Honda is recalling 45,747 certain model year 2008-2009 Odyssey minivans due to “a manufacturing flaw” in the power liftgate system, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on its website.

A Honda spokesman said the company was recalling 51,633 of the vehicles worldwide.

The recall outside the US affects 5,586 vehicles mainly in Canada and Mexico, as well as in the Middle East and Germany, he said.

The NHTSA said the problem was in the pressurised gas-filled struts that help to raise and support the liftgate on vehicles equipped with a power liftgate system.

The flaw can result in a gas leak that could lead to an unexpected closure of the liftgate, “increasing the risk of personal injury,” the NHTSA said.

Honda will contact the US owners of the vehicles concerned, with the recall expected to begin on or about March 13, it said.

Other top ranking cars this year are the Toyota Prius and the Honda CR-Z, with the Chrysler 200 SC and Kia Soul rounding out the bottom three.

The rankings found that overall vehicle ratings are improving, with 17 percent of new vehicles having interiors free from PVC, and 60 percent being free from brominated flame retardants.

Researchers at the non-profit tested more than 200 of the most popular 2011- and 2012-model vehicles for chemicals that off-gas from parts such as the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests and seats. These chemicals give vehicles that much-loved “new car smell,” but also contribute to a number of acute and chronic health problems, the center said.

Since the average American spends more than 1.5 hours in a car every day, exposure to the hundreds of toxic chemicals inside vehicles can be a major source of indoor air pollution. Their internal air temperatures of up to 192°F and dash temperatures of up to 248°F can increase the concentration of volatile organic compounds and break other chemicals down into more toxic substances, the center said.

Ecology Center research director Jeff Gearhart said that these chemicals are not regulated, so car buyers have no way of knowing what dangers they or their employees face.

Chemicals of primary concern include: bromine, chlorine, lead and heavy metals. Such chemicals have been linked to a wide range of health problems such as allergies, birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, and cancer, the center said.

The Civic achieved its ranking by being free of bromine-based flame retardants in all interior components; using PVC-free interior fabrics and interior trim; and having low levels of heavy metals and other metal allergens.

The Mitsubishi Outlander contained bromine and antimony-based flame retardants in the seating and center console; chromium treated leather on several components; and over 400 parts per million of lead in seating materials, the Ecology Center said.

Fleet owners can visit the rankings page to search by model, comparison shop between different models, and cross reference with fuel economy standards to find both a healthy and fuel-efficient vehicle. A widget and mobile phone application are also available.

Gearhart said the Ecology Center is encouraging site visitors to ask automakers to subscribe to voluntary third party eco labels, such as the TUV Toxproof and Öko-Tex Standard 100. A number of manufacturers including Ford and Volvo, have already adopted these standards for some of their vehicles.

But Volvo was also one of just two automakers in the rankings that had overall declining average scores from 2009/10 to 2011/12. The other was Daimler.

The most improved automakers in terms of the average ratings for their vehicles were Volkswagen (+42 percent), Mitsubishi (+38 percent) and Ford (+30 percent).

“This is the Super Bowl for Palm Beach County, no doubt,” Classic Director Ken Kennerly said.After Kennerly’s near tear-jerker of an announcement on Tuesday, tour executives put in orders of 20 percent more of everything, Parker reported.”Tiger, when he plays, he easily increases all of the activity by 20-25 percent,” PGA spokesman Joel Paige said. “Whether it’s by people buying more retail, spending more on food and beverage. It’s good for everybody; it certainly helps the economic impact.”Local golf enthusiasts told Parker they’re looking forward to the buzz the city is expecting for the event, whose pre-tournament festivities begin on Feb. 27.”It’s exciting to have a champion like him play here,” Arthur Cappa said. “I’ve never seen him before in person, so everybody will look forward to it. It will be great.”Added Michael Butler: “I’d normally be here, but now it’s become sort of a can’t-miss event.”

For a long time this was annual affair, with the wraps coming off in September or October. It was not uncommon for the engine, transmission, chassis, suspension and brakes to not only be shared across several brands, but to remain relatively unchanged for years. Sheet metal was where the action was.

More recently there have been a number of entirely new vehicles brought to market by companies that didn’t even exist a couple of decade ago. As these newcomers scrambled to catch up they brought out new engines, transmissions, chassis and sheet metal with blinding regularity – and frequency. This has led to the expectations mentioned at the outset – that a “new” car will be completely different. It will not only have new technology under the skin, that skin will be a major departure from the existing model.

But there is a danger that this has led to change merely for the sake of change. What if the existing model is so good change is not necessary?

