Honda Recalls 330,000 Vehicles Over Side Mirror Problems

Some 330,000 Honda owners will soon be notified that their cars are being recalled over problems with side view mirrors. 

The new recall spans Honda models, including the 2020-2022 Odyssey, 2020-2022 Passport, 2020-2021 Pilot and 2020-2021 Ridgeline. 

Honda blamed a manufacturing defect for the recall in a notice filed with federal safety regulators. Heating pads behind side view mirrors may not be properly bonded, which could cause the glass to move and increase the risk of accidents.

“The side view mirror heater pad was adhered to the backing plate with adhesive tape with insufficient adhesive strength, which can cause detachment during normal vehicle operation,” Honda told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

“If the heater pad detaches/falls from the mirror backing plate, the mirror glass will detach/fall with it, resulting in the potential impairment or loss of rearward visibility and increasing the risk of a crash or injury,” the company added.

Honda plans to notify owners of recalled cars by May 8, the company said in the NHTSA notice. It will ask owners to bring their cars to local dealers to have both side-view mirror sets replaced.

Other Honda Recalls

These kinds of recalls are all too common for Honda and other major auto manufacturers.

The company announced late last year, for example, that it was recalling some 116,000 Ridgeline pickups. The vehicles’ rearview cameras could fail, Honda explained, increasing the risk of back-up collisions.

More recently, Honda told owners of older Honda and Acura models to stop driving the cars immediately until faulty airbags are removed and replaced. The faulty Takata airbags were part of a massive recall that began nearly a decade ago.

How the California Lemon Law Protects You

There is some good news for Honda and other drivers in California. You have some important rights and protections when it comes to defective and malfunctioning vehicles. Many do not need to wait around for a recall to get their cars fixed.

The California lemon law generally requires car manufacturers to perform a wide range of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. Known formally as the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, the law also forces companies to buy back (or replace, in some cases) cars that they cannot or will not fix. That includes covering the vehicle’s purchase price and financing costs, as well as rental car and other related expenses.

There is no specific number of repair requests or attempts that must happen before the buyback requirement kicks in. That is one of several reasons why it is important to consult a seasoned lemon law attorney who has experience assisting people in these types of cases.

Talk with a California Lemon Law Attorney

If you have been stuck with a defective or malfunctioning vehicle, a California lemon law attorney at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help you fight back.  

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a California lemon law attorney.