US Investigating 1.4M Honda And Acura Models After V6 Engine Failures

[webby]

The government is looking into the 3.5-liter V6 that powers the Acura MDX and TLX as well as the Honda Pilot, Ridgeline, and Odyssey

• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into engine failures in Acura and Honda vehicles.
• The move comes after the government received 173 reports of failing connecting rod bearings in vehicles with 3.5-liter V6 engines.
• A previous recall addressed an engine manufacturing defect, so the investigation will examine if some vehicles slipped through the cracks.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into the 3.5-liter V6 engine that powers an assortment of Acura and Honda vehicles. The move comes after the government received 173 reports of failing connecting rod bearings.

The reports involved the 2016-2020 Acura MDX and 2018-2020 TLX. Over at Honda, there were reports involving the 2016-2020 Pilot, 2017-2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey.

The recall in question, 23V-751, involved 248,999 vehicles including the 2015-2020 TLX, 2016-2020 MDX, 2016 Pilot, 2018-2019 Pilot, 2018-2019 Odyssey, 2017 Ridgeline, and 2019 Ridgeline. That’s a hodgepodge and they were recalled due to a manufacturing defect of the engine crankshaft, which could cause the connecting rod bearing to prematurely wear and seize.

Delving deeper, the government said an incorrect equipment setting during the manufacturing process resulted in the crank pin being improperly ground, causing it to have a crown or convex shape. The automaker became aware of the issue in 2020 and conducted a recall three years later after receiving 1,450 warranty claims related to the issue.

As part of the remedy, dealers would inspect and, if necessary, repair or replace the engine. The population of the 23V-751 recall was determined using manufacturing records and it appears a handful of vehicles may have slipped through the cracks. Given this, the investigation will examine the severity of the alleged defect in vehicles not included in the previous recall as well as examine the scope of the recall. Depending on how things go, additional vehicles may end up being recalled.

 

[bootyluvr]

Weird the Accord's aren't affected

 

[webby]

There are a LOT of “j35” engine variants.

Yours would be this


Mdx in this instance uses the “y5”



Definitely some differences in power, compression ratio, etc. It does say more vehicles could fall into this, but who knows.

 

[ethlar]

this is the same issue that made acura replace the engine in my TLX before the formal recall

 

[webby]

Didn’t realize it was this same thing for yours

 

[ethlar]

they put a similar mileage used engine in mine but no promise that it was going to fix the issue, kinda glad to not have that still in the driveway

 

[Nomar06]

they put a similar mileage used engine in mine but no promise that it was going to fix the issue, kinda glad to not have that still in the driveway

I think they call it...."refurbished" that's a joke!

 

[Janz3n]

they put a similar mileage used engine in mine but no promise that it was going to fix the issue, kinda glad to not have that still in the driveway

used engine installed under warranty?

 

[ethlar]

yup, they didnt have reliable new parts and most of the rod bearings were in pieces circulating the engine

 

[webby]

It is still odd they didn’t swap in a new block

 

[ethlar]

i thought it was weird too but i was days from falling out of the extended warranty when they started the process, and it was in the midst of peak pandemic parts scarcity. They extended the powertrain warranty another 3 years and put me in their loaner car for over a month while it all happened.

Got out of the car and into the Polestar before the extended warranty ran out and now its someone else's problem