One of the things that made Honda a great brand in the car industry is its capacity to provide performance savvy cars without burning too much petrol. GT cars and the average sedans have carried this trademark. And if you think that Honda is just a plain and old boring Asian car company, you have to think again. It has performed well in the past in Formula One, and it was able to provide modifiable vehicles. But of course, every company will have its mishaps. Honda had its share when it released the Honda Fit. Honda Fit made between 2007 to 2008 are ordered to be recalled.
Damage Control
Around 700,000 subcompact hatchbacks are scheduled to return to Honda. In fact, 143 thousand of the total recalled Hatchbacks belong to US owners. The reason why the car is going to be recalled is because of the master switch that can potentially start a fire inside the vehicle.
According to Honda, the master switch was found to overheat and smolder with changes in climate. Thus, whenever there is a change in climate, there is a potential fire starter inside the vehicle. Because of this, it was highly advised Honda park their cars and have them recalled.
Not the First Time
Could this damage the popularity of Honda? This is possible because of the fact that it wasn’t the first time that it happened. In fact, the first time that Honda was forced to recall their Fits was during 2010. It was the same problem that was presented at that time. Some markets have received this model of Honda as Honda Jazz.
Honda is not alone with the recalls this year though. General Motors was also forced to recall 450,000 Chevy Trailblazer and Buick Rainier 2005-2007 models. Does this mean that it is completely normal for car companies to go for a recall? This has been the case over the past years. In fact, even high-end cars have prompted recalls. Tesla for instance also declared a potential danger on their environmentally friendly Model S.
Honda admitted their error, and they are saying that the changes that they made for the Honda Fit in 2010, may have not done the job pretty well. They are planning to replace the ones that will show damage. If you have a Honda with you, it would be wise to visit your dealer as early as possible to avoid unnecessary stress.
According to the spokesman of Honda, Chris Martin, the public has nothing to worry about because there were no injuries or crashes recorded due to the reported main switch trouble. It was reported, however, that prior to 2010, there were 7 cases of melted switches due to the change in humidity.
Car manufacturing companies are becoming preventive in order not to alienate their market. This is a good move considering any small damage in the vehicle can actually cause injuries or even fatality on the road.