Federal safety investigators, responding to 24 complaints, have launched a probe into whether the electric power steering on 2013 Honda Accords can suddenly fail.
An estimated 374,000 vehicles could be affected and the problem is being blamed for four accidents, all of which occurred at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in a filing it has opened a preliminary investigation into complaints alleging either the loss of power steering or a sudden increase in steering effort. Thirteen of the complaints said that a power steering warning message flashed as the failure occurred.
Some said they successfully turned off the car and restarted it to clear the problem. Others, however, say the problem reoccurred anyway when they tried the same tactic.
The probe comes at a difficult time for Honda. It's at the center of investigations in to faulty air bags made by a supplier, Takata. Accord is one Honda's top-selling vehicles.
Source: USAtoday
