Honda recalls Jazz – again

HONDA has recalled its Jazz hatchback for the second time in as many months, this time due to a potential engine problem that may also afflict its four-door twin, the City sedan.

A total of 11,009 model year 2009 and 2010 vehicles are affected by the latest recall, which aims to fix a potential valvetrain gremlin that Honda advises has emerged on just one car in Australia.

“The sliding portion between the lost motion spring and rocker arm is not sufficiently lubricated for high surface pressure setting at low engine speed, potentially causing breakage of the auxiliary spring during usage,” said the recall notice issued today by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

“In the worst case, the engine may stall and will not restart.”Honda will advise the owners of all affected vehicles by mail and says it will inspect and, if necessary, replace the engine components involved – a process it says will take about two hours.

Affected vehicles carry vehicle identification numbers ranging between MRHGM26609P050028 and MRHGM26609P051257, MRHGE88509P040003 and MRHGE88509P042866, MRHGE88609P060009 and MRHGE88609P061304, MRHGE8850AP040047 and MRHGE8850AP040913, and MRHGE8850AP070035 and MRHGE8850AP070080.



Left: Original Jazz and the 2010 City sedan, a Jazz derivation.

The latest Jazz recall follows the call-back of more than 27,000 examples of the first-generation Jazz in Australia in January, to fix potentially defective wiring in the headlight switch system that could leave drivers in the dark.

Last month’s Jazz recall was part of an international action affecting 1.35 million Jazz models built between 2001 and 2007, although in Australia the problem only involved vehicles built between 2002 – when the car was introduced to Australia – and 2005, after which supply switched to Honda’s Thailand plant.

Honda’s (VSA) electronic stability control system became standard across the second-generation Jazz range – launched in Australia in 2008 - for the first time from January 1, when the potentially life-saving safety device became compulsory for all cars and SUVs in Victoria.

The cosmetically facelifted version of the latest Jazz, which went on sale in Japan last year, will be released in Australia either late next month or in April.