Honda Abandons 2017 Sales Target To Improve Product Quality
Deciding quality should be its focus over quantity, Honda announced it would scrap its target of 6 million units sold annually by 2017.
Bloomberg reports the automaker also won’t set a target for global annual sales in its next midterm plan, again, to focus its attention to improving overall quality of its products. Honda CEO Takanobu Ito, inspired by the late Soichiro Honda, says he will bring his company “back to basics,” with business expansion no longer in the cards.
The announcement follows a year of quality issues affecting the automaker, from the recalls involving the Fit and Vezel, to the Takata airbag recall crisis that led to Honda’s decision to use units from Autoliv and Daicel. The latter issue also brought scrutiny to the company from the United States government, resulting in a record fine of $70 million for how it handled reporting potential issues to regulators for over a decade.
Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.
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There are recalls on the Vezel? I didn't think it was even on sale yet. EDIT: Vezel = on sale JDM. HR-V = US version later. I forgotted.
What? Honda admits to mistakes after 4-5 decades of arrogance and making some not so bright moves; i.e letting the whole Acura brand slide, Accord redesigns, and the thing called Ridgeline? Using the special flap on my fire suit to munch popcorn.
The big boys at Honda are slowly learning that there are fewer buyers willing to pay a premium price for a Honda.
Could Honda please also add a proper highway gear to the manual transmission in the Fit?