Posts Tagged ‘honda news’

Honda Profits Rise in Spite of China Problems

Mazda Back in black for first time in 5 years, but Kia earnings hurt by labor dispute.

by on Apr.26, 2013

Strong U.S. demand for the new Honda Accord helped buoy the maker's earnings.

Despite slumping sales in China, the world’s largest automotive market, Honda Motor Co. managed to eke out a 6% increase in earnings for the January-March quarter – largely because the year-ago numbers were still impacted by production cuts from a series of natural disasters.

The maker also benefited from the weakening yen, and Honda CEO Takanobu Ito said he anticipates doing even better in the months ahead as exchange rates shift, reducing the penalty on Japanese-made goods.

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That was also good news for smaller rival Mazda which crept back into the black for the first time in five years — but in Korea, Kia reported Friday that a bitter labor dispute resulted in a big drop in its earnings.

Honda earned 75.7 billion yen, or $765 million, during the final quarter of its fiscal year, compared with 71.5 billion during the same period in 2012. For the full fiscal year, which ended on March 31, earnings soared 73.6% to 367.15 billion yen, or $3.7 billion. Its operating profit, meanwhile, climbed to 544.8 billion yen, up 135.5%.

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Honda Recalling Over 200,000 Vehicles for Shift Interlock Problems

Latest in an ongoing series of safety issues for maker.

by on Apr.18, 2013

The new Acura flagship, the RDX sedan, is one of the vehicles covered by the latest recall.

Already hammered by a series of recalls that have so far involved well over a million vehicles since the beginning of the year, Honda has added another 200,000 sedans, crossovers and minivans to the list, the newest recall involving problems with the maker’s shift-interlock system.

The new recall comes as a particular embarrassment for the maker’s luxury drivision, affecting the recently launched Acura RDX, which was intended to put a high-tech halo around the brand.

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About 17,500 of the 2013 Acura RDX sedans are covered by the recall, along with 128,000 Honda CR-Vs and 59,000 Odyssey minivans, the latter two models sold during the 2012 and 2013 model-year.

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Honda Recalling Another 570,000 Vehicles

Latest in series of steps due to defective airbags.

by on Apr.11, 2013

The 2002 Honda Civic is one of the models impacted by the maker's latest airbag recall.

In the latest of a series of steps that has plagued the Japanese maker for several years, Honda announced it will recall more than 470,000 sedans, minivans and crossover-utility vehicles due to defective airbag systems.

The problem could cause potentially serious injuries, the maker acknowledged, and has been linked to such incidents in the past in other vehicles the maker has had to recall for similar issues. In fact, Honda recalled 750,000 other vehicles due to airbag defects earlier this year.

Reports out of Japan indicate other manufacturer may have additional airbag-related recalls to announce this week, possibly covering as many as 3 million vehicles sold worldwide. That could involve Toyota, as well as Honda, according to a Japanese transport ministry official, though it is unclear if – or how many – additional vehicles sold in the U.S. might be impacted.

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The latest U.S. Honda recall covers approximately 426,000 subcompact Civic models sold during the 2001 to 2003 model-years, 43,000 CR-V crossovers offered in 2002 and 2003, and another 92,000 Odyssey minivans from the 2002 model-year.

“It is possible that the passenger front airbag inflators in affected vehicles may deploy with too much pressure, which may cause the inflator casing to rupture and could result in injury,” the maker acknowledged in a statement.

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Honda and Acura Have Big Plans for Shanghai

Concept C and Concept S, new MPV and two new crossover concepts on tap.

by on Apr.08, 2013

Might Acura be planning a new CUV smaller than its current RDX model for a Shanghai debut?

It wasn’t that many years ago when Chinese auto shows were relatively lame events, manufacturers rolling out production cars and prototypes we’d already seen at other global events, such as Detroit, Geneva or even Tokyo. Not anymore.  This year’s Shanghai Motor Show promises to be a major event with dozens of new offerings from global makers including Honda and its luxury franchise Acura.

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In fact, their stands look likely to be crowded with an assortment of new offerings of both the concept and production type. That includes a pair of show cars of which the maker is saying little which makes it unclear whether they will be more CUV or minivan in character.

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Honda Unveiling Updated 2014 Odyssey in NY

Japanese maker hints of “innovative new features.”

by on Mar.19, 2013

Honda will give the Odyssey a minor makeover.

While there’s been plenty of talk about the demise of the minivan, the classic people-mover segment continues to attract plenty of buyers who need space and flexibility, and Honda hopes to expand the appeal of its popular Odyssey model with a mild makeover it plans to unveil at the New York Auto Show later this month.

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The Japanese maker is promising to add some “innovative new features” when it launches the 2014 Honda Odyssey at the Jacob Javits convention center. Precisely what that means, the maker isn’t saying, though minivan buyers put a premium on such features as seating and storage, as well as fuel economy.

