Why are Honda City, Jazz, Accord and Renault Kwid recalled in India? Should you be worried?

As the auto industry in India continues to grapple with vehicle recall woes, Japanese carmaker Honda and French carmaker Renault have issued a voluntary recall of popular models in the country as a result of mounting safety concerns.

Honda Accord, City and Jazz recall

Honda Cars India has announced that it will replace the Takata passenger front airbag inflators of 22,834 vehicles in the country. The recall includes the 2013 model of Accord, City and Jazz. This exercise is part of Honda's precautionary global recall campaign concerning Takata front airbag inflators.

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The replacement will be carried out free of cost at Honda dealerships across India but in phases and has already taken effect. Further, the company will communicate with the customers directly. Customers can check whether their cars are affected by the recall by submitting their 17 characters alpha-numeric Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the special microsite which has been created on the company's website (www.hondacarindia.com).

HCIL has reiterated the importance of seeking a replacement for defective Takata front airbag inflators urgently as they may be deployed if there is excessive internal pressure when activated. The airbag inflator casing might rupture resulting in injury or pose safety risks to the occupants of the vehicle.

Affected models and numbers

Renault Kwid recall

According to TeamBHP, Renault India has recalled the 800cc version of its popular hatchback Kwid to fix a problem with the steering system. Although the number of units recalled remains unknown, the company is reportedly notifying owners of the affected vehicles.

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The affected model will be inspected for overall functionality and safety, an exercise that will be done at the service centres of Renault. The company will also carry out repairs, if necessary, free of cost. The company will be reaching out to the owners of Kwid. The customers can also head to the nearest dealers to check if their models are listed amongst vehicles being recalled.