A stability control part can cause brakes on some Honda Odyssey and Element models to fail.

Adding to a growing number of “safety campaigns, in recent weeks, Honda now plans to recall 410,000 minivans and other vehicles to deal with a balky braking system.

The move affects 344,000 of the maker’s Odyssey minivans and another 68,000 Element crossovers produced during the 2007 and 2008 model-years.

The brakes have a tendency to become softer, over time, and could eventually lose braking power entirely, said spokesman Chris Martin, confirming the brake system “is definitely not operating the way it should.”

The problem appears to be caused by a system designed to test the electronic stability control systems used on the Odyssey and Element models.  Called a vehicle stability assist monitor, it can leak a small amount of air into the brake lines.  Stability control systems use a vehicle’s brakes to help maintain control in situations where traction is diminished, such as when a minivan goes around an icy corner.

Honda will send out letters to owners advising them to come into dealers for a fix, but not until April, when it has the necessary repair parts.  In the meantime, the maker says owners who have experienced problems with their brakes can contact their dealership to schedule a temporary repair, which involves bleeding air out of the brakes.  For more information, an owner can call 1-800-999-1009, option 4, or go to recalls.honda.com.

So far, the automaker says it knows of three crashes involving the brake problem, though injuries have been minor and there have been no fatalities.

Among other recent safety-related actions, Honda has announced a “service campaign” – a process considered a step short of a full recall – to repair power liftgates on the 2005 Odyssey minivan. (Click Here.)

Meanwhile, in March, it added another 437,000 vehicles to a list of products with potentially defective airbags.  That action now includes more than 1 million Honda models in which airbags can rupture when deploying, potentially injuring or killing those the devices were designed to protect.