In the current recall frenzy, automakers are very quick to announce recalls, and I personally think it’s a good thing. Just yesterday, Honda announced a recall for brake issues with the Element and Odyssey vehicles. The recall includes some 2007-2008 Elements and Odysseys. Read on for more details.

Approximately 344,000 Odysseys and 68,000 Elements are being recalled, for a total of about 412,000 vehicles.

The issue stems from the Vehicle Stability Assist modulators, also known as VSA, which modulates the brakes as well as other systems to help prevent rollovers. According to Honda, a defect during the manufacturing process can cause a “miniscule amount of air” to get into the brake system during a self-check. Over time, usually months or years, those small bits of air can add up to a soft brake pedal feel, or worse, the pedal getting closer and closer to the floor before the brakes effectively slow the car.

The reason the air causes such problems in a braking system is because of the extreme pressures in a car’s brake lines and the fact that the brake fluid used in cars compressed less than air. When the air is compressed, the driver is left with a soft pedal and required pedal pressure in order to slow the car, whereas a system with no leaks would react more quickly.

Owners should expect to be notified via mail in the second half of April. You can also go to www.recalls.honda.com or call 1-800-999-1009 and select Option 4.

by John Suit

Source: Honda