Autoblog

Honda recalling 183k cars and crossovers over unintended braking issue

Seyth Miersma — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Crossover, Acura, Honda

A recall has been issued for nearly 183,000 Honda and Acura brand vehicles from the 2005 and 2006 model years. The problem stems from a potential malfunctions to the vehicles' stability control and braking systems.

Drivers have reported a malfunction to Honda's Vehicle Stability Assist system, though to date, no crashes or injuries have been reported as a result of it. Some of the vehicles' Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) control units may have an electric capacitor that was damaged during manufacture. A damaged control unit could cause the VSA system to apply brake force for a "fraction of a second" without any driver input, or could add additional brake force if it malfunctions while the driver is already braking. Either example could increase the risk of a crash.

To fix the issue, Honda will install a new electrical sub-harness, free of charge to the owner. The recall specifies 101,000 Honda Pilot (pictured), 60,000 Acura MDX and 21,000 Acura RL vehicles from the 2005 model year will be affected. An additional 800 MDX crossovers from the 2006 model year are also included in the recall. In addition, 51,000 of the affected 2005 Pilots will be inspected to be sure that a ground bolt for the VSA system is properly tight. Should this bolt come lose, similar unexpected brake activation may occur.

The Detroit News is reporting that the same recall will affect nearly 250,000 Hondas from model years 2004 through 2006 worldwide: 56,000 in Japan, 8,000 in Canada, 1,000 in Australia, 300 in Mexico and 70 in Germany.

Continue reading Honda recalling 183k cars and crossovers over unintended braking issue

Honda recalling 183k cars and crossovers over unintended braking issue originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NHTSA opening safety probes into 2005 Honda Pilot, 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe

Jeffrey N. Ross — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:27:00 EST

Filed under: Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Honda, Hyundai

Honda and Hyundai have both had some pretty big recalls recently, and according to a The Detroit News, there could be more on the way. The report indicates that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the 2005 Honda Pilot and the 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe for unrelated safety issues that could affect braking and/or steering.

So far, the article says that NHTSA has received 185 complaints on the 2005 Pilot for unexpected heavy deceleration or steering pull during braking. The cause is said to come from faulty software controlling the brake assist that is supposed to aid the driver in panic stops, but in the case of an estimated 87,000 Pilots, it is incorrectly detecting a panic stop during normal braking and causing the vehicle to stop harder than the driver expects. In about 20 cases, the hard braking is also causing a steering pull since the brake assist is integrated with Vehicle Stability Assist that also controls anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control. It sounds like a quick software update could be the fix for this concern.

As far as problems related to the Santa Fe, NHTSA has received a single complaint about a steering column shaft failure that could potentially affect around 70,000 of the crossovers. The one incident involved a Santa Fe with relatively low mileage where the steering column failed causing the driver to lose all ability to steer. The report seems to indicate that Hyundai reported an instance where a bolt could loosen causing the steering column to separate, but it's unclear if this is the same issue that affected the customer's vehicle.

Right now, both vehicles are just being investigated for these issues, but if you own one of these popular crossovers, keep an eye out for a recall.

NHTSA opening safety probes into 2005 Honda Pilot, 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 08:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda expands headlight recall to include 820k Civic, Pilot models

Steven J. Ewing — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 18:33:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, SUV, Recalls, Safety, Honda

Back in March, Honda issued a recall of 554,000 CR-V and Pilot crossovers due to faulty headlamps. But last month, the automaker quietly issued an expansion of this recall that includes 820,000 Civic and Pilot models from the 2002-2003 and 2004-2005 model years, respectively.

Honda began notifying owners of these newly affected vehicles in September.

A possible wiring fault in the headlight switch could cause the low-beams to not work in these affected models, and we certainly don't need to tell you why that could be hazardous. Honda has stated that no crashes or injuries have been reported in relation to this issue.

We may just now be reporting on the headlight recall expansion, but it comes right on the heels of another big Honda recall. Earlier this week, the Japanese automaker announced a recall of over 570,000 Accord and Acura TL models due to faulty power steering hoses.

Honda's official statement regarding the recall expansion can be read below.

Continue reading Honda expands headlight recall to include 820k Civic, Pilot models

Honda expands headlight recall to include 820k Civic, Pilot models originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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