Honda is recalling certain 2023 Civic Type R vehicles

Mar 30, 2023 — Recall Campaign #23V229000

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Civic Type R vehicles. The driver's seat frame may not have been welded properly, which can cause the seat cushion frame to break. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."

The recall was influenced by the manufacturer with about 640 units affected.

See recall notice

NHTSA Safety Recall Notice

23V229000

Manufacturer:	Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Recall date:	March 30, 2023
NHTSA Campaign #:	23V229000
Units affected:	640

Description:: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Civic Type R vehicles. The driver's seat frame may not have been welded properly, which can cause the seat cushion frame to break. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."
Consequeces:: A broken seat cushion frame may not adequately restrain the driver during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Corrective action:: Dealers will replace the front driver seat cushion frame assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 10, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is TDY.
Notes:: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Affects the following:

2023 HONDA CIVIC TYPE R

2023 HONDA CIVIC TYPE R Complaints
During a controlled low-speed autocross event (~55 mph entry), I applied the brake pedal firmly to decelerate for an upcoming turn. The vehicle failed to decelerate at anywhere near its rated capability. Despite full, sustained pedal application, the car would not slow adequately, departed the course, and struck a barrier, resulting in a total loss. No injuries occurred. This happened on smooth, dry pavement where 100+ other vehicles braked normally. The failed system appears to be the electronic brake control (ABS/VSA) and/or its input signaling. Event Data Recorder (EDR) data was professionally extracted and shows: accelerator at 0% for ~3.5 seconds before impact (ruling out pedal misapplication); ABS logged ACTIVE while stability control was "not engaged"; and peak deceleration of only ~0.67 g with a momentary 0.00 g dropout, versus this model's documented ~0.9–1.0 g capability. Notably, the service-brake switch intermittently read OFF while ABS was simultaneously active — a signal inconsistency, since ABS modulates driver-applied pressure. This indicates a possible brake-switch/signal-integrity or ABS/VSA control anomaly that reduced or withheld commanded braking. Safety risk: complete loss of expected stopping power at speed. Had this occurred on a public road with a pedestrian, crossing traffic, or a stopped vehicle ahead, it could have caused serious injury or death. The vehicle was under the 3-year/36,000-mile warranty with a stock, unmodified brake system. Prior symptom: on the immediately preceding run, dashcam footage shows an abnormal brake hop/oscillation, which may have been an early sign of the same fault. The vehicle, EDR data, and synchronized dashcam footage are preserved and available for inspection. The manufacturer extracted the EDR but has not yet performed a root-cause teardown. No dealer, police, or insurance inspection has occurred. Root cause: UNKNOWN pending modulator interrogation.;