The U.S. government’s highway safety agency has launched an investigation into reports of engine failure in up to 1.4 million Honda and Acura vehicles, according to documents posted on the agency’s website on Monday.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched the probe after receiving 173 complaints from owners who’s vehicles have experienced engine faults.
In November 2023, Honda recalled approximately 250,000 vehicles to address the same issue.
Some drivers reported connecting rod bearing failures, with one instance resulting in a crash, though no injuries were reported.
The agency has opened a recall query to asses the scope of the problem in cars not included in the previous recall.
How Does A Recall Work?
The NHTSA is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation and is tasked with ensuring vehicle safety on American roads.
When NHTSA receives sufficient complaints suggesting a potential widespread issue, it can initiate an official investigation or a recall query.
This process gathers information from the manufacturer, including data on warranty claims, incident reports, and any internal investigations conducted by the company.
A recall is issued when either the manufacturer or NHTSA concludes that a vehicle poses an unreasonable safety risk or does not meet essential safety standards.
Manufacturers are required to address the issue by providing a repair, replacement, refund, or, in rare cases, repurchasing the affected vehicle.
Which Cars Are Affected?
The probe targets certain models equipped with 3.5-liter V6 engines, including the 2016-2020 Honda Pilot, the 2018-2020 Honda Odyssey, the 2016-2020 Acura MDX, and the 2018-2020 Acura TLX.
The 2017-2019 Honda Ridgeline is also under scrutiny.
NHTSA’s documents indicate that connecting rod bearings in these vehicles may be prone to failure, potentially leading to catastrophic engine failure.
The connecting rods, which link the pistons to the crankshaft, play a crucial role in powering the vehicle by transforming the pistons’ vertical motion into rotational force.
Honda said it will cooperate with NHTSA on the investigation.
Honda and Tesla Recalls
In its 2023 recall, the automaker cited 1,450 warranty claims for bearing issues, though no injuries were linked.
At that time, Honda directed its dealers to inspect affected vehicles and repair or replace engines where necessary.
In October, Honda recalled nearly 1.7 million vehicles in the United States over a steering issue that could lead to crashes.
Also in October, Tesla announced it was recalling over 27,000 Cybertruck vehicles that may have rearview image delays, which could increase the risk of crashes.
This was not the first time Tesla has issued a recall for its Cybertruck.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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