Honda is recalling a huge number of Pilots, Passports, Ridgelines, and Acura MDXs, due to rear subframes that can prematurely rust and cause suspension failure. Anyone from the northeast United States knows to peek under the bodywork when buying a used car to see just how much of a toll rust has taken on the chassis and suspension. Now, however, rust will be a concern for owners of some fairly recent Hondas and Acuras, with Honda recalling almost 900,000 vehicles due to rear subframes that can rust far more quickly than expected, according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The recall affects 880,514 vehicles across four model lines: 2014–2020 Acura MDX, 2019–2023 Honda Passport, 2016–2022 Honda Pilot, and 2017–2023 Honda Ridgeline. Out of the total number of impacted vehicles, there are 110,070 Ridgelines, 464,253 Pilots, 89,674 Passports, and 217,517 MDXs.
The issue stems from the rear subframe, which NHTSA says can experience "premature corrosion," leading the metal to thin and potentially fracture at the suspension mounting points, possibly leading to rear suspension component failure. This can cause a loss of vehicle control, raising the risk of a crash. The documents state that the rear subframes were manufactured with improper coating specifications, leading to "insufficient paint adhesion and premature paint peeling near the arm bracket weld area."
However, the recall only affects vehicles sold in certain states—notably, those that experience cold, snowy winters and typically use salt to keep the roads clear. The affected states are: Connecticut, Delaware, 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, as well as the District of Columbia.
The NHTSA documents state that dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit. If needed, the dealers will also repair or replace the rear subframe components for free. Owner notification letters will be mailed on July 7, and owners can start looking up their VINs on the NHTSA website to see if their vehicle is affected starting today, June 10.
Source: caranddriver.com
