Honda recalls 573,000 Accords to fix faulty hoses

The Detroit Bureau

Honda will have to repair nearly 600,000 Accords due to the latest fire-related recall.

By Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau
Honda appears to be well on its way to again leading the market in terms of the number of recalled vehicles. The maker has confirmed more than 625,000 of its Accord and Acura TL sedans will be impacted by the latest service action due to a potential fire hazard.

The new development actually expands on an earlier recall involving 52,613 of the Acura models sold during the 2007 and 2008 model-years. The maker has now added another 573,147 Accords equipped with V-6 engines marketed during the 2003 through 2007 model-years.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the power steering hoses in those vehicles could deteriorate prematurely and lead to a leakage of fluid. If that comes into contact with hot engine parts, such as the catalytic converter, the fluid could catch fire.

So far, federal regulators say they have received one report of an actual vehicle fire – which did not result in injuries.

The midsize Accord and the Acura TL share many common components – a practice widespread in the auto industry and one that often leads to recalls involving numerous different nameplates. The Accord itself is the second-best-selling passenger car nameplate in the U.S. An all-new model was recently introduced for the 2013 model-year.

Honda intends to notify owners of the latest recall this month and will make repairs at no cost to consumers. However, the maker has cautioned that due to a need to produce replacement parts in such large volume the repairs might not be completed until sometime in early 2013.

Owners can find out more about the recall by contacting Honda at 800-999-1009 or NHTSA through its vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

While Honda has built a significant reputation for quality over the years, the maker has experienced a spurt of safety-related recalls in recent years and led the list among all manufacturers in the U.S. market last year. At the current pace it is on track to top that list again in 2012.