Safety regulators have launched an investigation into more than 1.4 million vehicles from car manufacturer Honda and its Acura brand after reports of engine failures.
More than 400 reports of “connecting rod bearing failures” in the vehicles’ engines were analyzed as part of a November 2023 Honda recall, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
An engine rod bearing holds the crankshaft and connecting rod in place as they rotate, according to the auto eCommerce site, CarParts.com. When the bearing fails, drivers can hear a rapping noise in their engine.
Honda recalled about 249,000 vehicles in November 2023, warning, “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 from safety regulators.
The 414 reported engine failures were determined to be outside the scope of the 2023 recall, and evidence “does not suggest this failure is caused by the same crankshaft manufacturing defect” that caused the November 2023 recall, the administration said in a letter dated August 20.
But due to the “significant number” of these engine failure reports, there is a “potential safety risk that warrants further investigation,” the administration warned.
Honda and Acura models dating back to 2016 are subject to this investigation.
Here is a full list of the affected vehicles:
- Acura MDX, model year 2016 to 2020
- Acura TLX, model year 2018 to 2020
- Honda Odyssey, model year 2018 to 2020
- Honda Pilot, model year 2016 to 2020
- Honda Ridgeline, model year 2017 to 2019
The Independent has reached out to representatives for Honda and Acura for comment.
