Honda Recalls 1.5 Million Vehicles

Honda will voluntarily recall approximately 1.5 million vehicles in the U.S. to update the software that controls the automatic transmission. In some cars, a transmission part can be damaged if the car is shifted quickly between Reverse, Neutral and Drive, as might be done when trying to free a vehicle stuck in snow or mud.

If the part, a secondary shaft bearing, is damaged it can cause the engine to stall. It could also cause the car's parking gear mechanism to jam, allowing the car to roll even when the gear selector has been placed in the Park position. To fix the problem, Honda will update transmission control software in the car, reducing the maximum engine speed at which gears can be changed between Drive and Reverse.

The vehicles involved in the recall are model year 2007 through 2010 Honda CR-Vs, 2005 through 2008 Elements and 2004 through 2010 Accords with 4-cylinder engines. 

No injuries or deaths have been reported as a result of this problem, Honda said.

Honda Motor Company says it will begin notifying customers of the recall on or about August 31,2011, encouraging them to take their vehicle to an authorized Honda dealer for the automatic transmission control module software update. The update, which will be free of charge, will ease the transition between gears and reduce the possibility of damage. After August 31st, customers will also be able to find out if their vehicles are affected by going to www.recalls.honda.com or by calling 1-800-999-1009, and selecting option 4. The Honda recall campaign number is R89. Honda owners of Accords, CR-Vs or Elements from the affected model years with concerns or questions may also contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 and refer to NHTSA Campaign ID No. 11V395000.