U.S. transportation safety agency the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Monday it is opening an investigation involving more than 1.1 million Honda Accord vehicles after receiving a number of reports that point to a sudden loss of steering control.
The agency said its inquiry relates to models from the 2013 to 2015 model-years, the first three of the model's ninth generation. The NHTSA explains that during “under normal driving conditions, with no warning or input from the driver, the vehicle may veer or jerk out of its intended path of travel”. Honda has not yet commented on the matter. The NHTSA said it has received 107 complaints and two injury cases related to the issue.
Last October, the agency received a petition requesting an investigation into an alleged steering system defect in a 2013 Honda Accord. The NHTSA said the petition alleged that Honda vehicles “are experiencing a sudden loss of steering control as the vehicle veers from its intended path of travel.”
In addition to opening what it calls a defect petition review, the agency has also sent Honda two requests for information regarding reports of steering anomalies.
The agency said it “performed extensive analysis on the information obtained from Honda as well as information in NHTSA's databases”. The engineering analysis will assess the scope, frequency and potential safety implications of the alleged defect.
It will then be determined if a recall is deemed necessary.