PE05043 · PE
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE Investigation
THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE DESIGNED WITH AN OCCUPANT POSITION DETECTION SYSTEM (OPDS) FOR THE PASSENGER SEAT TO SUPPRESS THE SIDE AIRBAG IN THE EVENT OF AN OUT-OF-POSITION OCCUPANT.ON SOME VEHICLES, THE OPDS UNIT AND SENSOR GRID MAY BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO HIGH MOISTURE CONTENT AND/OR TO SPORADIC ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE THAT WOULD RESULT IN THE ILLUMINATION OF THE SRS READINESS INDICATOR.IN THIS CONDITION, OPDS SUPPRESSION WILL NOT FUNCTION, BUT THE SIDE AIRBAG WILL STILL DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A SIDE CRASH. HONDA ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN IN APRIL 2004 TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM PERSISTS EVEN AFTER THE WARRANTY PERIOD EXPIRES.AS A RESULT, SOME OWNERS MAY NOT BE OBTAINING THE NECESSARY REMEDIAL SERVICE WORK.CONTINUED ILLUMINATION OF THE SRS INDICATOR CAN MASK THE DETECTION OF OTHER AIRBAG COMPONENT FAULTS IF THEY OCCUR. IN MARCH 2006, HONDA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN (06-009) TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON SRS ILLUMINATION AND OPDS ISSUES TO 10 YEARS OR 150,000 MILES (WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST).HONDA WILL SEND NOTIFICATION LETTERS TO OWNERS OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AND WILL PROVIDE A NO COST REPLACEMENT OF THE OPDS UNIT AS NEEDED.IN ADDITION, OTHER MY 1999-04 HONDA AND ACURA VEHICLES ARE ALSO COVERED BY THE BULLETIN.THIS ACTION TAKEN BY THE MANUFACTURER IS SUFFICIENT TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE RAISED BY THIS INVESTIGATION.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT NO SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT EXISTS.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
DP04006 · DP
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION Investigation
THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI) PRODUCED AN INFORMATION REQUEST (IR) LETTER DATED OCTOBER 14, 2004 WHICH DEFINED THE SUBJECT VEHICLES AS MODEL YEAR 1999 - 2001 HONDA ACCORD VEHICLES WHICH WERE NOT WITHIN THE SCOPE OF PRIOR RECALL ACTION (03V423) HONDA CONDUCTED TO RESOLVE AN INTERLOCK DEFECT.HONDA SUBMITTED RESPONSES ON NOVEMBER 29 AND DECEMBER 21, 2004.THE FAILURE REPORTS NOTED ABOVE HAVE BEEN DETERMINED FROM ODI'S ANALYSIS OF NHTSA'S COMPLAINT DATABASE AND AN INITIAL ANALYSIS OF THE MANUFACTURER'S IR RESPONSE DATA (FURTHER ANALYSIS REQUIRED).SOME OF THE HONDA REPORTS ARE DUPLICATIVE OF ODI.TAKING INTO ACCOUNT A SHORTER SERVICE LIFE, THE FAILURE INCIDENCE OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES IS SIMILAR TO THAT DETERMINED WHEN ODI CONDUCTED PRELIMINARY EVALUATION (PE) 03-013, WHICH INVOLVED INTERLOCK FAILURES ON OLDER ACCORDS SUBSEQUENTLY RECALLED UNDER THE 03V423 ACTION.ACCORDINGLY, THE PETITON IS GRANTED AND ODI HAS OPENED PE05-002 TO FURTHER INVESTIGATE THE MATTER.
EA03017 · EA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH Investigation
SIX OF THE ODI COMPLAINTS ARE DUPLICATIVE OF HONDA COMPLAINTS, AS WELL AS FOUR OF THE CRASHES.THE ONE INJURY OCCURRED WHEN A ROLLAWAY VEHICLE STRUCK THE EXITING OPERATOR WHO HAD INADVERTENTLY PARKED THE VEHICLE IN AN UNSECURED STATE (NOT IN PARK, BRAKE NOT ENGAGED).HONDA IDENTIFIED THE WARRANTY CLAIMS FROM COMPLAINT DESCRIPTIONS THAT CONTENDED THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILED TO OPERATE PROPERLY.HONDA PRESENTED THE RESULTS OF THEIR INVESTIGATION INTO INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILURES AT AN OCTOBER 16, 2003 MEETING WITH ODI IN WHICH HONDA IDENTIFIED A SUPPLIER AND AN ENGINEERING SPECIFICATION CHANGE FOR THE IGNITION CYLINDER BODY (CB), A SUBCOMPONENT OF THE IGNITION LOCK ASSEMBLY.RESULTS FROM HONDA?S ANALYSIS DEMONSTRATED A STRONG CORRELATION BETWEEN THE PRODUCTION DATE RANGE OF VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCED HIGHER INTERLOCK WARRANTY CLAIM RATES AND THE IMPLEMENTATION DATES OF THE CHANGES.AN ENGINEERING SPECIFICATION FOR A SURFACE TREATMENT PROCESS FOR THE CB WAS ELIMINATED AT THE BEGINNING OF MY 1998.THE SUPPLIER OF THE CB WAS CHANGED IN FEBRUARY 1999.VEHICLES BUILT WITHIN THIS TIME PERIOD CONTAIN A CB WITH POOR SURFACE HARDNESS THAT CAN WEAR PREMATURELY.AS THE WEAR PROGRESSES, THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM BECOMES INCAPABLE OF PREVENTING KEY REMOVAL WHEN THE SHIFTER IS IN A NON-PARK POSITION.INTERLOCK FAILURE INCREASES THE RISK OF A VEHICLE ROLLAWAY AND SUBSEQUENT CRASH OR INJURY WHEN VEHICLES ARE PARKED UNSECURED.HONDA ACCORD VEHICLES SUBJECT TO THIS CHANGE INCLUDE MY 1998 AND MY 1999 THROUGH FEBRUARY 1999 PRODUCTION.VEHICLES PRODUCED AFTER THIS DATE ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THIS CONDITION AND THUS ARE NOT CONSIDERED AT RISK FOR FAILURE.ODI NOTES THAT 12 OF THE 13 VOQ REPORTS FALL WITHIN THIS PRODUCTION RANGE (THE 13TH DOES NOT HAVE A VIN AND CANNOT BE VERIFIED).THE ABOVE POPULATION REPRESENTS THE NUMBER OF THE ACCORD VEHICLES TO BE RECALLED.HONDA ALSO REPORTED THAT CERTAIN ODYSSEY AND ACURA CL AND TL MODELS WERE AFFECTED AND WOULD ALSO BE RECALLED.A TOTAL OF 570,120 VEHICLES WILL BE RECALLED.UNDER RECALL 03V-423, HONDA WILL INSPECT VEHICLES AND REPLACE COMPONENTS (INCLUDING THE CB) ON VEHICLES WITH EXCESSIVE WEAR.VEHICLES NOT SHOWING WEAR WILL HAVE A REDESIGNED PART INSTALLED WHICH PREVENTS WEAR.