Honda is recalling some 138,000 vehicles in Canada and the U.S. due to a problem with the display of the image captured by the rearview camera when the vehicle is started. Around 23,000 of the vehicles that are part of the recall are in Canada.
The affected models are the 2018-2020 Fit subcompact and the 2019-2022 HR-V SUV.
The problem, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the equivalent of Transport Canada, is that a design fault in the power supply circuit for the vehicle's audio display unit means that when starting up the vehicle, the battery's state of charge could drop. As a result, the display image may not appear as it normally does when the engine is started.
Obviously, if the image captured by the rearview camera is not displayed, this limits the driver's vision when reversing, which could lead to an accident or injury.
A properly functioning rearview camera is mandatory on any vehicle.
Affected vehicles can be repaired with a software update that will reprogram the audio display unit with the appropriate start-up procedure. Owners can visit their dealer to obtain the software update.
No injuries or fatalities related to this problem have been reported.
Owner notification letters should be sent out by July 8.
It should be noted that the affected vehicles were recalled in 2023. The update at that time was not as effective as expected, so some vehicles continued to experience the problem, hence the second recall to remedy the same situation.
