Dive Brief:
- American Honda Motor Co. recalled nearly 721,000 vehicles in the U.S. last week for a potentially defective high-pressure fuel pump that could crack and develop a leaks that can increase the risk of fire, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- The recall covers certain 2023-2024 Honda Accord and Accord Hybrid, 2023-2025 Honda CR-V Hybrid, and 2025 Honda Civic and Civic Hybrid models. The vehicles were produced between Nov. 2022 and Sept. 2024.
- Customers are being advised to visit a dealer to have the fuel pump inspected or replaced as necessary. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Dec. 4, 2024.
Dive Insight:
Honda was first made aware of the problem on Feb. 11, 2023, after receiving its first warranty claim for the issue. Following the claim, Honda received a market quality report on the issue and launched an investigation on March 3, 2023.
As the probe unfolded, Honda elevated the priority of its market quality report on April 17, 2023 while it continued to investigate the issue with its tier 2 supplier and fuel pump manufacturer, Hitachi Astemo.
After Honda’s investigators confirmed the presence of a fuel leak and vapor odor, the automaker opted to stop shipment of the affected vehicles on Sept. 23, 2024. The automaker then issued a voluntary safety recall on Oct. 7, 2024.
Honda received 145 warranty claims for the issue from Feb. 23, 2023 through Sept. 2024, but no reports of injuries, according to the NHTSA report. The exact number of vehicles with potentially defective fuel pumps was determined from manufacturing records, which is estimated to be around 1% of the recalled models.
The recall report cited improper machining of the fuel pump’s solenoid components as the cause of the defect, which can lead to cracks in the solenoid housing that can leak fuel when the pump is pressurized.
An updated production process for the fuel pump was finalized by Honda’s supplier in late August and the redesigned pump was introduced into vehicle production on or about Sept. 5.
The recall is the automaker’s second this month, following a recall of up to 1.7 million Honda and Acura vehicles for a steering gear manufacturing defect.
Honda has now issued 12 separate recalls in 2024, according to the NHTSA. However, it's far less than some of its competitors. Ford Motor Co. has issued 52 recalls so far this year, while Stellantis subsidiary FCA US has a total of 54.
