Santa Clara, CA: Honda has issued a global recall involving some 2.1 million vehicles equipped with battery sensors that may catch fire.
The recall affects about 1.15 million Honda Accord vehicles from the 2013-2016 model years in the United States equipped with a 12-volt battery sensor. The recall was prompted by reports of engine compartment fires in Honda vehicles the US and at least one in Canada, in areas that use significant amounts of road salt during the winter, Reuters reports.
No reports of injury have been lodged as of yet, however Honda has received 3,972 warranty claims in the US, relating to the battery sensor.
The first claim of an engine compartment fire was received in Canada in 2015, and in 2016 Honda received a report of an engine compartment fire in a vehicle in China.
According to a statement issued by Honda on its website, “The 12-volt battery sensor is located on the negative battery cable within the engine compartment, monitoring the battery’s state of charge in order to alert the driver to problems with the battery or the charging system. The battery sensors installed in affected vehicles may not be sufficiently sealed against moisture intrusion. Over time, moisture intrusion may bring road salt or other electrically conductive substances inside the battery sensor, leading to corrosion and eventual electrical shorting of the sensor. A shorted sensor can heat up through electrical resistance, potentially resulting in smoke coming from under the hood or, in the worst case, a fire.”
Honda is also currently dealing with the fallout of the massive Takata air bag recall.
