If you’re a Honda Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline or Acura MDX owner in a rust-prone area, pay attention to this recall.
Honda just issued a new recall covering 880,514 vehicles between the 2014 and 2023 model years. Specifically, if you have a 2014-2020 Acura MDX, a 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, a 2019-2023 Honda Passport or 2017-2023 Honda Ridgeline, you may soon need to take your vehicle into the dealer to have the remedial work done for this recall campaign.
According to what the automaker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), affected vehicles sold in “salt-belt” states could have premature corrosion at the rear subframe suspension mounting points. As that corrosion progresses, the lack of remaining metal could result in fracture or complete failure of the rear suspension components. Honda says the subframes were manufactured with “improper coating specifications”, and paint may have failed to adhere properly and peel off near the arm bracket weld area. The de-icing salt used in some states may accelerate the rusting process.
How many of each model are affected?
Broadly speaking, this recall most heavily affects the Honda Pilot:
- 2016-2022 Honda Pilot: 463,253 units built between May 4, 2015 and December 12, 2022
- 2014-2020 Acura MDX: 217,517 units built between April 23, 2013 and December 22, 2020
- 2017-2023 Honda Ridgeline: 110,070 units built between April 5, 2016 and January 10, 2023
- 2019-2023 Honda Passport: 89,674 units built between November 13, 2018 and January 12, 2023
The recall is specific to vehicles sold in certain states (mainly in the midwest and northeast) including Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.
Honda first identified this issue in December 2021, and continued to monitor and survey vehicles over the next four years to determine whether the defect necessitated a recall. To-date, the company says there have been no warranty claims and no reports of injuries or deaths related to the issue. That said, this is not a new issue to Honda: First-generation (2003-2008) Pilot SUVs were notorious for rusting issues around the rear subframe.
What’s the fix?
Honda will mail out notification letters to impacted owners on July 7, according to the NHTSA recall report. At that point, dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a reinforcement kit. If needed, technicians will repair or replace defective rear subframe components, free of charge.
Owners can check Honda’s recall site (recall number AOU, AOT) or the NHTSA’s online portal (recall number 26V-365) to see whether their vehicle is included.
