Team Acura Parts Blog

Acura’s United States base did the right thing. On the third week of December, the company immediately recalled a total of 43, 200 US-distributed Acura RL vehicles, which were manufactured in Japan, as these were found equipped with defective power steering hoses.

The Acura RL sedan models from the years 2005 to 2008 were part of the December recall. According to engineers, such substandard power steering hose could cause the unfortunate accident of fire.

“On certain passenger vehicles, prolonged high underhood temperatures may cause the power steering hose to deteriorate prematurely, causing the hose to crack and leak power steering fluid,” said the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration in its recall summary of the Acura RL. “Power steering fluid leaking onto a hot catalytic converter will generate smoke and possibly lead to an underhood fire.”

As of post time, there have been no reports of any injuries and or fires because of the said defective auto part. The company assured that Honda dealers across the United States are going to aid owners regarding the hose. Each of the recalled Acura RL sedans is going to be equipped with a brand new heat-resistant power steering hose without any charges or fees. Affected owners must only contact Honda through (800) 382-2238.

Source: Edmunds.

The Honda Motor Co. already has marketing plans to sell units from their luxury brand, the Acura, in Russia. The plan is to go about with it next year. This move would be taken by Acura so attend to the needs of the market as well as to steal consumers from its rivals like the Toyota Motor Corp. and the Nissan Motor Co.

In the coming years, Honda will open more sales offices in Russia. The plan is to put it up in Russia’s major cities such as Moscow and at the St. Petersburg. As the Russian demand for luxury brands increase, most probably due to the country’s increasing economy, many consider this move by Honda a good one. The automaker plans to boost their sales in Russia. The target is to sell 100,000 units by 2010. They were able to sell 15,723 units last year but with the additional sales offices, the target is not that hard to meet. Along with these plans, Honda will push forth the introduction of Acura to Russia.

Russian demand for new vehicles scaled up to 1.8 million units sold in 2006. Experts are projecting that the figures will continue to rise annually. Some are even speculating on the possibility of having a 20 percent increase of demands in the coming years.

Last year, Toyota was able to sell 106,000 vehicles in Russia. Nissan, on the other hand, was able to sell 76,000 units. With the coming of Acura in Russia next year, the statistics are likely to change.

Seven vehicle models produced by Acura and Honda recently received the 2008 Top Safety Pick Award sponsored by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

The IIHS Safety Pick Award is the most elevated rating that a non-profit research team could give to automotive brands. This annual recognition is bestowed upon vehicle models that obtain an excellent evaluation when it comes to passenger safety. IIHS required automobiles of different brands to undergo side, rear and front crash trials. Only automobiles that have electronic stability control and protective airbags like the 2008 Honda Accord were allowed to participate in the crash tests.

For the Acura division, the 2008 RDX and MDX obtained the Top Safety Pick Awards.
For the Honda division, the recipients of the award were 2008 CR-V, Element, Odyssey, Pilot, and Accord. The two automotive brands were considered worthy to accept the award because of their excellent safety features such as an efficient electronic stability control and hard-wearing protective airbags.
“Honda has consistently challenged itself to pursue vehicle safety as part of its core business strategy. American Honda will put more Top Safety Pick-rated vehicles on the road next year than any other automaker,” American Honda Motor Co. Executive Vice President Dick Colliver said.

Honda Motor Co. considers vehicle safety one of the most important aspects of vehicle management. With its “Safety for Everyone” campaign in 2003, Honda has been very conscious about setting up safety features for its automobiles. Through various state-of-the-art gadgets, the company strives to give each automotive unit it generates a lofty standard of passenger and pedestrian protection.

As a co-driver of Bryan Herta for #26 XM Satellite Radio Acura, Andretti Green Racing signed up Christian Fittipaldi to drive in the prestigious American Le Mans Series starting next year.

Fittipaldi holds notable background and pertinent experiences in different events like in CART, Formula One, NASCAR as well as in sports-car racing. Teaming with Michael Andretti, the 36 year old driver and his partner produced a well-matched duo at the Newman/Haas Racing beginning in 1996 to 2000.

AGR, together with Acura, welcomed the year 2007 with a victory at Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring. Andretti Green likewise fully accomplished the premier season in American Le Mans Series.

As said by Christian Fittipaldi with great impulse, “I am definitely looking forward to this new challenge in my career. I was talking to Mike (Michael Andretti) about how five or six years ago we were teammates and now he has a team and I am driving for him. It is going to be different for us, though, because when we were teammates we had to work together and at the same time there was that internal rivalry that you always have in a team. But now, we are 200 percent on the same side.”

