NEWS:   Honda to recall 1.5 million vehicles in US

YAHOO NEWS -- August 4,  2011 – Honda to recall 1.5 million vehicles in US

Honda Motor said Friday it will recall about 1.5 million vehicles in the United States to update the software that controls their automatic transmission.

Honda said in a press release on its US site that the vehicles in the voluntary recall will include certain Accord, CR-V and Element models.

No injuries or deaths have been reported related to this condition, the statement said.

The Japanese carmaker will also recall 760,000 Honda models sold in China to fix the same problem, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.

A bearing in the automatic transmission system was not built with sufficient strength and as a result the transmission system may emit an abnormal noise or cause the engine to stall under certain gear shift operations, Honda said.

Similar Honda models are sold in Canada, Europe and other markets. Altogether, 2.49 million Honda models installed with the faulty transmission are involved, Kyodo quoted Honda officials as saying.

They said the affected Honda models are not sold in Japan.

Honda has received reports of an abnormal transmission noise and transmission malfunctions but there have been no reports of accidents, the company said

MORE RECALL INFO: 

• Honda Accord
• Honda Element
• Honda CR-V

AUGUST 2011 -- Honda is recalling certain model year 2005-2010 Accord, 2007-2010 CR-V, and 2005-2008 Element passenger cars manufactured from July 1, 2004, through September 3, 2010. The outer race of the secondary shaft bearing may be broken during certain driving styles. A broken outer race may cause abnormal noise, the malfunction indicator light to turn on, and allow contact between the transmission idle gear and an electronic sensor housing within the transmission. This could result in a short circuit causing the engine to stall. Additionally, broken pieces of the outer race or ball bearing from the secondary shaft may become lodged in the parking pawl resulting in the vehicle rolling after the driver has placed the gear selector in the park position. Engine stall and unexpected vehicle movement increases the risk of a crash or personal injury to persons within the path of a rolling vehicle. Honda will notify owners and dealers will update the automatic transmission control module software free of charge. The safety recall began on August 27, 2011.   Honda's recall campaign number is R89. 11V-395

AUGUST 2010 -- Honda is recalling certain model year 2010 Element automatic transmission vehicles manufactured from April 1, 2010 through June 25, 2010. During assembly process, the cable that connects the shift lever to the transmission was not set correctly at the shift lever bracket. As a result the driver may move the gear shift lever but the transmission may not be placed in the selected gear. This can cause the key to be stuck in the ignition switch, an inability to shift into or out of park, or an inability to shift into reverse, increasing the risk of a crash. Honda has contacted some owners by phone and arranged to, have, or has had, their vehicles repaired free of charge. All other owners will be notified by mail. Dealers will correctly set the shift cable bushing. The safety recall began on August 9, 2010.   10V-361

AUGUST 2010 -- Honda is recalling certain model year 2003 Honda Accord, Civic two and four door, and model year 2003-2004 Honda Element vehicles. The interlock lever of the ignition switch may unexpectedly deform,which can allow the interlock function of a vehicle with an automatic transmission to be defeated. Removal of the ignition key when the gear selector of a vehicle with an automatic transmission has not been shifted to the park position can allow the vehicle to roll away, increasing the risk of a crash. Dealers will remove the original interlock pin and lever within the ignition switch, and replace them with new, designed components. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on or about September 29, 2010.   10V-364

NEWS:   Honda recalls 383,000 US vehicles on ignition problem

Honda on Monday announced the recall of 383,000 vehicles in the United States because of problems with the ignition which could allow drivers to remove their key when the vehicle is not in the park position.

Honda said some ignition locking devices became damaged or worn over time, allowing the key to be removed when the transmission is not in park. If that occurs, the vehicle could roll away and cause an accident, Honda said.

"Honda has received several complaints about such failures in these vehicles and is aware of a small number of related incidents, including one that resulted in a minor injury," the Japanese automaker said in a statement.

The recall affects approximately 197,000 Accord and 117,000 Civic vehicles from the 2003 model year and roughly 69,000 Element vehicles from the 2003 and 2004 model years.

Honda last week recalled 585 Element vehicles from the 2010 model year to reset the automatic transmission shift cable.

"During vehicle assembly, some shift cables were not installed correctly, and over time the cable may become partially disconnected," Honda said. "As a result, a driver may move the gear shift lever but the transmission may not be placed in the selected gear."

