Honda to recall over 45,000 hybrid Civics

updated 9:40 a.m. ET Feb. 9, 2007

TOKYO - Honda Motor Co. plans to recall 45,335 Civic Hybrid sedans worldwide to repair a voltage converter defect that could stop the car’s engine, a company spokeswoman said Friday.

Japan’s No. 2 automaker plans to recall 7,219 of the vehicles sold in Japan and another 38,116 sold overseas, mostly in the U.S., a Honda spokeswoman said. She spoke on condition of anonymity, citing company policy.

Honda learned about the defect — which could cause a short circuit that would stop the engine and prevent it from restarting — from overseas reports, the company said in documents filed Thursday with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Honda has received no reports of accidents, the documents said. The affected vehicles were manufactured between September 2005 and September 2006, they said.

In Japan, Honda plans to notify the owners of the affected vehicles by mail and repair the defective parts, the spokeswoman said.

The overseas recalls and repairs will be handled according to local laws, she said, without giving further details.

Honda also plans to recall 72,597 Elysion minivans due to defective sliding door locks, according to separate documents filed Thursday with the ministry.

The model is sold only in Japan, the Honda spokeswoman said.

Honda has received 27 complaints about the locks, but no reports of accidents, the documents said.

The company plans to replace the defective locks on affected vehicles, manufactured between April 2004 and November 2006, they said.

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