Honda Motor Co. (Honda) has announced a recall of 4,804 vehicles in the United States due to safety issues with the tire repair kit. This action comes after some vehicles included in the first round of a million-vehicle recall in June were found to have been shipped with unrepaired faulty parts, resulting in some vehicles that had already undergone recall repairs potentially still having defective tire repair tools.
According to the recall documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in October, the affected vehicles include the 2023 to 2026 models of CR-V hybrid vehicles, the 2023 to 2026 models of Accord hybrid vehicles, and the 2025 to 2026 models of CR-V fuel cell electric vehicles.
The problem lies with the nozzle and sealant bottle in the tire repair kit. If the nozzle is not correctly connected to the tire valve when using the repair kit, the pressure inside the bottle may build up excessively, causing the sealant bottle cap to suddenly detach and potentially hit the user or nearby individuals, increasing the risk of injury.
Honda previously recalled approximately 1.05 million vehicles in June for the same issue. The remedial measures at that time included replacing the defective nozzles or sealant bottles. However, the supplier failed to properly differentiate between the old faulty parts and the corrected parts, leading to a mix-up in the warehouse and subsequent shipment of some faulty parts once again.
After discovering this supply chain management oversight, Honda conducted inspections and traced the affected vehicles, leading to the announcement of a second recall in October to prevent these owners from facing the same risk.
It is worth noting that when Honda announced the first recall in June, there were 53 warranty claims and 8 injury reports related to this defect in the United States.
Honda will notify affected vehicle owners and arrange for them to visit authorized dealerships for a free inspection. Dealers will examine the tire repair kit and replace the nozzle if necessary.
Honda is expected to send out owner notification letters starting from November 16. Vehicle owners can also check if their vehicles are affected by entering the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on Honda’s recall lookup page (recalls.honda.com) or the NHTSA website (nhtsa.gov/recalls).
Until the tire repair kit has been inspected and repaired, Honda advises owners not to use the existing repair kit. In case of a flat tire during this period, owners should contact Honda roadside assistance services to avoid using potentially defective tools.