Window switch and fire risk prompts Honda CR-V recall

A Honda CR-V recall has been announced, the third Honda recall in the past two weeks. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

It has not been a great month for Honda, which has issued a third recall in the space of less two weeks. The latest, a Honda CR-V recall, is for the window switch in the 2002 to 2006 CR-V, which can be damaged by moisture and fail, along with posing a risk of fire due to a shorting out.

Honda CR-V recall the third in two weeks

Perhaps 2012 really is the end of the world. Honda might believe it, as the company has just announced a Honda CR-V recall, the third recall announced by the company in the space of the past two weeks. Another recall, issued days before the CR-V recall, was for the Honda Pilot SUV and Civic sedan, for faulty headlight wiring, according to USA Today. That recall itself was an extension of a recall for the CR-V, issued this spring.

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A CR-V recall was also issued this summer for a faulty door latch, though it only affected the current model year.

Honda also announced a recall for the Acura ILX and Honda Accord sedans with V-6 engines for a faulty power steering hose that posed a fire risk.

Faulty door switch could catch fire

The Honda CR-V recall that has just been announced affects the 2002 through 2006 model year CR-V crossovers. There are around 489,000 vehicles affected worldwide, including 268,655 in the United States, according to AutoGuide. The vehicles in question, according to Inside Line, were made between February 19, 2002, to July 28, 2006.

The issue is with the master window switch, or the master control for power windows, located on the driver side door panel. The switch is positioned in such a manner that moisture from rain or snow can, over time, leak into the door leading to the possibility that the switch will short-circuit. The switch can overheat, melt and possibly cause an electric fire in the vehicle.

Vehicles that aren’t actively in use, say if a CR-V is only used for camping and ski trips, are susceptible. No injuries or accidents were reported but four switch fires were.

Fix is simple

The repair for the Honda CR-V recall is that owners just have to pop into a dealership and sayhowdy, Honda in Austin, Tx., to Chicago and any Honda dealers in all points in between, for the repair to get done. Service techs will examine the switch and repair or replace any parts for free.

Notifications are heading out soon and technicians will begin making repairs on Nov. 2.

However, in the mean time, Honda advises owners not to park their CR-V outside. That might seem counterintuitive given the fire risk, but it is to prevent further risk of moisture getting into the door. Used car shoppers looking at a later model CR-V should be aware of the recall and ask if the repair has been done before buying one.