Torrance, California – Jan. 8, 2018 – The American Honda Motor Co. recently announced a recall of 20 of its 2010, 2016 and 2017 model year Honda Fury motorcycles, due to concerns that some of their fuel tanks could leak, according to a defect report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
These fuel tanks could have come with the motorcycles as manufactured, or have been installed as replacement parts. These fuel tank parts went through “an improper manufacturing process” that could lead to a risk of fuel leakage.
There are only 20 such vehicles in the recall, of which only three are expected to have this defect. However, given the gravity of the risk involved, this could still be a significant issue for vehicle owners.
The Defect
The motorcycles listed in this small recall were determined based on sales records for parts, as the issue revolves around replacement parts for 2010 and 2016 bikes. For the 2017 models, the recall was for motorcycles that had the defective fuel tanks as original equipment.
Specifically, the manufacturing process in question did not provide the necessary welds around a bracket that holds the fuel tanks in place. As a consequence, natural road and engine vibrations could lead the tank to separate from the bracket, and potentially result in a fuel leak.
This increases the risk of fire because any leaked fuel in the presence of an ignition source may be set aflame, increasing risk of injury or damage to the vehicle.
Timeline of Events
On Sept. 22, 2017, Honda learned of the first occurrence of a fuel leak in the market, and another such issue arose slightly more than a month later on Oct. 24.
As a result, Honda launched an investigation into the cause of the leaks, spanning from November into December. That investigation found that a single day of fuel tank production saw a hiccup in the proper manufacturing process that led some tanks made that day to pass the final welding stage for stay brackets on affected tanks. As a result, they have a structural weakness which others do not possess.
The decision to push forward a formal recall was made Dec. 12, 2017, and as of that date, the company had already received two warranty claims for the defect. However, it had not received any field reports of injury or fire related to the issue.
The Solution
Owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted by Honda via both phone and mail and are asked to return their Fury motorcycles to a local authorized Honda Motorcycle dealer. There, the dealers will inspect the welding on the fuel tanks and determine whether the tanks need to be replaced. If so, that change will be conducted free of charge.
Notification of both owners and dealers began Dec. 14, 2017.
