Rides : Honda recalling 871,000 SUVs and minivans over rollaway fear

Honda is recalling 871,000 SUVs and minivans for an issue in which the vehicles may roll away after the key has been removed form the ignition. 92 percent of the recalled vehicles, or 807,000 vehicles are in the US. According to a report from Reuters, the effected vehicles include certain numbers of the Honda Odyssey and Pilot, as well as the Acura MDX. Here are the recall figures:

• 2003-2004 Honda Odyssey: 318,000 vehicles
• 2003-2004 Honda Pilot: 259,000 vehicles
• 2003-2005 Acura MDX: 230,000 vehicles
• Additional Honda vehicles outside US: 64,000

The specific issue at the center of the recall pertains to the ignition interlock. A part of that system could become damaged or worn. As a result, the key could be removed, even if the car's transmission is in drive or the vehicle is still on.

A probe was opened into the issue after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received 43 complaints, including several reported injuries. NHTSA found that the vehicles in these complaints rolled off, and some hit parked cars, fences, trees and mailboxes. One owner even reported a fractured fibula sustained while trying to stop an Odyssey that was rolling away. In February of 2013, Honda will commence the distribution of recall noticed to the vehicles in question. 

 

Credit : Autoblog

Rides : Honda recalls 268,000 CR-V models over window switches

Honda has issued a recall on certain CR-V crossovers from the 2002 to 2006 model years over faulty driver-side power window switches. According to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the window switches in these affected vehicles may fail and could possibly cause a fire.

A total of 268,655 vehicles are affected by this recall, all of which were built between February 19, 2002 and July 28, 2006.

NHTSA states that if the window switch fails, it could "overheat, smoke and cause a fire," and such an instance can even occur if the vehicle is not in use. That said, NHTSA is advising owners to park outside until the recall repair has been completed.

Honda will begin notifying owners in early November, and dealerships will inspect and repair the faulty window switches free of charge.

 

Press Release

Vehicle Make / Model: HONDA / CR-V
Model Year(s): 2002-2006
Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Report Receipt Date: OCT 05, 2012
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 12V486000
NHTSA Action Number: EA11004
Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Potential Number of Units Affected: 268,655

Summary

Honda is recalling certain model year 2002-2006 CR-V passenger vehicles, manufactured from February 19, 2002, through July 28, 2006. The driver-side power window switch may fail or melt.

Consequence

If the switch fails, it could overheat, smoke, and cause a fire. A switch failure, and a fire, could occur even if the vehicle is not in use. As a precaution, owners are advised to park outside until the recall repair has been performed.

Remedy

Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the switches, as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin on, or about, November 2, 2012. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.

Notes

Honda's campaign recall number is S61. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

 

Credit : Autoblog

Rides : Honda recalls 820,000 Civic and Pilot models for headlights failure

Honda announced it is recalling more than 820,000 Civic compact cars and Pilot SUVs because of a constructive fault that can lead to headlights failure.

The recall involves Civic models from the 2002 and 2003 model years and Pilots from 2004 and 2005.
According to Honda, wires connecting a switch that controls the headlights and turn signals can overheat and melt, leaving the cars without low-beam headlights. So far, there haven’t been reports of crashes or injuries due to this issue.
Honda announced it will fix the wiring for free. The carmaker already began sending letters to owners at the end of September. There was a similar recall in March which affected 550,000 CR-V compact SUVs from the 2002 through 2004 model years and Pilots from 2003.
Owners in the United States can contact Honda at (800) 999-1009 with questions.

Rides : Honda developing tech that helps prevent traffic jams

It happens every time traffic gets too heavy and starts to slow: One inattentive driver panics and slams on his brakes, triggering a chain reaction that leads to a complete traffic stoppage a few dozen cars behind. If everyone could just slow down, pay attention, and maintain an even speed, we could all get where we're going. Honda hopes to deploy a new system to help make that a reality.

