The NHTSA is Investigating More than 1.4 Million Hondas and Acuras for V6 Engine Failure

by Chris Teague

Published: August 25th, 2025

the nhtsa is investigating more than 1 4 million hondas and acuras for v6 engine

More than 1.4 million Honda vehicles are under a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation for an issue with their rod bearings that could cause engine failure. The problem relates to the automaker’s widely used 3.5-liter V6 engine and impacts vehicles from both Honda and Acura.

This isn’t a recall yet, but the investigation covers:

2018-2020 Acura TLX
2016-2020 Acura MDX
2016-2020 Honda Pilot
2018-2020 Honda Odyssey
2017-2019 Honda Ridgeline

The NHTSA looked at a similar number of vehicles in 2023, leading to the recall of almost a quarter-million units. That recall was issued to fix a manufacturing defect in the crankshaft that could cause premature rod bearing wear and potential engine failure. This investigation was prompted by 414 reports of the problem in various Honda and Acura models.

The earlier investigations found that the engines had a machining defect that increased friction between the journals and bearings, which could cause it to seize and kill the engine. The problem also increases the fire risk.

Honda has used that V6 in a wide range of models, including the Passport and Odyssey, but the issues appear tied to models from a few years back, suggesting that the problem has been fixed in newer models. That said, multiple investigations and recalls for the same issue isn’t a good look.

[Images: Honda]

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Chris Teague

Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.

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4 of 48 comments

SCE to AUX on Aug 25, 2025
Honda's been building this reliable engine for a very long time, but I can't speak to the internal specs on these parts vs other model years.

A couple things are happening:
1. Mfrs aren't minding the store with their suppliers. Cutting costs means trusting them too much, and for years. Hyundai, Toyota, GM, and now Honda.
2. In the interest of meeting tightening regulations (HT to EBFlex here), tighter tolerances between internal rotating components have reached a critical stage where the slightest mismatch spells catastrophe. Older engines with larger tolerances didn't have these problems.
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- EBFlexing on ur mom on Aug 26, 2025
  
  Spot on
  
  Like
Pipedown on Oct 07, 2025

It's not a new issue to the Honda V6. I had a 1995 Legend that developed a head gasket issue at 95k with following the prescribed coolant change schedule. This was back in 2002, I think. My research at the time showed I wasn't alone.

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