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.
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