c. 2014 New York Times News Service
WASHINGTON — Honda is recalling almost 900,000 Odyssey minivans because of a potential fire hazard, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a report posted on its website on Saturday.
Honda told the agency that part of the fuel pump in Odyssey models from 2005 to 2010 could “deteriorate prematurely in a manner that can result in cracks” and allow gasoline to leak.
The automaker said it was not aware of any fires or injuries resulting from the problem.
The recall will involve 886,815 vehicles, all built in a Honda plant in Alabama. Proper repair parts will not be available until the summer, Honda said, but it will provide “interim” parts to customers.
Notifications of the recall will go out next month.
The automaker said the cracks in the fuel pump could have several causes, including acid from chemicals found in carwashes and acidic materials used in fertilizer and chemicals used to control dust.
In November, Honda recalled 344,000 of its 2007-8 Odyssey minivans because of a computer malfunction that could cause “heavy and unexpected braking without the driver pressing on the brake pedal.”
That came about two months after 318,000 of its 2003-4 Odyssey models were recalled because the air bags might deploy without the vehicle being in an accident.
Chrysler recall
The agency also said on its website that Chrysler was recalling about 18,000 cars because of a transmission problem.
Chrysler said that the transmission on the 2014 500L could become stuck in Park or that it might pick the wrong gear, causing the car to move “in an unintended or unexpected direction.”
Chrysler said it was not aware of any accidents related to the issue.
