WASHINGTON, DC — Honda is recalling 635,808 vehicles in the United States because a software problem could cause the electronic power steering system to fail while the vehicle is moving. The issue can leave drivers with no power assist, making the wheel much harder to turn and increasing the effort needed to steer.
According to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the problem has been tied to certain Honda Pilot, Acura MDX and Acura TLX models. Honda says the warning light for the steering system may also appear in the instrument cluster when the defect is triggered.
The automaker says owners will be notified by mail by Dec. 14 and can have the repair completed at no charge.
Which Honda and Acura models are included in the recall
The recall covers 2021 through 2025 Acura TLX sedans, 2022 through 2024 Acura MDX SUVs, and 2023 through 2025 Honda Pilot SUVs. That means the action reaches across several model years and both brands, affecting a large pool of popular family and luxury vehicles.
Honda identified the problem as a faulty software configuration that can cause the EPS system to enter a failsafe mode under certain driving conditions. In that mode, the steering assist is disabled, but the car itself does not stop running.
Owners who are unsure whether their vehicle is affected can check the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall website for confirmation.
What Honda says happens when the steering system enters failsafe mode
The company says the problem can surface when the vehicle is traveling straight. Under those conditions, the software may trigger a failsafe response in the electric power steering system.
When that happens, the driver loses power steering assistance and must use more physical force to steer. Honda also says an EPS warning light will appear on the dashboard to alert the driver to the malfunction.
The risk is not described as a complete loss of steering control, but the added effort could make the vehicle more difficult to maneuver, especially in traffic or during low-speed turns.
How long Honda spent tracing the defect in dealer service records
Honda says the issue was first reported in November 2021, but it took years to confirm exactly what was causing the malfunction. The automaker says it was not able to reproduce and identify the problem until December 2025.
One reason for the delay was that dealers and suppliers deleted the error codes as part of their engine diagnostic process when affected vehicles were serviced. That made it harder to preserve the evidence needed to isolate the defect.
The timeline shows the recall followed a long investigation rather than an immediate fix, with Honda eventually pinning the problem on software behavior rather than a mechanical steering part.
Injury report and warranty claims linked to the recall
Honda has received one injury report connected to the defect, according to NHTSA documents. The automaker has also logged 146 warranty claims related to the issue as of Oct. 22.
Those claims and the injury report helped establish the practical impact of the software flaw, even though the company says it was slow to identify the underlying cause. Honda has not said in the recall notice how serious the injury was.
The figures suggest the steering problem affected enough vehicles in real-world use to generate repeated service complaints before the recall was announced.
What owners should do next and when the repair will be available
Honda says affected owners should schedule an appointment with an authorized Honda or Acura dealer for a free software update. The fix is expected to correct the configuration that can trigger the steering failsafe mode.
Owners do not need to pay for the repair, and the company says mail notices will go out by Dec. 14. Until then, drivers can use the NHTSA recall lookup tool to see whether their specific vehicle is included.
Because the problem can disable power steering while the car is in motion, the recall is aimed at getting the software updated before more drivers encounter the defect on the road.
Leave a Reply