“I think 2008 is going to be a really good season for Andretti Green. I am very motivated to do everything I can to get XM and Acura back into the winner’s circle.”

In addition, Michael Andretti which is the AGR Chairman, said that, “When you’re hiring a driver, you want to think that he is going to be fast. But, when you’re hiring a driver that you used to race against and were teammates with, you know he is going to be fast. For sure, that is why we’re excited to welcome Christian to the AGR XM Acura family. We need to go to the next level with our ALMS program in 2008 and we feel like this is a great step in that direction.”

News via paddocktalk.com.

The SiriusConnect HON-SC1 Interface of Directed Electronics that is used in Honda and Acura received a prominent Consumer Electronics Association’s Innovations Award. The winning new Interface including other related Innovations Award is a great evidence of Directed’s hard-hitting market share spot in the aftermarket industry particularly in Satellite Radio receivers and different accessories. The SIRIUS-connected recognition is just part of the eight notable 2008 Innovations Award given to Directed.

Directed’s HON-SC1 SiriusConnect Interface provides a more improved feature and additional function since Acura and Honda owners could only access to the XM before. By means of the OEM radio controls, there is a communication between the authentic Honda and Acura radio and SCC1 SiriusConnect Vehicle Tuner. The tuners, vehicle dock as well as the dock-and-play radios are sold separately.

Adding to the impressive function of the HON-SC1 Interface is the translation from XM to SIRIUS, which then proves the exceptional HON-SC1 capable of winning the 2008 Innovations Award.

The essence of HON-SC1 is not only about catering a SiriusConnect solution for Honda and Acura but making the hardware design as an influence in creating a SIRIUS solution to five particular vehicle platforms as well. The solution designed for Toyota, Scion and Lexus is differentiated exclusively by software along with the TOY-SC1 interface.

More of the details via money.cnn.com.

Acura will have an interesting 2008 model year following the overhaul of Honda Acura’s crossover lineup for the model year 2007. More gears and utilities are being integrated across their whole lineup despite the lack of new or re-engineered models. The main course for 2008 is what automakers like to call as Super Handling-All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system; this innovative all-wheel drive system will be offered on the RDX, MDX and RL models this year and the coming years as well as in Acura’s anticipated NSX replacement.

Integration of the stability control inertial and driver input sensors are the main features of the Super Handling-All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) system. Unlike most stability control systems that depend on adjusting the engine torque and specifically applying and freeing each wheel brakes to apply pressure to the vehicle and attempt to force it to follow the drivers will, the SH-AWD as an alternative utilizes the clutch packs on whichever part of the rear differential to move drive torque to the suitable wheel. This would steady the vehicle with much smaller amount of brake involvement.

The SH-AWD system transmits spare drive torque to the exterior rear wheel to assist the car turn-in when it under steers. Helping the SH-AWD system is the stability control, also known as VSA in the Acura jargon, which can add some brake pressure as required. Merging the two schemes means that the brakes don’t get overused even in hard driving as compared to cars with no SH-AWD system. In the future, more Acura models will be fitted with the same or even updated version of the SH-AWD system specifically the upcoming Acura exotic sports car.

To view photos and press release, visit 01vu.

Maryville, Ohio – One of Honda’s manufacturing plant turned 25, this marks an achievement on the car company that brought advances in the US automotive business and placed Honda as one of the leading automotive names.

Maximizing their day, the 5,300 employees of the Honda Marysville Auto Plant continuously produced more than 1,800 cars and light trucks in anticipation of hitting another milestone- the making of the world’s 9,000,000th Honda car.

The 8th generation of plant’s first vehicle and core product Honda Accord was just newly launched at that plant by Honda Associates. Having marketed and sold in September by more than 300,000 units and mostly manufactured from Marysville Auto Plant, US is one of the most important playgrounds for Honda Accord so far.

Honda America President Akio Hamada stated that “People are always asking why Honda has been so successful.” He also said that “The answer is simple: our associates. Their involvement and teamwork to achieve the highest quality for our customers and improve our operations have continuously driven us forward to higher levels and greater achievements.”

