Honda Recalls 1.2M Accords Due to Defective Battery Sensors

On Thursday, Honda Motor Co Ltd, a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, said that it is recalling 1.2 million Accord mid-size vehicles in the U.S., after receiving multiple reports of the cars’ battery sensors causing fires in the engine. Honda said it has four reports of engine compartment fires due to the problem. Fortunately, no injuries or deaths related with these incidents have been reported.

The recalls cover Accords from the 2013 through 2016 model years. The sensors, which notify drivers when there is a problem with the battery, may not be sufficiently sealed against moisture intrusion and over time, “moisture intrusion may bring road salt or other electrically conductive substances inside the battery sensor, leading to corrosion and eventual electrical shorting of the sensor.” If that happens, the sensor could heat up through electrical resistance, start to smoke and, in the worst case, start a fire.  All the fires were in states where salt was used to clear roads in the winter.

The defect originated in the 12-volt battery sensor, which is located on the negative battery cable within the engine compartment and is monitoring the battery’s state of charge.

Dealers will inspect the sensors. Defected ones will be replaced. Those without problems will get an adhesive sealant and will be replaced when parts are available.

By late this month, Honda will start notifying owners of affected vehicles about the recall and send them instructions to get their cars to the nearest dealer. In the service center, the vehicle will be tested for a Diagnostic Troubleshooting Code (DTC) related to the sensor, and the battery will be inspected. If necessary, it will be replaced free of charge.

This revelation comes as the automaker confirms the 11^th American death involving one of its vehicles tied to a defected Takata Corp air bag inflator. The Japanese automaker said the incident occurred in June 2016 in Florida when an individual was working on repairs on a 2001 Honda Accord and the airbag vanished.

Honda, together with its luxury car brand Acura, is already the worst-hit automaker from the industry’s biggest recall in U.S. history, with millions of its vehicles affected by exploding Takata airbags. The car company confirmed yet another death linked to an exploding airbag earlier this week, taking the total number of American fatalities to 12 in addition to several others worldwide.

At least 17 deaths and 180 injuries worldwide are now tied up to the defect that prompted the largest-ever auto safety recall and led Takata to file for bankruptcy protection last month.

The Honda Accord was one of more than 300,000 recalled Honda vehicles which are not repaired and equipped with inflators with substantial risk of rupturing.

Meanwhile, by 3:00 PM GMT+9, Honda Motor Co Ltd. traded 1.39%, or 43, to JPY 3,134, and opened in JPY 3,110, with a session high of JPY 3,145 and a session low of JPY 3,102. Its market capitalization was 5.68 trillion, with a P/E ratio of 9.16 and a dividend yield of 2.94%.

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