Govt Investigating 1.4 Million Acura And Honda Vehicles Over Engine Failures

Over 3,000 cases have been reported and they’re being blamed on connecting rod bearing failures

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation is looking into thousands of engine failures in an assortment of Acura and Honda vehicles. This includes the Acura TLX and MDX as well as the Honda Pilot, Odyssey, and Ridgeline.

More: Almost 250,000 Hondas And Acuras Recalled Over Engine Seize Fears

All five models were equipped with 3.5-liter V6 engines and the government has received 414 reports of connecting rod bearing failures. The NHTSA noted that’s a “significant number,” so they’re opening a preliminary evaluation to examine the “scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related issues.”

The government estimates there are approximately 1,410,806 vehicles with the 3.5-liter V6 and noted failure of connecting rod bearings leads to complete engine failure. Needless to say, that’s a serious problem and one that costs a small fortune to fix.

Thousands of owners have already discovered this as, besides from the 414 reports to the Office of Defects Investigation, American Honda is aware of an additional 2,598 incidents. This brings the total up to 3,012 cases, which have included seven crashes or fires.

This isn’t the first time the powertrain has drawn attention as 248,999 vehicles were recalled in 2023 due to a manufacturing defect of the engine crankshaft. This could cause the connecting rod bearing to prematurely wear and seize.

Only 1% of recalled vehicles were believed to have the defect, which was chalked up to improper equipment settings during crankshaft production. As of November 3, 2023, Honda had received 1,450 warranty claims related to the issue. To fix the problem, dealers would inspect and repair/replace the engine as necessary.

Despite the previous issue, the NHTSA said the latest failures are “outside the scope” of the original recall. They went on to note the problem doesn’t seem to be caused by the same crankshaft manufacturing defect as found in the previous campaign.

It remains unclear how things will shake out, but the investigation involves the 2016-2020 Acura MDX and 2018-2020 Acura TLX. The government is also looking into the 2016-2020 Honda Pilot, 2017-2019 Honda Ridgeline, and 2018-2020 Honda Odyssey.