Stop-Sale: 2023 Honda Civic Type R

Broken Driver’s Seat Cushion

Honda has issued a stop-sale mandate and recall for certain models of the 2023 Civic Type R hot hatchback, on account of potentially defective welds in the driver’s seat cushion frame assembly. An official bulletin distributed to retailers, which swiftly appeared on the Civic XI forum, declared:

“Due to improper manufacturing, the driver’s seat cushion frame assembly may have faulty welds that could cause squeaking, rattling noises, or the breakage of the seat frame weld. Should a vehicle crash occur, a broken seat cushion weld could potentially affect the protective nature of the seat belt and increase the risk of injury to an occupant of the seat.”

CarBuzz has contacted Honda North America for annotation but failed to get a response within the desired period. We will revise this article whenever appropriate new information becomes available.

The renowned Japanese motor vehicle corporation has advised the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) concerning the problem, yet just released the bulletin today; therefore, the organization hasn’t published the recall on its official webpage at present. Seemingly, Type R maintainers have identified squeaking and rattling sounds for a great number of months.

The forum has another thread discussion specifically about this issue dating back to November – just around the time deliveries got underway. Regarding the seat, it is a manually adjustable design which we commented on in our recent test drive as “comfortable and well-bolstered without going over the top and making them a pain to get in and out of every day.” This is an important factor to consider when selecting a car, as it is essential to have a seat that is comfortable but not overly so.

No distinct sounds were observed, nevertheless. As of present, Honda has yet to class the characteristic VINs to recognize the cars concerned; however, we wouldn’t be astounded if all ’23 editions are part of this dilemma. Again, we must await information on the issue.

Dealers have been alerted by Honda via a memo informing them they will be informed promptly on affected VINs, repair processes, necessary components and warranty details. Moreover, suppliers presently lack required parts needed to rectify the problem. Therefore, dealers have been ordered to inform vehicle owners of the circumstance whenever they bring in their cars for servicing.

The publication concludes with announcement that commencement of notice to customers is predicted for middle May.