Recall Alert: 2012 Honda Odyssey

Honda issued a recall of just nine Odyssey minivans to address a faulty nut, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

On certain 2012 Odysseys manufactured from Oct. 31 through Nov. 30, the retention nut for the front right lower suspension damper bolt may not have been properly tightened. If the nut loosens, the wheel assembly may shift, and a loss of steering might result.

Honda notified all affected owners on Dec. 19, and dealers will fix the nut free of charge. Owners with questions can call Honda at 800-999-1009 or NHTSA’s safety Hotline at 888-327-4236.

Which Cars Fit Three Car Seats?

Parents are often searching for the automotive holy grail: a car that's not a minivan and can fit three child-safety seats across the backseat. It's a short list. In the nearly two years that Cars.com editor Kelsey Mays, Cars.com photographer Ian Merritt and I have been installing car seats into test vehicles, we've come across only a handful of cars that can hold three car seats across a backseat.

We recently tested the 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class and it fit three car seats in it. To be considered a fit, there must be enough room between the booster seat and infant-safety seat for a child's hand to reach the seat belt buckle.

Reader Review of the Week: 2012 Honda Odyssey

“Stephmom” from North Carolina swore to never buy a minivan. Stephmom and family are now on their second minivan, a 2012 Honda Odyssey. As the previous owner of a third-generation Odyssey, Stephmom immediately noticed the enhanced ride comfort and powertrain refinements on the fourth-generation model. Continue reading the full review to find out more. Once you’re done, write a review about your own car here.

Recall Alert: 876,000 Honda and Acura Vehicles

Honda is expanding earlier recalls to replace the driver-side airbag inflator to include an additional 273,000 Honda and Acura vehicles, the automaker announced. The recall now includes certain 2001-02 Honda Accords, 2001-03 Honda Civics and Odysseys, 2002-03 Honda CR-Vs and Acura 3.2 TLs, and 2003 Honda Pilots and Acura 3.2 CLs. This serious defect has resulted in one fatality since the recall was first announced in 2008. The recall has been expanded in July 2009, February 2010 and May.

The automaker also has determined that 640 recalled driver’s airbag parts, which were used for repairs, have been installed in cars. Honda cannot determine the vehicles that received the parts, so it’s recalling about 603,000 vehicles to inspect the airbag parts and replace the parts if necessary.

In the affected vehicles, the airbag inflators can deploy with too much force, causing the inflator casing to rupture. This could result in injury or death.

Affected owners will receive a recall notification from Honda later this month. Honda owners can determine if their vehicle is affected by this recall at www.recalls.honda.com or call 800-999-1009 and select option 4; Acura owners can go to www.recalls.acura.com or call 800-382-2238 and select option 4.

As Automakers Face Hurdles, Responsiveness Becomes Key

Carmakers are reacting faster to the market these days, and their success hinges on speed more than ever.

As we head into the holiday season, consider two carmakers whose latest products have had not-so-merry receptions. Honda, stung by a new round of supply shortages from flooding in Thailand, faces harsh reviews over its redesigned Civic — a compact car we've noted drops the ball in cabin quality, though we still recommend it for other strengths. The redesigned Odyssey minivan, meanwhile, has stumbled on reliability in Consumer Reports' latest surveys.

Rival automaker Ford, a longtime reliability leader among Detroit automakers, faces its own issues in recent quality rankings, mostly over the controversial MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch center controls.

Both automakers are responding.

2011 Honda Odyssey: Car Seat Check

This Car Seat Check was originally published in March 2011 on MotherProof.com.

The redesigned 2011 Honda Odyssey is about as family-friendly as it gets with its expandable second row that can hold three car seats. Only the minivan's base model doesn't have this feature; it has second-row captain's chairs. The expandable second row's center seat also moves forward 6 inches, which is great for parents with a child in a rear-facing car seat in that position. No more twisting and turning to help your child find the pacifier or favorite toy.

For the Car Seat Check, we use a Graco SnugRide 30 rear-facing infant-safety seat, a Britax Roundabout convertible child-safety seat and Graco high-back TurboBooster seat.

It's Time To Buy 2011s, But Incentives Are Hard To Find

Around this time every year, dealers are hard at work trying to sell the remaining cars on their lots as new-model-year vehicles start to roll in. This year is no different, and while some 2012s haven’t arrived yet, it’s still the best time to buy a 2011 … as long as you know what to look for. That’s where we come in.

We diligently report on even the slightest changes between model years as soon as possible. Sometimes this means a car will look the same but get an all-new engine and transmission like the upcoming 2012 Mazda3 sedan that’s expected to get 40 mpg highway. Other times, nothing significant has changed between model years, and then there are the all-new cars that have been redesigned from the ground up.

You’ll find the best deals in that second group of vehicles that go from 2011 to 2012 without much change. It’s been a challenge this year to find bargains because manufacturers are making more significant model-year changes and incentives for these older models just aren’t that alluring.

Here are some of the best deals we could find:

Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Chevrolet Make the Least Expensive Vehicles to Insure

Toyota, Chrysler, Nissan and Chevrolet have the least expensive cars, vans, SUVs and or trucks to insure in 2011, according to Insure.com, an insurance research website.

Insure.com arrived at these rankings through a commissioned study by Quadrant Information Services, which calculated premiums for a 40-year-old male driver. The rates come from a compilation of six major insurance carriers’ premiums in 10 ZIP codes in each state.

According to the study, the least expensive cars to insure are the four- and six-cylinder front-wheel-drive variants of the Toyota Highlander, at $1,154 and $1,183 per year, respectively. (We would categorize the Highlander as more of a car-based crossover/SUV, but food for thought anyways.) The Chrysler Town & Country LX is the least expensive minivan to insure at $1,092 per year and is actually the most affordably priced car to insure, period, for 2011. The Nissan Murano SL is the least expensive SUV, at $1,128 per year, and the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 with a V-8 and two-wheel drive is the least expensive truck to insure, at $1,174 per year.

Honda to Honor Discounts on Sold-Out Models

Despite limited inventory, Honda is trying to keep potential car shoppers in the fold by extending expired lease agreements and by honoring national incentive programs, even when the vehicle is not in stock, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Honda has initiated a new incentive campaign called the Honda Promise. On Honda’s retail website, the company describes the promise as follows:

“You may be concerned about the availability of your next Honda vehicle. Should recent events impact the vehicle of your choice, we’ve developed special options for you until your new Honda arrives. To learn more about your options, please contact your local Honda dealer today and find out if you qualify.”

The Wall Street Journal has learned that those measures include honoring incentives, regardless of the current availability of the given model at a dealer’s lot, and to extend lease agreements for an extra 12 months. Acura, Honda’s luxury brand, is reportedly offering similar incentives.

In addition to the lease deals and pledge, the automaker will also start a new incentive campaign, which started Wednesday, according to Automotive News. Those deals include $0 due at signing and low monthly payments on the Accord, Accord Crosstour, Odyssey, CR-V and Pilot. There are also low 1.9% financing deals on the outgoing 2011 Honda Civic.

Honda expects its inventory problems will be resolved by August.

Honda Tells U.S. Dealers to Honor Discounts on Out-of-Stock Cars (Auto News)

Reader Review of the Week: 2011 Honda Odyssey

"Felix” from Allentown, Pa., swore he’d never purchase a soccer-mom mobile, aka a minivan, over an SUV or crossover. After carefully examining the field, Felix ended up with a well-optioned 2011 Honda Odyssey. To see what swayed him into the minivan camp, continue reading below. Once you’re done, you can share your comments about your own car with us here.