Honda has been forced to recall about 800,000 minivans and SUVs because a key error could allow the vehicle to roll away unexpectedly.
According to a CNN.com report, the key can be easily pulled from the ignition switch on the following vehicles included in the action: 318,000 Honda Odyssey minivans, another 259,000 Honda Pilot SUVS between the model years of 2003 and 2004, and yet another 230,000 Acura MDX SUVs in the model years between 2003 and 2006.
It should be impossible to pull a key from an ignition switch unless the automatic transmission vehicle is in the Park gear. Honda says the ignition can wear out over time, allowing the key to be removed when the vehicles are not in the Park position. This is more likely to happen if a driver has a habit of trying to pull a key from the ignition before it is placed in Park.
The recall was necessary because if the key is removed from the ignition and the vehicle is not in Park, it could result in the vehicle rolling unexpectedly. Honda says the key still can not be removed while the vehicle’s engine is running.
Two people have been injured in “a small number of related incidents” when a vehicle apparently rolled unexpectedly when the key was removed when it should not have been.
Honda will not take action on this recall until February 2013, according to the report citing a statement from the company: “American Honda will notify owners of affected vehicles in early February. Owners will be asked to take their vehicles to a dealer to have the problem fixed at no charge. At that time, Honda owners will also be able to find out if their vehicle is involved in the recall by calling 800-999-1009.”
This recall follows another recently announced recall by Honda earlier this year involving more than 625,000 of its Honda Accord and Acura TL sedans. These vehicles have defective power steering hoses that can make a vehicle difficult to handle and poses a fire hazard. With this latest recall announced, Honda is close to becoming the leader this year among major auto makers in recalled vehicles.