Case in point: the 2012 Honda Civic. When Honda introduced this ninth generation model late last spring it boasted it had all-new sheet metal, extensive revisions to the interior and new or updated engines and transmissions. Almost immediately the harping began, mostly from the American media who chastised Honda for playing it safe, for not making a dramatic change. The resultant media attention reverberated all the way back to Japan where the decision was made to rush into production some more obvious visual changes ASAP – for the 2013 or 2014 model, much sooner than would have otherwise been the case.

Wait a second. Is that much change necessary? Or is it just that the automotive media, myself included, is looking too hard for something to criticize in an era when vehicle quality has reached such high levels? Does the average consumer care about these changes, especially those beneath the skin?

I would argue they do not.

The Honda Civic has been the best-selling car in Canada for 13 consecutive years.

Obviously Canadian consumers think a great deal of this vehicle. For a period last year that position was threatened by the Hyundai Elantra. But there were three distinct factors contributing to that situation:

The Elantra is a very good car

Favourable exchange rates allow Hyundai to load cars with content while keeping prices down.

The tragic earthquake and tsunami in Japan devastated Honda’s supply chain and ability to build cars – Civics were in short supply the latter half of the year.

Despite this the Civic finished atop the charts for yet another year. With production and availability no longer an issue, it is back to the status quo. The January 2012 numbers are in and Honda sales were up 144 per cent and the Civic remains atop the pack. Can it rest on its laurels? Heck no the Elantra and a whole bunch of others are hot on its heels with excellent product. The king of any hill is always a primary target.

I’ve just spent a week with a 2012 Honda Civic. It is easy to see why Canadians, have such a love affair with this car. The ninth generation Civic has a new look – but only slightly updated from what was already an attractive shape. The drivetrain is silky smooth and improvements have resulted in a 12 per cent improvement in fuel consumption. In short everything there was to like about the old Civic has been improved – but only slightly – because it was already that good.

The new design is strongly evocative of the outgoing model. There are now small windows at the base of the A-Pillar and the mirrors moved back unto the door for better up-close visibility. Inside the two-tier instrument panel remains with a digital speedometer mounted high so you can monitor it without taking your eyes off the road, and the remainder of the instruments at a lower level. The Civic does lack soft-touch surfaces, the entire dash, center console and other places you touch or rest your arms are covered in high quality, but hard plastic.

The wheelbase has been shortened by 30-mm but there is actually more room inside. The perfectly flat floor remains making sliding from one side of the rear seat to the other a breeze. Two fit comfortably back there, three is a squeeze.

The made-in-Canada Civic comes in two and four-door models with a trio of power sources: a 140-HP, 1.8-litre four; 201-HP 2.4-litre four for the Si and a hybrid with a larger engine and new battery pack. The four-door is available in DX, LX and EX trim levels and the coupe ads a high performance Si variation with 22 per cent more power than last year. Many internal components of the 1.8-litre engine have benefitted from friction reducing efforts and while power output remains the same, fuel efficiency goes up 12 per cent.

Prices start at a very competitive $14,990. My mid-level LX came in at $18,690 with automatic transmission

The Civic is surprisingly quiet for a car in this price range, neither engine, wind nor road noise of any quantity make their way into the cabin. The engine is silky smooth and quiet at all but sustained wide open throttle. The five-speed transmission is a gear short compared to many competitors but has one more than some, There is a prominent ECON button to the left of the steering wheel. It modifies several parameters, dulling the drive-by-wire throttle response, shifting at lower engine speeds and reducing air conditioner pump speed. The result is about 5-7 per cent better fuel efficiency but a very sluggish automobile.

In addition to the ECON button, the Civic plays a tutorial role, helping to point out fuel efficient driving practices. Colored panels on either side of the speedometer glow green when you are behaving and blue when you are not. An five-inch information panel to the right of the speedometer can be cycled through ha variety of read-outs.

The Civic has always been known for its nimbleness and little has changed in that department and the ride remains supple thanks to a combination of MacPherson struts up front and a complex and expensive multi-link set up at the rear.

Changes to the 2012 Civic are more evolutionary than revolutionary, but that is not necessarily a bad thing because the predecessor was so good.

Heather Peters is by no means the only Honda owner upset by the gap between the mileage on the Civic’s window sticker and what the car actually delivered in use. But she decided to take a very different approach to other owners, many of whose legal claims have been consolidated into a class action now before a court in San Diego.

The 46-year-old Peters, herself a former corporate attorney, chose to take her dispute to a small claims court in suburban Los Angeles. While Peters says she recognized she wouldn’t be able to collect all the money she insists she lost on added fuel costs and a lower trade-in value, she felt she’d have a better chance of getting a reasonable judgment in small claims.

