Honda to recall 222,674 Accord vehicles in China

BEIJING (Reuters) – Honda Motor Co Ltd’s (T:7267) venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group Co Ltd (SS:601238) will recall 222,674 Accord sedans in China, market regulators said on Thursday, after recent complaints on social media about the car engine’s quality.

The recall is linked to a problem caused by the intercooler of the car’s 1.5T turbocharged engine. In certain situations, the engine lost speed to protect the vehicle, according to a document on China’s State Administration for Market Regulation.

Some owners of the Japanese carmaker’s iconic model have posted videos that showed their cars losing speed, on social media Weibo over the past weeks. Many of them have demanded for a recall of the model.

The Guangzhou-based venture will install devices that optimize the air flow rate at the engine intercooler, according to the document.

Total vehicle sales in China, the world’s largest auto market, fell for a 12th straight month in June, and top industry body has predicted them to fall for the second year running.

However, Honda’s sales in China outperformed the overall market. In the first seven months of the year, its local ventures reported a 20.5% rise in sales due to newly revamped variants.

Honda recalled hundreds of thousands of vehicles including popular Civic and CR-V last year, due to a cold-climate engine problem.