Side Curtain Airbag Recall: 2012 Honda Accord, 2012 Honda Civic, 2012 Honda Crosstour and 2012 Acura MDX

Feb. 17, 2012 – American Honda has voluntarily expanded its January 31, 2012 recall of 347 model-year 2012 Honda Accord and Honda Crosstour vehicles in the U.S. to replace a side curtain airbag assembly to include additional Accord and Crosstour vehicles and to add certain model year 2012 Honda Civic and Acura MDX vehicles, increasing the total recall size to 974 affected vehicles. An incorrect propellant mixture was prepared when manufacturing the initiator component of the side-curtain airbag inflator. Use of the wrong initiator propellant may result in a failure of the pressurized gas that inflates the side-curtain airbag to be released from the airbag inflator, which in turn would cause non-deployment of the side curtain airbag during a crash. No crashes or injuries have been reported related to this defect, which was identified during internal production testing by a supplier.
Honda is announcing this recall to encourage owners of all affected vehicles to take their vehicles to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification of this recall from Honda. Mailed notification to customers will occur on February 24, 2012. In addition to contacting customers by mail, after February 24, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicles require inspection by going on-line to www.recalls.honda.com and www.recalls.acura.com or by calling (800) 999-1009 for Honda owners or (800) 382-2238 for Acura owners, and selecting option 4.

Front Lower Control Arm Recall: 2006 Honda CR-V

March 23, 2012 – Honda will voluntarily recall 1,316 model-year 2006 CR-V vehicles in the United States to inspect and, if necessary, replace the right front lower control arm. Over time and with extended use, an improper welding process used when manufacturing the control arm may allow the right front lower control arm to break at the weld. If the lower control arm breaks, vehicle handling could be affected, increasing the risk of a crash. No crashes or injuries have been reported related to this issue.
Honda is announcing this recall to encourage owners of all affected vehicles to take their vehicles to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification of this recall from Honda. Mailed notification to customers will begin in mid-April 2012. In addition to contacting customers by mail, in mid-April, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicles require repair by going on-line to www.recalls.honda.com or by calling (800) 999-1009, and selecting option 4.

Honda recalls 554,000 SUVs in U.S. over headlights

Honda Motor Co. is recalling about 554,000 sport utility vehicles in the United States to inspect for faulty wiring in headlights.

Honda said in a statement that the recall affects CR-V SUVs from model years 2002 to 2004 and Pilot SUVs from model year 2003. The Japanese automaker will inspect and replace parts of the headlight wiring system that could fail, causing the low-beam headlights not to work and increase the risk of crash.

No injuries or crashes have been reported relating to the issue, Honda said.

Letters will be mailed to affected owners in late April, but consumers can see if their vehicles require repairs by going to www.recalls.honda.com or calling 800-999-1009.

Acura RL gets NSX's hybrid drivetrain

Acura's redesigned RL flagship sedan will get the all-wheel-drive hybrid drivetrain earmarked for the brand's NSX sports car in a bid to inject fresh technology into the struggling premium lineup.

Honda Motor Co.'s so-called Sport Hybrid SH-AWD -- short for Super Handling All-Wheel Drive -- hybrid system uses two electric motors at the rear wheels to deliver independent torque for tighter cornering.

The technology was unveiled on the eve of the Tokyo Motor Show in December and was originally billed as a key selling point of the resurrected NSX.

But the RL sedan also will get the powertrain, Honda President Takanobu Ito told Automotive News. While the NSX is due in the United States within three years, the redesigned RL could arrive as early as this fall.

"The technology has outstanding handling," Ito said. "The thinking behind the RL and NSX systems is the same, but the NSX's will be more sports-car focused."

Ito did not say when the awd RL will arrive or whether it also will come in a nonhybrid variant. But the debut of an awd, gasoline-electric version is part of a blitz of hybrid technology Ito is about to unleash.

First will be a two-motor hybrid system for mid-sized vehicles such as the Accord sedan. That arrives next winter.