The Japanese automaker has developed the first-ever vehicle communications system geared to cut both traffic jams and fuel use by monitoring a driver's acceleration and braking habits and providing information that Honda says will encourage smoother driving.

Honda, along with the University of Tokyo's Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, has developed on-board terminals that connect to cloud-based computing systems to allow communications between cars on the same road that can help drivers maintain a relatively constant driving distance between vehicles. Tailgating is bad for both traffic and fuel economy, and Honda's system discourages it.

The system differs from traffic monitoring systems that have been part of other vehicle communication systems in that it provides color-coded displays to indicate whether the driver needs to drive smoother and make acceleration and deceleration more gradual. The system can also work with adaptive cruise control to automatically regulate speed among a group of vehicles. The first public road tests will occur in Italy and Indonesia starting in May of 2012. Honda says the system can boost average speed by 23 percent and increase fuel economy by eight percent. Not bad for some cloud computing.

 

Press Release

Honda Develops World's First Technology to Detect the Potential for Traffic Congestion With the Goal to Prevent Traffic Jams

Public-road Testing to Begin in May 2012

TOKYO, Japan, April 26, 2012 - Honda Motor Co., Ltd. announced the successful development of the world's first*1 technology to detect the potential for traffic congestion and determine whether the driving pattern of the vehicle is likely to create traffic jams. Honda developed this technology while recognizing that the acceleration and deceleration behavior of one vehicle influences the traffic pattern of trailing vehicles and can trigger the traffic congestion.

In conjunction with the Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Tokyo, Honda conducted experimental testing of a system utilizing the technology to detect the potential for traffic congestion. The test results demonstrated that the system helped increase the average speed by approximately 23% and improved fuel efficiency by approximately 8% of trailing vehicles.

With the goal to bring this technology to market, Honda will begin the first public-road testing of the technology in Italy and Indonesia in May and July of this year, respectively, to verify the effectiveness of the technology in minimizing vehicle congestion.

Rather than providing information to help the driver avoid existing congestion based on current traffic information, the system monitors the acceleration and deceleration patterns of the vehicle to determine whether the driver's driving pattern is likely to create traffic congestion. Based on this determination, the system provides the driver with appropriate information, including a color-coded display through the on-board terminal, to encourage smooth driving which will help alleviate the intensity of acceleration and deceleration by trailing vehicles, thereby helping to prevent or minimize the occurrence of vehicle congestion.

Moreover, the positive effect on minimizing congestion and fuel efficiency improvement can be further increased*4 by connecting the on-board terminals to cloud*2 servers to make the driver aware of and in sync with the driving patterns of vehicles ahead by activating the ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)*3 system at the right time to maintain a constant distance between vehicles at the most appropriate interval.

Traffic congestion causes not only a delay in arrival time but also an increase in CO2 emissions and a higher potential for rear-end collisions. Striving to realize "the joy and freedom of mobility" and "a sustainable society where people can enjoy life," as stated in the Honda Environmental Vision, Honda will work toward the establishment of a congestion-free mobility society all around the world.

Car Porn : Honda Civic hatchback commercial

The British division of Honda has recently released a new commercial video where the Civic hatchback is promoted in the United Kingdom.

As you can see from the video posted below, Honda has chosen a unique way to promote its new Civic hatchback generation, and the commercial is showing the journey of a spark, from the moment of its birth to its challenges and different paths. The music was provided by SBTRKT, a musician and producer from London.

“This film shows the journey of that spark, from the moment of its birth, through the challenges it overcomes, and the different paths it follows, unit it finally culminates in the new Honda civic. The unknown. Where all ideas start. It’s not an easy place to go, but keep going. Because you’ll always end up somewhere new. Isn’t that why we call it ‘the great unknown’?”, as Honda UK says.

