Category Archives: Acura

News about Acura automobile manufacturer. News about Acura recalls, technical service bulletins (TSB), and problems regarding Acura vehicles.

Honda And Acura Seat Belt Safety Issue

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Honda has announced that certain 2018-2020 Honda and Acura vehicles have been found to have a seat belt safety defect. The defect relates to the seat belt buckle channel surface coating, which can degrade over time at low temperatures. This degradation can cause interference between the buckle channel and the release button, increasing friction and leading to issues with the seat belt buckle latching.

The affected vehicles include the 2019-2020 Acura RDX, 2018-2019 Honda Accord, 2018-2019 Honda Accord Hybrid, 2017-2020 Honda CR-V, 2019 Honda Insight, and 2018-2020 Honda Odyssey. If you are the registered owner of one of these vehicles, you will be contacted by the manufacturer and asked to return to your authorized Honda dealer for repairs.

The problem with the seat belt buckle latching issues was first noticed by Honda in June 2019. An investigation was opened, which included durability testing on new seat belt parts. It was during this testing that they noticed the trend of seat belt buckle latching issues in certain vehicles. The investigation ultimately found that the seat belt buckle channel for the driver and front passenger seat belts were manufactured out of specification.

As a result of this defect, Honda has received 301 warranty claims related to the issue between March 22, 2019, and January 16, 2023. Fortunately, there have been no reports of injuries or deaths related to this issue.

Honda’s recall numbers for this issue are NDA, QDB, BDC, MDD, LD9. TDF, FDG, ODH, YDI, ZDE, and the NHTSA campaign number is 23V-158. If you own one of the affected vehicles, it is important that you take action as soon as possible to have the necessary repairs completed.

It is worth noting that if you have experienced ongoing issues with your Honda or Acura vehicle and feel that it may be a lemon, you may have legal recourse under California’s lemon law. This law provides protection to consumers who have purchased or leased a defective vehicle that the manufacturer has been unable to repair after a reasonable number of attempts. The lemon law applies to new and used vehicles and can provide for a full refund or replacement of the vehicle. So, if you have experienced ongoing issues with your Honda or Acura vehicle, it may be worth consulting with a qualified lemon law attorney to explore your legal options.

2016-2020 Honda Pilot Vehicles Investigated For Stalling Engines

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Automotive Defect Investigation
Certain 2016-2020 Honda Pilot vehicles with 3.5L engines and 9-speed automatic transmissions could experience a problem with the automatic Start/Stop feature. The Honda Pilot Touring and Elite vehicles are equipped with Auto Start/Stop capability to help improve fuel efficiency. When the driver enables the system and certain operating conditions are met, the Auto Start/Stop system will automatically shut off the engine when the vehicle comes to a complete stop. The engine should automatically restarted when the driver releases the brake pedal.

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 221 complaints and several field reports claiming that there is an issue with the Auto Start/Stop feature on certain 2016-2020 Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints say that the Auto Start/Stop function fails to restart the engine on its own after it has come to a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection. Some of the complainants allege that a jump was required for the vehicle to be restarted.

The ODI met with Honda on several occasions on this issue. Honda indicated that per the information provided from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints and TREAD (Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation) reports, they have found a correlation with customers’ allegations for the Auto Start/Stop failure to restart the vehicle when the system is activated. Honda also indicated other Honda models (Honda Odyssey, Acura TLX & Acura MDX) with the 3.5L engines equipped with the 9-speed automatic transmissions experience the same failure mode.

ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem as well as to fully assess the potential safety-related issues.

Acura MDX A/C Clutch Bolt Failure

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A manufacturing error affecting certain 2014-2015 Acura MDX and MDX AWD vehicles will have approximately 106,439 owners returning to their dealership for repairs.

According to reports, during manufacturing of the A/C compressor clutch drive bolts, certain lots failed to receive the proper dielectric topcoat. As a result, the bolts are more susceptible to corrosion and could break during operation. In addition, some bolt lots did not receive sufficient curing of the e-coat which could result in low torque values and low hardness. The bolts could loosen and fall off during operation. Continue reading →

Acura MDX & RLX Collision Avoidance Malfunction

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Honda will be notifying owners of certain Acura MDX and RLX vehicles about a safety problem affecting the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS). According to reports filed with the NHTSA, under certain driving conditions the CMBS may interpret roadside objects, such as metal fences and guardrails, as obstacles, and apply emergency braking. This unexpected braking could increase the risk of an accident. Continue reading →

Acura MDX & RLX Seat Belt Problem

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A part dimension error in the seat belts of certain 2014-2015 Acura MDX and 2014 Acura RLX vehicles will have approximately 43,000 owners returning to their dealership to have the defect repaired. According to reports, the relationship between the tolerances within the seat belt re-tractor versus low temperatures could affect the operation of the belts. The driver and front passenger seat belts may not extend or retract in low temperatures, increasing the risk of injury during an accident. Continue reading →

Suspension Problem Affects Steering In Certain 2014 Acura RLX Sedans

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A problem relating to suspension has been identified in certain 2014 Acura RLX full size luxury sedans manufactured between August 7, 2012 to November 5, 2013. Honda will be notifying customers to take their vehicles to their manufacturer approved repair facility to have the rear suspension lower control arm bolts replaced. Honda’s recall number is JD0 and the NHTSA Campaign Number is 13V-622. Continue reading →

2014 Acura MDX Drive Shaft Failure

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Honda has identified a problem with certain 2014 Acura MDX AWD mid-size luxury crossover SUV’s, which could result in the drive shaft bolts loosening, possibly allowing the shaft to detach. In support of this recall, service bulletin 13-042 has been posted on Honda’s Integrated Service Information System (ISIS) which includes inspection, repair, parts, and warranty information related to this campaign. Continue reading →