Honda also is developing the next generation of its small-sized, motor-assist hybrid technology. That will debut next year on the redesigned Fit subcompact, Ito said.

Honda hasn't committed to bringing the Fit hybrid to the United States. Other U.S. models such as the Insight, CR-Z and Civic Hybrid use the current generation of Honda's small hybrid system, which the company dubs integrated motor assist.

The current RL has so-called Super Handling All-Wheel Drive. But that system channels engine power directly to all wheels through a transaxle and rear differential. The new incarnation uses battery-driven motors to power the rear wheels.

One difference between the RL and NSX hybrid systems will be layout, a spokesman said. The NSX will have a midship engine with two motors on the front wheels. The RL will have a front-mounted engine with its motors in the rear.

Honda pulls forward major changes to Civic to this fall

Honda will bring out a significant mid-cycle change to its embattled Civic compact this fall, just 18 months after it launched, a high-ranking executive told dealers here on Sunday.

The move is a rush to improve the Civic in time for the 2013 model year. The Civic's cheapened interior and other reductions in content got a critical reviews from The Wall Street Journal, and Consumer Reports removed the model from its recommended list.

John Mendel, executive vice president at American Honda Motor Co., previously had said Honda hoped to get a midcycle freshening for the Civic sometime in 2013. More recently, Honda executives said they hoped a change could come by the end of 2012.

Even that would have been a feat, since most automakers wait three years into a five-year cycle for a midcycle change.

Most midcycle changes involve minor changes to the front and rear fascias and some minor interior updates. A dealer source said changes to the 2013 model year version would be more significant than that.

This latest announcement confirms that the substantially revised Civic will arrive at about the same time as a redesigned Accord.The Civic still is in the fight for the title of best-selling compact car, despite the bad reviews and inventory shortages related to the Japan earthquake in March and then floods in Thailand.

In 2011 Honda sold 221,235 Civics, far from its traditional 300,000-plus rate. But in January, Honda sold 21,883 Civics, easily tops in the segment.

Honda widens airbag fixes to 917,000 more vehicles

U.S. accounts for 90% of affected models

Honda Motor Co. widened its biggest recall to fix flaws related to airbags in models including the Civic and Accord produced as long as a decade ago.

The recall covers an additional 917,267 vehicles worldwide, said spokesman Keitaro Yamamoto. That brings the total to more than 2.77 million, the company's biggest recall for an individual flaw, he said.

More than 90 percent of the affected vehicles are in the United States.

"Affected driver's airbag inflators may deploy with too much pressure, which can cause the inflator casing to rupture and could result in injury or fatality," the company said in a statement.

The models include the 2001 and 2002 Accord, the 2001 to 2003 Civic, the 2001 to 2003 Odyssey, the 2002 and 2003 CR-V, the 2003 Pilot, the 2002 and 2003 Acura 3.2 TL and the 2003 Acura 3.2 CL vehicles, according to the statement.

Honda recalled more than 300,000 Pilot SUVs in September for seat-belt stitching that could unravel during a crash.

The latest move is a blow to Honda, the only large carmaker to report a sales decline in the U.S. last month, as it seeks to recover from natural disasters in Japan and Thailand this year.

Toyota Motor Corp. posted a drop in U.S. sales last year after the recall of millions of vehicles undermined its reputation for quality.

"A recall will definitely have a negative impact on Honda," said Masatoshi Nishimoto, a senior manager for IHS Automotive in Tokyo. "Honda is behind on production due to the impact of the Japanese earthquake and the Thai floods."

Honda unveils next-generation engines

Honda Motor Co. today unveiled a lineup of four- and six-cylinder engines and a family of continuously variable transmissions that will reach the market over the next two years.

All four-cylinder engines in the so-called Earth Dreams family will have direct injection and double overhead cams. New and redesigned Honda and Acura models will carry the new powerplants. Some products now on the market could get the new engines before they're redesigned, said Keiji Ohtsu, a chief engineer with Honda R&D.

