American regulators are investigating whether the engines of 1.4 million Hondas may fail

DETROIT – The U.S. government’s highway safety agency is investigating complaints that engines in as many as 1.4 million Honda and Acura vehicles could fail.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigation covers the 2016 through 2020 Honda Pilot and Acura MDX, as well as the 2018 through 2020 Honda Odyssey and Acura TLX. Also included is the 2017 through 2020 Honda Ridgeline 2019.

The agency said in documents posted on its website Monday that connecting rod bearings on vehicles with 3.5-liter V6 engines can fail, leading to complete engine failure. Connecting rods connect the pistons to the crankshaft and convert vertical motion into motion of the wheels.

Honda recalled about 250,000 vehicles in November 2023 to fix the same problem. But the agency says it has 173 complaints from owners who reported connecting rod bearing defects but their vehicles were not included in the recall. One owner reported an accident without injuries.

The agency said it is opening a recall to determine the severity of the problem on vehicles not included in the 2023 recall.

Honda said it will cooperate with NHTSA on the investigation.

In documents explaining the 2023 recall, the automaker said it had 1,450 warranty claims due to the bearing problem, but no reports of injuries. Dealers were required to inspect and repair the engines or replace them if necessary.