Honda is having to recall 294,612 Acura and Honda vehicles due to a problem that can cause their engine to stall, with virtually no warning to the driver.
Needless to say, this represents a major safety issue. The good news is that the solution to the problem is simple - a software update.
Nevertheless, the recall is massive, affecting almost 300,000 vehicles.
Honda is generally renowned for the reliability of its vehicles and engines, but for some time now, much like Toyota, some issues have popped up, some of those leading to major recalls.
The problem
The problem concerns the 3.5L V6 engines of the 2022-2025 Acura MDX Type S, 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type S and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot. According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a software fault in the fuel system computer can lead to “sudden changes in throttle opening”. This can cause a reduction of power or even lead the engine to stall.
The problem has reportedly been sourced back to the computer supplier, Denso. According to reports, “the control logic for correcting air flow and fuel injection volume is incorrect.” This can cause a timing problem.
The fix
If there's one reassuring thing, it's that it's not the engine itself that's problematic, but the software that manages certain of its functions.
Honda will begin notifying affected owners on March 17, but dealers will be notified well before then. Owners will be asked ot bring their vehicle into a service centre for a repair.
What's sometimes surprising about this kind of campaign is how far back the first reported problem goes. The issue here was first detected in December... 2023. In April 2024, Denso informed Honda that there could be a software problem.
It wasn't until January 9 of this year that Honda determined that the engine could stall. A week later, it launched the recall campaign. The company is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this situation. A total of 674 warranty claims have been filed in connection with this problem.
