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Honda recalls 250K vehicles because connecting rod bearings can fail

DETROIT — Honda is recalling nearly 250,000 vehicles in the U.S. because bearings can fail, causing the engines to stall and increasing the risk of a crash. The recall covers certain 2018 and 2019 Honda Pilot SUVs and Odyssey minivans and some 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline pickup trucks. Also affected are certain 2015 to 2020 Acura TLX cars and some 2016 to 2020 Acura MDX SUVs. Honda says in documents posted Friday by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that connecting rod bearings in the engine can wear and seize due to a manufacturing error, damaging the engines. The engines could run improperly or stall while being driven, increasing the risk of a fire, crash or injury. The automaker says in documents that it has 1,450 warranty claims due to the problem but no reports of injuries. Dealers will inspect and repair or replace the engines if needed. Owners will be notified by mail starting Jan. 2. Recalls Acura Honda

2016 Honda HR-V scores class-leading 35 mpg

Smaller cars generally net better fuel economy ratings, and while crossovers aren't generally as efficient as hatchbacks and small sedans, smaller crossovers are getting better EPA ratings all the time. The latest to join the pack is the new 2016 Honda HR-V. The US Environmental Protection Agency has just released its ratings for the littlest Honda crossover, and the figures are pretty impressive. In front-wheel-drive form with the optional continuously variable transmission, the HR-V is rated at 28 miles per gallon in the city, 35 on the highway and 31 combined. Those figures make it the most economical conventionally powered SUV on the market. (The EPA doesn't distinguish between truck-based sport-utes and car-based crossovers) Among crossovers, the FWD HR-V outperforms the Nissan Juke, Kia Soul, Chevrolet Trax, Buick Encore... the whole lot. Only the Mazda CX-5 matches it on the highway rating, which is noteworthy since it's a much bigger vehicle. Along with the forthcoming Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade, Mazda's nearly here CX-3 hasn't been rated yet (we predict it will score better than the HR-V, if only to improve on the fuel economy ratings of its larger CX-5 counterpart). Of course, there are hybrids that get better ratings than the Honda, but comparing a hybrid to a conventional vehicle is like comparing apples to electrically charged oranges. Naturally, the picture changes a bit if you go for all-wheel drive or the available six-speed manual. In AWD spec (only available with the CVT), the HR-V gets 27 city, 32 highway and 29 combined. The front-driver with the six-speed suffers a worse fate at 25 city, 34 highway and 28 combined. No matter which way you slice it, of course, the Fit hatchback upon which the HR-V is based, with its CVT hooked up to a smaller engine and with less weight to motivate, still sips fuel more lightly than the HR-V. But as far as crossovers go, Honda's new HR-V is looking pretty frugal. Featured Gallery 2016 Honda HR-V View 25 Photos News Source: EPAImage Credit: Honda Green Honda Crossover honda hr-v

New Honda Fit ousts Toyota Prius as Japan's top-selling car last month

The Toyota Camry may lose its title as the best-selling car in the US next year and the Honda Civic has already managed to outsell the Toyota Corolla to become the top-selling compact in the US, but it looks like the domination woes have just hit Toyota on its own turf. Bloomberg reports that the all-new Honda Fit carries the distinction of being the best-selling car in Japan for October - the Fit's first full month on sale - outselling the popular Toyota Prius and Toyota Aqua (our Toyota Prius C).
Unlike the Camry's 16-year reign on US car sales, Japan's race seems a little tighter with the Fit most recently topping the sales charts in May 2011. Since then, though, the two Toyota hybrids have been the top two cars in for sale in Japan. The US won't get the next-gen Fit until the third quarter of 2014, but this new hatchback should be another solid option for buyers in the increasingly popular subcompact segment.