Brake 'feel' in Hondas spurs recall

THE CANADIAN PRESS

Honda is recalling hundreds of thousands of vehicles in Canada and the United States after some of the Japanese automaker's customers complained about the feel of brake pedals.

Although the issue has no connection to similar problems with Toyota vehicles, Honda admits there is heightened sensitivity in the industry to consumer complaints because of the public beating Toyota has been taking, particularly in the United States, over safety concerns with its vehicles.

"There's certainly heightened awareness of the issues," said Honda Canada spokesman Richard Jacobs. "I think the climate certainly is more awareness or more concern about anything of this nature."

In Canada, the recall affects 24,680 Odyssey minivans and 4,137 Element sport utility vehicles from the 2007-08 model year. In the U.S., Honda Motor Co. is recalling 344,000 Odysseys and 68,000 Elements.

The recall follows complaints that brake pedals felt "soft" or had to be pushed lower and lower over time before the vehicle would stop.

Honda said this is due to air leaking into part of the anti-lock braking system. Over a period of months or years, the air can accumulate and result in the "soft" or "low" brake pedal feel.

"It really is the brake feel. It's not brake performance," Jacobs said. "This comes on very, very gradually (not) ... just suddenly happen. It's not going to startle a consumer."

The company says there have been no confirmed accidents in Canada related to the problem and it will begin contacting customers about the repair at the end of April.

The repair is a "straightforward process" that involves draining the excess air out of the brake modulator and then sealing it, Jacobs said.

Customers experiencing brake problems should bring their vehicles in for repairs immediately.

A series of recalls due to safety concerns at Toyota have resulted in a "wave" of recalls at other automakers, partly due to heightened consumer awareness and corporate responsiveness, said David Cole, of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich.

"We're just in one of those periods of high levels of sensitivity," he said.

Toyota's sticky accelerator and Honda's recall are linked to wear and tear over time that's virtually impossible to test. "Nobody in the auto business can yet predict perfectly the impact of age on something," Cole said. "You do accelerated testing. You run stuff at low temperatures and high temperatures and dust and salt. But age itself is something ... important and you just can't evaluate it quite as easily."

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