Honda Malaysia today announced a proactive product update involving approximately 36,000 units of the Civic, Civic Type R, and CR-V.
This activity is to update the Electric Power Steering (EPS) gearbox. The EPS gearbox worm wheel may swell and reduce grease film thickness, causing abnormal steering noise or sticky steering. The models involved include Civic Year Model 2022-2024, Civic Type R Year Model 2023-2024, and CR-V Year Model 2024.
Honda Malaysia apologises for the inconvenience caused to affected customers and reassures that other current production and selling models are not affected in this product update. The Company believes this proactive product update is necessary as customer safety is Honda Malaysia’s top priority.
The Cayenne, Porsche’s first SUV, is still in its third generation since being launched in 2017. During the past 5 years, there have been improvements in areas related to the powertrain, chassis, design, equipment and connectivity. This is usual for any carmaker as feedback from real-world usage by owners is received at the factory and measures are taken to address issues, while also improving the product in overall terms.
Occasionally, there are numerous improvements made with many new technologies and it is necessary not just to calibrate or tune many systems but also test them for durability and reliability. Prototypes are now undergoing rigorous testing – called ‘complete vehicle testing’ at Porsche – to ensure the operational stability and functionality of all components and systems as they interact – in situations that the customer experiences and far beyond.
Some people may regard vehicle recalls to fix manufacturing defects in a negative way, perceiving them as evidence that the brand’s products are unreliable or poorly made. However, in mass production where millions of parts and vehicles are made, there are likely to be some times when something is wrongly done or made. Nevertheless, over the years, manufacturers and their suppliers have cut down these defects to very tiny percentages.
When a manufacturer does detect a defect, it has the responsibility to its customers, especially if it concerns something that concerns safety. A responsible manufacturer will therefore conduct a recall of the affected vehicles, and provide the necessary replacements at no cost to the customer. So customers should be happy when their manufacturer does that – although frequent recalls would be another matter…
Honda Malaysia has done recalls from time to time, its most massive exercise being to replace the Takata airbag inflator module. That was a crucial recall as there was a very high risk of people being seriously injured or even dying if the module broke up.
Now comes another recall (two different ones actually) which the company says is proactive, meaning it is a precautionary safety measure as no incidents have been reported. In the first one, technicians will inspect the nut torque on the Alternating Current Generator (ACG) to determine if it is correctly tightened on the ACG terminal of the engine harness. If not, there may be poor contact and a battery malfunction which may lead to engine stoppage while driving or being unable to start the engine after the car stops. The models affected are 1,068 units of the City (2021) and City Hatchback (2022)
The second issue requires inspection of the bolt earth grounding tightness, also to check if the tightening of bolt earth grounding is correct otherwise the wire harness will be loose. This may cause poor contact terminal and may result in engine stoppage while driving or being unable to start the engine after the car stops. The models affected are 343 units of the HR-V (2020) and 116 units of the BR-V (2021). All the models affected were assembled at the Honda plant in Melaka.
Honda Malaysia apologises for the inconvenience caused to the affected customers and assures the public that all current production and selling models are not affected in this recall. The company believes this product recall is necessary as customer safety is Honda Malaysia’s top priority, and will continue to uphold transparency and stringent controls.
Owners of the affected vehicles will be informed via notification letters which will include details of the recall. Honda Malaysia urges those with affected vehicles to contact any authorised Honda dealer in Malaysia to make an appointment upon receipt of the notification. They can then bring their vehicles for inspection and necessary action (subject to parts availability). The inspection, repair and replacement of affected parts are free of charge and all costs related to this recall activity will be borne by Honda Malaysia.
In the event that you are not the original owner (whose records will be with Honda Malaysia) but want to check if your vehicle is affected and obtain the necessary support, call Honda Malaysia’s toll-free number at 1-800-88-2020.
After introducing the first premium luxury SUV in 1997, Lexus broadened its crossover line-up to cover every segment and as the industry moved towards smaller body sizes, Lexus followed likewise with new models. Its smallest is the UX, introduced in 2018, with a cumulative total of approximately 240,000 units sold globally.