Honda said it had received a small number of customer complaints related to the gear selector mechanism, but no incidents or injuries were reported.

MORE RECALL INFO: 

• Honda Accord   Honda Civic   Honda Element

MARCH 2010 - Honda has notified NHTSA of a defect in certain model year 2007 and 2008 Odyssey and Element passenger vehicles manufactured between July 28, 2006 and August 21, 2008. Air can enter the VSA modular pump during an initial self-check process that occurs shortly after each time the engine is started.It is possible for enough air to enter the system to result in a brake pedal that feels soft or lower to thefloor. If the owner does not have any brake service or maintenance performed over a period of months or years, the system can continue to accumulate enough air to affect braking performance, increasing the riskof a crash. Honda will notify owners and Honda dealers will repair the VSA modulator by removing any existing air in the brake system then apply sealant and caps to prevent air from entering the brake system free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during May 2010.  10V-098

NEWS:   Honda to recall 410,000 vehicles for brake problem

YAHOO NEWS – March 16, 2010 – Honda Motor Co. will recall more than 410,000 Odyssey minivans and Element small trucks because of braking system problems that could make it tougher to stop the vehicle if not repaired.

The recall includes 344,000 Odysseys and 68,000 Elements from the 2007 and 2008 model years.

Honda said in a statement that over time, brake pedals can feel "soft" and must be pressed closer to the floor to stop the vehicles. Left unrepaired, the problem could cause loss of braking power and possibly a crash, Honda spokesman.....said.

"It's definitely not operating the way it should, and it's safety systems, so it brings it to the recall status," he said.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported three crashes due to the problem with minor injuries and no deaths, Martin said. Honda notified NHTSA of the recall on Monday, he said.

Honda has traced the problem to the device that powers the electronic stability control system, which selectively brakes each of the wheels to keep the vehicles upright during an emergency situation.

When the device, called a "vehicle stability assist modulator," tests itself when the vehicles are started, it allows a small amount of air into the hydraulic brake lines. Over time, an air bubble in the lines can cause a loss of braking power and require that the pedal be pushed farther toward the floor than normal to stop the vehicles, said.

"Although not all vehicles being recalled are affected by this issue, we are recalling all possible units to assure all customers that their vehicles will perform correctly," Honda said in a statement.

Under the recall, which Honda said it volunteered to do, Honda said that owners should wait to get a letter from the company before scheduling a repair because the parts are not yet available. Letters should go out toward the end of April.

Drivers who fear that they've lost braking power should have their dealer check the brakes sooner, ...said. The dealer can "bleed" air bubbles out of the hydraulic lines, which should fix the problem until the parts arrive for the final repair, he said.

Honda technicians will put plastic caps and sealant over two small holes in the device to stop the air from getting in, ... said.

The automaker is still preparing a list of affected vehicles. After April 19, owners can determine if their vehicles are being recalled by going to http://www.recalls.honda.com or by calling (800) 999-1009, and selecting option number four.

The safety recall is Honda's second in the past two months. In February it recalled 952,118 vehicles globally due to air bag problems.

It comes on the heels of Toyota Motor Corp.'s spate of safety recalls that include more than 8 million vehicles worldwide for braking and sudden acceleration problems.

One of the Toyota recalls is a braking software problem that causes the pedal of the Prius gas-electric hybrid to momentarily drop toward the floor.

Ford Motor Co. had a similar software problem with its Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids. The company told owners of 17,600 cars to bring them in for a software update because a glitch can give drivers the impression that the brakes have failed when they haven't.

The automaker called the repairs a "customer satisfaction program" and said it was not a full-fledged recall.

MORE RECALL INFO

• Honda Odyssey
• Honda Element

JULY 2008 -- Honda is recalling 241 MY 2008 Honda Element vehicles. The front bushing bracket of the left trailing arm of the rear suspension may have been improperly welded and could separate from the trailing arm. A separated bushing bracket could cause the suspension to release the lower portion of the wheel hub, causing a loss of control and damage to the brake system which could lead to a crash. Owners will be contacted by phone and advised to stop driving their vehicles until they have taken their vehicle to a dealer for inspection. Dealers will inspect the left rear trailing arm and, if necessary, replace it. The recall is expected to begin during August 2008.  08V349