As many as 34,300 2007 & 2008-Model-Year Honda Fit compact vehicles are being recalled to fix the sensor that detects the presence of a child seat or an out-of-position passenger. The recall affects Fit vehicles originally sold in or currently registered in the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia.

In those States where road salt is used, salt from the snow on the driver's shoes will melt and penetrate the carpet and leak into the wire harness for the occupant detection system (ODS) and the occupant position detection system (OPDS) which is routed underneath the carpet on the driver's side floorboard. That may lead to corrosion and the wire may break.

A failure of the ODS and OPDS may not detect the presence of a child seat or an out-of-position passenger and deployment of both the front seat passenger's frontal and side air bags will not be suppressed. The recall will begin this month (Jan. '08).