• Honda is recalling 115,000 Fit and HR-V SUVs to fix a problem with the rearview camera.
• The affected vehicle are those started with a key rather than a push button.
• The rearview camera is mandatory on all new vehicles sold in Canada and the U.S. since May 1, 2018.
Honda is recalling 2018-2020 Fit and 2019-2022 HR-V SUVs to address a problem with the rearview camera, which may not work after the vehicle is started.
Although the glitch does not prevent affected vehicles from operating, these no longer meet current standards if the rearview camera is not operational. As a reminder, as of May 1, 2018, all new vehicles manufactured and sold in North America must have a rearview camera that is functional.
A total of 114,686 vehicles are affected. Honda says it has received 205 warranty claims related to the issue. No injuries or fatalities have been reported. The most common risk is a collision with other vehicles in parking lots, but we shouldn’t forget the risk of a tragedy when a child may be behind a vehicle. A smaller person could be invisible to the naked eye and this is where the camera comes into play.
According to documents released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the equivalent of Transport Canada, Honda began investigating the issue in October 2020. The manufacturer's defect report states that “the power circuit in the display audio unit was improperly designed. When the engine is started with an ignition key, the cranking can cause the battery’s state of charge to drop, which may prevent the display audio from booting up, resulting in the failure to display the rearview camera image.”
In August 2021, the automaker determined that the problem only occurred with vehicles started with a key and not a push button. On Jan. 27 of this year, Honda decided a recall was necessary to fix the problem with updated software that changes the start procedure. All owners who paid for a repair related to this issue will be reimbursed.
Owners of affected vehicles can expect to receive a letter by March 13, 2023. If you purchased one of these vehicles on the used market, you may not have been notified. You can then contact your Honda workshop to proceed with the repair.