Electrical nightmare for Honda

HONDA Motor Co plans to recall 45,335 Civic Hybrid sedans worldwide to repair an electrical defect that could stop the cars' engines, a company spokeswoman said yesterday.

Japan's No. 2 auto maker plans to recall 7,219 of the vehicles sold domestically and another 38,116 sold overseas, mostly in the United States, the spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity, citing company policy.

Honda learned about the defective voltage converters - which could cause a short circuit that would stop the engine and prevent it from restarting - from overseas reports, the company said in documents filed in Tokyo on Thursday with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Honda has received no reports of accidents related to the defect, the documents said. The affected vehicles were manufactured between September 2005 and September 2006, they said.

In Japan, Honda plans to notify affected vehicles' owners by mail and to repair the defective parts, the spokeswoman said.