Honda is definitely one of the most trusted brands on the market when it comes to reliability. The automaker has churned out many different models that have lasted easily racked up 200,000 miles or more from owners across the globe, and some have even gone up to a million. However, issues do come up from time to time as the automaker just announced a major global recall of 1.79 million of its vehicles globally in four separate campaigns.

What is the recall regarding?

The recall involves various safety issues including driveshafts that can possibly break, window switches that can overheat, and a software issue. Of the total 1.79 million vehicles being recalled, 1.4 million of them are in the United States.

As reported by Yahoo, the first of the recalls involves 268,000 Honda CR-Vs, produced from the 2002 to 2006 model years, over replacing the power window master switches. Apparently, water can get into an open driver’s side window and cause a short, which could potentially lead to a fire. This is actually the second recall for this issue, as there was one back in 2012, but the repairs didn’t work. There have been 16 fires reported in relation to this issue, but no injuries.  

The second campaign involves 737,000 Honda models over a programming flaw in the computer. This software issue can cause the rear camera, turn signals, and windshield wipers to malfunction, which is an obvious safety issue. This recall involves the following models:

• 2018-2020 Honda Accord
• 2019-2020 Honda Insight

Lastly, there are two driveshaft recalls concerning 430,000 Honda and Acura models. These models include:

• 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid
• 2007-2014 Honda Fit
• 2013-2015 Acura ILX
• 2013-2015 Honda Accord

The recall covers 22 states and the District of Columbia in which significant road salt used can lead to drive shafts breaking due to corrosion.  There have been no accidents as a result of these recalls or the software-related one.

What is Honda going to do about the recalls?

Honda will be notifying owners via mail in late January and says that owners should take their SUVs in for repairs as soon as they get the recall notice. If you like to check if your Honda vehicle is affected by any of the recalls, you can visit the Honda Recall Lookup site or call (888) 234-2138.

Software recalls are to be expected

While it’s unfortunate that Honda has to recall various models for a software issue, it’s to be expected as automakers switch from mechanical systems to digital. Yahoo reported that Honda also recalled 608,000 minivans concerning a possible failure of the instrument panel and backup camera back in August, so it hasn’t been a particularly good year for the automaker.

However, the good news is that Honda seems to be on top of catching these issues, whether big or small and making quick work in coming up with a remedy for them. It’s this type of diligence that keeps the automaker at the top of the board when it comes to reliability and dependability.