American Honda Motor Company has issued a safety recall in the United States that could potentially affect nearly 250,000 vehicles. According to a notice the carmaker sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), select Honda and Acura models require an engine inspection or replacement (if the damage is beyond repair) due to a manufacturing defect in the engine crankshaft – the connecting rod bearing (the bit that connects the piston to the crankshaft) may wear prematurely and seize, that could damage the engine. The company blamed incorrect equipment settings used in the production of select engine parts, due to which they did not match the correct specifications.
The recall affects models powered by the carmaker’s V6 engine. These include the Acura MDX (2016-2020), Acura TLX (2015-2020), Honda Pilot (2016 and 2018-2019), Honda Ridgeline (2017 and 2019), and the Honda Odyssey (2018-2019) vehicles. Based on this information, the affected models were produced between 2015 and 2020.
According to the NHTSA documents, Honda received the first consumer complaint regarding the defect in February 2020. As of 3rd November 2023, Honda has booked 1,450 warranty claims for the problem, with no reported injuries or deaths.
Warning signs, such as strange engine noises, stalling, decreased power output, and a check engine light, can be used to identify if a vehicle is affected by the problem. Honda will notify the affected owners via letters starting from 2nd January 2024. Any inspection or repair work, including engine replacement, if needed, will be carried out free of charge at the service centres. However, as the inspection will require engine disassembly, the resolution time is expected to be fairly high. However, Honda estimates that only 1% of all the recalled units could actually require repairs.
This is Honda’s 14th recall in 2023 and the fifth largest. It brings the number of Honda vehicles recalled in 2023 up to more than three million.