Honda is taking proactive steps to protect its reputation for reliability, with company executives saying the automaker will not sacrifice quality for production speed as it works to keep pace with new technologies.
Honda Looks to Avoid Rivals’ Quality Problems
Toyota has long been regarded as the auto industry’s gold standard for reliability, but that reputation has recently taken some damage. The company’s V35A twin-turbo V6 has failed in popular models such as the Tundra and Tacoma, prompting Toyota to recall approximately 270,000 vehicles.
Ford has also faced a record-setting run of recalls, casting a shadow over its lineup.
Those developments have given Honda a clear reason to examine the quality control problems affecting other automakers and take steps to avoid similar pitfalls.
Honda Won’t Sacrifice Reliability for Speed
The Drive recently spoke with Honda Motor Executive Vice President Noriya Kaihara and American Honda CEO Eiji Fujimura about the company’s evolving quality control measures.
Fujimura acknowledged the need to keep up with China in adopting new technologies, but emphasized that Honda is unwilling to sacrifice reliability in pursuit of production volume.
“We have very good trust from our clients and very good customer loyalty, and we can’t sacrifice that trust for speed,” Fujimura told The Drive. “We will not compete with them [China and India] just on speed – we need to use our traditions and our thinking.”
Kaihara provided a more detailed explanation of how Honda is applying that philosophy to its quality control process.
How Honda Is Addressing Quality Control Risks
Honda says it currently examines the entire process, including vehicle development, with quality checks required before moving from one stage to the next.
“Right now, we look at the whole process, including development,” said Kaihara. “This means nothing should move to the next step without confirming the previous step’s quality. That’s our quality control system.”
Kaihara also explained that Honda attempts to account for as many variables as possible. The company follows its system independently so potential problems can be identified, including why a component failed and how environmental conditions such as extreme heat or cold could affect it.
Honda Acknowledges That Problems Can Still Occur
Kaihara acknowledged that problems can still arise as vehicles become increasingly complex. In those situations, he emphasized the importance of identifying and implementing appropriate solutions quickly to prevent additional damage to Honda’s reputation.
“If you leave a customer with a bad-quality vehicle and, on top of that, also a delay with the countermeasure, that will cause really bad damage. Sometimes you just have to take quick action.”
Honda’s approach centers on maintaining quality throughout development while responding quickly when problems occur, with company executives emphasizing that customer trust and reliability cannot be sacrificed for speed.
