Recall Round-Up: 182,800 Honda and Acura Vehicles for Faulty Vehicle Stability Assist System, Five Nissan Models for Non-Deploying Front Airbag

Recall Round-Up: 182,800 Honda and Acura Vehicles for Faulty Vehicle Stability Assist System, Five Nissan Models for Non-Deploying Front Airbag

Honda will be recalling 250,000 vehicles worldwideâ€"182,800 vehicles in the United Statesâ€"over concerns the Vehicle Stability Assist system. The system may apply the brakes for a split-second without any input from the driver. In all, 101,000 Honda Pilot vehicles, 60,000 Acura MDX vehicles and 21,000 Acura RL, all of which were assembled for the 2005 model year, are included in this recall. An additional 800 Acura MDX vehicles made for the 2006 model year are included in this recall, too.

After receiving several complaints, Honda decided to initiate the recall to handle the VSA system’s problem. As it turns out, an electrical capacitor on the VSA control unit was damaged during assembly, making it apply the vehicle’s brakes without any input from the driver. This can also be an issue if the driver applies the brake during a malfunction because the amount of brake force used may exceed what was intended. A faulty VSA unit could drastically increase the chance of an accident, although Honda hasn’t received any reports of crashes or injuries related to this recall.

In order to rectify this problem, Honda and Acura dealers will replace the electrical sub-harness free of charge. An additional 51,000 Honda Pilot vehicles are also being advised to come in for inspection to be sure that the VSA system is grounded properly. Honda and Acura will begin contacting customers affected by this recall through the mail beginning in mid-April. If you don’t want to wait for a notice in the mail, visit Honda and Acura’s recall website to see if your vehicle is included in this recall. Concerned owners can also contact Honda at (800) 999-1009 and Acura by calling (800) 382-2238 then select option 4.

As for Nissan, it has announced a recall concerning five 2013 vehicles including Altima, Sentra, Pathfinder, Leaf, and the Infiniti JX35. The recall concerns a front airbag that doesn’t deploy in the event of an accident. Nissan didn’t say how many vehicles are affected by this recall but did say corrections are scheduled to begin next month. The reason behind the airbags not deploying as designed is believed to be behind an inactive sensor. This sensor determines whether or not a passenger is sitting in the front seat but it may not perform as intended according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nissan hasn’t received any reports of injuries or accidents relating to this recall. Nissan believes this recall will begin next month.

Source: Honda, Acura, Nissan