Honda Recalls More Than 880,000 Vehicles Over Rear Suspension Failure Risk

A new problem has emerged with several popular Honda products from the 2014 to 2023 model years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that over 880,000 examples of the Honda Pilot, Ridgeline, and Passport, as well as the Acura MDX, are being recalled (NHTSA recall 26V365 refers) because of rear suspension components that may corrode at the mounting points, potentially resulting in failure. As you can imagine, this can cause a loss of control and possibly a crash or injury. Because this is a problem that can be accelerated by salted roads, the recall names specific states where the issue is most likely to appear.

23 States, Four Models, 880,514 Cars Named in Honda Recall

The NHTSA recall report says that the vehicles requiring attention were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The NHTSA notes that there have been no reports of suspension failure or signs thereof on U.S. market vehicles outside the salt-belt region. The following model years are affected:

• 2017-2023 Honda Ridgeline (110,070 affected)
• 2016-2022 Honda Pilot (463,253 affected)
• 2019-2023 Honda Passport (89,674 affected)
• 2014-2020 Acura MDX (217,517 affected)

Honda says that de-icing agents can contribute to premature corrosion at the rear subframe suspension mounting points, and as this worsens, the metal can thin out, fracture, and fail. If this happens to the rear control arm or lower arm, the wheel(s) could become misaligned or "inadequately retained," which means the wheel(s) could become loose. This affects vehicle stability and handling, with braking performance also negatively impacted. Warning signs include the above symptoms and "abnormal noise or vibration." Honda has been aware of a potential problem since December 2021, when it began analysis. From November 2022 to February 2023, the automaker started monitoring and surveying potentially affected vehicles, and by September, no unexpected corrosion progression was noted, so no recall was initiated, but Honda kept an eye on the problem. The situation changed in September last year, when Honda Canada received its first report of an issue, prompting further investigation, which continued until last month, when Honda determined that there was now a safety concern.

What Honda Owners Need to Know About the New Recall

The good news is that, as of late last month, Honda has not received any warranty claims or reports of injury related to this rear subframe issue, likely because the progression of the problem results in clear symptoms. Honda has since improved pre-paint treatment of the components and increased the thickness of its coatings, which recalled vehicles will benefit from. Dealers are already preparing for the fix, which owners will be notified of on July 7. Honda or Acura dealers will inspect the rear subframes and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit. If necessary, they will also repair or replace the corroded rear subframe components. As always with a recall, this will be at no cost to the affected owners.

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