Honda to recall 410,000 vehicles for brake problem

[onehandle]

Source: AP

DETROIT – Honda Motor Co. will recall more than 410,000 Odyssey minivans and Element small trucks because of braking system problems that could make it tougher to stop the vehicle if not repaired.

The recall includes 344,000 Odysseys and 68,000 Elements from the 2007 and 2008 model years.

Honda said in a statement that over time, brake pedals can feel "soft" and must be pressed closer to the floor to stop the vehicles. Left unrepaired, the problem could cause loss of braking power and possibly a crash, Honda spokesman Chris Martin said.

"It's definitely not operating the way it should, and it's safety systems, so it brings it to the recall status," he said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100316/ap_on_bi_ge/us_honda_recall

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I have a 2008 Element. I still have a year left on the lease, so I guess I'll be dealer bound.

[frylock]

1. 2006 element here..

lucky me!

[KoKo]

2. We were looking at a 2010 Honda Odyssey..It was touting "Drive by Wire"

for "Fuel effiency." Said the computer would judge "how much power by adjusting" the cylinders..or some such thing.

I asked the Salesman about whether there was too much control by computers and he looked at me like I had "eyes rolling screwy in my head" and passed the sales pitch off to hubby.

I came home and started to do research on "Drive by Wire" and which cars had it. (This was before the Toyota knews broke about their "brake pedal" then questions about whether the computers were overiding the break pedal. Several of the Car Sites like Edmunds and Powell had folks questioning whether the computer control on new cars for fuel efficiency wasn't compromising the basic functions of the car like "breaking and acceleration." Many people were questioning "How Much Computer Control...is just TOO MUCH."

We didn't buy the Odyssey. We loved all the features of the car...but had too many questions. I'm wondering how much more is going to come out now that Honda has recalled it's earlier versions of Odyssey. Given that "Drive by Wire" was listed as a "new feature" in the Odyssy Touring Van...it's curious they started with older models who didn't use the "Drive by Wire" to recall first.

[joeglow3]

3. Glad I got the 2007 Town & Country instead of the Honda

Hopefully, people will open their eyes and quit paying $5,000+ for a LESS reliable car (it is no longer the 1990's people).

[lutefisk]

5. Don't want to put down your choice, but statistically the made in Canada 2007 Chrysler...

...is less reliable than the made in USA 2007 Odyssey. Your experience might have been great, and it could well be a nice van, but according to the Consumer Reports owner survey data, the Honda is the more reliable model and brand.

As for price, there isn't as much of a difference in the new ones as you might think, and if resale or trade-in value is a concern, the Honda will do much better. I paid 26,400 for a new 2007 Odyssey EX-L (Leather,Sunroof, ESC, etc.), fwiw. I don't think a Town & Country was any cheaper at the time.

I'd hate to steer anyone away from an Odyssey- it's a great, safe vehicle.:hi:

[joeglow3]

6. The profits end up in the US

I always buy my vehicles 3 years old - it maximizes depreciation versus remaining life. We were down to the Oddyssey and T&C. Both were fully loaded, with the exception that the T&C had the Stow & Go (which is awesome), were the same color, same condition and within 1,000 miles. The biggest difference was the $5,000 higher price tag for the Oddyssey.

I buy a vehicle to drive it into the ground, so I don't care how good of an "investment" it is.

[Tesha]

7. If the profits land in the hands of a "Private Equity Management" group, why do I give a damn...

...what country seems to house that group?

Tesha

[lutefisk]

9. Actually Canada, Italy, and the US

Because of the greater depreciation on many American cars (compared with some foreign nameplates), buying a late model used American branded vehicle can be a good way to go. I agree with you on that point.

[Tesha]

8. Based on our experiences with our '96 Grand Caravan, it'll be just about never...

...before we buy another Chrysler product. Admittedly,
our opinion turned upwards somewhat when we had
a different dealer start doing the warranty/recall work
on the car and now, our local trusted mechanic does
what work Mr. Tesha can't manage.

But the car will still never escape those early days when
it put such a bad taste in our mouths for complete and
utter unreliability, much of it directly-attributable to lousy
engineering.

Tesha

[obxhead]

4. 2004 Element here

low mileage (for me at least) at 110K. Having personally put over 600K and 20 years on 3 Honda's now I can say I have faith in the company. Had 1 civic recalled for a faulty igniter, although it had broken 75K before the notice came out. Honda did send us a payment for the full repair that we had done with no argument at all.

Cars break and poor engineering is discovered as new components are real life tested. It's just a fact of life with all things mechanical/electronic. How the company handles the issues as they arise is what is really important.

Listening to a radio show with an engineer for the mars rovers several years ago i learned that the rovers on Mars were only using a 286 chipset. I was shocked, but he explained - Do you want to send the newest components to mars, or send a component with 20 years of real life testing behind it.