Recall Alert: 182,800 Honda, Acura Vehicles

Honda is voluntarily recalling 182,800 vehicles due to an electronic stability system malfunction, according to a statement from the automaker. Affected vehicles are 101,000 Honda Pilot crossovers, 60,000 Acura MDX SUVs and 21,000 Acura RL sedans, all from model-year 2005; 800 model-year 2006 Acura MDX SUVs are also affected.

According to Honda, if an electrical capacitor on the system's control unit was damaged during the manufacturing process, the system could malfunction and apply a small amount of brake force for a fraction of a second outside the driver's control. If the driver applies the brakes during a system malfunction, a crash could result.

In addition to the recall, 51,000 of the affected Pilot crossovers will be inspected to ensure that an electrical ground bolt for the electronic stability system is properly tightened; a loosened ground bolt may cause a similarly short period of unintended brake activation. According to Honda, no crashes or injuries have resulted from these issues.

Honda will notify owners in mid-April, and Honda and Acura dealers will install a new electrical sub-harness for free. In the 51,000 affected Pilot vehicles, dealers will properly tighten the ground bolt for free. For more info, Honda owners can call 800-999-1009 or go to www.recalls.honda.com, and Acura owners can call 800-382-2238 or go to www.recalls.acura.com.

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Expect 2012 Honda Civic in Short Supply; New CR-V Delayed a Month

Honda warned its dealership network to expect supply shortages of popular models, including the redesigned 2012 Honda Civic, throughout the summer, USA Today reports.

The shortages are due to production limitations that are partly due to power disruptions as a result of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Honda said in a dealer memo obtained by The Associated Press.

The disruptions will severely cut production of the new Civic. Even though the Civic is built in the United States and Canada, some globally sourced parts, such as chips and sensors, come from Japan and are in short supply.

On top of that, the refreshed 2012 Honda CR-V has been delayed by at least a month. The highly anticipated model was supposed to go into production this fall. To make up for the delay, Honda will continue to produce 2011 versions longer than planned.

The Honda Fit, CR-Z and Insight will also face supply shortages, as those models are built in Japan. The memo also said Acura dealerships won’t be able to order any more TSX or RL models until later this year.

Honda Warns Dealers of Shortages of Civics, More (USA Today)

Ch-Ch-Changes: 2011 Acura RL

For the 2011 model year, the aging Acura RL gets some technical upgrades, as well as some added safety features and a few styling tweaks.

The most important change starts under the hood. The RL upgrades from an outmoded five-speed automatic transmission to a more modern six-speed automatic. Gas mileage rises to 17/24 mpg city/highway, a 2-mpg highway increase over the 2010 model.

The RL also gets a revised grille – yay! – and power-folding side mirrors are standard. The sedan sports a new set of 18-inch aluminum wheels featuring resonator technology for the first time in a factory-installed set of wheels. The system is designed to mitigate midrange tire noise. On the inside, there’s more floorboard insulation to reduce even more road noise.

Safety additions include new optional backup sensors, a revised backup camera to improve rearward visibility and improvements to the Bluetooth system that should speed up dialing functions.

Acura hasn’t announced pricing or a launch date yet, but we expect the RL to remain competitively priced for the segment. The 2010 RL is priced at $46,830, and the 2011 is expected to launch in the next few months. It'll be interesting to see if more Acuras get the same smaller version of the brand's controversial beak.

Recall Alert: 2005-2007 Honda Odyssey, Acura RL

Honda has officially announced a recall of 471,820 cars and minivans because of a faulty seal in the brake master cylinder. The recall affects 2005-07 Honda Odyssey and Acura RL models.
 
In the recalled vehicles, the seal may fail and allow brake fluid to leak and then cause loss of brake response. This could lead to soft brake-pedal feel and the possible loss of hydraulic braking circuits, the company says.
 
This recall is directly related to the Toyota recall earlier this week of 728,544 models in the U.S. The two companies share the same supplier for this part.
 
Honda advises owners who see any illuminated warning lights to bring in their vehicles for service immediately. The brake fluid light will always illuminate if the vehicle experiences this defect, the company says.
 
Recall notices will be mailed out in the next two months with instructions for owners. Honda owners can call 800-999-1009; Acura owners can call 800-382-2238. Owners can also call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s hot line at 888-327-4236.