Honda recalls 1.2M more vehicles with dangerous air bags

DETROIT (AP) — A type of Takata air bag inflator once thought to be safe has now come under scrutiny after a crash and explosion in Maryland injured the driver of a Honda minivan.

The incident forced Honda on Tuesday to recall about 1.2 million vehicles in North and Central America from the 2001 to 2016 model years to replace inflators that had not been included in the massive string of Takata recalls for air bags that can hurl shrapnel into the passenger compartment.

Takata used ammonium nitrate to create a small explosion and inflate air bags in a collision. But the chemical can deteriorate when exposed to high temperatures and humidity and blow apart a metal canister, spewing out shrapnel. At least 23 people have been killed by the company's inflators and hundreds more injured.

The inflators in the Tuesday recall contain a moisture-absorbing chemical called a desiccant that was added to keep the ammonium nitrate stable. They were believed to be safe, and were used to replace older inflators under recalls that began in 2014.

But Honda and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that a crash on Jan. 19, 2018 involving a 2004 Honda Odyssey initiated an investigation and Tuesday's recall when investigators discovered that the driver's air bag inflator ruptured. The probe determined that inflators made at Takata's Monclova, Mexico, factory were faulty due to a manufacturing defect, Honda said. The driver suffered an arm injury.

NHTSA, the government's highway safety regulator, said in a statement Tuesday that only Honda used this particular type of Takata inflator made at the Mexican factory. At this time, the agency believes the Honda problem has been isolated and is caused by a manufacturing issue.

The Honda vehicles will be recalled a second time to replace the inflators. Also included in the recall are vehicles that received inflators due to collision repairs.

The recall covers certain Honda and Acura models largely in the U.S. and Canada. Included are the 2001 to 2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, the 2001 to 2005 Civic, the 2002 to 2007 and 2010 and 2011 CR-V, the 2003 to 2011 Element, the 2007 Fit, the 2002 to 2004 Odyssey, the 2003 to 2008 Pilot, and the 2006 to 2014 Ridgeline pickup. Also included are certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL cars, as well as the 2013 to 2016 ILX, the 2003 to 2006 MDX, the 2007 to 2016 RDX, the 2002 to 2003 3.2TL, the 2004 to 2006 and 2009 to 2014 TL, and the 2010 to 2013 ZDX.

NHTSA said not all vehicles that received replacement air bag inflators are affected. Some had replacement parts from other manufacturers that are safe. The agency urged owners to check for open recalls by keying in their 17-digit vehicle identification number on the NHTSA website www.nhtsa.gov/recalls .


More (Includes video): https://finance.yahoo.com/news/honda-recalls-1-2m-more-114426254.html

EPA Chief Urges The World To Buy U.S. Fossil Fuels

U.S. oil, natural gas, and coal are being produced in a more environmentally conscious manner than anywhere else on the planet, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a keynote speech at CERAWeek in Houston, urging the world to buy American fossil fuels.

Praising the Trump Administration’s efforts to lessen burdensome federal regulations, Wheeler said that the current Administration proved that such federal regulations “are not necessary to drive environmental progress.”

“What the United States offers the world in terms of energy is that our fossil fuels are extracted and produced in a more environmentally conscious manner than anywhere else in the world. If other countries want to purchase coal on the open market, we mine our coal in a safer and more environmentally friendly manner than other nations. If you want to purchase oil on the open market, we extract and refine our oil in a more environmentally conscious manner than other nations. If Europe wants to buy natural gas on the marketplace, we produce our natural gas in a much cleaner fashion than Russia, for example,” Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, said in his speech.

“When it comes to the environment and when it comes to national security, there is no better investment than American energy. That is why President Trump is committed to expanding our capacity to export our energy and technology worldwide. Pipelines that were stymied for years are finally getting built. And the construction of new export terminals is underway as we speak,” EPA’s Administrator said.


More: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/EPA-Chief-Urges-The-World-To-Buy-US-Fossil-Fuels.html

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Deer Rescue

Fire engulfs Michigan man's Kia; he's not the only one

Matthew Rose described his beloved 2012 Kia Optima as a “big toasted marshmallow.”

Seeing a car burst into flames for no apparent reason was a new experience. And, it seems, Rose isn’t the only Kia or Hyundai driver to experience something so scary.

Rose said his Optima delivered great gas mileage for his 45-minute commutes back and forth to work in Grand Rapids. He really loved that midsize car.

But then it burned to a crisp on Feb. 28.

“This was the first brand-new car I’d ever purchased in my life. I never had any real major issues with it, except for some recalls and guest service bulletins here and there,” said Rose, 53, a systems analyst from Holland, Michigan. “When I took it in, people were friendly at the dealership. It was a comfortable car to drive. It was kind of a shock that it just, all of a sudden, it did this.”

The company said in a statement that Kia has taken proactive steps to address an engine manufacturing issue that “can, in rare instances, result in a non-collision fire, including the recall of more than 680,000 vehicles, and is committed to taking any necessary actions in a timely manner.”

But a consumer advocacy group wants a total 2.9 million Kias and Hyundais recalled: 2011-14 Kia Sorento, Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata and Hyundai Santa Fe; and 2010-15 Kia Soul.


Much more (Includes video): https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2019/03/11/kia-catches-fire/3105713002/



Matthew Rose was driving home from work in Grand Rapids on Feb. 28, 2019 when his Kia Optima stalled and he pulled to the side of the highway. He noticed smoke, then flames. (Photo: Matthew Rose)

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