Honda to recall Civic Hybrids due to voltage converter defect

TOKYO – Honda Motor Co. plans to recall 45,335 Civic Hybrid sedans worldwide to repair a voltage converter defect that could stop the car’s engine, a company spokeswoman said Friday.

Japan’s No. 2 automaker plans to recall 7,219 of the vehicles sold in Japan and another 38,116 sold overseas, mostly in the U.S., a Honda spokeswoman said. She spoke on condition of anonymity, citing company policy.

Honda learned about the defect – which could cause a short circuit that would stop the engine and prevent it from restarting – from overseas reports, the company said in documents filed Thursday with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Honda has received no reports of accidents, the documents said. The affected vehicles were manufactured between September 2005 and September 2006, they said.