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Honda recalling 143K Civic, Fit models for CVT

Honda is recalling 143,676 examples of the 2014-2015 Civic and 2015 Fit for a problem with the way that its software controls the CVT. Currently, the system uses high hydraulic pressure in the transmission at times, which can put stress on the drive pulley shaft. Also, some of those parts "may have been produced at the low end of the hardness specification" during manufacturing, the automaker reports. When the two factors are combined over time, the high pressure could cause the shaft to break. If this happens, it would result in losing drive to the front wheels or in them locking up. According to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (as a PDF), Honda received the first report of a shaft breaking in July 2014 in the US, and there was a wheel lockup in Canada in January 2015. As of September 3, there were 23 warranty claims about this issue but no reported injuries. The fix will be an update to the CVT's software, and the recall will begin October 16, according to NHTSA. Honda is urging owners to get their vehicles repaired as soon as they receive the notification. Related Video: Statement by American Honda Regarding CVT Drive Pulley Shaft Recall: 2014-2015 Civic and 2015 Honda Fit Oct 1, 2015 - TORRANCE, Calif. Honda will voluntarily recall approximately 143,000 model-year 2014-2015 Civic and 2015 Fit vehicles in the United States to update the software that manages the continuously variable transmission (CVT), free of charge. Affected vehicles have CVT control software that is written to use high hydraulic pressure during certain CVT operation modes, which as a result may subject the drive pulley shaft to high stress. In addition, during manufacturing of the drive pulley shaft, some parts may have been produced at the low end of the hardness specification. If shafts with lower hardness are repeatedly subjected to the specific high hydraulic pressure modes, it may result in the shaft breaking during operation. If the drive pulley shaft breaks, the vehicle may lose acceleration or the front wheels may lock up while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. No crashes or injuries have been reported related to this issue, which was discovered through the warranty claim process in the United States. Honda is announcing this recall to encourage each owner of an affected vehicle to take it to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification of this recall from Honda.

US expands probe into ZF-TRW airbag failure-to-deploy to 12.3 million vehicles

DETROIT — U.S. auto safety regulators have expanded an investigation into malfunctioning airbag controls to include 12.3 million vehicles because the bags may not inflate in a crash. The problem could be responsible for as many as eight deaths. Vehicles made by Toyota, Honda, Kia, Hyundai, Mitsubishi and Fiat Chrysler from the 2010 through 2019 model years are included in the probe, which was revealed Tuesday in documents posted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It involves airbag control units made by ZF-TRW that were installed in the vehicles. The control units can fail in a crash, possibly because of unwanted electrical signals produced by the crash itself that can disable an air bag control circuit housed in the passenger compartment, according to NHTSA documents. The electrical signals can damage the control circuit, the documents say. ZF, a German auto parts maker which acquired TRW Automotive in 2015, said in a statement that it's committed to safety and is cooperating with NHTSA and automakers in the investigation. The case is another in a long list of problems with auto industry airbags, including faulty and potentially deadly Takata airbag inflators. At least 24 people have been killed worldwide and more than 200 injured by the inflators, which can explode with too much force and hurl dangerous shrapnel into the passenger cabin. The inflators touched off the largest series of automotive recalls in U.S. history involving with as many as 70 million inflators to be recalled by the end of next year. About 100 million inflators are to be recalled worldwide. On April 19, NHTSA upgraded the ZF-TRW probe from a preliminary evaluation to an engineering analysis, which is a step closer toward seeking recalls. So far, only Hyundai and Kia and Fiat Chrysler have issued recalls in the case. Four deaths that may have been caused by the problem were reported in Hyundai-Kia vehicles and three in Fiat Chrysler automobiles. NHTSA opened an investigation in March of 2017 involving the TRW parts in Hyundais and Kias. The upgrade came after investigators found two recent serious crashes involving 2018 and 2019 Toyota Corollas in which the airbags did not inflate. One person was killed. Jason Levine, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit consumer group, said the ZF-TRW case shows the auto industry thus far has learned very little from Takata.

Honda UK closes pre-order books on NSX, opens for Civic Type R

Most of us would probably deliberate pretty carefully before buying a new car – do a little research, read the reviews, take it for a test drive, compare it to the competition. But that's not everyone. Some buyers will order a new car sight unseen. Some will even place their order – for a performance model especially – before the production model is even revealed. And those buyers in the UK have been flocking to Honda for not one, but two upcoming new products. Even before the reveal of the finished car, Honda's British office has taken over 100 orders for the upcoming new NSX just from within the UK. The orders have been coming in so fast, in fact, that Honda has had to stop taking them for the time being. But don't worry, British enthusiasts: the Japanese automaker has just opened the order books for another yet-to-be-revealed performance model. That, of course, would be the new Civic Type R – a promising new hot hatch that Honda has showcased repeatedly in concept form, but has yet to reveal in production guise. That'll happen sometime in the new year, ahead of the start of production slated to take place at Honda UK's own plant in Swindon, England. But before it does, the company's dealers have started taking GBP3,000 ($4,700) deposits on the hot hatch we drove in prototype form but which does not, we're sad to say, look likely to be offered in North America. DEMAND FOR HONDA HOTS UP! TYPE-R ORDER BOOK IS OPEN Honda is pleased to announce that the Civic Type R is on the starting blocks and gearing up for its much awaited 2015 launch. Due to unprecedented demand, customers wanting to be one of the first behind the Type R steering wheel can now place an order with a GBP3,000 deposit at their local Honda dealer. The all-new hot hatch – due in UK showrooms next year – will be the most extreme and high-performing Type R in the 22 year history of the red 'H' badge, signalling the start of a new performance era for the brand. The all-new Civic Type R has been developed and engineered for European drivers. The car will be built at Honda's state-of-the-art plant in Swindon, UK, arriving in dealerships during 2015. The new Type R will mark the debut of the new '+R' button, for example. Located to the side of the steering wheel, a press activates '+R' mode for the most exhilarating driving experience. Engine responsiveness is heightened, with torque-mapping changed to a more aggressive and performance-focused setting.