Honda has been forced to announce a major recall for its Acura ZDX Electric Vehicles. The problem stems around the loose bolts that hold the passenger-side front stabilizer bar bracket. Honda has had a great reputation regarding their impeccable build quality over the years. This new recall will no doubt have an adverse effect on their sales and reputation. However, the individual responsible for the improperly fastened bolts is not Honda. The car in question is manufactured by General Motors in Tennessee. How did this happen to the iconic Japanese manufacturer?
What is Honda’s history as far as recalls? Does this only affect Acura?
Honda was established in 1948 by Soichiro Honda and Takeo Fujisawa, they primarily focused on making reliable, cheap motorcycles. No doubt because of limited resources due to the effects of World War 2. They would eventually make the move to manufacturing cars and other heavy equipment. Their reputation for reliable, efficient machines gave them unprecedented success.
Their reputation and engineering prowess meant that the company has not experienced too many recalls over the years. When it does happen, it tends to be on a global scale as they have expanded their reach into the four corners of the planet. This latest recall only affects their luxury spinoff brand, Acura. Honda established Acura in 1986 with the goal of making premium, high-performance cars that could challenge established European luxury carmakers.
Acura proved their worth when in 1989, the iconic and game changing NSX was released. Acura’s mid-engine supercar redefined expectations for a daily-driven sports car. That established their reputation and the world has been eagerly awaiting the new NSX ever since. Acura established the Performance Manufacturing Center in 2013 to produce the new version of the NSX for the new generation.
How to find out if your Acura is one of the affected models.
The recall must be intensely frustrating for Honda and Acura. They are not even responsible for the mistake, however they have committed to fixing it. Stating that any affected models will be fixed and any faulty parts replace free of charge. Considering the vastness of Honda’s reach, that might end up being a whole lot of cars. How much of a financial hit will Honda end up taking from the recall?
Those questions will soon be answered as Honda is set to send out a notification of the recall to its dealerships and customers in May. Honda and their compatriots have been investing heavily in the alternative, sustainable fuel sector recently. The recall only affects the electric version of their Acura ZDX models. The recall will not affect the gasoline powered range of cars.
Acura has garnered a great reputation since launching and they have the technical capabilities to sort this problem out in a flash. With the car being assembled by General Motors, will Acura and Honda look elsewhere for an alternative assembler that will not allow this sort of problem to occur? Once the numbers for the recall have been tallied, the answer to that question might become slightly clearer.
Can Acura and Honda recover despite the new recall?
Acura was established to make the kind of high performance cars that Honda were not making a the time. Honda’s focus on their own cars and heavy machinery meant that to explore that region of the automotive sector, they would need a different approach. They succeeded in creating the kind of company that was able to compete internationally and challenge the established European car makers. The competition is making their own investments. This recall is setback, but not a huge one. For more information about this recall, check the 25-024 report from Acura.