Some base versions of current models will keep their single-cam, four-cylinder configurations throughout their life cycle as a cost-saving measure. A new V-6 will remain single-cam but gain considerable power.

Honda Motor CEO Takanobu Ito pledged that the automaker wants to achieve a "zero carbon footprint" and have "the No. 1 fuel economy in each (vehicle) category within the next three years."

The specifications for the new Honda engines are:

• A 3.5-liter V-6 with 310 hp and 265 pounds-feet of torque. This is 30 more horsepower and 11 more pounds-feet than the outgoing 3.5-liter engine in the Acura TL.

• A 2.4-liter inline-four with 181 hp and 177 pounds-feet of torque. This will be the base engine in the redesigned Accord coming next fall, and could find its way into the midcycle change for the CR-V in 2013.

• A 1.8-liter inline-four with 148 hp and 133 pounds-feet of torque, which could be installed in the 2013 midcycle change for the Civic.

• A 1.5-liter inline-four with 127 hp and 111 pounds-feet of torque for the Fit, perhaps in time for the midcycle change in 2012.

• A 1.6-liter turbodiesel engine that has comparable power to a current 2.2-liter diesel, with 220 pounds-feet of torque, but much better fuel economy.

Ohtsu said the power figures were preliminary and likely understated. Compared with the current four-cylinder engines, the new design will carry at least a 10 percent fuel economy advantage.

New transmissions

In addition, Honda has designed three continuously variable transmissions, one for mid-sized cars such as the Accord, and two for smaller vehicles such as the Civic, Fit and minicars.

Honda is betting big on continuously variable transmission technology, and will use it as its base automatic transmission offering across all four-cylinder engines.

Although current CVTs have a "rubber band" feeling similar to a slipping clutch under acceleration, the Honda system has less feeling of slippage, said Hideki Wakamatsu, general manager of Honda r&d.

Also, the engine control software has been remapped so there is less hunting between the engine and CVT for optimal engine revs and transmission ratios during sudden acceleration, Wakamatsu said.

Honda will continue to offer manual transmissions for markets such as Europe that prefer stick shifts. And traditional stepped-gear automatics will be offered for vehicles such as sport sedans and sports cars where more immediate performance impact is needed, Wakamatsu said.

Hybrid advancements

As for hybrid advancements, Honda's upcoming Accord two-mode hybrid, when combined with a four-cylinder engine, will have equivalent power to the Camry Hybrid, but better fuel economy than the Camry's combined 41 mpg rating, said Yusuke Hasegawa, senior chief engineer with Honda r&d.

When combined with a V-6 engine, the hybrid system will create V-8 power and four-cylinder fuel economy. The system can run in EV-only mode, EV-and-gasoline for passing and acceleration, or gasoline-only for highway cruising.

The two-mode hybrid uses a twin-cam profile. But instead of using its VTEC profile for more power, the hybrid version shifts between the Atkinson cycle for leaner-burning of fuel, and the traditional Otto cycle when more power is needed, depending on the torque load on the engine, Hasegawa said.

In EV mode, the Honda plug-in hybrid can travel for as many as 15 miles at speeds up to 62 mph. The plug-in system has a switch that will allow the driver to save EV-mode ability until later in his drive, such as if he commutes from the empty suburbs to the crowded downtown.

Honda also showed an electric all-wheel hybrid drive system that sends power to the outside wheel during cornering, which aids in traction and performance.

When the new 3.5-liter V-6 is combined with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with an integrated hybrid-electric motor, the torque output between left- and right-side wheels is independently meted to the outside wheel, using the energy from regenerative braking to provide the power boost.

Honda tells U.S. dealers 'full speed ahead' on December sales

Honda will continue to push special lease and loan rates that vary by region through year end.

John Mendel, American Honda's sales boss, told Honda's U.S. dealers in a memo on Tuesday that he wants them to move "full speed ahead" to sell vehicles, despite cuts to vehicle production stemming from flooding in Thailand.

