NHTSA investigating 1.4 million Honda vehicles over engine failures

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is opening a probe into 1.4 million Honda and Acura vehicles over reports of critical engine problems.

Driving the news: The news comes after a 2023 recall over the same issue, which impacted 250,000 vehicles and resulted in 1,450 warranty claims.

• The agency will investigate 173 reports of defective connecting rod bearings, which it says may cause “complete engine failure.”

• The probe covers the 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2018-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Honda Pilot, 2017-2019 Honda Ridgeline and 2018-2020 Honda Odyssey. Each of the impacted models comes with a 3.5-liter V6 engine.

Zooming in: Honda has been hit with multiple investigations and recalls in recent months, impacting its reputation for safety and reliability.

• The brand was forced to recall more than 2.4 million vehicles in October across two separate investigations, one focused on fuel pump leaks and the other on steering issues.

Zooming out: But Honda is far from being alone, with many of its peers struggling with the same challenges.

• Toyota was forced to initiate recalls and implement stop-sales across multiple high profile models during the third quarter, following a series of safety scandals in Japan.

• Automakers are on track to pass the 30 million unit mark for recalls this year, hitting 21 million at the end of September.

Looking ahead: While the overall volume of recalls and safety issues continue to create challenges for manufacturers and consumers, there have been some improvements.

• The share of recalls with “do not drive” warnings currently account for less than 0.1% of all recalls.

• Meanwhile, the number of vehicles with a “do not park inside” warning has fallen from a share of 14% to 3%.

Bottom line: Honda’s latest safety probe underlines the industry’s ongoing challenges with product reliability. Resolving these issues quickly will be key to keeping the brand’s reputation for quality intact.

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