US government upgrades and expands Honda stall investigation

US government upgrades and expands Honda stall investigation

April 22, 2025 Bojan Popic ,

Washington, D.C. – April 22, 2025 – The U.S. government auto safety regulator has upgraded and expanded its investigation of Honda (NYSE:HMC) cars that may stall and not restart.

The investigation comes on the back of close to 1,300 complaints and could lead to a recall of roughly 2.2 million vehicles, including:

  • 2015 – 2025 Acura TLX
  • 2016 – 2025 Acura MDX
  • 2016 – 2015 Honda Pilot
  • 2018 – 2025 Honda Odyssey
  • 2019 – 2025 Honda Passport
  • 2020 – 2025 Honda Ridgeline

Recall summary  

The regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), originally opened an investigation on June 3, 2022, following more than 200 complaints regarding Honda Passport SUVs that would fail to restart. 

This would happen after the vehicle came to a complete halt and the start-stop system automatically shut off the engine to enhance fuel efficiency.

In January 2023, Honda issued two service bulletins, instructing dealers how to deal with this problem. But this remedy proved insufficient, with many cars reportedly still stalling even after being repaired.

The investigation has now been upgraded to a so-called engineering analysis. This means that the investigators will conduct a deeper analysis to assess the effectiveness of the repairs done so far. In addition, the scope of the investigation has been widened to add more cars that were included in the service bulletins, as well as some newer models.

Recall risks

A stationary car may get hit by other vehicles, especially if the defect occurs in dense traffic, increasing the risk of an injury.  

In fact, this investigation comes on the heels of four crashes and two injuries. Fortunately, no fatalities have been reported.

Dangerous situations

A driver complained that her 2016 Honda Pilot “has stalled several times on the busiest highway in Hawaii during rush hour traffic”. The person had to put their car in Park and wait at least 30 seconds for it to restart “in the middle of a [busy] highway.”

Another driver expressed that he feared that he was going to be “killed” in the car if it did not stop losing power. Honda apparently advised him to leave the vehicle in “moving traffic” to “film” the problem, further adding to his worries.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a step below a recall where the car maker lets dealers know about how to fix a common, recurring problem that does not represent a serious safety issue. Unlike in a recall, dealers are not required to proactively reach out to drivers.

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

This investigation may lead to a Honda stall recall, potentially affecting more than 2.2 million vehicles. To do a Honda recall check and see if yours is one of them, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicUS government upgrades and expands Honda stall investigation
Honda issues large-scale recall over risk of stall

Honda issues large-scale recall over risk of stall

February 18, 2025 Bojan Popic ,

Torrance, CA – February 18, 2025 – Honda (NYSE:HMC), which owns the Acura brand, is recalling 294,612 cars that may stall while driving. This augments the risk of a crash and injury, especially in dense traffic. 

The following SUVs and luxury cars are affected: 

  • 2022 – 2025 Acura MDX Type-S
  • 2021 – 2025 Acura TLX Type-S
  • 2023 – 2025 Honda Pilot

Recall summary  

The engine operation is controlled by a computer called the Electronic Control Unit (ECU). In the affected vehicles, a software error in the ECU code may cause them to lose power if the driver suddenly hits gas.  

Recall risks

A stalled vehicle can get hit by oncoming traffic, increasing the risk of an injury. 

Warning signs

The defect may trigger the malfunction indicator light (MIL)  on the dashboard. 

Background of the recall

Leading up to the recall, the automaker receiving 674 warranty claims regarding the defect. Luckily, no injuries or accidents have been reported.

Other Honda recalls

In December 2024, Honda Passport SUVs were recalled because of a risk of fire caused by a fuel leak, as reported. 

In June 2024, a U.S. government investigation prompted Honda to recall Ridgeline pickups over defective rearview cameras, also as reported.

The repair

Dealers will reprogram the ECU free of charge.   

The owners should receive letters with more information by March 17, 2025. 

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

This Honda stall recall affects close to 300,000 vehicles. To do a Honda recall check and see if yours is one of them, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicHonda issues large-scale recall over risk of stall
Honda recalls new Acura MDX SUVs over malfunctioning rearview cameras

Honda recalls new Acura MDX SUVs over malfunctioning rearview cameras   

February 11, 2025 Bojan Popic ,

Torrance, CA – February 11, 2025 – Honda (NYSE:HMC), which owns the Acura brand, is recalling 9,221 2025 Acura MDX SUVs that may fail to show a rearview camera image. This flaw reduces visibility while backing up, upping the chances of an accident.

Recall summary  

A software glitch may cause the center information display to go blank when the driver shifts into reverse.

Recall risks

The lack of rearview camera image limits the visibility when reversing, increasing the chances of a crash, injury or property damage. 

Other Honda recalls

In December 2024, Honda recalled SUVs over a fuel leak that could cause them to catch fire, as reported. 

In June 2024, Honda Ridgeline pickup trucks were also recalled over malfunctioning rearview cameras following a US government investigation. 

