Honda, a generally reliable automaker, launched several major recalls in the fourth quarter of this year.
For at least the third time in the past month and a half, the Japanese auto giant has issued a massive recall over dangerous issues.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced its first recall on October 31, covering six model years of Honda Civic models. 2016 to 2021 Honda Civics equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels are affected.
The company warns that loose or missing lug seat pads can cause the wheel nuts to loosen over time, potentially causing the wheel to separate during use.
According to the safety recall report, the defect began when a worker at the Italian wheel supplier’s factory moved a safety fence that separates finished wheels from unfinished wheels.
In November, Honda announced a recall of more than 250,000 Accord hybrids due to a potentially dangerous software flaw that could cause the CPU to reset while driving, causing the car to lose driving power, according to an NHTSA alert.
The Acura ILX is part of Honda’s latest safety recall.Photo by San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images
On Wednesday, the National Highway Traffic Administration announced that Honda will recall 70,658 vehicles in the United States because of reduced braking function, which increases the distance required to stop and increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Honda told regulators the issue was discovered through an internal investigation and customer feedback. While the company said it has not reported any deaths related to the issue, it did acknowledge that compromised braking systems pose safety risks.
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Honda dealers will inspect affected vehicles free of charge to customers.
The recall affects Acura ILX vehicles produced from 2014 to 2020 because plasticizer remains in the brake reservoir hose, causing the master cylinder seal to expand.
This defect reduces the stiffness of the brake pedal and increases braking distance.
NHTSA has documented disturbing trends over the past five years. Millions of Americans drive vehicles that have been recalled but never repaired, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Although the number of recalled vehicles is trending downward, the number of recalls is still higher than pre-COVID-19 levels.
Fewer than 30 million units will be recalled in 2024, the third time in the past 10 years that this has happened, but the fourth consecutive year more than 1,000 units have been recalled.
