Honda Recalls 245 Ridgelines, Passports Because Someone Messed Up With the Torque Wrench

Honda is issuing a recall on 245 Ridgeline trucks and Passport SUVs for a rather quaint reason: somebody on the assembly line messed up with a torque wrench.

According to the NHTSA report, it all has to do with an "inner ball joint housing may not have been fastened to the correct torque specification, resulting in a loose inner ball joint housing that can detach from the steering rack." Of course, a ball joint detaching from the steering rack is definitely not something you want happening, hence the recall.

All Ridgelines and Passports affected come from the 2023 model year, and out of the 245 vehicles potentially affected, Honda estimates just 1% will be found defective—or, approximately 2.45 cars. Faulty cars could exhibit "abnormal noise and/or vibration from the steering system," but as of March 1, 2024, Honda has not received any claims of warranty, injury, or death related to the issue.