Honda Recalls 470,000 Vehicles for Brake Fluid Leaks
WASHINGTON — Honda Motor Co. said it is recalling 470,000 vehicles in the United States over possible brake fluid leaks — one day after Toyota Motor Corp. issued a recall for the same problem, reported The Detroit News.
The recall covers some 2005-07 Acura RL and 2005-07 Honda Odyssey vehicles. Worldwide, Honda is recalling about 528,000 vehicles over the issue, company spokeswoman Christina Ra
Toyota recalled 1.53 million vehicles globally for the problem, including 740,000 in the United States. Both Honda and Toyota used the same supplier for the problematic part -— Advics Co. Ltd. in Japan.
The leak concerns arise when customers don't use the original type of brake fluid. That can allow the seal on the master cylinder to fail.
Honda said it doesn't know how many of the vehicles may fail or have failed. It said it was alerted to Toyota's investigation of the issue on Sept. 16.
Honda will replace the brake master cylinder seal in all of the vehicles - and if leaking occurred, it also will replace the brake booster.
But Honda — like Toyota — said it doesn't believe the glitch poses a safety issue. Toyota said that even if the fluid leaks, drivers would have enough power to stop the vehicles.
Ra noted that if the fluid leaked, it "will result in the brake fluid light illuminating before there is any loss of brake system performance. Although one brake circuit could gradually lose performance due to this cause, there would be no effect on the other brake circuit."
She said if drivers see a warning light go on, "they should take their vehicle to a dealer for repair immediately."
Honda hasn't yet set the schedule for notifying dealers and customers of the problem.
More Industry

World EV Adoption Set to Grow
A new report says the segment, despite recent setbacks in some regions, is poised for acceleration as many countries look to reduce pollution.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Wholesale automotive auction business stayed steady last week as bidders encountered lower prices, analysts observed.
Read More →
Pricing Transparency Drives Purchase Consideration
An annual study by JD Power found that clear pricing matters to consumers on automaker websites, so much so that it increases their purchase consideration.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Used-vehicle market depreciation was the prevailing story in the wholesale market last week.
Read More →
Smaller Is Looking Better
A growing number of Americans in the market for a new vehicle are opting for more affordable options, not waiting for market stability to bite the bullet.
Read More →
U.S. EV Market Slowly Stabilizes
U.S. electric-vehicle interest is slowly stabilizing since a major dip in sales after last year's end of the federal EV tax credit, and hybrids remain the leading electrified power train.
Read More →
Global EV Market Entering New Phase
Automakers are making investments to lower battery costs and optimize production to meet changing consumer needs.
Read More →
Black Book Weekly Market Update
The holiday weekend, not surprisingly, put a drag on wholesale automotive activity last week, analysts observed.
Read More →
Auto Affordability in Context
Cox Automotive points out the complex circumstances that have led to eye-popping vehicle prices.
Read More →
Black Book: Weekly Market Update
Automotive auction inventory increased last week, giving choosy bidders even more leeway.
Read More →