Honda quality control: why development speed will not override reliability
Honda says its independent quality-control process can slow development even as the company studies faster Chinese methods and shorter vehicle cycles.
Honda has an organizational “emergency brake” capable of delaying a new technology regardless of the development team’s decision. Honda Motor Executive Vice President Noriya Kaihara told The Drive that the quality-control division operates separately from the other teams, and the next stage of a project does not begin until the quality of the previous one has been confirmed. The system applies not only to powertrains but also to new technologies and components: specialists evaluate how they work under different conditions and what problems could emerge after a vehicle reaches the market.
The reason for this caution is that vehicle development is accelerating sharply. American Honda President and CEO Eiji Fujimura acknowledged that the company has teams in China studying new technologies, software and manufacturing approaches. But Honda does not intend to copy Chinese speed wholesale: “We will not compete with them on speed alone.” The fastest Chinese companies can already cut a vehicle-development cycle to roughly 18–24 months, while traditional automakers often need considerably longer.
Kaihara was also asked about Toyota’s problems with modern V6 engines. His answer was not that Honda is somehow immune to a similar scenario. He said there are two important stages: first, prevent a defect; if a problem still reaches a customer, gather information as quickly as possible and implement countermeasures. Honda’s own record is not flawless either: complaints have been reported about some of its modern engines, including the 1.5-liter turbo.
The independent checks do not mean Honda can eliminate every defect. The more important point is that the company openly recognizes the tension between development speed and reliability testing and is trying not to put speed first at any cost. As China’s auto industry accelerates, finding that balance is becoming one of the central questions for traditional manufacturers.