Honda and Acura Recall 249,000 Cars for Bad Crankshafts That Could Ruin Engines

Honda has issued a recall for almost a quarter of a million Acura and Honda vehicles whose engines are at risk of damaging themselves. Some have improperly manufactured crankshafts that could spin a bearing, which could lead to catastrophic engine failure.

Honda outlined the problem and its origin in a recall report submitted to the NHTSA earlier this month. The issue concerns Acura and Honda utility vehicles from model years 2015 through 2020 with the 3.5-liter J-series V6 engines. Honda says "improper settings of equipment used to manufacture the engine crankshaft" mean that "the crank pin was improperly ground, resulting in crank pins with a crown or convex shape that are out of specification."

Crank pins, also known as rod bearing journals, are where the connecting rods are clamped over the crankshaft. Between them is a "big end" rod bearing that relies on a thin sheen of oil to stay lubricated. In this case, the apparently ovular bearing journals could cause high-friction zones that result in metal-on-metal contact. In that scenario, Honda says "the connecting rod bearing can prematurely wear and seize."

This is known as a spun bearing, which can cause terminal engine damage. It can ruin the crankshaft and break the connecting rod, which may then slam around the inside of the engine. In the worst-case scenario, this can eject the rod through the block, or send metal shavings throughout the engine. Sometimes though, spun bearings can be repaired if caught early enough.