Such courts are typically used for minor disputes – and they normally bar the use of attorneys, meaning an individual can sue a large corporation without facing a bank of legal experts – or running up bills that would far exceed the maximum claim, which ranges from $2,500 to $15,000 depending on the state.  In California, the cap is $10,000, and Peters was awarded $9,867 this month by Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan.

Prior to her trial, the Civic Hybrid owner lamented that while her car was rated at 50 miles per gallon, “they didn’t say if you run your air conditioning and you remain in stop-and-go traffic, you’re going to get 29 to 30 miles per gallon.”

In court, a Honda representative, technical specialist Neil Schmidt, insisted it wasn’t the company’s fault. He argued that Honda simply posted the numbers set by the EPA, which conducts government fuel economy testing.

Each will try to figure out what the nearly $10,000 award to Civic owner Heather Peters of Los Angeles means to its interests and will then map out a strategy.

Trial attorneys have issued statements attempting to shore up support for a class-action litigation settlement between other Civic hybrid owners and the automaker that would pay the lawyers $8.5 million.

Honda plans to kick the case up to a Superior Court where it can use its legal staff to defend itself in a new trial. Attorneys can’t represent parties to Small Claims Court lawsuits in California and some other states.

Peters is preparing for that expected new trial and trying to get other owners to opt out of the class-action settlement and file their own lawsuits in Small Claims Court.

Peters was awarded almost $10,000 in damages Wednesday after proving in a Small Claims Court in Torrance that Honda misled her when it advertised the fuel economy for her 2006 model-year sedan.

Attorneys for the class-action plaintiffs said their clients — about 30,000 current and former Civic hybrid owners have elected to participate — got a good deal. Owners can still opt out, but they face a Feb. 11 deadline to do so.

The settlement covers original and subsequent owners of 2003 through 2009 model-year Civic hybrids. Each owner would get $100 in cash and either a $500 transferable voucher, which they could sell, or a $1,000 non-transferable voucher for a rebate on a new Honda or Acura.

Owners of the 2006 through 2008 hybrids would get an additional $100 and an additional $500 rebate voucher that they could use or sell. Other benefits include an extra year of battery warranty and the option to seek greater damages through a mediation service.

William H. Anderson, a Washington, D.C., class-action attorney involved in the settlement, pointed out in a statement that Peters is a former attorney who “has formal legal training and litigation experience” that helped her pursue the lawsuit.

Even so, Peters still might lose her award in the next trial.

Of course, Anderson’s risk is that Civic owners will file objections to the settlement. A previous deal was scuttled after a different judge ruled that it didn’t provide enough in damages and paid attorneys too much.

A flood of disgruntled owners, especially if they again get the support of a group of state attorneys general who objected the first time, could petition the San Diego court to ditch this offer too. Peters said she hopes that’s what will happen. And she believes her $10,000 award will embolden other owners to object.

Anderson said in his statement that “the proposed settlement has potential advantages over Small Claims Court. If they remain in the settlement, class members who purchased the same car as Ms. Peters can take advantage of a built-in alternative dispute resolution process, which unlike Small Claims Court has no limit of what the class members can recover.”

He also noted that the proposed settlement provides “guaranteed benefits to any of the nearly 500,000 class members who are eligible to submit a proof of claim without any additional requirements,” a far lower hurdle than litigating in any courtroom, even Small Claims Court.

American Honda Motor Co. said it will push the lawsuit to Los Angeles Superior Court, where it will be heard again.  Although technically not an appeal — Honda isn’t going to try to prove a flaw with the case — functionally the maneuver has the same effect as an appeal.

Freed from the restrictions of Small Claims Court, Honda would be able to use its legal staff and evidentiary procedures such as discovery and depositions to defend its marketing of the vehicle.

Honda isn’t talking about the case, but its hard line indicates that it believes it has far more than $10,000 at risk. It could see the negotiated class-action settlement unravel and face paying more for a new settlement or for a full-blown trial against savvy trial attorneys representing the claimants.

It might also want to discourage other owners from taking the Small Claims Court route because it could not use its legal staff to defend itself in such cases and would have to send non-attorney representatives to many far-flung courts.

Sales report……………

Honda’s American depositary shares rose 3.3% to $35.17 in recent trading as results beat expectations. Car-shopping website Edmunds.com had predicted a 1.1% year-over-year sales decrease for Honda. Broadly, Edmunds expects new-auto sales to rise 5.8% from a year earlier and drop 30% from December.

Honda reported it sold 83,009 vehicles in January, up from 76,269 a year earlier and 21% below December’s total. Car sales rose 16%, while truck sales gained 1.2%.

