Faulty engine: Honda to recall over 200,000 vehicles

Barely months after it recalled over 1.6 million vehicles in the U.S over potentially deadly Takata airbags inflators, Honda is again recalling another 222,674 Accord Sedans in China after recent complaints on social media about the car engine’s quality.

Recall that late early this year through this year, the Japanese car maker was forced to recall 1.6 million vehicles to replace potentially deadly Takata airbag inflators, completing its required recalls six months ahead of schedule.

Not just Honda, Nineteen automakers were also recalling about 70 million inflators in what has become the largest string of automotive recalls in U.S. history. The recalls are taking place on a schedule set by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In this latest recall Honda Motor Co Ltd’s venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd said the recall is linked to a problem caused by the intercooler of the car’s 1.5T turbocharged engine.

In certain situations, the engine lost speed to protect the vehicle, according to a document on China’s State Administration for Market Regulation.

Some owners of the Japanese carmaker’s iconic model have posted videos that showed their cars losing speed, on social media Weibo over the past weeks. Many of them have demanded for a recall of the model.

The Guangzhou-based venture will install devices that optimize the air flow rate at the engine intercooler, according to the document.

Total vehicle sales in China, the world’s largest auto market, fell for a 12th straight month in June, and top industry body has predicted them to fall for the second year running.

However, Honda’s sales in China outperformed the overall market. In the first seven months of the year, its local ventures reported a 20.5% rise in sales due to newly revamped variants.

Honda recalled hundreds of thousands of vehicles including popular Civic and CR-V last year, due to a cold-climate engine problem.