"Our product availability is good, our arrivals are good and we will continue to have media presence throughout the month of December," Mendel said in the memo.

The encouragement signals that Honda's vehicle supply may be improving after the company reduced output in North America by as much as 50 percent earlier this month because of parts shortages caused by flooding in Thailand.

Honda's U.S. stock of vehicles stood at 37 days on Nov. 1, up from 33 days on Oct. 1, according to the Automotive News Data Center. Industrywide stock averaged 57 days on Nov. 1, up from 50 on Oct. 1, according to the Data Center.

Honda spokesman Gary Robinson confirmed that Mendel sent the memo, but declined to comment on its details. He said the intent was to encourage Honda's dealers to remain aggressive as the year nears its end.

Another memo was sent to dealers on Nov. 21, Robinson said, telling dealers that Honda expects vehicle production in December to exceed output in December 2010.

"Since this whole Thailand crisis started, our initial position was pretty conservative, but things have turned around quicker than we initially thought," Robinson said.

In the latest memo, Mendel said TV spots for the Happy Honda Days advertising campaign will air on network and cable stations through year end. The campaign also will appear during broadcasts of National Football League and National Hockey League games, Mendel told dealers in the memo.

Endings of the advertisements promote lease and loan deals that vary by region, Robinson said.

Digital marketing also will continue through the rest of the year, Mendel said.

Honda recalls 2.5 million vehicles globally for software issue

- Honda Motor Co. said today it will recall 2.49 million cars, small SUVs and minivans worldwide, including its popular Accord sedan, to repair a software problem that could damage the automatic transmission.

The recall includes 1.5 million vehicles in the United States, 760,000 in China and 135,142 in Canada, the automaker said in a statement.

Globally, the recall affects four-cylinder Accord sedans for the model years 2005 to 2010.

The company is also recalling vehicles in parts of Europe, the Middle East, South America, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The recall did not affect vehicles sold in Honda's home Japan market.

In the United States and Canada, the recall also includes the CR-V crossover for the model years 2007 to 2010 as well as the small SUV Element from 2005 to 2008.

In China, the recall also includes more than 160,000 Odyssey minivans from 2005 to 2009 and about 4,000 Spirior cars, which are based on the European version of the Accord, for the 2010 model year.

Without updating the software, the automatic transmission in these vehicles could be damaged if the driver quickly shifts between gears. That might cause the engine to stall or make it difficult to put the car into park.

This week, Consumer Reports said it was not recommending the 2012 Honda Civic. This has led some industry analysts to ask if that is a symptom of larger problems at the automaker, which ranks fifth in U.S. sales this year.

The company has said it disagreed with the influential U.S. consumer advocate's assessment.

Chris Martin, Honda spokesman at the company's U.S. headquarters in California, said today the recall was not a sign of deeper difficulties.

Martin said the current recall was the result of "extremely unusual circumstances. The far majority of our consumers would never really encounter this. It's software programing. It's not a weakness in the transmission per se."

No injuries or deaths have been reported from this problem, Martin said.

Honda said the problems might arise if the transmission were quickly shifted between the reverse, neutral and drive positions. A driver might do this in an attempt to dislodge a vehicle in mud or snow.

The automatic transmission secondary shaft bearing could be damaged in this scenario.

An update to transmission control module software will ease the transition between gears and reduce the possibility of damage.

Honda will begin informing U.S. consumers at the end of August. It did not disclose expected cost of the recall.

The software update will take about a half-hour, but customers may have to leave their cars at Honda dealerships for a longer period, Martin said.

Honda expands U.S. airbag recall to include about 833,000 autos

Honda Motor Co. said it will again expand a U.S. recall of Honda and Acura brand models to fix flawed airbag components.

The company will inspect model year 2001 to 2003 vehicles that may have had the original driver's air-bag module replaced with a flawed service part, Honda said today in an e-mailed statement.

As a result, the recall now includes an additional 833,000 vehicles, the company said. Honda "determined that a number of affected service part air bags were installed in these vehicles in the process of a collision repair or other vehicle service," according to the statement.

