Honda Recalls 350K Cars Over Parking Brake Issue

Image courtesy of (frankieleon)

Earlier this week, Toyota announced it would recall hundreds of thousands of cars over a parking brake issue. Now, Honda is following suit, recalling 350,000 sedans that contain parking brakes that might not work as intended.

Honda announced Thursday the recall of 350,083 model 2016 Civic sedan and coupe vehicles after determining the electric parking brake may not engage properly.

According to a notice [PDF] posted with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, if the electric parking brake is applied after turning off the engine, it may not engage.

“The software for the Vehicle Stability Assist Electronic Control Unit may prevent application of the [electric parking brake] when it is applied immediately after turning the vehicle ignition off,” the company says, noting that the condition does not occur if the parking brake is applied before turning off the vehicle ignition.

If the electric parking brake cannot be applied, the “BRAKE” warning indicator in the instrument panel will blink for 15 seconds to alert the driver.

In the case that the parking brake does not engage, Honda says the vehicle could roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.

Unlike the Toyota recall — which involved the brake cable disengaging unexpectedly — Honda says it is unaware of any injuries or crashes related to its recall.

Honda says it will notify owners of the recall beginning next month. Dealers will update the vehicle’s software to allow the parking brake to engage immediately after the ignition is turned off.

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