NHTSA Investigation EA03018

IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK SYSTEM

ALL BUT ONE ODI COMPLAINT AND ALL ODI CRASHES ARE DUPLICATIVE OF HONDA REPORTS.ALL 7 CRASHES WERE ROLL-AWAY CRASHES THAT OCCURRED WHEN THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED AND THE VEHICLES WERE PARKED UNSECURED (NOT IN PARK, BRAKE NOT ENGAGED).THE 3 NOTED INJURIES WERE RELATIVELY MINOR.THE WARRANTY CLAIMS SHOWN UNDER OTHER WERE CONFIRMED BY HONDA AS INTERLOCK SYSTEM FAILURES.IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLE IGNITION-PARK INTERLOCK SYSTEM, AN ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN SOLENOID OPERATES A BLOCKING LEVER TO PREVENT IGNITION KEY REMOVAL WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER IS NOT IN THE PARK POSITION.ACCORDING TO HONDA, AN IGNITION SWITCH MANUFACTURING OPERATION COULD OCCASIONALLY PRODUCE METAL DEBRIS.IN SOME CASES THE DEBRIS COULD FALL INTO THE AREA BETWEEN THE INTERLOCK LEVER AND THE BODY OF THE IGNITION SWITCH WHERE RELATIVE MOVEMENT OCCURS.DEBRIS TRAPPED IN THIS AREA CAN INCREASE FRICTION BETWEEN THE LEVER AND THE SWITCH BODY.IF THE DEBRIS IS OF SUFFICIENT SIZE, IT MAY SLOW THE RESPONSE OF THE LEVEL WHEN THE SOLENOID IS ENERGIZED.IN THIS SITUATION, IF THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT IN PARK AND THE IGNITION KEY IS ROTATED IN A CERTAIN MANNER THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM MAY FAIL TO PREVENT KEY REMOVAL, AS REQUIRED UNDER FMVSS 114.HONDA IMPLEMENTED MANUFACTURING CHANGES IN MARCH 2002 TO PREVENT DEBRIS FROM ENTERING THE IGNITION SWITCH ASSEMBLY.HONDA ALSO CHANGED END-OF-LINE INSPECTION PROCEDURES TO IMPROVE DETECTION OF DEBRIS.THE PRESENCE OF DEBRIS IN THE IGNITION SWITCH IS OTHERWISE UNAPPARENT TO THE OPERATOR OF THE VEHICLE.UNDER SAFETY RECALL 03V-422, HONDA WILL RECALL VEHICLES MANUFACTURED PRIOR TO MARCH 2002 TO TEST THE INTERLOCK SYSTEM FOR THE PRESENCE OF DEBRIS.VEHICLES THAT FAIL THE TEST WILL RECEIVE NEW IGNITION SWITCH ASSEMBLIES.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.