"Owners of all potentially affected vehicles are being notified because Honda has not been able to determine which specific vehicles received one of those parts."

The faulty airbag inflators are at risk of deploying too forcefully and causing the inflator's casing to rupture, potentially leading to injuries or fatalities for vehicle occupants, the company said.

Customer notification is to begin late this month. Vehicles covered by the action include some 2001 and 2002 Accord and Civic cars; 2002 Odyssey minivans; 2002 and 2003 CR-V sport-utility vehicles; and some 2002 and 2003 Acura 3.2 TL sedans and 2003 Acura 3.2 CL coupes, the company said.

Honda last year recalled 437,763 Honda and Acura models to inspect for faulty airbag modules at risk of deploying too forcefully.

The company has said airbag systems were supplied by Japan's Takata Corp. Honda's U.S. unit is based in Torrance, California.

Honda recalls some 2012 Civics, citing risk of fuel leak

Honda Motor Co. has recalled about 1,500 current model Civic compact cars in North America due to a fuel leak risk that could lead to a vehicle fire, the company and U.S. federal safety regulators said today.

The popular Civic is in short supply in North America because of the aftermath of the March 11 earthquake in Japan. Honda on Thursday said June is going to be the low point for dealer inventory of the venerable compact.

In the United States, 1,156 Civic were recalled. On Thursday, Honda Canada announced a recall of 377 Civic compacts.

The Civics recalled were assembled from April 21 to May 2.

Most of the affected vehicles have not yet been sold and will be repaired prior to sale. Honda said that 17 percent of Civics to be sold in the U.S. contain the defect.

Honda Canada said only two of the affected vehicles were sold to consumers. No similar figure was available for U.S. sales.

Honda will notify affected Civic owners by the end of next week to bring their cars to Honda dealerships for inspection, and, if needed, will replace the fuel feed lines free of charge, the automaker said.

A fuel leak could occur if an O-ring that seals the fuel feed line is misaligned, according to a filing with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

There have been no reports of fires, crashes or injuries. The issue was noticed on April 29 when a Honda production worker noticed a fuel smell on a new Civic, Honda told regulators.

The fuel line at issue was made by a Honda supplier, records show.

Civic was the No. 3 selling car in the U.S. in April, behind only the Toyota Corolla and the Honda Accord.

Redesigned Civic battles some tough new rivals

Nine vehicle generations. One in four people who buy a Honda buys a Civic.

The Civic's grip on the compact segment has been strong and steady. But now, as a redesigned car goes on sale, it faces a far tougher array of competitors.

The reworked 2012 Civic, which goes on sale this month, is critical for another reason: It is the first of Honda's three core vehicles receiving a redesign during the next 18 months. The CR-V compact crossover is scheduled for September, and a reworked Accord comes in summer 2012.

With every redesign, the Civic has grown substantially -- to the point that a current Civic is nearly as large as a 1994 Accord.

But just before r&d work for the redesigned 2012 Civic was ready for sign-off, the global economy collapsed. Honda Motor CEO Takanobu Ito ordered a quick rethinking of the Civic's mission.

The Civic was to have become larger and have more upscale features. But Ito felt that such a car would struggle in the conservative shopping climate and would stray from the Civic's message of economy.

"This is a carefully packaged car," John Mendel, American Honda executive vice president, said at the press preview here. "It's about understanding the needs of the segment."

At 39 mpg, the base Civic just misses the new magic mark of 40 mpg in highway driving -- something the Hyundai Elantra achieves across all trim levels -- although some Civic models do exceed that number.

Vicki Poponi, Honda assistant vice president of product planning, says fuel economy is just one piece of the puzzle. "One mile per gallon isn't going to make a difference," Poponi said. "The customer doesn't care about it that much. It's not as single-dimensional as that."

But merely building a better Civic may not be enough. The compact segment is awash in new interpretations of value, technology and styling.

