Honda to recall 259,000 vehicles over potentially deadly fault
America's fourth-best-selling car brand is recalling over a quarter-million vehicles over a potentially life-threatening defect. Honda says 259,033 SUVs and sedans must go back to their dealerships due to a brake pedal flaw that could make it harder to stop.
According to the company, a misplaced pin on the brake pedal arm may cause it to shift out of position, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. The recall affects certain 2021–2025 Acura TLX, 2023–2025 Acura MDX, and 2023–2025 Honda Pilot models, per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The Pilot — Honda's second-best-selling SUV — accounts for most of the recall, with 184,253 vehicles impacted. Honda estimates only 1 percent of recalled cars actually have the defect, but it's taking action out of caution.
Dealers were notified of the issue on June 13. Owner notification letters are expected to hit nationwide postal offices on July 28. Customers with affected vehicles will need to visit a dealership, where technicians will inspect the brake pedal and install replacement parts if necessary. Last year, Honda issued nine recalls, including a sweeping safety fix in October that affected 1.7 million vehicles.
The recall impacted some of Honda's best-selling models — including the CR-V and certain Civic trims. Some of the vehicles had a steering issue that made it harder to turn. In total, more than 2.7 million Honda cars were recalled in 2024.
Honda is hardly the only automaker struggling through a list of recalls this year. So far, Ford tops the list of recalled automakers, with 76 safety bulletins posted this year . Recalls have been a constant trend for Ford.
The company spent $4.8 billion fixing sold vehicles last year, forcing CEO Jim Farley to apologize during several earnings calls. 'To say I'm frustrated is an understatement,' Farley said during a 2022 earnings call when asked about recalls. 'We have deeply entrenched issues in our industrial system that have proven tough to root out. Candidly, the strength of our products and revenue has masked this dysfunctionality for a long time.'
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