The UX has been doing battle in one of the most competitive segments of the market and this year, it gets upgrades to keep it on par with rivals. Besides enhancements in the multimedia system, the new UX also has improved safety technology and better driving dynamics.
Under the skin, structural rigidity has been improved by adding 20 spot-welding points around the bodywork. The increased rigidity, besides giving additional passive protection, helps to enhance handling. At the same time, the electric power steering system and shock absorbers pf the suspension have been retuned accordingly to help provide a smoother transition between braking, steering and acceleration through bends and on a variety of road surfaces. It is this linear vehicle operation faithful to the driver’s input that defines the Lexus Driving Signature.
The Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 is a suite of active systems that lighten the driving burden on the driver and more importantly, help avoid accidents (or minimise the damaging effects). The single-lens camera on the windscreen and millimetre-wave radar in the grille have been improved to more effectively scan the road ahead. This enables expansion of the response range of the Pre-Collision System which can detect bicyclists and pedestrians (even in low-light conditions) and, at intersections, detect oncoming vehicles before turns. The system also detects pedestrians crossing the street from the direction toward which the vehicle was traveling before it started to make a right or left turn.
Also featured are functions such as Emergency Steering Assist, which assists steering within the vehicle’s lane as cued by the driver. The lane-recognition functions of Lane Tracing Assist have been improved through the application of AI technologies that expand the assist range, resulting in smoother and more-continuous steering assist.
Dynamic Radar Adaptive Cruise Control is a very useful autonomous system that ensures a safe gap[ from the vehicle in front and it functions at all speeds. To enhance its operation on highways with curves, the curve speed-control function decelerates the vehicle in advance according to the size of an approaching curve.
Most Lexus models have the Panoramic View Monitor nowadays so the driver can see all round the car with imagery captured by small cameras on the body. A new and advanced feature is an underbody transparent display which combines images of road surface conditions below the UX. A camera takes images of the ground earlier and then shows them on the display so the driver can have an idea what the vehicle is travelling over. The relative orientation of the wheels is also visible, which can be helpful on rough terrain with obstacles.
Inside the new UX, the multimedia infotainment system at the centre of the dashboard has been revised and now uses the new Lexus Interface system. This provides a larger touchscreen display (8 inches of 12.3 inches) that is positioned close to the driver. The display has higher resolution and smartphone-like anti-glare technology and instead of the remote controlled, users can now interact with the system through intuitive touch and voice activation controls.
The overall cabin usability has been improved by optimizing the shapes and switch layout of the instrument panel and console area with LED lighting added. Taking into consideration how people are using more personal electronic devices these days and require recharging, the interior designers have added two USB charging points at the front, and also improved the wireless charging space.
The Lexus Interface incorporates a new Voice Assistant available through voice activation or accessible via a button on the steering wheel, providing handsfree operation. Simple phrases like “Hey Lexus” trigger the system for voice commands and with a human-centred approach, the Lexus Interface Assistant allows for intuitive interaction using natural language.
For clear communication with the system, there are two microphones with enhanced noise-cancellation, seat detection and speaker location capabilities. The system gives front seat occupants an expanded and interactive experience to access media, phone and vehicle settings.
Depending on the market, the driver can also have access to Cloud Navigation, Destination Assist and other Intelligent Assistant features. The cloud navigation offered through Drive Connect allows for real-time Over-the-Air updates for traffic and routing information and Points of Interest. With Wi-Fi Connect, the Intelligent Assistant can also offer integrated audio streaming functionality.
Needless to say, the Lexus Interface support wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with compatible smartphones and also has dual Bluetooth phone connectivity.
Powertrains are unchanged and depending on the market, there are either combustion engines or hybrid powertrains. In Malaysia, for example, only the 2-litre 169 bhp combustion engine is available but there’s a choice of three versions.