Honda division sales–which include the Fit, Accord, Odyssey and Pilot–increased 9.3%. The much-smaller Acura luxury division posted a 5.3% sales gain.

Sales were up 16% for the CR-V, and sales jumped 50% for the Civic. The Accord saw sales edge up 1.5%, while Pilot sales slipped 5%.

January had 24 sales days, the same as a year earlier.

Earlier Wednesday, Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Co. (F) and Nissan Motor Co. (NSANY, 7201.TO) all reported stronger sales for last month, while General Motors Co. (GM) notched a 6.1% sales decline in January.

Honda on Tuesday reported a 41% drop in net profit for the fiscal third quarter and foresees a sharp fall in profit for the full fiscal year, as the strong yen cuts into its overseas profit and the flooding in Thailand dragged on its production recovery after the earthquake in Japan. Honda took the hardest hit among Japanese car makers from floods in Thailand, but the company aims to restart its Thai plant by the end of March.

Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan said he was aware of “a media blitz on this case,’’ and wanted to be clear on all of the issues raised by Honda owner Heather Peters.

Peters told the court she was anxious to get the matter resolved and did not want to waste the court’s time.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Douglas Carnahan is not asking questions about the substance of the unusual lawsuit by Peters, the owner of a 2006 hybrid Honda Civic. But he wants more information on technicalities of its filing, such as the possibility of a statute-of-limitations problem.

He asked for additional legal arguments and scheduled another session of the trial in Torrance, the home of Honda’s US headquarters. Testimony and arguments were Jan. 3.

Peters, a former lawyer, has been using the internet to rally other Honda hybrid owners to follow her example and go to small claims court rather than accepting a proposed class-action settlement by Honda.

She left a class-action lawsuit in order to sue for US$10,000 rather than agree to a proposed settlement by Honda with thousands of car owners that would give each owner $100 to $200 and a $1,000 credit on the purchase of a new Honda.

She has said that if all owners of the problem cars won in small claims court, it could cost Honda $2 billion.

Peters has acknowledged that the statute of limitations for individual fraud suits like hers can be from one to four years in California. She said, however, that the filing of the class-action lawsuit “stops the ticking of the clock.”

Experts on class-action law agreed with her interpretation.

“The clock stopped ticking when the class-action was filed,” said attorney Clifford Pearson.

Attorney Aaron Jacoby noted that the statute would start tolling again on the day she opted out of the class-action lawsuit, which was Dec. 8, 2011. He said the statute is four years.

Peters bought her car in April 2006, and the first class-action lawsuit over the mileage issue was filed in March.

Peters claimed the car never came close to the 50 miles per gallon (4.7L/100km) promised and that it got no more than 30 miles per gallon (7.8L/100km) when the battery began deteriorating. She still owns the car and wants to be compensated for money lost on gas, as well as punitive damages, amounting to $10,000.

Peters said she was encouraged that the commissioner was giving the case close consideration.

Where did you get it?

“I bought it off a person who had already got it imported here. He imported it through Calgary and he brought it here. He safetied it. He had it in a garage for three years. He put, I think it was, 4,000 kilometres on the car in three years, so he pretty much didn’t drive it at all. He bought it 88,000 kilometres and it has 120,000 now.”

What’s it like?

“Mine’s the top-of-the-line model, all so. All the Del Sols here, they come with a smaller engine. Mine’s pretty much the biggest one for that model of car.’’

What’s been done to it?

“There’s been a lot done to it. I don’t even know where to start. It’s got 16-inch rims. I’ve lowered it pretty much to the ground. It scrapes everywhere. I’ve got a lip, also, on the front. I don’t have it on right now, actually, but I usually have a lip on it. I have red carpet to match the exterior. Before, it was just black. I had to strip everything in the car and pretty much re-do it. The rims on there right now are lime green.’’

Have you done anything to the engine?

“I’ve only dressed it up. I’ve put an intake on it, also. I’ve driven it from here to Hamilton. It’s where my family is. I came out here for work a couple of years ago. I have after-market headlights, after-market tail-lights. I am actually running a car crew. It’s pretty much just a bunch of car enthusiasts. We all kind of stick around our car to represent one group of people. Most of it’s pretty much back in Ontario, but we have some nice cars here, too.’’

Where do you like to take it?

“In the summer, there’s the Legislative Building. You can sit there for five minutes and you’ll see some amazing cars drive by. In the winter, there’s really nothing.’’

Do you drive it in the winter?

“I don’t drive it if there’s snow on the ground, but since it’s been nice the last little while, I’ve started driving it recently again because I’m sick of my other car.”

What is your other car?

“It’s a 1986 Honda Civic. It’s my winter beater.’’