In November 2023, Honda recalled around 249,000 vehicles after identifying a manufacturing problem in certain crankshafts that could lead to the connecting rod bearing seizing
Safety regulators in the USA have announced a major investigation into over 1.4 million Honda and Acura vehicles following reports of a series of serious engine failures.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the focus of the inquiry is on “connecting rod bearing failures”, with more than 400 reports having already been analysed. This particular part is essential to the operation of a vehicle’s engine — it is responsible for holding the crankshaft and connecting rod in place while they rotate.
If that bearing fails, it can result in serious mechanical issues. One sign of such a malfunction is a rapping noise coming from the engine, which could alert drivers to the issue before a full failure occurs.
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In November 2023, Honda recalled around 249,000 vehicles after identifying a manufacturing problem in certain crankshafts that could lead to the connecting rod bearing seizing, warning that “If the connecting rod bearing seizes, the engine can be damaged and run improperly, stall, stop while driving, and/or not start, increasing the risk of a fire, crash or injury”, according to a report by safety regulators.
The hundreds of recent cases now under review are not related in any way to the ones that were already resolved by the previous recall. According to a letter dated August 20, 2025, from NHTSA, the 414 failures currently being investigated are outside the scope of the 2023 action.
Even though the exact cause has not yet been determined, NHTSA explained that the scale of reports is significant enough to require further review. Due to the “significant number” of engine failure reports, there is a “potential safety risk that warrants further investigation”, the administration warned.
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The current investigation covers multiple vehicle lines built between 2016 and 2020. Here’s the full list of affected models:
- Acura MDX, 2016 to 2020
- Acura TLX, 2018 to 2020
- Honda Odyssey, 2018 to 2020
- Honda Pilot, 2016 to 2020
- Honda Ridgeline, 2017 to 2019
If all of these vehicles are ultimately found to be affected, more than 1.4 million owners could be impacted. But for now at least, the investigation remains in the information‑gathering stage, with no conclusion announced.
Regulators will continue evaluating data, but depending on the findings of regulators, the outcome could result in another recall, with potentially well over a million drivers affected.
A spokesperson for Honda Motor Europe – UK said: “The recently announced National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation into models equipped with the Honda 3.5-litre V6 engine relates to models sold in North America only. This does not currently relate to any models sold in the UK.”
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