The new UX F Sport version has enhancements as well, both visually and technically. The addition of a brace to the steering gear complements the standard Adaptive Variable Suspension system and rear performance dampers to absorb body flex and minor vibrations and further sharpen handling and improve overall ride comfort.
The new UX will probably take a while to appear in Malaysia, but Lexus Malaysia has just launched the new NX, another crossover SUV model positioned a notch higher. You can read our first impressions of it here.
For more information on Lexus models in Malaysia, visit www.lexus.com.my.
The Takata airbag matter may have quietened down after many years of frantic efforts by many car companies to get owners of affected vehicles to have the dangerously flawed airbag inflator replaced. Nevertheless, with millions of vehicles affected – the largest ever recall exercise in history – there are still vehicles out there which have not had the crucial replacement done.
Honda Malaysia was among the companies which was very pro-active and should be commended for its strong commitment and efforts. And it has not stopped trying to make sure that every single affected vehicle has its airbag inflator replaced. Of course, a 100% score is probably impossible but it should be close to that achievement.
The company now has identified another 2,784 units of Honda vehicles which also need to be recalled as a preventive measure to carry out the replacement of the driver’s side airbag inflator. These vehicles are the 1999 model year Accord and 2000 model year CR-V. All currently sold models are not affected.
1999 Honda Accord
Warranty ended but replacement free
Yes, they are pretty old models, which goes to show how far back the problem went. Fortunately, the manufacturers have not dismissed the matter as being something ’beyond the warranty period’ and have taken the necessary action even over 20 years after the vehicle was sold. This is, after all, literally a matter of life and death.
In case you have forgotten what the fatal flaw was, it was related to the inflator module for the airbag system. In certain cases where inflation was triggered, the internal pressure – already very high – would become critically high and break the module. This would send sharp metal pieces shooting at the driver or front passenger, some cases causing serious injuries that led to death.
So it’s a very, very serious problem that needed to be fixed. While there were incidents, some fatal, all over the world, Honda Malaysia says that it has no report in Malaysia of any incidence or injury caused by the Takata driver front airbag for these two particular models.
2000 Honda CR-V
As before, the owners of the affected will be informed via notification letters. They will be asked to contact any authorized Honda dealer to make an appointment to make the replacement (subject to parts availability).
Current owners may not be known
However, one problem that could be faced is whether the current owners of the vehicles get the recall letters. As the vehicles are already 20 years old, ownership is likely to have changed and Honda Malaysia may not have the contact details of the current owner. And the original owner who receives the letter may also not know who has the vehicle now, so the latter can’t be forwarded.
Honda Malaysia hopes that members of the public who have relatives or friends owning these two models can help to make them aware so they can contact Honda Malaysia for assistance in getting the replacement inflator module. All parts and labour related to this recall will be borne by the company.
Owners of who are unsure if their vehicle is affected can obtain information by calling Honda Toll Free number at 1-800-88-2020 or visit the Honda Malaysia Product Recall page to check their vehicle status.
Honda Malaysia also wishes to remind the public that there are Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) introduced during the Movement Control Order (MCO) which are still in force nationwide. To protect the well-being of customers and Honda personnel, the company requests customers to make an appointment in advance and adhere to the SOPs when they are at the service centre.
Honda Malaysia Sdn Bhd (HMSB) has announced a recall of 7,050 units of its CR-V model to replace the gear push knob button. The recall affects only the 2018 model year and is being carried out as a precautionary measure. All other current selling models are not affected.
The precautionary measure is to address the possibility of customers facing difficulty with the CR-V’s automatic transmission lever when shifting from PARK position to other gear positions.
Apologising for the inconvenience caused to customers, HMSB says the replacement of the part is free of charge and all related costs will be borne by the company.
Only the 2018 model year units are affected.
All affected customers will be informed via notification letters, which will include details of the product update. Customers who receive the letter are advised to send their vehicles to the nearest authorised Honda dealers for inspection. The replacement stock will be available in stages.
In the event that you do not receive a notification letter, you can obtain clarification by calling the Honda Toll Free number at 1-800-88-2020 or visit www.honda.com.my.
