Recalls: Honda Fit for melting window switches, Ford for faulty child locks

About 686,000 Honda hatchbacks are being recalled again for faulty switches, while Ford will fix child safety locks on about 13,000 models from 2013.

Honda is recalling nearly 686,000 cars worldwide for the second time to fix window switches that can melt and cause fires, according to filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 

A total of 143,083 Honda Fit models from 2007-2008 are affected in the U.S., with 34,881 in Canada and the rest in overseas markets bearing the model name Jazz and a smaller Fit-based hatch called the City, according to the NHTSA and the New York Times.

The same Fit hatchbacks were recalled in 2010 for driver-side power window switches that could allow liquid to seep through and cause a short, which could then overheat, cause the switch to melt or start fires within the door. At that time, Honda said the problem caused a fatal car fire in South Africa and was aware of seven related switch problems on customer cars in the U.S., according to the Times.

Now, Honda said the original repair -- which involved laying a plastic cover over parts of the window switch controls -- could still let water onto the electronics below. Honda said it received at least one report of a melted circuit board due to the plastic separating from the controls in the U.S.

Dealers will replace damaged window switches immediately starting on July 19, and all other Fit owners without damaged switches will have to come back to their dealers a second time in October when more parts become available, Honda said. Owners can contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or on its service website.

In April, Honda recalled 45,782 Fit hatchbacks from 2012-2013 to update software for the stability control.

Door fire recalls have plagued Honda and other automakers within the last 12 months. In October, Honda recalled more than 268,000 CR-Vs for driver-side switch fires resulting from water contact, as did Toyota for the same problem on 2.5 million cars. In August, GM recalled nearly 250,000 SUVs for power-window switches that could cause a fire in the driver's door. 

Between March and October 2012, Honda recalled more than 1.3 million Honda Pilots, CR-Vs and Civics forheadlight switch parts that could melt. 

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Ford is recalling more than 13,000 cars to fix childproof door locks that may inadvertently switch off when the rear doors are closed.

The 2013 Ford Explorer, Taurus and Lincoln MKS models are affected, with most in the U.S. and a small fraction in Canada and Mexico. Childproof lock switches are located on the rear door frames of all new cars and prevent the doors from being opened from the inside, even if the door is unlocked. No injuries or accidents have been reported.

In June, Ford recalled nearly 467,000 cars to fix problems with fuel leaks, steering loss and cracked wires, including the 2013 Explorer, Taurus and MKS.

autos.msn.com