Honda’s recent decision to recall over 259,000 SUVs in the US has rightly triggered concern. A fault in the brake pedal design risks compromising vehicle braking – a fundamental safety issue.
The fix involves replacing the assembly and while that’s straightforward in theory, the bigger signal here should not be lost on the UK aftermarket: defects don’t stop at borders.
Though the recall is currently US-focused, these same vehicles are likely already in the UK. Either through official imports or secondary channels, UK dealers and repairers are increasingly facing the ripple effects of global product failures. The question is no longer if we’ll see these cars, but when. And whether we’ll be ready when they arrive.
Grey imports, growing pressure
It’s easy to assume that recall alerts will stay overseas. But the UK has a growing appetite for imported vehicles, especially hybrid and electric SUVs.
For UK dealers, this creates a dilemma. Imported vehicles often fall outside the usual recall notification systems, meaning safety-critical faults can go undetected unless dealers are proactively checking.
These vehicles may arrive on UK roads months after the original recall was issued, by which point the customer has no idea they’re driving a potential time bomb with faulty brakes.
Dealers can no longer wait for official recall instructions. They need early-warning systems and a strategy to identify cross-border defects, source parts and reassure customers. All without waiting for the manufacturer to lead the charge.
Parts delays and the domino effect
Recalls are stressful enough when everything is local. Add international stock dependencies, backorders, or poor communication between service departments and things can unravel quickly.
The brake pedal fix in Honda’s US recall is a good example. In high-volume scenarios, even minor lags in parts ordering or prioritisation can create long workshop queues, frustrated customers, and brand damage.
Dealers need real-time visibility: what’s in stock, what’s inbound, and which jobs need triaging.
It’s also not just about the fix. A delayed part can turn a 30-minute remedy into a three-week service backlog. Customers won’t wait patiently when they think their brakes might fail. Instead, they’ll flood your phonelines, leave damaging reviews, or worse, go silent and ignore the recall entirely.
From letters to loyalty: Rethinking recall comms
Recall letters are still the main channel for notifying drivers. But they’re also often ignored, lost, or sent to the wrong address. For grey imports, they may never be issued at all.
Digital reminders like texts, app alerts and service dashboard notifications, offer a faster, clearer way to connect. But timing and tone are everything.
Customers don’t respond to legalese or vague warnings. They respond to urgency, relevance, and reassurance. And, in this day and age, digital communication on the channels that they use in their day to day lives.
Workshops that use digital workflows can automatically prompt customers when parts are ready, book them in, and confirm repairs. It keeps the process moving and, more importantly, keeps drivers engaged until the fix is done.
Building trust through recall readiness
The best defence is being ready. Workshops that embed recall-specific workflows – from data flagging to parts ordering and customer communication – won’t just see higher remedy rates, they’ll build something even more valuable: trust.
A smart recall strategy starts with early identification. Dealers need to know which vehicles are affected, regardless of where or how they entered the UK market.
From there, integrated systems must track the progress of each fix and provide real-time visibility on parts availability.
But perhaps most important is the way dealers communicate.This must be done clearly, promptly and with the customer front and centre at every stage.
When dealers take control of recall handling rather than waiting for the OEM to dictate the pace, they become more than just a repairer.
They become the trusted voice in a moment that really matters. And in a market where customer loyalty is often short-lived, that’s a position worth holding on to.
When brakes fail, don’t stall
Honda’s US recall is a reminder that today’s automotive issues travel faster than ever. UK dealers can’t afford to operate in silos while safety-critical fixes unfold on the other side of the world.
If we’re serious about safety and customer trust, then our recall strategies must be as global as the vehicles we service.
That means ditching the passive mindset, joining the dots between systems, and giving recall readiness the same attention we give every other part of the customer journey.
Pete Gillett is founder of Marketpoint Recall
Brake pedal recall: What Honda’s fix signal means for UK dealers
Pete Gillett
June 24, 2025
Opinion & Commentary
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Honda’s recent decision to recall over 259,000 SUVs in the US has rightly triggered concern. A fault in the brake pedal design risks compromising vehicle braking – a fundamental safety issue.
The fix involves replacing the assembly and while that’s straightforward in theory, the bigger signal here should not be lost on the UK aftermarket: defects don’t stop at borders.
Though the recall is currently US-focused, these same vehicles are likely already in the UK. Either through official imports or secondary channels, UK dealers and repairers are increasingly facing the ripple effects of global product failures. The question is no longer if we’ll see these cars, but when. And whether we’ll be ready when they arrive.
Grey imports, growing pressure
It’s easy to assume that recall alerts will stay overseas. But the UK has a growing appetite for imported vehicles, especially hybrid and electric SUVs.
For UK dealers, this creates a dilemma. Imported vehicles often fall outside the usual recall notification systems, meaning safety-critical faults can go undetected unless dealers are proactively checking.
These vehicles may arrive on UK roads months after the original recall was issued, by which point the customer has no idea they’re driving a potential time bomb with faulty brakes.
Dealers can no longer wait for official recall instructions. They need early-warning systems and a strategy to identify cross-border defects, source parts and reassure customers. All without waiting for the manufacturer to lead the charge.
Parts delays and the domino effect
Recalls are stressful enough when everything is local. Add international stock dependencies, backorders, or poor communication between service departments and things can unravel quickly.
The brake pedal fix in Honda’s US recall is a good example. In high-volume scenarios, even minor lags in parts ordering or prioritisation can create long workshop queues, frustrated customers, and brand damage.
Dealers need real-time visibility: what’s in stock, what’s inbound, and which jobs need triaging.
It’s also not just about the fix. A delayed part can turn a 30-minute remedy into a three-week service backlog. Customers won’t wait patiently when they think their brakes might fail. Instead, they’ll flood your phonelines, leave damaging reviews, or worse, go silent and ignore the recall entirely.
From letters to loyalty: Rethinking recall comms
Recall letters are still the main channel for notifying drivers. But they’re also often ignored, lost, or sent to the wrong address. For grey imports, they may never be issued at all.
Digital reminders like texts, app alerts and service dashboard notifications, offer a faster, clearer way to connect. But timing and tone are everything.
Customers don’t respond to legalese or vague warnings. They respond to urgency, relevance, and reassurance. And, in this day and age, digital communication on the channels that they use in their day to day lives.
Workshops that use digital workflows can automatically prompt customers when parts are ready, book them in, and confirm repairs. It keeps the process moving and, more importantly, keeps drivers engaged until the fix is done.
Building trust through recall readiness
The best defence is being ready. Workshops that embed recall-specific workflows – from data flagging to parts ordering and customer communication – won’t just see higher remedy rates, they’ll build something even more valuable: trust.
A smart recall strategy starts with early identification. Dealers need to know which vehicles are affected, regardless of where or how they entered the UK market.
From there, integrated systems must track the progress of each fix and provide real-time visibility on parts availability.
But perhaps most important is the way dealers communicate.This must be done clearly, promptly and with the customer front and centre at every stage.
When dealers take control of recall handling rather than waiting for the OEM to dictate the pace, they become more than just a repairer.
They become the trusted voice in a moment that really matters. And in a market where customer loyalty is often short-lived, that’s a position worth holding on to.
When brakes fail, don’t stall
Honda’s US recall is a reminder that today’s automotive issues travel faster than ever. UK dealers can’t afford to operate in silos while safety-critical fixes unfold on the other side of the world.
If we’re serious about safety and customer trust, then our recall strategies must be as global as the vehicles we service.
That means ditching the passive mindset, joining the dots between systems, and giving recall readiness the same attention we give every other part of the customer journey.
Pete Gillett is founder of Marketpoint Recall
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