2014 Honda Odyssey Ex on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Honda issues second Fit window recall, this time for 143k units

Honda has announced it is recalling certain 2007-2008 Fit models in the US to fix what could have been faulty repairs made in a previous round of recalls. The vehicles may have been manufactured with a master driver's window switch that could allow rain water or spilled liquids into the switch. If that happens, the liquids could cause the switch to overheat, melt and potentially damage the vehicle's wiring or cause a fire. Honda says no accidents or injuries have been reported due to the problem, but warns owners to park their Fit hatchbacks outside until a dealer can inspect the switch.
All told, the recall covers 143,083 Fit units. Back in 2010, Honda recalled the 2002-2008 model-year Fit for the same issue. That recall covered some 646,000 units worldwide after a two-year-old child in Cape Town, South Africa burnt to death while sleeping in a Fit. Honda says the repair made during that round of recalls may not have been sufficient, and the latest fix should take care of the problem for good.
You can read the full press release on the latest round of recalls below for more information.

Honda scraps 2017 sales target amid concerns over quality

Honda CEO Takanobu Ito thinks that the automaker he leads needs to go back to basics to avoid continuing quality concerns. To do that, the boss is making the radical shift of entirely chucking the company's six-million vehicle annual sale targets through 2017, and there's no intention to include the goals in the next midterm plan, either, according to Bloomberg. The move comes soon after last month's announcement to set aside about $425 million to pay for recalls and slice forecasts by about 17,000 cars for the fiscal year. The complete shift from the way most automakers do business stems from the significant number of recalls from Honda last year. While the most glaring example is the Takata airbag problems affecting roughly 5.4 million of the company's vehicles in the US, that's hardly the only one. In Japan, the Fit Hybrid needed five repair campaigns in 12 months to fix various issues, and according to Bloomberg, the Vezel (similar to the HR-V in the US) has needed three. Honda also had to pay $70 million to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for failing to submit 1,729 safety reports to the agency. The Japanese automaker has been working on ways to right the ship for months. In the wake of the Fit recalls, top executives took a three-month, 20 percent pay cut and created an independent position to monitor vehicle quality. Previous Honda CEOs have also offered stern words to Ito. The problems haven't had quite such a dire effect in the US, though. Sales in 2014 were up one percent, and January 2015 showed a year-over-year improvement of 11.5 percent

Honda's 3D-printed customizable EV has motorcycle bones

Honda isn't the first company to reveal vehicles with 3D-printed panels, details and more. However, it's certainly one of the biggest, so its efforts warrant a closer look. Fresh off the heels of the Paris Auto Show, Honda showed off its Variable Design platform for micro EVs: petite cars where space -- and weight -- is at a premium. The automaker wants to offer a vehicle with a customizable layout where drivers can choose what they need. That could be lowered entry points at the doors for senior drivers, a hatchback trunk for delivery vehicles or space for a family of three. (Somehow!) Let's take a closer look: I was a bit skeptical of the idea of an entire vehicle built from 3D-printed panels, but a Honda spokesperson outlined how the company took design and engineering know-how from its motorcycle division, resulting in a light but safe pipe-based skeleton under the paneling. This is apparently what gives the "micro commuter model" structural integrity. The company had some assistance from design firm Kabuku, which put a bird on it -- on the hatchback trunk, as well as the doors and seat. The car mostly has that familiarly, rough 3D-printed surface to it, but despite being the early first step in Honda's efforts to offer a heavily customizable electric vehicle, today's prototype could very much move. A handful of journalists and businessmen got to sit inside and drive it very briefly around a corner in a faux-Japanese village. 3D-printing entire car bodies could lead to reduced design times and cheaper costs. But that's if it becomes a bigger thing. For now, it's a promising platform that's still in development.This article by Mat Smith originally ran on Engadget, the definitive guide to this connected life. Green Honda Technology Emerging Technologies Electric