Photo: Honda / edited
The hottest of hot hatchbacks currently available stateside is called back over an increased risk of injury for the driver. In the event of a collision, the subpar weld on the driver seat frame may break, causing said frame to brake as well. The safety risk is joined by a noncompliance condition, as per U.S. federal motor vehicle safety standard number 207 for seating systems.
According to Honda’s chronology of events, a Japanese supplier by the name of TS Tech conducted a welding robot teaching procedure in July 2022. Another procedure for setting new target weld coordinates followed in October 2022. One month later, Honda received a field report alleging driver’s seat rattling.
Come December 2022, the aforementioned supplier implemented quality procedures to ensure proper weld quality. At the beginning of the year, Honda received yet another report from the field about squeaking noises.
Honda got its hands on a suspect driver’s seat in late January 2023, identifying the root cause of the abnormal noises as being an insufficient weld. The engineering department confirmed the same issue with the second seat in February 2023, which prompted the second-largest Japanese automaker to investigate TS Tech. As expected, the supplier didn’t program the welding robot properly. Honda is currently aware of four claims, no injuries, and no fatalities related to the improper weld.
As far as the U.S. market is concerned, American Honda Motor Co. is calling back 640 examples of the Civic Type R. Affected vehicles were produced for the 2023 model year in the period between August 4th, 2022 and October 19th, 2022 at the Yorii plant in Japan. That’s also where Honda makes the Civic hatchback for the Japanese market. The CTR requires specific assembly processes despite being made on the same assembly line.
Owner notifications for the affected vehicles will be mailed no later than May 8th, as per the document attached below. Dealers have already been told to replace the driver seat cushion frame assembly with a new part featuring a proper weld between the seat’s back frame and cushion frame. Only seats produced by TS Tech before October 13th, 2022 have improper welds.
Slightly more powerful back home in Japan and in Europe, the sixth-generation Civic Type R uses the K-series turbocharged four-cylinder engine of the FK8. Rated at 315 horsepower stateside, the 2.0-liter mill produces 310 pound-feet (420 Nm) in all markets. The only transmission available is a good ol’ manual with a superb gear knob and an optimized shift gate pattern.
Gifted with slightly wider tracks than its predecessor, a limited-slip differential of the helical variety, dual-axis struts up front, and a multi-link rear end, the FL5 isn’t exactly within the reach of many. Priced at $43,295 sans destination charge, as opposed to $25,850 for the Civic hatchback, the latest and greatest Civic Type R is yet another victim of unscrupulously high dealer markups.
Come December 2022, the aforementioned supplier implemented quality procedures to ensure proper weld quality. At the beginning of the year, Honda received yet another report from the field about squeaking noises.
Honda got its hands on a suspect driver’s seat in late January 2023, identifying the root cause of the abnormal noises as being an insufficient weld. The engineering department confirmed the same issue with the second seat in February 2023, which prompted the second-largest Japanese automaker to investigate TS Tech. As expected, the supplier didn’t program the welding robot properly. Honda is currently aware of four claims, no injuries, and no fatalities related to the improper weld.
As far as the U.S. market is concerned, American Honda Motor Co. is calling back 640 examples of the Civic Type R. Affected vehicles were produced for the 2023 model year in the period between August 4th, 2022 and October 19th, 2022 at the Yorii plant in Japan. That’s also where Honda makes the Civic hatchback for the Japanese market. The CTR requires specific assembly processes despite being made on the same assembly line.
Owner notifications for the affected vehicles will be mailed no later than May 8th, as per the document attached below. Dealers have already been told to replace the driver seat cushion frame assembly with a new part featuring a proper weld between the seat’s back frame and cushion frame. Only seats produced by TS Tech before October 13th, 2022 have improper welds.
Slightly more powerful back home in Japan and in Europe, the sixth-generation Civic Type R uses the K-series turbocharged four-cylinder engine of the FK8. Rated at 315 horsepower stateside, the 2.0-liter mill produces 310 pound-feet (420 Nm) in all markets. The only transmission available is a good ol’ manual with a superb gear knob and an optimized shift gate pattern.
Gifted with slightly wider tracks than its predecessor, a limited-slip differential of the helical variety, dual-axis struts up front, and a multi-link rear end, the FL5 isn’t exactly within the reach of many. Priced at $43,295 sans destination charge, as opposed to $25,850 for the Civic hatchback, the latest and greatest Civic Type R is yet another victim of unscrupulously high dealer markups.
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