Honda recalls 640,000 cars globally

Japanese carmaker Honda Motor Co. announced Friday a voluntary worldwide recall of 646,000 cars following reports of defective parts of their window switch.

The recall, which includes 141,140 compact cars in the United States, covers models built in Japan, China, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia and India.

Honda said it wanted to examine window switches that can overheat if exposed to liquid, causing smoke or melting or even catch fire.

Under some severe operating conditions, water, rain, or other liquid may enter the driver's window and reach the master power window switch, resulting in impaired function of the switch, the Japanese car maker said in a statement.

If the master power window switch is damaged as a result of the liquid intrusion, it may result in failure of the switch and overheating.

An overheating switch may cause smoke, melting or, potentially, fire, it added.

The recall follows an earlier recall this week by its competitor, Toyota Motor Corp., which halted 2.3 million automobiles in the United States due to a faulty accelerator pedal, and the recall action has spread to Europe and China.