Honda Recalls More Than 1 Million CR-Vs and Accords
If attached incorrectly, the tire repair inflator can build pressure in the sealant bottle until it bursts.
Flat tires suck. That hardly needs saying. But what used to be a wrestling match with a spare on the shoulder is now, in many SUVs and sedans, a simple battle with a tire repair kit and an inflator. That is supposed to make a bad situation easier, not add another hazard when traffic is blasting past at highway speeds. Unfortunately, more than 1 million Honda vehicles have inflator-kit issues that have caused them to be recalled.
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If you own a 2023–2026 CR-V Hybrid, a 2025–2026 Honda CR-V Fuel Cell EV, or a 2023–2026 Accord Hybrid, your tire inflator kit is under recall. Honda says the nozzle that attaches to the valve stem can be installed incorrectly during roadside repair, which may cause pressure to build inside the tire sealant bottle.
It’s likely an easy mistake to make when you’re on the side of the road with a flat, and the danger goes beyond making a mess with tire sealant. If air cannot flow properly into the tire, pressure will build inside the bottle instead. Eventually, the sealant cap can detach, sending out a sudden burst of air and sealant.
Honda says the inflator system includes relief valves and a fluid leak prevention valve, but they are not sufficient to release that pressure. Making matters worse, the leak valve is one-way, allowing pressure to remain trapped inside the bottle. In eight cases, as reported in the recall report, the bottle bursting was forceful enough to cause injuries, although Honda did not disclose their severity.
The fix is an easy one. Dealers will replace both the tire repair kit sealant nozzle and the bottle, per a Honda representative MotorTrend spoke with. Even if the bottle hasn’t been used, both the sealant nozzle and bottle are replaced with updated parts at the same time. Because this is a recall, affected owners will receive the repair free of charge.
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Having experience in many forms of the automotive industry, Justin Banner has done more than just write about cars. For more than 15 years, he's had experience working as an automotive service technician—including a stint as a Virginia State Inspector—service advisor, parts sales, and aftermarket parts technical advisor (a fancy way of saying he helped you on the phone when you had trouble fitting your brakes over your aftermarket wheels and the like). Prior to his tenure as a full-time editor, Justin worked as a freelance writer and photographer for various publications and as an automotive content creator on YouTube. He’s also covered multiple forms of motorsports ranging from Formula Drift, drag racing, and time attack, to NASCAR, short course off-roading, and open desert racing. He's best known for breaking down complex technical concepts so a layperson can more easily understand why technologies, repairs, and parts should matter to them. At MotorTrend, Justin is part of the news team covering breaking news and topics while also working as a judge for MotorTrend Of the Year events and other major comparison tests.
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