"When Civic last launched [in fall 2005], the competitive set was much weaker," said Lincoln Merrihew, managing director of Compete Automotive in Boston.

"Today, Civic faces a truly brand-new Ford Focus, which has a technology and hipness factor," he said. "The Hyundai Elantra has 'wow' styling, the VW Jetta is bigger and less expensive, and the Kia Forte is 'mini muscle.' High mpg is obviously no longer just Honda's domain."

Compete's examination of consumer shopping behavior in the compact segment shows interest in the Civic tailing off toward the end of this model cycle, as would be expected. But interest in the Elantra, Focus and Chevrolet Cruze have surged to attract shoppers and threaten the Civic, Merrihew noted.

Honda dealer Forrest McConnell III of Montgomery, Ala., calls the Civic "our mainstay. If you buy a Civic, it's a sure bet."

Still, McConnell's dealership is in the shadow of the Hyundai manufacturing plant, and he admits to seeing more Korean sheet metal around town.

The Civic will have "the most comprehensive and integrated campaign in Honda's history," said American Honda's chief marketing officer, Steve Center, declining to assign a dollar value to the advertising budget.

Using the tag line "To Each His Own," Honda is going to push the message of efficiency alongside its longtime serenade of quality, reliability and value, Center said.

Honda also will be active online on Facebook, YouTube and MSN.com. There will be a nationwide scavenger hunt with prize money going to charities. The Civic will be connected with the "Austin City Limits" live music TV show.

Honda also will conduct a contest in which people can submit songs online about why they desire a Civic, with first prize being a new Civic.

With new-car sales still in recovery mode, Honda estimates it will sell about 260,000 Civics a year. But should the market rebound, and fuel prices continue rising, the 2008 high of 339,289 Civics should be attainable, Mendel said.

"I think it can hit those numbers again," he said. "We are seeing small cars coming back, and we don't have to offset full-sized pickup sales. We can concentrate on Civic."

Toyota, Honda, Chrysler recalling nearly 80,000 vehicles

Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC are recalling nearly 80,000 vehicles over safety concerns, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Toyota is recalling about 22,000 SUVs and pickups because of tire-deflation monitoring systems that may fail, U.S. regulators said.

Toyota Sequoia, FJ Cruiser, Land Cruiser, Tacoma and Tundra vehicles from the 2008 through 2011 model years may have tire deflation monitoring systems that fail to warn drivers, raising the risk of a crash, NHTSA said in a report.

The affected vehicles were shipped from assembly plants with working monitoring systems, but when accessory wheels were installed, the systems were not recalibrated and now lights to warn drivers of low tire pressure may fail, the report said.

Affected vehicles will be repaired at Toyota dealerships for free, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc., the automaker's U.S. sales branch, told NHTSA.

Honda, meanwhile, has called back 36,656 Civic hybrids from the 2006 and 2007 model years after complaints that a faulty voltage converter could interrupt electrical signals to the headlights and engine. The problem could cause the vehicles to stall and fail to restart, a report filed with NHTSA said.

Owners of affected vehicles can have the voltage converter replaced for free at dealerships. The recall notice is expected to go out on March 18.

Finally, Chrysler is recalling 20,459 Jeep Wranglers built in 2010 and 2011. Certain Wranglers manufactured from July 12, 2010, through Sept. 10, 2010, may experience loosened fasteners on the front and rear axle attachments to the chassis, a report filed with NHTSA said. This could result in excessive noise and ultimately impaired steering and handling, increasing the risk of a crash, the agency said.

Dealers will retorque all 19 fasteners for free. The recall is expected to begin in March.

Honda may end CR-V export to U.S. to reduce yen impact

TOKYO (Reuters) -- Honda Motor Co. is looking to end exports of the popular CR-V crossover to the United States from Japan when it is remodeled in autumn to reduce losses from the strong yen, an executive said today.

"Our profit structure has improved mainly thanks to robust overseas operations, and the toughest area remains exports from Japan," Chief Financial Officer Yoichi Hojo said at a reporters' roundtable at Honda's headquarters.

