FEBRUARY 2008 -- Honda is recalling 129,600 MY 2004-2005 Acura TL vehicles. If water enters the windshield wiper motor breather port, which is designed to allow the motor to vent warm air during normal operation, it can result in corrosion inside the motor housing. This could cause a failure of the electrical circuit breaker inside the motor housing. If the circuit breaker fails, it will cause the windshield wiper motor to become inoperative, which can increase the likelihood of a crash in certain conditions. Dealers will inspect the windshield wiper motor for signs of corrosion. If no signs of corrosion are present, a snorkel tube will be added to the wiper motor breather port to prevent water from entering the wiper motor housing and foam tape will be installed on the cowl above the wiper motor to direct water away from the wiper motor. If signs of corrosion damage are observed on the wiper motor, the motor will be replaced, and the breather tube and foam tape will also be installed to prevent water intrusion on the new wiper motor. The manufacturer has not yet provided an owner notification schedule for this campaign. This recall was the subject of a Preliminary Evaluation, PE07-060, conducted by the Office of Defects Investigation.  08V092

DECEMBER 2007 -- Honda is recalling 43,200 MY 2005-2008 Acura RL passenger vehicles. Prolonged high under-hood temperatures may cause the power steering hose to deteriorate prematurely causing the hose to crack and leak power steering fluid. Power steering fluid leaking onto a hot catalytic converter will generate smoke and possibly lead to an under-hood fire. Dealers will install a new heat resistant power steering hose. The recall is expected to begin during January 17, 2007. 07V-551

August 2007 -- Honda is recalling 744 MY 2008 Acura RDX vehicles for failing conform to the requirements of Part 567, 'Certification.' Incorrect certification labels were applied to these vehicles. Some certification labels may not contain the required tire and rim size information. Dealers will remove the incorrect label and install the correct label. The recall is expected to begin during September 2007. 07V-358

NEWS:   Honda Recalls Acura TL Sports Sedans for Fire Hazard

Some TLs also recalled to fix windshield wiper

Honda is recalling 273,000 2004 to 2008 ACURA TL sports sedans because power steering fluid may leak, leading to a fire in the engine compartment. The company is also recalling 129,000 2004 to 2005 Acura TL sports sedans, this time because of a windshield wiper problem.

“Prolonged high under-hood temperatures may cause the poser steering hose to deteriorate prematurely causing the hose to crack and leak power steering fluid,” according to the National Highway traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Honda and Acura dealers will install a “new heat resistant power steering hose free of charge,” according to NHTSA.

Wipers
Honda is also recalling 129,600 2004 to 2005 Acura TL sports sedans because the windshield wipers can fail.

“If water enters the windshield wiper motor breather port, which is designed to allow the motor to vent warm air during normal operation, it can result in corrosion inside the motor housing,” the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported on its web site.

“This could cause a failure of the electrical circuit breaker inside the motor housing, NHTSA reported. “If the circuit breaker fails, it will cause the windshield wiper motor to become inoperative, which can increase the likelihood of a crash in certain conditions,” the agency said.

Honda dealers will inspect the windshield wiper motor for signs of corrosion. “A snorkel tube will be added to the wiper motor breather port to prevent water from entering the wiper motors housing and foam tape will be installed on the cowl above the wiper motor to direct water away from the wiper motor,” NHTSA reported.

Should Acura technicians discover signs of corrosion damage to the wiper motor they will replace the motor and install the snorkel tube and foam tape.

NEWS:   Honda Recalls 43,200 Acuras Over Fire Risk From Hose

Dec. 18, 2007 Bloomberg.com -- Honda Motor Co. is recalling 43,200 Acura RL sedans in the U.S. to fix a power steering hose that may crack from engine heat and possibly cause a fire.

The recall by Tokyo-based Honda affects 2005-2008 models, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which posted the information yesterday on its Web site.

The cracked hose can release a volatile fluid onto a hot catalytic converter, leading to a fire, Honda said. The automaker received two reports of fires in Japan, triggering an internal investigation that led to the recall, according to a letter posted on NHTSA's Web site.

Honda began notifying owners yesterday, and dealers will install a heat-resistant hose, according to the letter from....a lawyer with Honda's Torrance, California-based U.S. unit.

The recall in the U.S. follows an earlier recall for the same model in Japan filed to the country's transport ministry on Dec. 6. Honda recalled 8,657 Acuras, known as the Legend in Japan, for the same reason, according to the filing.