Category Archives: Honda

News about Honda automobile manufacturer. News about Honda recalls, technical service bulletins (TSB), and problems regarding Honda vehicles.

Honda And Acura Seat Belt Safety Issue

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Honda has announced that certain 2018-2020 Honda and Acura vehicles have been found to have a seat belt safety defect. The defect relates to the seat belt buckle channel surface coating, which can degrade over time at low temperatures. This degradation can cause interference between the buckle channel and the release button, increasing friction and leading to issues with the seat belt buckle latching.

The affected vehicles include the 2019-2020 Acura RDX, 2018-2019 Honda Accord, 2018-2019 Honda Accord Hybrid, 2017-2020 Honda CR-V, 2019 Honda Insight, and 2018-2020 Honda Odyssey. If you are the registered owner of one of these vehicles, you will be contacted by the manufacturer and asked to return to your authorized Honda dealer for repairs.

The problem with the seat belt buckle latching issues was first noticed by Honda in June 2019. An investigation was opened, which included durability testing on new seat belt parts. It was during this testing that they noticed the trend of seat belt buckle latching issues in certain vehicles. The investigation ultimately found that the seat belt buckle channel for the driver and front passenger seat belts were manufactured out of specification.

As a result of this defect, Honda has received 301 warranty claims related to the issue between March 22, 2019, and January 16, 2023. Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries or deaths related to this issue.

Honda’s recall numbers for this issue are NDA, QDB, BDC, MDD, LD9. TDF, FDG, ODH, YDI, ZDE, and the NHTSA campaign number is 23V-158. If you own one of the affected vehicles, it is important that you take action as soon as possible to have the necessary repairs completed.

It is worth noting that if you have experienced ongoing issues with your Honda or Acura vehicle and feel that it may be a lemon, you may have legal recourse under California’s lemon law. This law provides protection to consumers who have purchased or leased a defective vehicle that the manufacturer has been unable to repair after a reasonable number of attempts. The lemon law applies to new and used vehicles and can provide for a full refund or replacement of the vehicle. So, if you have experienced ongoing issues with your Honda or Acura vehicle, it may be worth consulting with a qualified lemon law attorney to explore your legal options.

2016-2020 Honda Pilot Vehicles Investigated For Stalling Engines

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Automotive Defect Investigation
Certain 2016-2020 Honda Pilot vehicles with 3.5L engines and 9-speed automatic transmissions could experience a problem with the automatic Start/Stop feature. The Honda Pilot Touring and Elite vehicles are equipped with Auto Start/Stop capability to help improve fuel efficiency. When the driver enables the system and certain operating conditions are met, the Auto Start/Stop system will automatically shut off the engine when the vehicle comes to a complete stop. The engine should automatically restarted when the driver releases the brake pedal.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 221 complaints and several field reports claiming that there is an issue with the Auto Start/Stop feature on certain 2016-2020 Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints say that the Auto Start/Stop function fails to restart the engine on its own after it has come to a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection. Some of the complainants allege that a jump was required for the vehicle to be restarted.

The ODI met with Honda on several occasions on this issue. Honda indicated that per the information provided from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and TREAD (Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation) reports, they have found a correlation with customers’ allegations for the Auto Start/Stop failure to restart the vehicle when the system is activated. Honda also indicated other Honda models (Honda Odyssey, Acura TLX & Acura MDX) with the 3.5L engines equipped with the 9-speed automatic transmissions experience the same failure mode.

ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem as well as to fully assess the potential safety-related issues.

NHTSA Investigates Unexpected Braking In Honda And Tesla Vehicles

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Automotive Defect Investigation

The NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (NHTSA) has opened two separate investigations related to unexpected breaking in certain Honda and Tesla vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with collision mitigation braking systems (CMBS) or advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), which visually and audibly alert the drivers of a potential collision. Under certain circumstances, the system will automatically apply the brakes to help reduce the force of an unavoidable collision.

The problem of unexpected braking has been called “Phantom Braking”. Phantom braking is when a vehicle’s brakes activate unexpectedly even when traffic is flowing normally or there is no obstacle to avoid.

Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord
NHTSA Investigation Number: PE22003

The NHTSA has received a total of 278 complaints and several Early Warning Reports alleging unexpected activation of the collision mitigation braking system (CMBS) in some 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles. Driver complaints include high-speed braking incidents occurring with nothing obstructing the vehicle’s path of travel. Of the 278 complaints, 6 allege a collision with minor injuries.

Inadvertent or unexpected braking activation while driving can cause unexpected speed reductions that can lead to increased vulnerability to rear-end impact collisions. The complaints allege that the inadvertent braking events occur without warning and randomly.

Unexpected Brake Activation
2021-2022 Tesla Model 3 and 2021-2022 Tesla Model Y
NHTSA Investigation Number: PE22002

The NHTSA has also received 354 complaints alleging unexpected brake activation in 2021-2022 Tesla Model 3 and 2021-2022 Tesla Model Y vehicles.

Driver reports have been characterized as “phantom braking”. Tesla describes the subject vehicles as equipped with a suite of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features referred to as Autopilot which Tesla states will allow the vehicle to brake and steer automatically within its lanes.

The complaints allege that while utilizing the ADAS features including adaptive cruise control, the vehicle unexpectedly applies its brakes while driving at highway speeds. Complainants report that the rapid deceleration can occur without warning, at random, and often repeated in a single drive cycle.

These investigations are a Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential of these safety-related issues. If a defect is found, the NHTSA will issue a recall.

Honda Accord & Honda Insight Electrical Problem

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Honda will be asking owners of certain 2018-2020 Accord, 2018-2020 Accord Hybrid and 2019-2020 Insight vehicles, to return to their dealerships to repair a problem that could affect various electrical systems in their vehicles.

According to the defect report, a software programming error combined with certain driver actions could disrupt the communication between the body control module (BCM) and other systems. The problem could result in illumination of several warning indicators and the malfunction of one or more electronic components. The affected components include:

  • Windshield defrosting and defogging.
  • Windshield wiping and washing.
  • Headlights and turning indicators.
  • Rear view camera display.
  • Warnings for electrolyte spillage and electrical shock protection on electric powered vehicles.
  • Audible warning of a stopped vehicle and placing it into park.
  • Powered windows, partition and roof panels.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealerships to have the BCM software updated. Honda’s number for this recall is X95 and the NHTSA campaign number is 20V-771.

 

2018-2020 Honda Odyssey Electrical Short Could Cause Fire

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Honda will be contacting the owners of certain 2018-2020 Honda Odyssey minivans because of a problem affecting the electrical system in their vehicles.

According to the defect report, the routing of the third row seating accessory power could become pinched between the uni-body and the rear trim panel. The pinch could damage the wire, expose the wiring and cause an electrical short. An intermittent electrical short could overheat the wires and increase the risk of a fire.

Those receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealerships to have the third row seat accessory power outlet wire harness inspected and replaced as necessary. Undamaged wiring and new wiring will be rerouted and a protective tape will be applied. Honda’s number for this recall is T6U and the NHTSA campaign number is 20V-066.

2017 Honda CR-V Fuel Leak & Engine Stalls

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Honda will be contacting the owners of certain 2017 Honda CR-V’s regarding a manufacturing problem affecting the fuel system. An incorrect die may have been used to create the end form on the fuel feed pipe. The feed pipe may not attach properly to the feed hose and could disconnect when pressurized. A fuel leak could result in an engine stall and a risk of fire in the presence of an ignition source.

Owners receiving notices will be asked to return to their dealers to have the fuel supply pipe replaced. For more information about the problem, owners are asked to contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda’s number for this recall is KH1 and the NHTSA campaign number is 17V-442.

2016 Honda Civic Brake Warning Indicator Blinks

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Honda will be asking owners of certain 2016 Honda Civic two and four door cars equipped with 1.5L or 2.0L engines, to return to their dealerships for a problem affecting the parking brake. According to the defect report, the stability assist electronic control unit software could prevent the electric parking brake from engaging immediately after turning the ignition off. The vehicle could unexpectedly roll away, increasing the risk of a crash. If the parking brake cannot be applied, the brake warning indicator will blink on the instrument panel for 15 seconds to alert the driver.

Dealers will update the vehicle’s software to allow the braking software to engage immediately after the ignition is turned off. For more information about the problem, owners are asked to contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda’s number for this recall is KC6 and the NHTSA campaign number is 16V-725.