All About Japan Autos

Honda is accustomed to recalls. In 2008, faulty driver’s side airbags caused Honda to recall almost 4,000 vehicles. After further investigation, the automaker recalled another 440,000 vehicles with malfunctioning airbags in 2009. Now Honda Civics and Accords from 2003 and Honda Elements from 2003 and 2004 have been recalled due to a recurring issue with the shift interlock system. Honda is recalling 384,220 vehicles after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation determined that an earlier recall did not cover all affected vehicles.

“The problem is that the ignition interlock mechanism can be damaged or worn during use,” Los Angeles Times explains. “After that occurs, it could allow the ignition key to be removed without the car being shifted into park, allowing the car to roll away.”

NHTSA reports that only 11 rollaways have been reported for the Accord and Civic as a result of the faulty shift interlock, and there were no reports of injuries.

Notifications to affected customers will begin in late September. “When Honda identifies concerns of this nature, nothing is more important to the company than fulfilling our obligation and responsibility to alert our customers,” the Honda states in a press release. “To this end, in addition to contacting customers by mail, after Sept. 20, 2010, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicle requires repair by going on-line or calling Honda.”

If you own one of the recalled models, you can call the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 888-327-4236 or call Honda 800-999-1009.

If you’re in the market for a new car, check out the U.S. News rankings of this year’s best cars as well as this month’s best car deals.