Wheels could fall off on 182,000 recalled Honda Civics
Honda Civics are generally respected as reliable transportation, and aren't supposed to be prone to things like, say, wheels falling off. But that's the reason Honda is recalling more than 182,000 of them made in 2006-2007.Honda says the trouble comes from a leaky O-ring in the wheel speed sensor. Water could damage the wheel bearing, which could result in one of the four wheels falling off, "possibly resulting in a crash." Ya think?
Owners of the affected Civics can expect a note in the mail from Honda, offering to fix the problem and replace any damaged parts.
You can read the full recall notice from NHTSA.gov after the jump.
Thanks for the tip, Herb!
[Source: The Detroit News]
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 07V399000
Mfr's Report Date : AUG 30, 2007
Component: WHEELS
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 182756
Summary:
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR HOUSING USES AN O-RING SEAL TO PREVENT LEAKAGE TO OR FROM THE WHEEL BEARING. IF ASSEMBLED IMPROPERLY, THE O-RING MAY NOT SEAL PROPERLY ALLOWING WATER TO ENTER THE WHEEL BEARING AND EVENTUALLY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE BEARING, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE USE OF ROAD SALT IS PREVALENT. IF THE DRIVER CONTINUES TO DRIVE WITH THIS CONDITION IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE WHEEL BEARING TO BECOME LOOSE, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE BEARING TO FAIL.
Consequence:
THIS COULD CAUSE A WHEEL TO FALL OFF OF THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR ABS SENSORS AND WHEEL BEARINGS FOR DAMAGED PARTS AND REPLACE THEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT SEPTEMBER 17, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009.
Notes:
HONDA RECALL NO. Q56. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION¿S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.
Mfr's Report Date : AUG 30, 2007
Component: WHEELS
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 182756
Summary:
ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR HOUSING USES AN O-RING SEAL TO PREVENT LEAKAGE TO OR FROM THE WHEEL BEARING. IF ASSEMBLED IMPROPERLY, THE O-RING MAY NOT SEAL PROPERLY ALLOWING WATER TO ENTER THE WHEEL BEARING AND EVENTUALLY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE BEARING, ESPECIALLY IN AREAS WHERE USE OF ROAD SALT IS PREVALENT. IF THE DRIVER CONTINUES TO DRIVE WITH THIS CONDITION IT IS POSSIBLE FOR THE WHEEL BEARING TO BECOME LOOSE, WHICH COULD CAUSE THE BEARING TO FAIL.
Consequence:
THIS COULD CAUSE A WHEEL TO FALL OFF OF THE VEHICLE, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A CRASH.
Remedy:
DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE REAR ABS SENSORS AND WHEEL BEARINGS FOR DAMAGED PARTS AND REPLACE THEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON OR ABOUT SEPTEMBER 17, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009.
Notes:
HONDA RECALL NO. Q56. CUSTOMERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION¿S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
cooleoboy1000 11:11AM (5/09/2009)
When my bearings started failing, I replaced them myself. I went to http://mibearings.com and bought new bearings. I didn't know that they were recalled, shoot. I could have had it done for free.
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Alex 7:27PM (9/14/2007)
that would kind of suck. a lot.
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SPG 7:28PM (9/14/2007)
All the Honda haters and Chrysler dealers just got a chubby.
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Dave 7:37PM (9/14/2007)
Why does Honda put out recalls on things that COULD go wrong?
What happened to the good old Amercian way of waiting for people to die in droves before putting out a bulletin?
76 people have lost fingers and other limbs from GM tailgates snapping off but GM is still in denial. Chrysler waits for 38 people to lose braking before having a recall. And lets not get started with Ford or Toyota. Toyota denied the sludge issue untill just recently.
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MoonRover 8:36PM (9/14/2007)
You can bet they have seen dead people.
WillTheThrill 2:20AM (9/15/2007)
Probably because they are smart enough to aviod lawsuits. The other companies are in denial because once they recall it, it's like admitting guilt. The Ford truck/SUV owners are still trying to get money for the damages to their homes and property.
Nick 8:12AM (9/15/2007)
If a new car built by my company leaves Chicago traveling west at 60 miles per hour, and the rear differential locks up, and the car crashes and burns with everyone trapped inside, does my company initiate a recall?
