Honda Activa 125, Aviator, Grazia & CB Shine RECALLED in India

Honda Two Wheelers has just recalled a range of its best selling automatic scooters and commuter motorcycles to fix a potentially unsafe front brake. Honda is undertaking this recall to fix the front master cylinder which is a critical component of the front disc brake set up on these two wheelers. The affected Honda vehicles include the Activa 125, Grazia and Aviator automatic scooters, and the CB Shine 125 commuter motorcycle. Honda dealers have already begun contacting owners of the Activa 125, Aviator, Grazia and CB Shine, asking them to bring their vehicles to authorised service centers for this recall. Honda dealers will check and replace the front master cylinder of these two wheelers at no cost to the customer. The issue with the master cylinder is said to cause the front wheel to lock up. This can cause serious accidents as a locked front wheel at speed will throw the rider and pillion off the two wheeler.

The recall covers about 50,000 units of the said two wheelers, manufactured between 4th February 2019 and 3rd July, 2019. Honda has also announced a micro site through which owners of the Activa 125, Aviator, CB Shine and Grazia can check if their vehicles are affected by the latest recall. You can access the microsite HERE.

To find out if your two wheeler is affected by this recall, you need to enter the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)/Frame Number into the message box in the microsite, and click on submit. If your vehicle is affected by the recall, the website will inform you of the same immediately. You can then contact your nearest Honda dealer and get this issue fixed. Do not delay this as a faulty brake master cylinder is a potentially dangerous defect that severely compromises safety.

India is yet to frame a comprehensive, compulsary recall policy for two wheelers and cars. Such recall policies are standard in most developed countries, where regulatory bodies oversee vehicle safety and make sure that the automakers issue a recall in case of a faulty part compromising safety. In India, car and two wheeler manufacturers operate under a voluntary recall policy, and it’s left up to the automakers to recall a vehicle if they feel that there’s a safety/quality issue.

While automakers in India have been voluntarily recalling vehicles and fixing problems related to safety/quality, the need for regulatory intervention is acute. Having a government regulator overseeing recalls would make vehicles and roads safer as manufacturers will have no option but to ensure that recalls are carried out on time, and even the smallest of the issues impacting safety is taken care of. Basically, it’ll make the automakers more accountable, and this is a good thing.