Honda America Recalls
 Honda America Recalls 
94,000 Honda vehicles built between 2018 and 2019 have been recalled due to an issue with the timing belt. Honda has advised that the teeth of the timing belt in these vehicles could fall out and the engine may stall. As such, they have promised to replace the belt in every affected vehicle. The Japanese automotive manufacturer is no stranger to vehicle recalls, having previously recalled millions of vehicles for an airbag default, but this time some of their newest vehicles are under scrutiny.

Affected models

The models which fall under the recall are the 2018 to 2019 Honda Acura MDX and Honda Pilot. Meanwhile, the 2019 models of the Acura RLZ, RLX Sport Hybrid, and Acura TLZ will require new timing belts too. The final recalls are for the 2019 Honda Odyssey and Honda Ridgeline.

Taking action

Honda was first alerted to the fact that there was a timing belt issue in these models following a complaint that was lodged in August 2018. Thankfully, Honda hasn’t been made aware of any crashes or injuries resulting from the defect and state that they’ve received warranty claims and field reports only. These prompted an investigation which resulted in Honda discovering that the teeth on the timing belt weren’t hardened as they should have been during the production process.

Honda’s place in America’s car market

Of all the cars on the market, Honda has long been a favorite in the U.S. In 2018, the manufacturer shifted 1.604 million vehicles, including thousands of the now recalled models. This figure was just a 2.5% drop compared to 2017’s total sales, which is impressive as new car sales in America were down as a whole in 2018. With Honda acting quickly to inform and repair the vehicles which potential house a defect timing belt, it’s looking unlikely that 2019’s overall sales will be impacted. However, only time will tell.


Imminent recall

The recall is expected to commence on June 1, 2019, and will continue until all 94,000 vehicles have had a new timing belt installed. A further 9,800 vehicles are believed to be impacted in Canada and these, too, will need to be worked on. To date, there’s no word yet as to when this will commence.

Honda’s latest vehicle recall highlights how important it is to regularly check for recalls on your own vehicle model. The good news is that, like Honda, most manufacturers are quick to respond to problems on their vehicles and will repair them free of charge.