You take the population of vehicles in the field (A) and multiply it by the probable rate of failure (B), then multiply the result by the average cost of an out-of-court settlement (C).
A times B times C equals X. This is what it will cost if we don't initiate a recall.
If X is greater than the cost of a recall, we recall the cars and no one gets hurt.
If X is less than the cost of a recall.... we don't do a recall.
yin 9:26AM (9/15/2007)
I don't know if you know the history of Ford. Ford made their decisions base on numbers because "the Whiz kid" from Ford turn around Ford in the late 50s.
Here's how automaker used to make decision about a recall:
1. Probability of losing a lawsuit (ei: 50%) x maximum damage can be awarded x # of lawsuits= $Amount of money lose if we don't recall.
2. $ Amount of money we have to spend on a recall.
If 1 is greater than 2, we recall. If 2 is greater than 1, we don't recall. Obviously, this strategy help save money in the short run but tarnish the automaker's image.
danup 7:40PM (9/14/2007)
If this were the Focus I feel like I'd hear more about it, probably from my Civic-driving friends.
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Cecil 7:41PM (9/14/2007)
Cause Honda aint Ford. Corporate philosophy on safety is different.
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Mustang2005cs 10:34PM (9/14/2007)
I think Ford makes more 5-star crash rated cars than Honda does. Actually I know.
Chris Riley 11:34PM (9/14/2007)
Let's see of the 07 models, (Front/Pass/Side) Mustang was 5/5/4 Crown Vic was 5/5/5, Taurus was 4/5/3, Fusion was 4/4/5, Focus is 4/4/3, 500 is 5/5/5.
Honda 07 cars, Civic is 5/5/4, S2000 is 4/4/5, Fit is 5/5/5, Accord is 5/5/4.
Honda has less cars on the market, but the average for Honda is 4.75/4.75/4.5
Ford average is: 4.5/4.6/4.16
Honda's averages are better in all three categories, and Honda's scores are bolstered by with the tanks that are the 500 and the Crown Vic.
But hey, you said they have MORE models with a 5 star, which definitely looks true, since they make more models in total. Take more shots, more guaranteed to get a hit, eh?
Daniel Cowan 1:55AM (9/15/2007)
Chris, are you talking about the '08 Taurus? The refurbished '08 what used to be 500 is an '08. If you are talking about an '07 than maybe I could see your point. Honda lovers shouldn't be too distraught, but love the fact that Honda doesn't have nearly the recalls.
digitalzombie 4:23AM (9/15/2007)
To Mustang2005cs,
I think someone call you out on your bull$hit.
Dustin 7:43PM (9/14/2007)
Yes, they say "possibly resulting in a crash" because in the one incident where a wheel actually fell off, the vehicle wasn't being driven.
Reply
Barney 1:04PM (9/15/2007)
Can you give us a link,Dustin? I'm interested as to how a wheel falls off due to a bad seal in a wheel bearing and most intriguing, how a wheel falls off on a stationary car.
John 7:44PM (9/14/2007)
Hondas sure are close to perfection as a vehicle can be. These Civics have been on the road for about 2 years now and this is the first recall. And its a flimsy one at that since its fixing a problem that probably would never become one.
On the other hand the Focus went through 36 Recalls in its first year. This year the Focus has been recall free. It better be its the 9th year of production of the same POS.
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MoonRover 8:43PM (9/14/2007)
Recalls don't happen unless many people have threatened to sue.
far jr 9:55PM (9/14/2007)
By your theory, the Fusion is a better car. It has been on the road for a longer period of time with fewer recalls.
Honda does build good cars. I'm not disputing that, but they are far from perfect as you imply.
Lets not forget that the 2006 Civic had six recalls. Honda recalled over 1 million transmissions, and has recently had recall issues with fuel system componentry failing as well.
smartmlp 4:43AM (9/15/2007)
@John
I dont know what your source is, but forbes currently lists the honda civic as one of the most recalled cars in 2006.
http://www.forbes.com/forbeslife/vehicles/2007/02/16/vehicle-recall-safety-forbeslife-cx_dl_0219recall.html?partner=rss
As you can see it has had 4 recalls in 2006, not counting this one, making it 5.