Honda replaces faulty part for 2,154 scooters

Honda LEAD scooters at a product launch in Vietnam in a file photo - Photo: Quoc Hung

HCMC - Honda Vietnam Co., the leading motorcycle maker in Vietnam, will replace a faulty fuel tank part for 2,154 LEAD scooters though it has yet to receive any complaint from customers.

According to a Honda internal test, the defect with a fuel tank bolt does not threaten the motorcycle safety and operation but the company has decided to replace the bolt.

Honda Vietnam said this error affects one lot only.

The replacement is applicable to the LEAD motorcycles with frame numbers between RLHJF240 AY 038651 and RLHJF240 AY 041170 for white stripe and between RLHJF240 AY 715610 and RLHJF240 AY 716800 for gold stripe.

Replacement work is done at HEAD agencies at no cost until the end of this month. HEADs will contact customers by phone and letter.

The company launched the LEAD in late 2008, which is similar in design to the Honda SCR scooter made in China.

The 108cc scooter is manufactured at the company’s second plant in the northern province of Vinh Phuc and hit the market in early January 2009.

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Honda recalls scooters with faulty gas tank bolts

Honda this week recalled 2,154 Lead scooters in Vietnam, saying they had faulty bolts in their gas tanks that needed to be replaced.

The Japanese manufacturer said in a statement on Friday that the bolts do not affect the motorcycles' safety. Honda Vietnam decided to replace them in order to ensure “the best possible operation” of the scooters.

Honda also said only one batch of Lead scooters had this problem (series RLHJF240 AY from 038651 to 041170, and from 715610 to 716800). The company will have its sales agents contact affected customers and replace the bolts for free.

Before the annoucement was made, there was speculation that Honda was secretly recalling the scooters without publicly annoucing the move.

Local news website VTC News said in a report on Saturday that a number of Lead owners had already been notified of the problem by Honda Vietnam sales agents. But when the website contacted the company, its public relations manager denied knowledge of a recall.

Honda Vietnam began selling Lead scooters in December 2008, labelling it a high-end model.

In other news, a Honda Air Blade scooter suddenly burst into flames on a street in Hanoi on Tuesday. Investigation into the incident is ongoing. 

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