In the present, the Honda Marysville Auto Plant can builds about 440,000 vehicles per year on two lines. Enjoying the flexibility to produce different models on the plant, Honda had recently added the production of small trucks. They also added the Acura TL luxury sedan, and the Acura RDX sport utility vehicle along with their Accord sedan and coupe production. Now, Honda owns six operating auto plants in North America and a seventh plant in Indiana is expected to operate in the late 2008.

More of the details via paddocktalk.

American Honda Motor Company Inc. is making its serious duty concerning on environmental issues. The company extends effort in trimming down environmental impacts of its products and operations all over North America and in the U.S.

Two facilities will be certified to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. These are the American Honda’s Midwestern Consolidation Center located in Troy, Ohio and Acura Design Studio in Torrance, California.

Honda also makes its constant effort in reducing carbon dioxide emissions for every vehicle manufactured in North America, reaching to six-year low of 711 kg. A reduction of 6.6 gigajoules is also attained for energy used in making every vehicle. Energy is then conserved while keeping an efficient production.

Honda is the leading fuel-efficient automaker in America. Its products, including Acura vehicles, light trucks and 2006 Honda increase fuel mileage and reach the corporate average fuel economy or CAFE to 29.1 miles/gallon. For the model year 2010, the company wants to exceed its CAFE and attain an increase of five percent over the levels in 2005.

Due to the increasing demand, Honda expanded the sales of Civic GX, a very clean Honda model powered by a natural gas. The sales for Phill home refueling device are also extended. Both are expanded to 20 Honda dealers in New York and additional dealers in California.

All Honda and Acura models for 2007 passed or even exceeded the strict standards for Tier 2 Bin 5 vehicle exhaust emissions. Each of the 2007 Honda and Acura vehicles assembled in North America are likewise design-recyclable.

Further information and other related details about the article can be viewed via reliableplant.

The year 2008 includes a list of activities of one of the biggest automakers in the world, the Honda Motors Co Ltd. The company plans to launch its Acura brand in Russia thru its luxurious vehicles.

Honda will sell its range of executive and sports models including the Acura SUV, Acura MDX, Acura RL and Acura TL. This was according to the report stated to Nikkei weekly.

To facilitate the process, ten offices will be opened by the company in some of the major cities in Russia like in St. Petersburg and Moscow.

The Acura brands hit the market and taste of customers making the Acura vehicles in demand in China, Canada, Mexico and United States.

In Russia alone, Honda presently has 30 shops. Record-breaking sales for cars increased by 77 percent in 2006 to 15,723 units against the previous year. The sales from January to June boost more than two times to 13,616 vehicles.

Based from the statistics, the number of sales for new cars may increase by 10 to 20 percent, exceeding the 1.8 million new cars bought by Russian customers in 2006.

Other automakers also keep up and intensify their place in the Russian industry. Toyota sold 106,000 cars in the region while Nissan sold 76,000 units.

Besides India and China, Russia is likewise the finest market area in the world and is one of the rapid-growing markets especially in the automotive industry.

News via tradingmarkets.

Acura’s Advanced Sedan Concept depicts significant attributes of a sedan, that is, from structure, design, components, performance and luxury. All of these are greatly emphasized by its broad stance, well-formed and powerful surfaces. The main purpose of designing and conceptualizing is to produce a refined and sophisticated sedan holding a puzzling presence.

The concept sedan shows a huge exterior which apparently calls for a large and powerful engine under the vehicle. The firm cabin is made from a good structural design and the lower portion of the body is formed and revealed by the exterior lines. Recent design and styles are applied in the concept. However, though the sedan is equipped with this latest and fresh design, the standard outline related with the flagship sedan is still preserved and can be noticed in the concept.

Making a powerful drive are the large tires that are mounted to the polished aluminum, custom billet-machined wheels. The front tires measure 22 inches while the rear tires are 23 inches. The tough brake discs and calipers highlight the wheels, including the sturdy wheel flares and arches adding not only to the muscular looks of the wheel but on the entire concept as well. The large channels allow cooling air to pass toward the essential components.

As said by Dave Marek, Honda R&D Americas, Inc. chief designer, “We wanted to capture the essence of an ultra luxurious sedan but give it a striking, mysterious presence to create a vehicle with a dual personality. The concept echoes this quality with its clean exterior lines, a wide, stance, high performance cues and key luxury accents.”

“The front of the sedan communicates power and luxury. The pronounced hood and large grille communicate performance, while the jewel-like Acura emblem captures the essence of pure luxury,” explained by the Honda designer.

Further details and photos can be viewed via benzs.