Honda Expands Fit Recall; Honda, Yamaha, G.M. Announce Recalls

Honda Motor Company The 2012 Honda Fit. Following tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Honda is recalling about 48,000 additional 2012-13 Fit models because the electronic stability control system may not stop a skid as quickly as it should, according to a report posted recently on the agency’s Web site.

The action is an expansion of an April recall involving about 44,000 of the 2012-13 Honda Fit Sport models for the same problem with stability control, a system the automaker calls Vehicle Stability Assist.

Stability control systems use sensors to determine if a vehicle is moving in a direction at odds with what the driver is doing with the steering wheel. The computer then applies braking to one wheel at a time in an effort to correct the movement.

In the April recall, Honda said that the problem stemmed from some Sport models being equipped with a different brand of tires than those for which the system was originally calibrated. Because of the change, the vehicles did not respond as quickly as the automaker intended.

Now, the remaining Fit models from those years are being recalled. However, the problem was not because of different tires being used, but because the electronic stability control is not working properly “under really extreme conditions,” a Honda spokesman Chris Martin, said in an interview.

Mr. Martin defined extreme conditions as having extremely worn tires, wheels that are out of alignment and driving at high speeds. He said the automaker was not aware of any accidents related to the problem. The new failure was also discovered during testing by N.H.T.S.A., then confirmed by Honda engineers, Mr. Martin said.

Safety researchers have concluded that electronic stability control can significantly reduce single-vehicle accidents caused by driver error. Such crashes can be particularly dangerous because the vehicle often leaves the road, increasing the chance of a rollover. Accordingly, N.H.T.S.A. has required electronic stability control as standard equipment on all light-duty vehicles since September 2011. Light-duty is defined as cars as well as trucks with a combined curb weight and cargo capacity of 10,000 pounds or less.

Automakers certify that their vehicles meet the agency’s performance standards. However, the safety agency does some spot-check testing. It was during one of these compliance checks that the agency discovered the problem with the Fit Sport.

Honda described the recall as voluntary, but once an automaker is aware of a safety problem it has no choice but to inform the agency, within five business days, of its plan for a recall, or face a civil fine.
In other actions:

• Honda will recall almost 1,700 2013 Accord models because the fuel tank may not be properly sealed at the top, the automaker told N.H.T.S.A. in a report posted Friday on the agency’s Web site. It said Honda had 116 warranty claims but no reports of fire because of gasoline leakage.

• Yamaha will recall about 3,900 2014 XVS950CU Bolt motorcycles, according to a report posted Friday on the N.H.T.S.A. Web site. The problem is that the motorcycles’ wiring harnesses can sag and contact the exhaust manifold resulting in a short circuit that causes the engine to stall.

• In a news release, General Motors said it would recall about 840 of its 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra Crew Cab models because the passenger-side air bag may not inflate completely in a crash. The automaker said it wasn’t aware of any crashes involving the defect.