Honda Recalls 1.5 Million Accord, CR-V and Element Vehicles

The North American division of Honda today announced a voluntary recall on three of its models, accounting for approximately 1.5 million vehicles. According to Honda, the problem has been identified in the software that controls the automatic transmission, which now needs to be brought up to date.

Certain 2005-2010 4-cylinder Accord, 2007-2010 CR-V and 2005-2008 Element vehicles will be included in the voluntary recall.

Without the updated software, the automatic transmission secondary shaft bearing in the affected vehicles can be damaged if the transmission is quickly shifted between each of the reverse, neutral and drive positions, as may be done in an attempt to dislodge a vehicle stuck in mud or snow.

If the bearing is damaged in this unusual scenario, it can cause the engine to stall or lead to difficulty engaging the parking gear. The update to the vehicle's automatic transmission control module software will ease the transition between gears to reduce the possibility of damage.

The Japanese company is saying that it has no information about any incidents that resulted from this problem, nor does it have any information about people experiencing problems with their vehicles.

Needless to say, the repairs will be made, as usual in recall cases, free of charge for the owners of the affected vehicles. The automaker is advising all owners of affected vehicles to take their vehicles to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification (word to the owners will be sent starting August 31).