Nearly 300,000 Cars Recalled Over Brake Issue

A major car manufacturer has recalled over 250,000 vehicles due to a brake issue.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that the affected vehicles have an issue with the brake pedal pivot pin not being secured correctly, which could cause the pedal to shift out of place.

“The issue could also cause an abnormal brake pedal feeling during operation, illuminate the brake malfunction light in the instrument cluster, or cause the vehicle’s brake lights to remain lit even when the brake pedal is not applied,” America Honda said on Wednesday.

Affected vehicles include the Honda Pilot from model years 2023 through 2025, as well as two different Acura models - the 2021-2025 Acura TLX and the 2023-2025 Acura MDX.

Acura is the luxury division of Honda, much like Lincoln for Ford and Lexus for Toyota.

Honda says that those who own the affected vehicles will be able to take them to an authorized dealer, who will replace the brake pedal if needed, free of charge.

The NHTSA estimates that around 1% of the vehicles in question have the issue, but Honda is offering a free solution for anyone in the affected class. Those who may have already paid to have a brake pedal replaced are also eligible for reimbursement if they go through the proper channels.

The Honda Pilot is the most widely affected car among the group, with 184,253 potentially faulty brake pedals; according to the NHTSA.

Honda has not received reports of injuries from this malfunction, but it has noted three warranty claims related to the specific issue. It began investigating the issue with the brake pedal in April 2024 after receiving the first report from a customer.

That investigation determined that the issue originated at an American plant that has since been closed. Production of the affected vehicles now takes place in Mexico, where a camera and sensor are set up to ensure that the pivot pin is secured properly.

"A malfunction in the QR code scanning system—designed to prevent process omissions—led the supplier to disable the function and continue production, allowing the issue to go undetected," the NHTSA said in its formal report on the recall.