American Honda Motor Company has announced that they will be recalling certain models of the 2008 Honda Ridgeline. They stated that on certain vehicles, the hole in the sheet metal front bulkhead that serves as the base and pivot for the hood support rod was not punched to specification. The hood support rod may fail to hold the hood in position due to insufficient strength.

If the hood support rod fails, the hood could fail increasing the risk of injury. This recall covers vehicles with the manufacturer dates of 10/18/07 thru 10/30/07. Dealers will inspect the prop rod base hole and, if necessary, install reinforcement parts free of charge. Honda has telephoned all owners on November 26 2007, asking them to bring their vehicles in to their dealers for inspection. A followup letter will be mailed during January 2008. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.

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According to Auto Industry, Honda has stated that it will launch the first commercial fuel cell car starting next year, in the U.S. and Japan.

The car will be based on the FCX prototype that Honda’s been showing around auto shows. The newest model–the FCV–will be shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show on November 14 (so stay tuned).

The FCV will feature a lithium-ion battery pack. And Honda has already gained all the necessary government certifications, including having passed crash-safety tests and, of course, emissions. In fact, they’ve already leased the FCX to two customers, making Honda the first manufacturer to have done so at all.

We don’t know yet what the FCV will look like, however.

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NEW DELHI: Japanese auto giant Honda which is recalling over 1.8 lakh units of its luxury sedan Civic globally on Sunday said it was studying whether the model sold in India too had defective seal before deciding on the same strategy here.

“We have recieved a notice for a global recall. As far as we are concerned in India, we are not sure if this would affect here. However, when we get more details we will be able to take a call on it,” Honda Siel Car India senior general manager (marketing) Jnaneswar Sen said.

Honda had issued a recall notice of 1,82,756 Civics made between March 24, 2005 and February 8, 2007 due to a faulty wheel-bearing seal that may leak and cause malfunctioning of brake switch thereby preventing illumination of lights on braking.

Sen said that the company’s Civic model recalled in the US were left hand drives and the company was checking if similar problems could be found in the Indian right hand drive models . “If we find there are issues, then we will be definitely contacting our customers,” he added. If the company does recall its Civic, it will be the second instance in three months. In July, HSCI had recalled 2,310 Accords manufactured between 2005 and 2006 as part of a global recall.

Moves like these, global phenomenon earlier , have started affecting Indian consumers too with instances of toy and electronic goods recalls in recent weeks.

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Chrysler LLC said Friday it would recall nearly 300,000 sport utility vehicles to address potential braking problems while driving uphill.

In a separate move, Honda Motor Co. said it was recalling more than 180,000 Civics from the 2006-2007 model year to fix a wheel-bearing seal that could leak and lead to a wheel falling off the car.

Honda’s recall involves more than 180,000 Civics from the 2006-2007 model year. The problem is in a wheel-bearing seal that could leak and lead to a wheel falling off.

The Chrysler recall involves more than 156,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees and Commander SUVs from the 2006-2007 model years, more than 90,000 2007 Jeep Wrangler SUVs and nearly 50,000 2007 Dodge Nitro SUVs.

Chrysler spokesman Max Gates said the automaker had received about 20 complaints of vehicles experiencing a delay in braking when drivers tried to come to a stop after coasting uphill. To fix the problem, the computer connected to the antilock brake system will be reprogrammed.

There has been one crash tied to the issue and no injuries reported, Gates said. Owners will be notified by mail beginning later this month.

In Honda’s recall, the automaker said in an Aug. 30 letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the seal where the antilock brake sensor mounts to the rear wheel bearing could allow moisture and salt to leak into the wheel bearing and cause corrosion.

The conditions could lead to a wheel falling off and a crash, Honda said.

The automaker has received two complaints related to the problem, including one in which a wheel came off the vehicle while it was being towed, said spokesman Chris Naughton. No injuries have been reported.

Owners were being notified of the recall this month and can contact Honda at (800) 999-1009 for more information.

Separately, Chrysler said it was recalling 72,333 Dodge Avenger sedans and Chrysler Sebring convertibles from the 2008 model year to address problems with the front door latches and locks.

Gates said the company discovered problems with opening the vehicle doors through its internal monitoring program. No accidents or injuries have been reported and owners are expected to be notified of the recall next month.

For more information, owners can contact Chrysler at (800) 853-1403.

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by Alex Nunez

Ahhh, Autumn. We love it so. The leaves change, football is in full swing, the air gets brisk, and Honda comes clean with a MUGEN for us Yanks. That’s right, kids: Americans will finally be able to buy a Mugen-prepared Honda Civic this fall. Following up on the Honda Civic MUGEN Si show car that was displayed at SEMA last year, Honda has announced that the production version will go on sale in October. The Civic MUGEN Si is powered by the same 197-horsepower four-cylinder as the standard-issue Si, but the MUGEN is the beneficiary of a track-tuned suspension, lighter wheels, and a new sport exhaust. It also gets the requisite aero kit with an updated grille, skirting and new spoilers fore and aft. Inside, look for a new shift knob and a plaque. Only 1,000 Civic MUGEN Si sedans will be built for the 2008 model year (sorry, no coupes), and all will be finished in the Fiji Blue Pearl you see here. Full pricing details weren’t announced, but Honda did say that the car will go for less than $30,000. Until enthusiasts here in the States are offered a Type-R, this is gonna be the Civic to have. Sure, it’s no Civic MUGEN RR, but it’s a start.

[Source: Honda]

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by Damon Lavrinc

When you think about an automaker offering up incentives, Honda normally wouldn’t spring to mind. With the ongoing success of the Civic and Honda’s inability to keep enough Fits on the lot to keep up with demand, it’s obvious that the automaker has been doing well with its core models, but it’s some of its outlying offerings that aren’t selling like hotcakes.

The SUV and minivan segment has been stagnant as of late, and coupled with an increase in production at Honda’s plants, the imbalance is affecting the number of Pilots and Odysseys that are hanging around dealer lots. To combat the lethargic sales, Honda is increasing dealer incentives and lease subsidies on the aforementioned people movers, the Ridgeline and the soon-to-be redesigned Accord.

Regardless of the move, Honda isn’t throwing money on the hood like other automakers, which makes both corporate bigwigs and Honda owners happy, as residual values won’t be hampered by a flood of inexpensive models hitting the market.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

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