Honda Announces Massive Recall of 1.5 Million Cars

American Honda Motor Company has announced a voluntary recall of 1.5 million vehicles in the United States to update the software that controls the automatic transmission of models of the Honda Accord, CR-V and Element. All applicable vehicle owners will be contacted, or you can complete the recall work on your next routine maintenance appointment.

According to the company, the transmission in the affected vehicles can be damaged if the transmission is quickly shifted between reverse, neutral and drive positions. Honda says this should only occur in an “unusual scenario” and offers the example of a situation where a driver would shift between these gears in an attempt to dislodge a vehicle that is stuck in snow or mud.

The software update to the automatic transmission control module will ease the transition between rapid shifts by limiting the engine speed at which such a shift can occur. The update should keep damage from happening, even in situations as described above.

Honda says if the transmission is damaged due to these types of actions, the affected vehicles may experience engine stalls and difficulty in engaging the parking gear. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that in addition to the problems described by Honda, the damage could lead to these vehicles rolling after a driver has placed the transmission into park, which could potentially injure people within the path of the vehicle if it rolls. They also warn that engine stalls increase the risk of being involved in a crash.

Which vehicles are at risk in this American Honda Motor Co. safety recall?

The affected vehicles include:

• 2005-2010 Honda Accord
• 2007-2010 Honda CR-V
• 2005-2008 Honda Element

Owners will be notified sometime after August 31, 2011 and the software update will be provided free of charge. Honda’s recall campaign number is R89, and owners may contact the company’s customer service line at 1-800-999-1009. The NHTSA campaign number is 11V395000, and owners may contact the NHTSA vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236. This is separate from the Honda CVT recall that occurred in 2014-2015, but also related to issues with transmission software.

In addition to the 1.5 million being recalled in the United States, Honda will also be recalling 760,000 in China and 135,000 in Canada of the same models. In all, the company will be recalling nearly 2.5 million models worldwide.

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Luckily, in this case, Honda found an easy recall remedy for this unusual situation. Many times, car owners who experience these problems early on are forced to pay for the repairs themselves. Then they’re reimbursed when the recall comes out.

If you are considering purchasing a used 2005 Honda Accord, 2001 Honda, or any other model of used Honda vehicles, you should always do your research about past recalls related to that make and model of car.

If you’re involved in an accident because of it, your liability coverage may kick in. Of course, you should have proper liability coverage to cover any accident where you’re at fault, even if it can’t be traced to a safety recall later on. To get started, just enter your zip code. You might be surprised at how much you can save.