Americans sue Honda over massive engine failures

Car owners are demanding damages, and analysts are speculating about potential damage to the brand’s reputation.

The reason was the case of a US resident who bought a used 2016 Honda Pilot crossover with a 3.5-liter V6 engine. With a mileage of about 120 thousand kilometers, metal shavings were found in the engine, indicating the destruction of key components: pistons, connecting rods and crankshaft. This is especially outrageous for buyers who expect trouble-free operation from these engines for at least 300 thousand kilometers. The cost of replacing the power unit at a service station was about 12 thousand dollars, which forced the owner to go to court.

The plaintiffs claim that Honda has long known about the engine’s design defects and its tendency to overheat at idle. Back in November 2023, the manufacturer recalled more than 200 thousand cars for a similar problem with the crankshaft, however, according to lawyers, these measures were cosmetic and did not eliminate the main cause of the problem. The lawsuit includes popular models from Acura (RLX, TLX, MDX) and Honda (Pilot, Odyssey, Passport and Ridgeline).

If the court succeeds, Honda could be forced to undertake one of the largest and most expensive service campaigns in its history, since the affected 3.5-liter V6 engine is the base engine for many of the brand’s vehicles in the North American market.