In 2003 and 2005, Honda recalled more than 1.4 million autos over a problem with the shift interlock system. The same problem has led to the 2010 Honda recall. This Honda recall covers 2003 Accords, 2003 Civics and some 2003 and 2004 Elements.
The 2010 Honda recall based on shift interlock
The 2003, 2005, and 2010 Honda recalls have been because of the shift interlock system. This is the system that prevents the key being removed without the shifter in park. The vehicle can roll away and cause dangerous accidents if this system is not operating. So far, 17 accidents have been attributed to this problem. Generally, this problem happens when the key is removed and park is not fully engaged. When left like this, cars will roll out of parking spaces, sometimes into traffic or other dangerous situations.
2010 Honda recall because of NHTSA investigation
This current Honda recall for shift interlock difficulties was instigated by an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency upgraded their investigation from “query” to “engineering analysis” in 2009. The “timeliness” of Honda recalls are also being investigated by the NHTSA . If the NHTSA finds that Honda has not responded “promptly, truthfully, and completely” to troubles that are worthy of a recall, they could very well be facing civil fines. Air bag deployment troubles in 2009 led to one more investigation by the NHTSA.
Autos included within the 2010 Honda recall
The full list of recalled Honda vehicles will be released in September of 2010. This recall will consist of 384,000 Honda Accords, Honda Civics, and Honda Elements. Previous recalls for the very same issue have covered the 1998-2002 Accord, 1999 Odyssey, 1999-2000 Acura TL, 1997-99 Acura CL and 1997-2001 Prelude. If you receive official notification of the recall from Honda, you are intended to take your vehicle in to a Honda dealer. Owners are asked to call 1-800-999-1009 or visit recalls.honda.com to get more data about the recall.
