Honda recalling 34,300 Fits

[regfootball]

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/20/honda-r...ng-34-300-fits/

Up to 34,000 Honda Fits from 2007 and 2008 are being recalled for a faulty sensor that detects child seats or out-of-position passengers. In states that use road salt, the salt-infused water from melting snow on the driver's shoes can leak beneath the carpet and corrode the wires for the Occupant Detection System (ODS). Severing that connection means that the passenger's front and side airbags will go off even if a child is in the front seat. The recall is in effect now for cars sold or registered in these states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

[source: Carscoop]

sad. we've had road salt for how many years?

[regfootball]

no, honda just does not have attention to detail and does not know their customers. well enough. at least it wasn't cams snapping like on tundras or frames / unibodies crumpling like on the ridgeline.

wanna know why honda's fit is so light? stuff like this. I would guess GM runs the wires somewhere where the roadsalt won't ruin your car's ability to protect your loved ones in a crash.

Edited January 22, 2008 by regfootball

[siegen]

The first thing we learned in our chassis electrical class at school is you don't run wires under the foot wells since they can get wet and corrode. Was someone taking a nap at Honda that day? (No doubt they fell asleep trying to accelerate their Fit up to 60mph. )

I highly doubt the wires run directly under the foot wells. They probably run along the side like they do in all of their cars they've ever made. The water would likely leak through the carpet and to the side, then get into the tunnel where the wires run. Why it would be any different in these 34,000 cars I don't know. Perhaps the wires aren't sheathed like they should be.

[Robert Hall]

Hmmm..so does this mean some Fits are Unfit to Go?

[CARBIZ]

I highly doubt the wires run directly under the foot wells. They probably run along the side like they do in all of their cars they've ever made. The water would likely leak through the carpet and to the side, then get into the tunnel where the wires run. Why it would be any different in these 34,000 cars I don't know. Perhaps the wires aren't sheathed like they should be.

Sometimes with these types of recalls it is just a 'bad run.' A robot or a shipment of clamps or something were the wrong spec, or a box(es) got damaged in shipment and weren't caught in time. An actual design flaw would result in more units being recalled.

Anyway, Iaccoca referred to Honda as the Teflon Car Company in his first book because 'bad news does't stick.' It only proves that Japan Inc. build just as many 'bad' vehicles as Detroit. Nobody's perfect. (Just try telling that to CR, MT and the gang.)

[GXT]

It only proves that Japan Inc. build just as many 'bad' vehicles as Detroit. Nobody's perfect. (Just try telling that to CR, MT and the gang.)

I agree that nobody's perfect, but this certainly doesn't "prove" what you claim.

[CARBIZ]

I agree that nobody's perfect, but this certainly doesn't "prove" what you claim.

Sorry, dear, if you think my post was a slight on your precious Honda, but the company I worked for 10 years has 2 toyota stores, and let me tell you - their service bays are never empty. The previous generation Civic was a model of cutting corners - or do you think being able to see right to the wheels through the engine bay is a good idea in a cold weather enviroment?

Nobody builds junk any more, not even the Koreans. I don't need to 'prove' anything, least of all to you. You show up a week late to the party and take exception to one, relatively benign remark that I made?

[A Horse With No Name]

Why the hell are they only recalling cars in cold states? I live in Ohio and people move here from Arizona, California, Texas and Georgia all of the time. This is a very serious safety related issue.

What happens when a relocated car has the wires corrode and has an airbag problem because of the safety seat sensor?

Makes no sense to me.

And yes, Honda and Mazda have just as many problems as the domestics...as far as cost cutting goes it's going to happen on any sub-25K car.

Chris

[siegen]

Why the hell are they only recalling cars in cold states? I live in Ohio and people move here from Arizona, California, Texas and Georgia all of the time. This is a very serious safety related issue.

What happens when a relocated car has the wires corrode and has an airbag problem because of the safety seat sensor?

Makes no sense to me.

And yes, Honda and Mazda have just as many problems as the domestics...as far as cost cutting goes it's going to happen on any sub-25K car.

Chris

"sold or registered" - meaning that if you buy a car from a state not on the list, and register it in one of the states on the list, you still are covered by the recall and will probably receive a letter.

And it's not a serious issue IMHO. If the conditions under which this event might occur (the article does not mention any occurrences), the airbag will still go off. And you should not be putting small children in the front seat anyway.

The possibility of this issue actually effecting anyone adversely is incredibly remote. If this was a Toyota issue, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they issued a service announcement.

[turbo200]

Sorry, dear, if you think my post was a slight on your precious Honda, but the company I worked for 10 years has 2 toyota stores, and let me tell you - their service bays are never empty. The previous generation Civic was a model of cutting corners - or do you think being able to see right to the wheels through the engine bay is a good idea in a cold weather enviroment?

Nobody builds junk any more, not even the Koreans. I don't need to 'prove' anything, least of all to you. You show up a week late to the party and take exception to one, relatively benign remark that I made?

he's right though. none of this proves that Japan builds as many bad vehicles as Detroit. that was your statement. and he's saying it's false.

Edited February 1, 2008 by turbo200

[Camino LS6]

"sold or registered" - meaning that if you buy a car from a state not on the list, and register it in one of the states on the list, you still are covered by the recall and will probably receive a letter.

And it's not a serious issue IMHO. If the conditions under which this event might occur (the article does not mention any occurrences), the airbag will still go off. And you should not be putting small children in the front seat anyway.

The possibility of this issue actually effecting anyone adversely is incredibly remote. If this was a Toyota issue, I wouldn't be at all surprised if they issued a service announcement.

Far be it from me to defend Toyota, but they would also have issued a recall if it were their car. Any "defect" that effects safety directly, is handled by recall.