag manufacturer has acted badly, stupidly and tone deafly. It has put the automakers in a sorry place with their car-buying customers with no help from the folks who have supplied the supposed life-saving technology, but have abandoned their responsibility to take control of the situation – a situation only they (Takata) can come to grips with and fix.

Worse yet – if that is possible — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has acted beyond badly – all the way to dangerous by insisting that faulty Takata air bag modules be recalled on a nationwide scale. This is stupid and dangerous considering the science says those customer most in harm’s way live in hot and humid climates. These customers should be handled first or this country will have a repeat of the 2000-2001 Ford/Firestone tire crisis where a NHTSA-demanded nationwide recall of defective tires – most deadly in hot climates – meant that those in the danger zones had to wait for replacement parts while folks in the northern climates of the U.S. also had their tires replaced.

Again, Ford and Honda are stuck in a fight between their customers and their pathetic supplier Takata. Takata has – rightfully in theory and wrongfully in practice – refused to endorse a nationwide recall of their air bag modules even though company could do so most effectively and put NHTSA on notice as follows:

“Dear NHTSA: We agree to a nationwide recall of our air bag modules in some 12 million vehicles. But, please let us use science and facts to perform triage and first help those customers in harm’s way. We promise to get to everyone, but let’s do Minnesota and Alaska last so that we may save lives in Florida and Texas.” Sincerely, Mr. Takada, CEO and son of the founder.

If Takata was more honest and more proactive, they would not be putting Honda and Ford in such a potentially-deadly bind. Thank goodness that Takata customers Chrysler and BMW have refused to buy into NHTSA’s “nationwide recall” folly that is supported by the plaintiff’s bar and the alleged “safety advocates” — although I fear they will acquiesce, soon, putting more people with Takata air bag modules in harm’s way as they are forced to wait for fix as Jim Johansson in Bemidji, Minnesota, gets a new Takata air bag module in his Honda Accord or Ford Mustang next week while someone in Tallahassee waits a couple weeks. And possibly dies. Sad. And stupid.

Takata and NHTSA: Dumb and Dumber

Takata air bag modules on Honda vehicles have killed at least five people. If NHTSA has its way – demanding a nationwide recall of Takata’s faulty air bag systems – the number of dead people will most likely increase. WTF? Stay with me.

What we have here is a major automotive supplier with its head in the sand, hoping its crisis will go away, and perhaps the most-cover-your-ass U.S. government agency not only thinking stupidly, but perhaps, deadly.

NHTSA is going to court to force the Japanese seat belt and air bag system company to make their recall a nationwide affair. Takata, rightfully, has refused to do so; instead focusing on those customers in harm’s way in southern hot and humid states where the defective air bags seem more prone to problems.

But Takata has shamefully put its customers in harm’s way. Oh, not the real driving public, but their actual customers, namely Honda and Chrysler, to name two. Honda has announced it will recall its vehicles with the nasty Takata air bag modules NATIONWIDE. Honda is in a tough spot. I understand it, but their action may actually divert Takata replacement parts for Honda vehicles where they are most needed to a Honda consumer in cold, non-humid northern Minnesota. Why?

The other day, Chrysler said it will focus on the hot, humid states in replacing Takata air bag modules in Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler vehicles. Good for my former company. They are actually putting their customers first, but will, no doubt, receive a ration of sh-t from the plaintiff’s bar and the supposed “safety advocates” that want a “nationwide” action only to load their coffers and the courtrooms.

Bottom Line: If NHTSA succeeds in court and makes Takata supply the whole country with better air bag modules before satisfying the true, scientific needs of those in the hot, humid climates, the risk of people needlessly dying will increase as those truly in harm’s way will have to wait.

It is the Ford/Firestone tire crisis, circa 2000-2001, all over again. I know. I lived it.