Honda will voluntarily recall 290 units of 2015 model-year Accord vehicles in Canada to update the hybrid system software related to the hybrid battery cell voltage sensor (CVS), free of charge. No injuries have been reported related to this issue, which was discovered through the warranty claim process.
The CVS may not have sufficient electrical noise toughness, which may result in the CVS incorrectly interpreting electrical noise from the hybrid battery inverter and motor circuits. If the CVS incorrectly interprets the electrical noise, it can cause the vehicle to switch to a fail-safe electric vehicle (EV) mode in which the vehicle uses the electric motor for propulsion, with braking and steering functionality operating on electric power only. If the vehicle switches to fail-safe EV mode while cruising at highway speed, the internal combustion engine will shut off with visual and audible warnings and the vehicle will experience a sudden loss of power, with the maximum speed limited to approximately 60 km/h. Once in fail-safe EV mode, the vehicle may be able to travel for up to three kilometres at which time the hybrid battery will likely completely discharge. If the battery completely discharges while the vehicle is still in operation, the vehicle will stall, increasing the risk of a crash. The software update will prevent misinterpretation of the noted electrical noise.
Honda is announcing this recall to encourage all owners who purchased an affected vehicle to take it to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification of this recall from Honda. Mailed notification to customers is scheduled to begin in October 2015. In the meantime, owners of these vehicles can determine if their vehicle requires repair by going to www.honda.ca/recalls or by calling 1-888-9HONDA9.
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