Honda recalls 2002-2006 CR-V over fire risk
AllAfrica - Honda Motor Co. yesterday said it was recalling about 489,000 CR-V crossovers in the United States of America, Europe and Africa, from the 2002 to 2006 model years because an electrical switch in the driver's side door could melt and cause a fire.
Honda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration according to Bloomberg announced the recall Saturday for 268,000 vehicles in the US.
Honda is also recalling 220,000 CR-V vehicles in Europe and 98 in Africa for the same problem, Honda spokeswoman Akemi Ando in Tokyo said yesterday.
Honda said rain or other liquids could enter through a driver's open window and damage the master power switch on the door. If that happens, the switch could overheat and melt, causing a fire.
No injuries or crashes have been reported related to the problem, but five fires have been reported - four in the U.S. and one in England - in which the switch and the cover around it overheated, caught fire and melted, Ando said.
All the recalled vehicles were manufactured at a Honda plant in Great Britain.
NHTSA said owners should park CR-Vs from those model years outside until the recall is performed to avoid any property damage from a fire. A fire could start even when the ignition is off and the CR-V is parked.
Honda agreed that concerned owners should park their CR-Vs away from structures that could burn. But spokesman Ed Miller emphasized that a switch is unlikely to catch fire unless someone spilled liquid on it or let a large amount of rain into the vehicle through the driver's side window.
The company will begin contacting owners next month and will repair the vehicles for free. Honda will install a cover plate inside the switch to prevent any liquid from coming in, Miller said.
It was the third major recall this week for the Japanese automaker, which usually sits near the top in J.D. Power and Associates' annual rankings of vehicle quality.
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