U.S. Authorities Probing 1.4 Million Honda Vehicles, 3.5L V6 Again to Blame
Is there something wrong again with connecting rod bearings on Honda’s 3.5-litre V6 engine? That’s what U.S. authorities want to know.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation covering approximately 1.4 million vehicles in the U.S. after it received 173 complaints and reports from owners. Affected models include the 2016-2020 Honda Pilot, 2017-2019 Ridgeline and 2017-2019 Odyssey, as well as the 2016-2020 Acura MDX and 2018-2020 TLX.
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A similar issue led to a recall on these same five models in November 2023—with slightly different model years. It was found that the connecting rod bearings could wear prematurely and become damaged due to a manufacturing defect on the crankshaft, possibly causing the engine to fail. Nearly 30,000 units were part of the recall in Canada.
However, according to the NHTSA, these new reports suggest that the problem could be more widespread than initially believed. At least one crash has been reported so far among the non-recalled population.
The probe will examine the actual severity and scope of the alleged defect. It’s possible, even probable, that more Honda and Acura vehicles equipped with the 3.5-litre V6 will be recalled in the coming months. We’ll keep you posted.
If we go farther back in time, all the models listed above—2019 model year only (MDX: 2018-2019—were recalled to fix a bad timing belt that may cause the engine to stall. Honda dealers had to replace the belt on nearly 10,000 vehicles in Canada.
