NHTSA Investigating Honda Engine Failure Problems That May Impact 1.4 Million Vehicles

More than 170 reports involving engine failure have been received after the manufacturer failed to include certain vehicles in a previous Honda recall.

NHTSA Investigating Honda Engine Failure Problems That May Impact 1.4 Million Vehicles
Darian Hauf

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Federal safety officials are investigating problems that may impact more than 1 million Honda and Acura vehicles, after identifying hundreds of reports involving issues that may cause the engines to seize suddenly, increasing the risk of an auto accident.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the Honda and Acura investigation on November 8, indicating that some vehicles may have an issue with their connecting rod bearings, which link the piston to the crankshaft, converting the engine’s vertical motion into a rotational force that can turn the wheels.

In the affected vehicles, the rod bearings may wear out prematurely and seize, potentially damaging the engine and causing it to seize, according to officials. This increases the risk of engine failure and collisions, which could lead to severe injury or death.

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The investigation was announced one year after a Honda and Acura recall was issued that impacted nearly 250,000 vehicles in 2023, addressing the same engine problem.  However, it now appears that additional vehicles could contain faulty engine rod bearings.

The previous recall stemmed from an investigation launched in 2020, following customer complaints about a defect in certain 2015 to 2020 Honda Odyssey, Honda Pilot, Honda Ridgeline, Acura MDX and Acura TLX vehicles.

According to a statement released by the NHTSA on November 8, the investigation has been expanded to include:

  • 2016-2020 Acura MDX
  • 2018-2020 Acura TLX
  • 2016-2020 Honda Pilot
  • 2017-2019 Honda Ridgeline
  • 2018-2020 Honda Odyssey

Approximately 1,410,806 vehicles are now included in the investigation.  Each of the affected vehicles have 3.5-liter V6 engines.

American Honda Motor Co. has received one report of a crash or fire with no injuries that was not included in the 2023 recall, as well as 173 additional reports of connecting rod bearings failing.

With the cooperation of Honda, NHTSA has opened the recall investigation to determine the severity of the alleged part defect in vehicles not included under the original recall.

Darian Hauf
Written by: Darian Hauf

Consumer Safety & Recall News Writer

Darian Hauf is a consumer safety writer at AboutLawsuits.com, where she covers product recalls, public health alerts, and regulatory updates from agencies like the FDA and CPSC. She contributes research and reporting support on emerging safety concerns affecting households and consumers nationwide.

Tags: Acura, Engine Failure, Engine Recall, Honda, Honda Odyssey, Honda Pilot, Honda Recall
Image Credit: Shutterstock: sylv1rob1

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1 Comments

kathy
Our 2017 Ridgeline developed noise and all lights came on suddenly. We discovered that this year and model has a service bulletin out regarding the improper settings of equipment used to manufacture the crankshaft which resulted in crank pins with a crown or convex shape that are out of specification. Certain VIN numbers have a service bulletin out to have repairs done to fix this. Our truck is not included in this recall, but it should be, because that exact same thing happened to ours, with no help available it seems. Honda has quoted $10,000 for a short block and $11,500 for a used engine. This seems WAY over the top with no help available because Honda caused this issue during manufacture. I am not about to pay to fix this when Honda should be responsible for damage and replacement. Rock Honda in Fontana Ca has had our truck for over a month and has said they aren’t going to fix it. I have filed a complaint about 3 weeks ago and have a case number. I finally got a supervisor to call and he is very nice, but said that Honda will probably not fix it, but might help some. We have been without our truck for over a month, and are no further along than we were then. I know that the NSTSA has said that more than just those VIN numbers have been affected by this and that more should/will be added, but apparently there is no help yet. The agency said it’s opening a recall query to determine the severity of the problem in vehicles not included in the 2023 recall. Some dealers seem to have agreed to fix the problem it seems, I have a letter from Torrance Ca that they might be helping people to fix them, but I am in Rancho Cucamonga, and have already towed this car twice, and do not wish to start from scratch again. This has even been on the news lately, Fox news and Money Talks magazine for a couple, and I fully intend to contact them and the BBB and anyone else I can find about this, and Honda does not need any more bad publicity I would think. Also American Honda is announcing a STOP SALE and safety recall for certain model years 2017 & 2019 Ridgeline vehicles which may have engines containing internal damage at the connecting rod bearings, possibly leading to engine failure. There is no reason why our vehicle would not qualify just because of the VIN number. I hope there might be a class action suit regarding this, but haven’t found one yet.

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