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Honda Recalling 250,000 Vehicles for Braking Problems

Campaign targets Pilot, two Acura models.

by on Mar.14, 2013

The 2005 Acura MDX is one of three models targeted by Honda's latest recall.

Honda continues to be plagued by safety-related problems that have resulted in it being at the top of the automotive recall list in recent years – the latest announcement targeting 250,000 vehicles sold worldwide due to potential brake problems.

More than 180,000 of the vehicles impacted by the new recall were sold in the United States through both the flagship Honda, as well as the upscale Acura, brands.  Some of the vehicles were sold in Japan, Canada, Mexico and other parts of the world, according to the maker.

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According to Honda, “If ann electrical capacitor on the VSA control unit was damaged during manufacture, the VSA system could malfunction and apply a small amount of brake force for a fraction of a second, without any input by the driver.”

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Consumer Reports Names Top Picks

Lots of new models and brands.

by on Feb.27, 2013

Honda returns to the CR Top Picks with three models - including the new Accord sedan.

With 100s of cars, trucks and crossovers on the market and scores of new models making their debut, picking the right vehicle can be something of a daunting task.

Sure, many buyers are loyalists who will trade in for the some product over and over again, but more and more consumers are willing to look elsewhere if it means getting a safer, more reliable, more attractive and more affordable vehicle. And with fuel prices nudging record levels, buyers seem more willing than ever to consider a switch.

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And many of them turn to the non-profit publication Consumer Reports for guidance, especially when the magazine issues its annual Top Picks. Though its list of choices in 10 categories won’t reach print until the April auto issue, CR editors have given a heads-up on what models it they have chosen, models CR declares are “as close as it gets to no-brainers.”

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NHTSA Launches Safety Investigations of 1.4 Mil Fords, Toyotas, Hondas

Stalling, steering, braking problems trigger concerns.

by on Feb.25, 2013

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Toyota's Gen-3 Prius is under investigation - again - for steering-related problems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a series of safety investigations targeting nearly 1.3 million Ford Motor Co., Toyota Motor Co. and Honda Motor Co. vehicles.

Federal regulators caution that they have not decided whether recalls are necessary but automotive observers note that, having come under fire for getting too cozy with the industry in recent years, NHTSA is getting more aggressive when it comes to ordering manufacturers to resolve safety-related problems.

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Toyota’s popular Prius – the nation’s best-selling gas-electric vehicle – is the target of one of the new investigations. A total of 561,000 of the high-mileage hybrids are involved, NHTSA probing reports that the vehicles’ steering shafts were improperly assembled.

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Honda Moving US Corp. HQ to Ohio

With promotion, new global Honda COO will be based in Ohio.

by on Feb.22, 2013

Tetsuo Iwamura, shown at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, becomes the new chief operating officer of Honda's global automotive operations.

Honda will be moving its North American corporate headquarters to Ohio – where it set up Japan’s first auto assembly plant in the U.S. more than 30 years ago. Adding even more significance to the move is the promotion of Tetsuo Iwamura who will now serve as Honda’s global chief operating officer of automotive operations as well as COO of Honda North America.

About 50 executives and support staff are expected to make the move to Marysville, Ohio from the maker’s long-standing base of operations in the Los Angeles suburb of Torrance.  But the California facility will remain Honda’s sales and marketing base of operations for the U.S.

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“These organizational changes will improve the speed of decision-making and the efficiency of our business operations,” said Iwamura, who will now wear a number of hats including president and chief operating officer for North America, as well as the new assignments as the COO of Automobile Operations and risk management officer for Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

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Honda Goes Solar

Partnership promises to deliver sun power for less than the local electric utility charges.

by on Feb.21, 2013

Honda has had an ongoing interest in solar power, such as this sun-powered hydrogen station at its LA research center.

The first automaker to offer a hybrid-electric vehicle in the U.S. market, Honda is diving even deeper into renewable energy with a project it says could make solar power affordable for its dealers and customers.

The goal of Honda’s new partnership with SolarCity is to make energy from the sun less costly than utility-supplied power, according to the carmaker – which has set up a $65 million investment fund to back the project.

“We believe Honda and Acura customers are going to be very interested in going solar once they find out that they can install solar at their home with little or no upfront cost, can lower their monthly utility bill, and can make a positive contribution to protecting the environment,” said Steven Center, vice president of the Environmental Business Development Office of American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

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Founded by brothers Lyndon and Peter Rive in 2006, and headquartered in San Mateo, California, SolarCity provides a wide range of sun-powered technologies, including commercial and residential solar energy arrays, as well as solar charging stations for electric vehicles which Honda says it also is “envisioning” for its future EV and plug-in hybrid customers.

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