Honda recalls Jazz, City cars globally over window fault

Honda Motor Co recalled 646,000 of its Fit/Jazz and City automobiles globally over a faulty window switch
after a child died when fire broke out in a car last year.

The recall includes 140,000 vehicles in the United States and covers the models sold in North America, South America, Europe, South Africa and Asia, but not Japan, a spokeswoman said.

The Fit is Honda's best-selling model in Japan. Earlier this week, Toyota Motor Corp's announced it would extend to Europe and China a recall of millions of vehicles due to faulty accelerator pedals and floor mats.

Honda said the recall was to fix a defective master switch, which could cause water to enter the power window switch and in some cases cause a fire.

There were three reported cases of fires due to the defect, two in the United States and one in South Africa, the spokeswoman said.

A spokesman for Honda in Britain said the company had recalled all 2002-2008 year model Jazz units in South Africa and will recall 172,000 units in Britain after a fire broke out in one last year, killing a toddler.

Honda said on its website www.honda.co.za it would "inspect and modify driver door power-window switches that may, in some cases, short circuit as a result of water intrusion".