The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into complaints that engines may fail in approximately 1.4 million Honda and Acura vehicles. This inquiry comes after multiple reports from owners claiming issues with connecting rod bearings, particularly in certain models of the cars.
The affected vehicles include the 2016 through 2020 Honda Pilot and Acura MDX, the 2018 through 2020 Honda Odyssey and Acura TLX, and the 2017 through 2019 Honda Ridgeline. The agency’s preliminary documents, released on Monday, highlighted that a failure in the 3.5-liter V6 engine’s connecting rod bearings could result in total engine failure. Connecting rods play a crucial role by connecting the engine’s pistons to the crankshaft, converting vertical motion into movement in the wheels.
In November 2023, Honda recalled around 250,000 vehicles to address this issue. However, the NHTSA has received 173 complaints from owners whose vehicles were not part of the recall, including one report of a crash that fortunately did not cause injuries.
To assess the situation further, the NHTSA is opening a recall query specifically focused on the vehicles excluded from the previous recall. Meanwhile, Honda has indicated its commitment to cooperatively work with the NHTSA throughout the investigation.
According to Honda, the documents regarding the 2023 recall indicated that the company received 1,450 warranty claims related to the bearing issue, but no injuries were reported. As part of the recall measures, dealers were instructed to inspect and, if necessary, repair or replace the engines affected by this problem.