The repair

Dealers will replace the center display with an improved one free of charge.   

The owners should receive letters with more information by March 3, 2025. 

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

More than 9,000 Acura SUVs are affected by this Honda rearview camera recall. To do a Honda recall check and see if yours is one of them, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Bojan PopicHonda recalls new Acura MDX SUVs over malfunctioning rearview cameras   
Honda recalls 750,000 cars with airbags that may hurt children

Honda recalls 750,000 cars with airbags that may hurt children

February 20, 2024 Joseph Estabillo ,

Torrance, CA – February 20, 2024 – Honda (NYSE:HMC), which also owns the Acura brand, is recalling 750,114 vehicles due to incorrect airbags deploying in a crash, potentially increasing the risk of injury to certain occupants. The recall comes on the back of several thousand warranty claims and covers some of the following vehicles:

  • 2020–2022 Honda Accord
  • 2020–2021 Honda Accord Hybrid
  • 2020–2022 Honda Civic 
  • 2021 Honda Civic Type R
  • 2020–2021 Honda CR-V
  • 2020–2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid
  • 2020–2022 Honda Odyssey
  • 2020–2022 Honda Pilot
  • 2020–2021 Honda Ridgeline
  • 2020 Acura MDX
  • 2022 Acura MDX
  • 2020 Acura RDX
  • 2022 Acura RDX

Recall summary  

Cars typically have a sensor on the seats that determines the occupant’s weight and prevents the airbags from deploying if the minimum weight requirement is not met, such as in the case of a child or a person weighing less than 108 lbs.

In the affected cars, the front passenger seat weight sensor “may crack and short-circuit,” allowing the airbag to deploy regardless of the occupant weight. The defect is caused by a supplier error.

The full list of the affected models is available here.

Recall risks

All risks caused by defective front passenger airbags are explained in this article about a similar Tesla recall. 

Warning signs

Users may notice the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) warning light activated on the dashboard, with the passenger airbag indicator turned off.  

Background of the recall

Leading up to the recall, the manufacturer received 3,834 warranty claims. No injuries have been reported.

Other Honda recalls

In July 2023, Honda also issued a recall for almost 1.2 million vehicles on account of a rearview camera issue, as reported.  

In December 2023, the manufacturer recalled Acura, Odyssey, Pilot and Ridgeline cars that may stall or catch fire, also as reported.

The repair

Dealers will replace the seat weight sensor on all affected models with a component that uses the original material. The repairs are free of charge, and Honda will reimburse owners who paid for their own repairs prior to the recall..  

Owners will receive letters with more information on March 18, 2024. 

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

More than 750,000 vehicles are affected by this Honda front passenger airbag recall. To do a Honda recall check and see if yours is one of them, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Joseph EstabilloHonda recalls 750,000 cars with airbags that may hurt children
Honda recalls Acura, Odyssey cars that may stall or catch fire

Honda recalls Acura, Odyssey cars that may stall or catch fire  

December 6, 2023 Bojan Popic ,

Torrance, CA  – December 6, 2023 – Honda (NYSE:HMC), which owns the Acura brand, has recalled 248,999 vehicles that may lose power or burst into flames. Both situations greatly augment the risk of a crash and injury. 

This recall comes on the back of multitudinous warranty claims and affects the following vehicles: 

  • 2016 – 2020 Acura MDX
  • 2015 – 2020 Acura TLX
  • 2018 – 2019 Honda Odyssey 
  • 2018 – 2019 Honda Pilot
  • 2016 Honda Pilot
  • 2017 Honda Ridgeline
  • 2019 Honda Ridgeline

Recall summary  

A car’s engine has many moving components, with bearings between some of them to help reduce friction. In the affected vehicles, an engine’s internal rotating part – called the crankshaft – was not built within design specifications, which can cause the bearing that connects to it to fail. This can result in a stall or a fire caused by a subsequent oil leak.

Honda has listed the whole engine subassembly, with part number 10002-5J2-A00, as the cause of this recall. 

Recall risks

The risk of both fire and stall are described in this article about a recent Mercedes-Benz recall for the same issues.

Warning signs 

The driver may notice abnormal knocking sounds coming from the engine bay and “decreased engine output.” In addition, these issues could also trigger the check engine light on the dashboard.   

Background of the recall

The recall comes on the back of almost 1,500 warranty claims. No injuries or fires have been reported.

Other Honda recalls

Some of these Honda vehicles may have been affected by a recall from July 2023, which was caused by rearview camera issues. 

In the same month, a brake failure prompted the Japanese car maker to recall a batch of their SUVs and pickups.  

The repair

Dealers will check the engine and will either repair or replace it free of charge.

Owners will receive letters with more information around January 2, 2024. 

Is your vehicle a part of this recall?

Almost a quarter million cars are affected by this Honda engine stall recall. To do a Honda recall check and see if yours is one of them, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool. 

Bojan PopicHonda recalls Acura, Odyssey cars that may stall or catch fire  
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