Honda Motor to Recall 158,187 Vehicles in Japan and Other Countries to Fix Light Problems

TOKYO September 7, 2004; The AP reported that Honda Motor Co. said Tuesday it will recall 158,187 cars sold in Japan, the United States and some 39 other countries to fix problems with the vehicles' lights.

here have been no reports of accidents related to the defects, Honda spokeswoman Yuriko Yabe said.

Defective seals around the headlights on the vehicles' left side could allow water to seep in and keep them from turning on, Honda said in a statement.

Honda, Japan's third-largest automaker, said it would also fix faulty tape protecting electric circuits in the trunks of some vehicles. Repeated openings and closings of the trunk could snap a wire and cause rear lights and license plate lights to stop working.

Affected by the recall are 31,102 Accord and Accord Wagon models sold in Japan and produced between October 2002 and June 2004.

The remaining 127,085 cars, produced between June 2002 and June 2004, were models for export. They were affected only by the defective tape, the company said.

Those exported include 40,060 Acura TSX sedans shipped to the United States, 16,690 Accord sedans exported to Britain, 11,000 Accords shipped to Australia and about 6,000 Acura TSX sold in Canada.