Honda Recalls 880,000 Pilots, Ridgelines, Passports, and Acura MDXs

If you own a Honda Pilot, Ridgeline, Passport, or an Acura MDX from roughly the last decade, you're going to want to pay attention to this one.

Honda just issued a recall covering 880,514 vehicles — all SUVs and trucks — because the metal frame underneath the rear of the car (called the rear subframe) can rust and eventually break. When that happens, your rear suspension can fail, meaning you could lose control of the vehicle while driving. That's not a minor inconvenience. That's a serious safety issue.

So what's going on under the hood (well, under the rear of the car)? The subframes on these vehicles were built with a coating defect — basically, the factory paint and rust protection weren't applied correctly. Over time, especially in states where road crews dump salt on icy roads in winter, that inadequate coating lets moisture and salt eat through the steel. As the metal thins out and vibrations from driving pile on, the mounting points where your rear suspension connects to the frame can crack and snap.

Here's the specific breakdown of what's recalled: 2016–2022 Honda Pilots, 2017–2023 Ridgelines, 2019–2023 Passports, and 2014–2020 Acura MDXs. Importantly, this recall only applies if your vehicle was sold in one of 23 states (plus D.C.) where road salt is commonly used — think the Northeast, Midwest, and mid-Atlantic. We're talking Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and similar states. If you bought your car in Texas or California, you're likely not in scope, even if you later moved north.

Here's a number worth keeping in mind: Honda estimates that only about 1% of the recalled vehicles — roughly 8,800 cars — actually have the defect right now. The rest are being recalled as a precaution. That's actually a good sign, and it probably explains why Honda has zero warranty claims and zero reported injuries tied to this issue as of late May 2026. The company caught this before it became a widespread problem.

What happens next? Dealers will inspect the rear subframe on your vehicle and, depending on what they find, will install a reinforcement kit, repair corroded parts, or replace the subframe entirely. All of it is free. Owner notification letters go out July 7, 2026 — but you don't have to wait for the mail. You can check your 17-digit VIN right now at NHTSA.gov or call Honda directly at 1-888-234-2138 (reference campaign number 26V367000).

One more thing worth knowing: this isn't Honda's only recent recall. A separate, unrelated recall announced in May covered about 99,000 Honda and Acura vehicles for a front passenger seat weight sensor issue that could cause airbags to misfire. So if you own a Honda product, it's worth checking your VIN for both actions — you might be affected by one, both, or neither.