TORRANCE, Calif. – March 16, 2010 – Honda will recall approximately 344,000 Odyssey and 68,000 Element vehicles from the 2007-2008 model years in the U.S. to modify the Vehicle Stability Assist™ (VSA®) modulator. Honda has received customer complaints of brake pedals that feel “soft” or that gradually exhibit a pedal height that gets lower (closer to the floor) before the vehicle stops. In affected vehicles, this condition tends to very slowly increase over time.
Some VSA modulators were assembled in a manner that could allow air intrusion, making it possible for air to enter the modulator during the VSA self-check mode. While only a miniscule amount of air can enter the system during each check, over a period of months or years, the air will accumulate and can result in the “soft brake pedal” or “low brake pedal” condition symptoms associated with this issue. Although not all vehicles being recalled are affected by this issue, we are recalling all possible units to assure all customers that their vehicles will perform correctly.
Honda is announcing this recall to encourage all owners of these vehicles to take their vehicle to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification from Honda that their vehicle is affected. Notification to customers will start at the end of April.
Once owners of these vehicles receive written notification of this recall from Honda, they should contact their authorized Honda dealer to schedule an appointment for repair. When Honda identifies concerns of this nature, nothing is more important to the company than fulfilling our obligation and responsibility to alert our customers. To this end in addition to contacting customers by mail, after April 19, 2010, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicle requires repair by going on-line or calling. Honda owners can go to www.recalls.honda.com or call (800) 999-1009, and select option 4.
Addendum:
Some initial news coverage about this recall incorrectly implied that a temporary repair procedure could be completed on affected vehicles until parts arrive for a final repair. This implication is not true.
If a customer is not currently experiencing a problem with their brakes, no current action is recommended. Recall notifications will start being sent by mail during the last two weeks of April 2010, and customers should wait to receive notification before contacting their dealer for a repair appointment.
If a customer is currently experiencing a problem with their vehicle’s brakes, they should contact their authorized Honda dealer to schedule an appointment to inspect the vehicle as soon as it is practical. Each Honda dealer is able to take appropriate steps to verify the condition, diagnose the cause, and repair the vehicle if necessary. Any repair undertaken prior to the start of recall mailings will not avoid the need to return to the dealership at a later date to have the recall repair completed.