Honda has issued a recall for 2018-2020 Fit hatchbacks and 2019-2022 HR-V crossovers due to backup cameras that may not operate after the vehicle is started. This runs afoul of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111, titled “Rear Visibility.” This covers a total of 114,686 vehicles sold in the United States. Honda reports it has received 205 warranty claims related to the issue, but there have been no reports of injuries or deaths.
According to documents posted by the National Highway Safety Administration, Honda first began investigating this issue in October 2020. The automaker’s defect report states: “The power circuit in the display audio unit was improperly designed. When the engine is started with an ignition key, the cranking can cause the battery’s state of charge to drop, which may prevent the display audio from booting up, resulting in the failure to display the rearview camera image.”
In August 2021, the Japanese automaker determined the problem was isolated to vehicles started with a physical key and did not affect vehicles with push-button start. On January 27, 2023, Honda decided a recall was required to fix the issue with upgraded software that changes the boot-up procedure. Any owners who have spent their own money to fix this problem will reportedly be reimbursed.
Owners of affected vehicles can expect a letter by March 13, 2023. If you’re not the original owner, Honda might not know to reach you, so checking your car’s VIN at NHTSA’s recall site might be a good idea. Owners may contact Honda at 1-888-234-2138. Reference Honda recall code 6DW.