Recall Alert: 2012 Honda Accord and Crosstour

Honda is recalling 347 Accord sedans and Crosstour hatchbacks to address airbag issues, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports.

In certain vehicles, the side curtain airbags for the driver and front passenger may have a faulty inflator. In the event of an accident, the affected airbags will not deploy, increasing the risk of passenger injury.

Honda will begin notifying owners on Feb. 10, and the affected airbags will be replaced for free. Owners can call Honda at 800-999-1009 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

Recall Alert: 2011-12 Honda Ridgeline

Honda is recalling 206 Ridgeline pickup trucks because they may be equipped with the wrong type of spare tire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, which were manufactured from Aug. 25 through Nov. 29, 2011, the pickup may be equipped with a full-size tire instead of a temporary spare tire. In these cases, the tire specifications listed on a placard affixed to the vehicle — listing the size and recommended cold inflation pressure for a temporary tire — are not correctly displayed. An improperly inflated tire could cause tire failure and increase the risk of a crash.

Honda has already started to notify owners, and dealers will exchange the spare tire assembly or replace the information placard for free. Owners can call Honda at 800-999-1009 or NHTSA’s hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

Woman Wins Suit Against Honda

The Southern California woman who claimed Honda misled her about the fuel economy of her 2006 Civic Hybrid has had her day in court — and won. A Los Angeles judge ruled that the automaker indeed misled Heather Peters and awarded her $9,867 in compensation. 

The former corporate attorney took Honda to small-claims court last year alleging that her hybrid never delivered the fuel-economy Honda promised. The car's window sticker advertised a 49/51 mpg city/highway rating, which she claims never happened. Peters also said a deteriorating battery and software update worsened the car’s fuel economy.

Top 10 Best-Selling Cars: January 2012

After capping 2011 with four decent months, the auto industry hit 2012 running. Analysts expect auto sales to outpace 2011 figures anywhere from 6% to 10%, which could make 2012 the best sales year since 2007.

January enticed consumers with total incentives — including financing offers, automaker and dealer cash, and trade-in bonuses — amounting to 16% off the average car’s MSRP, CNW Marketing Research reports. That beats January 2011, when shoppers saw only 13.5% off the average MSRP.

Shoppers took advantage. January sales jumped 11%, beating Tuesday’s expectations. This marks the best annualized month since 2009, Automotive News reports. Chrysler, Nissan and Hyundai-Kia saw double-digit sales gains, with GM the only top-seven automaker to post a loss.

Ferris Takes Another Day Off in Honda Ad

He may be looking a little gray around the temples, but Ferris Bueller is back and resurrecting a little of his old high school mischievousness in Honda’s Super Bowl ad. But this time around, there's no candy-apple-red Ferrari. Instead, Matthew Broderick cops a phony cold to his boss and goes joyriding in a redesigned-for-2012 burgundy Honda CR-V.

As a child of the '80s, I dig the nostalgia factor of the spot, right down to the "chicka-chickas," but can the valet guy really have that much fun in a CR-V?

2012 Honda Crosstour Priced at $27,655

For the 2012 model year, the Honda Crosstour gets a new four-cylinder option that starts at $27,655, excluding an $810 destination fee. The model officially went on sale today at Honda dealerships.

The base EX four-cylinder Crosstour comes with features that include heated side mirrors, a backup camera, Bluetooth connectivity, seven-speaker stereo and a 10-way power driver's seat.

That figure is $2,685 less than a base EX V-6-equipped Crosstour, which starts at $30,340 and adds more features than just the engine, including noise cancellation, fog lights, chrome door handles, dual-zone automatic climate control and a four-way power passenger seat.

The EX-L trim four-cylinder Crosstour is available for $30,705. The model comes with dual-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, power passenger seat and leather upholstery. The four-cylinder is rated at 21/29 mpg city/highway and 24 mpg combined.

The four-cylinder is only available with front-wheel drive, while the V-6 has an all-wheel-drive option — it's available for $1,450 on the EX-L trim.

Cars.com Reviews the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid

Compared to the rest of the redesigned Honda Civic litter, the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid is certainly the most disappointing, according to Cars.com Managing Editor David Thomas. The hybrid system doesn't feel as refined as those offered by competitors, and gas mileage isn't that much better than some of the regular gasoline Civic trims, yet it costs nearly $5,000 more.

2012 Honda Civic Hybrid Review

First Honda Fit EV Enters the U.S. Market

Staying true to its quick-product-launch plan, Honda unveiled the 2013 Honda Fit EV at the 2011 L.A. Auto Show and has already delivered its first production version of the model.

The lucky owner is the municipality of Torrance, Calif., also home to Honda's U.S. headquarters. Technically, the first Fit EV is part of a test program to get real-world feedback before the model's official on-sale date this summer.

The 2013 Honda Fit EV is an all-electric vehicle that's solely focused on poaching potential Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i and Ford Focus EV customers.

Like the Focus EV, the Fit EV is based on its gas-powered cousin, but there are subtle styling changes (such as the absence of a front grille vent) that distinguish the model.

The Fit EV has an average expected range of 76 miles and can get a full charge in as little as three hours on a 240-volt charger.

Honda Accord Coupe Concept Video

Honda has a knack for delivering concept cars that look pretty much production ready. The Honda Accord Coupe concept is a pretty good indicator of what to expect for the next-generation Accord, which goes on sale this fall. Overall, the updates are subtle compared with the current model, but there's more use of trapezoidal shapes, bulges and crease lines, according to Cars.com editor Joe Bruzek.

Reader Review of the Week: 2012 Honda CR-V

“NewHondaGuy” from Erie County, N.Y., has a somewhat deceptive username. As a member of a household that's had four CR-Vs over the past few years, all owned by his wife, this reader is no stranger to the Honda brand. When it came round for NewHondaGuy to get his own ride, he chose the 2012 Honda CR-V for its looks, reliability and resale value, among other reasons. Continue reading the full review to find out more. Once you're done, write a review about your own car here.