A spokesperson at the car manufacturer’s sales and service centre in the Klang Valley told FMT that the customers’ “take it easy” attitude when it comes to safety was the reason why many had yet to have their Japanese Takata airbags changed.
The man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “Most (Honda) vehicle owners still don’t understand the importance (of changing their Takata airbag).
“Only 10% of our customers came to do so although we’ve issued three notices to all of them. They just took the matter lightly.
“But after the airbag issue went viral, the customers’ awareness level spiked up and now they understand why it is important for them to change the said airbag.”
He was referring to the death of housewife Norazlin Haron, 44, who suffered injuries to her chest due to the defective airbag after an accident in Kota Damansara on Sunday.
The spokesperson said it was not his intention to deflect blame onto others, but it was part of Malaysian culture to wait until a tragedy had struck before acting.
He then expressed regret over certain quarters’ tendency to sensationalise an issue without sufficient evidence. This, he said, had created an uproar against Honda.
The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) Director-General Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon was earlier reported to have said that Takata airbags were installed in 50 million vehicles worldwide, including those produced by other manufacturers.
There have been 13 deaths worldwide linked to faulty Takata airbags in Honda vehicles.