New Zealand

Honda Jazz hatchbacks recalled over fire risk

14:45 pm on 4 February 2010

The car company Honda is recalling more than 6000 hatchback vehicles in New Zealand because of a fire risk.

It's part of a worldwide recall of all Honda Jazz cars produced in 2002, 2003 and between 2006 and 2008. Models produced in 2004 and 2005 are not affected.

Honda says that if a large amount of liquid such as a drink spills onto the driver's door power switch it might damage the circuit board inside.

In three cases around the world, it says, this has caused a fire.

The company says it will write to all owners directly about the recall once replacement parts become available.

Editor predicts further recalls

In the United States, a hundred Toyota customers have complained about brake problems with the popular Prius, the company's hybrid-fuel car.

Toyota has already recalled 60 Avensis models in New Zealand because of an accelerator pedal problem - part of a worldwide recall of about eight million vehicles because of the risk of unintended acceleration caused by floor mats, or by accelerator pedals sticking.

The editor of the New Zealand auto industry publication Autofile, Liz Dobson, says the Toyota recall is probably going to be followed by other car manufacturers.

She says Honda, Citroen and Peugeot were all supplied with the same accelerator pedal system that Toyota uses.