We must demand Honda act on minivan

The nation’s car safety watchdog must push Honda to immediately recall Honda Odyssey minivans with thirdrow seat latching problems and seat stability issues. This deadly defect killed 16-yearold Kyle Plush of Cincinnati.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) failed to act on complaints about the Odyssey model, including a dire warning from a parent just weeks before Plush was smothered by the van’s faulty seat. Federal regulators and Honda must be held accountable . ...

The NHTSA’s reputation has taken a hit over the past two decades because of repeated failures to spot defects, forcefully pursue investigations of defective cars and slow response. Among its missteps are failing to detect faulty ignition switches in GM cars linked to fatal accidents in the early 2010s and not identifying a pattern of rollovers involving Ford Explorers with Firestone tires that killed some 200 people in the late 1990s . ...

Kyle Plush’s family deserves answers. It’s not enough for the NHTSA to chalk his death up to a freak accident. The Honda Odyssey is one of America’s most popular minivans, so the tens of thousands of people who own and who drive them on highways and suburban and city streets daily also deserve some assurances.

Read the full editorial from the Cincinnati Enquirer at bit. ly/2SnXJPm