"With a little investment, we would be able to increase production of the CR-V in the United States, so that's the most probable course of action (to reduce yen exposure)," he said.

Japanese automakers are reeling from a strong yen, now trading at around 81-82 to the dollar, losing money on many models that are exported from domestic factories.

Honda already has the least currency exposure among Japan's top automakers given its relatively low export ratio of 30 percent. Last year, Toyota Motor Corp. shipped 53 percent of its Japan-made vehicles, and Nissan Motor Co. exported 59 percent.

Honda, Japan's third-biggest automaker, built about 72,000 CR-Vs in Japan last year, exporting about 35,000 of them to the United States. Honda also builds the model in Mexico and Ohio.

Cost, pricing structure improving

Rivals are also taking similar steps to reduce exports from Japan. Nissan said last month it would shift production of its Rogue crossover from Japan to the United States at its next remodeling in 2013.

Hojo said Honda, like other Japanese automakers, would look to use more components from low-cost countries such as China and India to take advantage of the strong yen, also making those adjustments when vehicles are renewed.

Honda is due to revamp its high-volume Civic this spring, and Hojo said he expected new low-cost parts to account for at least 10 percent of the car, from virtually none now.

Honda has already raised that ratio on the low-margin Fit subcompact to 17 percent, and is aiming to boost that to about 30 percent, Hojo said.

Honda on Monday delivered better-than-expected third-quarter earnings and lifted its annual profit forecasts beyond the market consensus, largely due to the popularity of light trucks in North America.

With gasoline prices still relatively stable, more U.S. consumers are driving away with light trucks instead of passenger cars, and Hojo said Honda was boosting daily production capacity at its Alabama plant by 50 units to 650 units from this month to meet demand for the Odyssey minivan and other bigger models.

Honda this week forecast an operating profit of 620 billion yen ($7.6 billion) for the business year ending on March 31, for an operating margin of 7.0 percent -- at the top end of the industry -- despite an 8-yen fall in the dollar.

Executive Vice President Koichi Kondo said this week Honda had achieved an earnings structure under which it could make a profit of 100 billion yen ($1.23 billion) per quarter at a dollar rate of 85 yen and car sales of 900,000 units. A year ago, it strived to achieve that level of profitability at 90 yen to the dollar.

Hojo attributed the stronger earnings structure to the company's ability to raise its product prices -- by around 1 percent to 2 percent a year in the United States -- and a better cost structure partly helped by greater economies of scale.

Honda's shares have jumped 27 percent in the past three months, outperforming a gain of about 20 percent for both Toyota and Nissan.

2005 Honda CR-V vibration on sharp turns

Customer complained about a noise and or shuttering when turning into a tight parking spot. The shudder is there everytime but only on sharp turns at slow speeds. The CR-V only has 52,000 miles on it.

SHop:
test drove and could duplicate the exact issue as described by the customer. Pulled into shop and put up on rack for further inspection. The vibration is in fact coming from the rear differential. With the engine off and holding one tire still and turning the other tire slowly you can reproduce the vibration and watch the rear differential jump around.

All research points to changing the differential fluid and Making certain to use Honda Dual Pump Fluid Only! According to the operaters manual the differential fluid is due to be changed at 60,000 miles. Unit holds 1.3 qts of fluid.

FIX:
Drained and replaced fluid with Honda Dual Pump Fluid II, that I got at my local auto parts store, and test Drove. Problem solved.

New Honda CRZ, is it worth it?

The New Honda CRZ is a completely new designed econo-sport 2 seater. Looks awesome, drives awesome, lots of new technology and well.... I think a bit over priced for what your getting($19,200). You can buy a new Honda Civic for less money($15,800) and it gets only a few miles per gallon less than the CRZ(26 CITY 34 HWY). Don't forget the civic can carry 4 passengers as well. Oh, I hear ya, what about the whole Go Green issue? Well, I can think of keeping more of the Green in my pocket for starters. You may burn slightly less fuel per gallon(a difference of a few gallons on hwy only.35 CITY 39 HWY) but now you have to burn coal as well to charge the battery. Hmmmm doesn't sound very Green at all to me. But if your just going for the latest and greatest Wow factor. The New Honda CRZ is a great option for all. For myself, I'm a bit disappointed in Honda for building a hybrid car thats no more advanced in the fuel mileage area than it is. In part its my own fault for having such high expectations for an extrordinary car company.

