Honda recalls 347,000 Pilot SUVs globally

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Honda Motor Co Ltd is recalling almost 347,000 Pilot sport utility vehicles worldwide for a potential problem with the front seat belts.

The Japanese automaker said the recall, which affects vehicles built in Lincoln, Alabama for model years 2009 through 2011, was being performed because the driver or front passenger seat belts could become disconnected from the anchor webbing in an accident, increasing the risk of an injury.

Honda said no injuries or deaths have been reported related to the issue.

The company said the recall was due to a manufacturing error on a small number of front seat belts, where the stitching connecting the lap section of the belt to the outboard anchor webbing may be incomplete or missing.

Honda said written notification to Pilot owners will begin in early October. The company said almost 311,000 of the Pilot SUVs were in the United States; another 10,000 in Canada, more than 8,000 in Mexico and the rest in other countries.

Earlier this month, Honda recalled about 960,000 Fit subcompacts and other models globally to repair defects including malfunctioning power window switches.

In August, the automaker recalled nearly 2.5 million cars, small SUVs and minivans worldwide to repair a software problem that could damage the automotive transmission.

Last month, the influential consumer magazine Consumer Reports said it was not recommending the 2012 Honda Civic, prompting some industry analysts to ask if that was a symptom of larger problems at the automaker.