Honda is recalling more than 300,000 vehicles in the U.S. that were manufactured without a seat belt rivet securing the quick connector and wire plate.

The OEM said in a National Highway Safety Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) filing that the missing part on the front seat belt pretensioners affects four-door, model year 2023 and 2024 Honda Accords and HR-Vs.

The installation of the rivet was skipped during the assembly of the pretensioners between October 2022 and October 2023, according to NHTSA’s safety recall report.

“As noted in the recall filing, the seat belt pretensioners were supplied by Joyson Safety Systems and were not manufactured by Honda directly,” Chris Martin, a Honda spokesman, told Repairer Driven News. “Joyson has informed Honda that it has taken steps to prevent future problems but I’m not able to provide specifics.”

When describing the safety risk, Honda said: “Seat belt pretensioners missing a rivet will not properly restrain the occupant in the event of a collision, increasing the risk of injury.”

The automaker said it first became aware of the issue in May after receiving a complaint and that it began an investigation in September after receiving the affected parts.

Honda determined there was a defect and initiated a safety and non-compliance recall on Nov. 16. From April through this month, the issue has led to seven warranty claims although there have been no reports of injuries or deaths, Honda said.

Registered owners of all affected vehicles will be notified by mail and asked to have the issue fixed at an authorized dealership, where the seat belt pretensioner will be inspected and repaired, Honda said.

Owners who’ve already paid to have the defect repaired at their own expense could be eligible for reimbursement, according to Honda. 

Honda said it has improved its pre-shipping inspection processes as a result of the recall.