The sealant bottle in the flat tire repair kit can build up pressure and eject its cap, posing an injury risk to users nearby
Brandon Bell / Getty Images
A defect in the flat tire repair kit included with more than a million Honda $HMC vehicles has prompted a recall affecting 1,049,883 U.S. vehicles, with federal safety regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announcing the action on Wednesday.
The problem has two roots, according to the recall report. During development of the flat tire repair kit, the design failed to account for pressure that could build up if the nozzle were improperly connected, which led to the inclusion of an unnecessary fluid leak prevention valve. Separately, certain relief valves were set incorrectly during supplier manufacturing, preventing pressure from escaping as intended. When the tire repair kit is used, pressure can accumulate inside the sealant bottle, causing the cap to detach and become a projectile that could strike the user or bystanders, raising the risk of injury.
Among the vehicles subject to the action are select Honda Accord Hybrid, CR-V Fuel Cell EV, and CR-V Hybrid models. Honda will notify owners by mail; once contacted, they can bring their vehicle to a dealership to have the sealant bottle or nozzle from the tire repair kit swapped out free of cost.
This recall is the latest in a series of safety actions Honda has taken in recent months. The company issued a recall of approximately 880,514 Honda and Acura vehicles to inspect and, if necessary, repair or replace rear subframe components that may corrode and cause rear suspension failure. Before that, Honda recalled nearly 99,000 vehicles over a front passenger seat weight sensor defect that could cause airbags to deploy inappropriately, and recalled nearly 60,000 electric SUVs over a rearview camera defect linked to water intrusion. Honda also recalled more than 440,000 Odyssey minivans in April over a software flaw that could cause side and curtain airbags to deploy without warning.
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