American Honda is recalling about 420 of its 2009 model Odyssey vans to fix a problem with the brakes, Consumeraffairs.com reports in this article. Company officials say that incorrect brake hoses were installed during assembly. Over time, the hose can contact the caliper bolt potentially creating a hole through which brake fluid can leak. This could cause a sudden brake system failure and lead to a crash.

The recall has already begun and if you own one of these vehicles, you should start getting those recall notices in the mail. Dealers will inspect both the front brake hoses and replace them if they are defective. If you have any more questions, please call Honda at 1-800-999-1009 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at 1-888-327-4236. NHTSA’s Web site also has basic information about this auto product defect recall.

I’m glad that Honda decided to promptly recall these defective vehicles to fix the possible problem with brakes. Brake defects are extremely serious because as we all know, we count on our brakes to be able to stop the vehicle. If our brakes don’t function properly as designed we are more likely to get into an accident. Since brakes also help reduce the vehicle’s speed, lack of braking function would likely lead to catastrophic injuries or death in the event of a collision. Being able to brake in time avoids collisions. Numerous people are seriously injured or killed in California each year because of defective brakes with problems that include premature lock-up, ABS failures, brake-line defects or brake fluid leaks. Many people are also seriously injured because of defective parking brakes.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a defectively manufactured or defectively designed auto, please call a reputed California auto product defect law firm that has access to experts who can analyze the crashed vehicles for evidence of product defects or mechanical malfunctions that were triggered by inherent product defects. Vehicle manufacturers are responsible for designing and manufacturing safe vehicles. When they fail to fulfill that responsibility, it is the consumer who unnecessarily suffers the tragic consequences.