TOKYO, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Honda Motor Co. reported on Friday a 22.3 percent fall in operating profit due to higher quality-related costs, which include costs for airbag recalls, and a negative currency impact.
Japan's third-largest automaker posted a net profit of 124.1 billion yen ($1.03 billion) in the October-December quarter, down 18.5 percent from 152.3 billion a year ago and less than an average estimate of 148.90 billion yen drawn from forecasts by nine analysts, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S data.
Operating profit fell to 163.0 billion yen from 210.0 billion during the same quarter a year ago.
While sales revenue rose 3.4 percent, Honda pared its outlook for full-year sales revenue due to expectations that it would sell less cars in Asia and Japan than previously forecast. ($1 = 120.7500 yen) (Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)