The U.S. government’s highway safety agency is looking into complaints about engine failures in up to 1.4 million Honda cars and Acura cars.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigation includes the 2016 through 2020 Honda Pilot and Acura MDX, the 2018 through 2020 Honda Odyssey and Acura TLX, as well as the 2017 through 2019 Honda Ridgeline.
Engine failure in Honda cars
According to documents posted by the agency on its website, the issue involves connecting rod bearings in vehicles equipped with 3.5-liter V6 engines, which can fail and result in total engine failure. Connecting rods are responsible for linking the pistons to the crankshaft and converting vertical motion to power the wheels.
In November 2023, Honda recalled approximately 250,000 vehicles to address the same issue. However, the agency has received 173 complaints from vehicle owners who reported connecting rod bearing failures, even though their vehicles were not part of the recall. One owner mentioned an incident involving a crash, though no injuries were reported.
2023 recall
The agency has announced it is initiating a recall query to assess the extent of the problem in vehicles that were not included in the 2023 recall.
In documents related to the 2023 recall, Honda stated that it had received 1,450 warranty claims for the bearing issue but had no reports of injuries. Dealers were instructed to inspect the vehicles and repair or replace the engines if necessary.
Honda Cars India
Honda Cars India recently announced the recall of 92,672 vehicles from various models to resolve potential issues in older cars. This number includes 90,468 vehicles initially identified, along with 2,204 vehicles that had previously received replacement parts.
The recall is prompted by defective fuel pump impellers, which may result in the engine stalling or failing to start. Honda will replace the affected parts at no cost to customers, starting November 5, 2024, at dealerships throughout India.