1997 Honda Accord Error Codes

1997 Honda Accord 4-cyl VTEC engine light is on. Autozone diagnostic tester displayed these possible errors/causes:
P0401 - EGR insufficient flow, possible EGR Valve, blocked EGR passages in engine;
P0171 - (1) Fuel system too lean bank 1 (Cly #1), large vacuum leak [I found a disconnected hose between valve cover (Cyl#1) and air intake], (2) Fuel system concern, (3) Ignition system concern, (4) MAF sensor faulty, (5) HO2S/AF ratio sensor fault.

P0453 - (1) Sensor circuit high voltage, (2) Open or short circuit condtion, (3) Poor electrical condition, (4) Faulty FTP sensor.

I don’t know where these sensors are located and whether I should change them out if other possible causes might produce the same errors. I found a hose disconnected between the valve cover at #1 Cyl and the air intake.

Can someone shed some light on what might be wrong and how I should proceed?

I looked for vacuum leaks and found a hose disconnected at the #1 Cyl valve cover. The other end was connected to the air intake cover. If I knew where the sensors in question are, I might be able to check the wiring and do some continuity and voltage checks.

Honda Pilot. The "D" light just started blinking this morning

Have a 2003 Honda Pilot. The "D" light just started blinking this morning. Is it safe to drive? What problem does a blinking "D" light indicate?

Answer:
When the D light is blinking, an error in the transmission sensor or control system has been detected. It can ramge from a loose sensor wire to a failing trans.

You would need to retrieve the trouble code to understand what is causing the problem. Autozone provides free scanning services. Get the exact trouble code and we can proceed with diagnostics.

If there is no abnormal noise or gear shifting irregularities, it is safe to drive the vehicle. If light goes off after restarting and would only come on later, it would normally be caused by a malfunctining sensor. If the speedometer is not working, it can cause the light to illuminate.

A mechanic has suggested I need to have the "timing belt" changed if it has never been done

I have 2001 Honda Accord V6 model with 47,000 miles on it. A mechanic has suggested I need to have the "timing belt" changed if it has never been done. I am an 82 year old widow who is at the mercy of the experts. Can you tell me if this is necessary and the approximate cost. Already Tried: Talking to a friend who runs a car repair business, he has not yet examined the car. Just need a verification and approx cost before I go ahead with this costly ??? repair

Answer:

According to the manufacturer and Honda Repair manuals, replacing the timing belt should be done every 105,000 miles. I do not recommend having this done until that mileage has been reached. Parts and labor should be around $500.00

Honda accord ex 2000 coupe, the accessory power outlet doesn't work

Question:

I have a Honda Accord ex 2000 coupe, the accessory power outlet doesn't work, fuse is OK

Answer:

there is a fuse wire on the outlet itself that can go out . but first check the socket itself and both fuses

2000 ACCORD - Accessory Power Socket Test/Replacement 1. Remove the center console. 2. Disconnect the 2P connector. 3. Inspect the connector terminals to be sure they are all making good contact. · If the terminals are bent, loose or corroded, repair them as necessary, and recheck the system. · If the terminals look OK, go to step 4. 4. Turn the ignition switch ACC (I), and check for voltage between the No. 1 and No. 2 terminals. · There should be battery voltage. · If there is no battery voltage, check for: - blown No. 8 (7.5 A) fuse in the driver's under-dash fuse/relay box. - faulty accessory socket relay. - poor ground (G501, G581). - an open in the wire. - blown No.9 (20 A) in the passenger's under-dash fuse/relay box.