According to the Japanese based automaker, this will actually be a brand new vehicle, and the Honda Civic hatchback will be available in showrooms across the United Kingdom for test drives starting with the 1st of February. The new generation of the Honda Civic hatchback will rival models like the Volkswagen Golf or the Ford Focus in the European C-Segment.

Rides : Honda Civic SUV coming soon

The Japanese based automaker is planning to release a Civic based SUV in the nearby future, and the model might be launched sometimes in 2013.

After the Germans will develop an Opel Corsa based SUV named the Mokka, the French will make the 2008 SUV based on the 208 hatchback, with the Americans already launching the Ford Ecosport and the success of the Nissan Juke urban crossover, SUVs based on hatchbacks are apparently the next “must” in the automotive industry. The latest car manufacturer to prepare itself for launching an SUV on a hatchback is Honda, and the model chosen as a “platform” for the upcoming crossover is none other than the popular Civic.
According to the guys over at autoexpress.co.uk, the Japanese based automaker Honda will launch a Civic based SUV sometimes in 2013. Even if the future model won’t have anything in common with the Opel Mokka, Peugeot 2008 or the Ford Ecosport, the principle is basically the same, take a hatchback, tweak its powertrain, lift its suspension, place an all-wheel drive system, modify its body and there you have it, a new model is born at a low production cost. Our source is also telling us that the Honda Civic SUV, which probably won’t have this name, will go against the Nissan Qashqai, but there’s no official word on this yet.

Rides : Check Out The NAS By Honda

Rides : Honda announces global recall for air-bag problems

Tokyo— Honda Motor Co. is recalling 304,000 vehicles globally for air-bags that may inflate with too much pressure in a crash, send metal and plastic pieces flying and cause injuries or deaths.
Honda said there have been 20 accidents so far related to this problem, including two deaths in the U.S. in 2009.
The Japanese automaker announced the recall Friday, which affects the Accord, Civic, Odyssey, Pilot, CR-V and other models, manufactured in 2001 and 2002.
The recall spans 273,000 vehicles in the U.S., some 27,000 in Canada, nearly 2,000 vehicles in Japan and another 2,000 in other countries. It affected 359 vehicles in Europe — 200 in Germany, 158 in Israel and one in Great Britain, according to Honda.
The latest recall is an expansion of recalls for the same problem in 2008, and again carried out in 2009, as well as last year. The recall now covers about 2 million vehicles worldwide, according to Tokyo-based Honda.
Honda spokesman Hajime Kaneko said the cause for the latest recall was the use of incorrect material in the chemical used to deploy air bags.
The initial cause of the recall was excessive moisture in the inflator propellant, which is part of what inflates the air bag.
But that problem was found later to affect more vehicles than initially estimated, as incidents didn't stop, and the recall was expanded to account for the possibility that the problem was caused by a defective stamping machine used during production, he said.
Honda is extremely sorry about the recalls but believes the problem has now been taken care of, with no more recalls linked to this problem expected, he said.
Also included in the latest recall are 912 air-bag service parts sold for installation in vehicles for collision repair and other reasons, Honda said.

Rides : Motorcycles - Check Out The Honda RC-E electric superbike

Honda is putting the motor in the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show with the company's RC-E electric sportsbike concept. Details are scarce on the vehicle at the moment, but its clear the designers at Honda envisioned the machine as a dual-purpose track heathen and commuter. Tiny LED headlights are tucked into the front fairing, and the rear of the bike is decorated with similarly demure tail lights and turning indicators. We don't know what kind of power the RC-E develops or how it stores its power, but Honda did say that the concept rides on a 250cc chassis. We're guessing the bike's bare bones look more than a little similar to the company's recently unveiled CBR250R.

Judging from the fact that the front fascia boasts an air inlet, we're guessing there's some sort of battery-cooling system on board. While the bike is purely a concept at this juncture, there's a skinny chance the RC-E may hint to what Honda has planned for the future of the company's motorcycle design. Hit the jump to check out a video of the RC-E.