Honda announced this week that the left driveshaft in approximately 50,000 2012 Honda Civic vehicles might have been assembled incorrectly and could come apart, separating from the CV joint that connects the driveshaft to the wheel.

The potential number of affected vehicles is estimated at 50,190. Documentation from Honda indicates that approximately up to 8.4 percent of the vehicles in the recall may contain the condition.

Honda says it is voluntarily recalling the Civic vehicles in the United States to inspect and, if necessary, replace the left driveshaft. If separation from the CV joint occurs, the engine will no longer propel the vehicle in any gear, and the vehicle may roll away if the parking brake has not been set when the gear selector has been placed in the Park position, increasing the risk of a crash or personal injury. To date, no crashes or injuries have been reported related to this issue, says USA Today's James Healey.

Honda is announcing this recall to encourage owners of all affected vehicles to take their vehicles to an authorized dealer as soon as they receive notification of this recall from Honda. They will be inspected and, if necessary, replaced at no charge. Mailed notification to customers will begin around June 21, 2012.

In addition to contacting customers by mail, in late-June, owners of these vehicles will be able to determine if their vehicles require repair by going on-line to www.recalls.honda.com or by calling 800-999-1009, and selecting option 4.

Honda Civic owners are encouraged to reference the Honda safety recall campaign No. S40. In late June, owners of these vehicles will be able to go online to www.recalls.honda.com to determine if their vehicles require repair.

Owners of vehicles involved in the campaign may also contact the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 or go to
NHTSA's recall site: Safercar.gov
Reference the NHTSA campaign ID No. 12V256000.

No additional information explaining how the problem was discovered is available yet.