Honda Recalls 871,000 Vehicles on Roll-Away Defect

Honda Motor Co. (IW 1000/30) will recall more than 871,000 vehicles worldwide to fix a defect that could them to roll away when drivers think they've been parked, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday.

The bulk of the U.S.- and Canadian-made vehicles -- 807,000 -- will be recalled in the United States, while 52,000 will be called back in Canada.

Honda said it is aware of two incidents in which people sustained "minor injuries" as a result of the defect.

After an investigation of several complaints, the automaker determined that the ignition-interlock mechanism can be damaged or worn to the point where it's possible to remove the key when the transmission hasn't been shifted to park.

"If the transmission is not in park and the parking brake is not set, the vehicle could roll away, and a crash could occur," Honda said in a statement.

The recall affects 347,244 Honda Odyssey and 276,850 Honda Pilot vehicles from the 2003-2004 model years and roughly 247,179 Acura MDX vehicles from the 2003-2006 model years.

Honda will mail notices to owners in February and will conduct all repairs free of charge.