Honda Motor Co. has issued a massive recall of 259,033 automobiles in the US owing to a potentially unsafe brake pedal production defect. The recall, which was announced on June 18, 2025, involves a safety-critical issue that might render drivers unable to stop their cars safely, which has a high risk of causing accidents and injury.
The nature of the defect
The recall was for brake pedal pivot pins which had not been properly installed during the assembly process. The manufacturing defect causes the brake pedal to deflect from its initial position, and this will lead to a range of hazardous scenarios. The faulty pivot pin will cause the pedal to move sideways, which will lead to excessive application of brakes when not so intended or, on the other hand, hinder the driver from applying the appropriate amount of braking pressure when needed.
Affected cars can display a range of signs and symptoms such as feeling of an unusual brake pedal while driving, flashing of the brake malfunction warning light in the dashboard, or constant illumination of the brake light when the brake pedal is not pressed. These are extremely hazardous symptoms which must not be overlooked by drivers since they would indicate that the occurrence of this possibly fatal defect has occurred.
Impacted models and model years
The recall involves three distinct model lines on Honda’s flagship brand and its luxury division Acura:
Honda Models:
- 2023-2025 Honda Pilot SUVs – The largest number of vehicles in the recalled group, with about 184,243 units
Acura Models:
- 2021-2025 Acura TLX sedans
- 2023-2025 Acura MDX SUVs
These vehicles were manufactured during specific time periods when the faulty brake pedal assemblies were placed, and Honda estimates that approximately one percent of the recalled vehicles actually contain the defect.
Root cause and investigation timeline
The cause dates back to a major production shift that was undertaken in Honda’s supply chain. The brake pedal assemblies were originally produced at an American-based plant, and the production was shifted to a Mexican plant in November 2024. In shifting the production, the supplier added manpower levels to make parts inventory to avoid probable supply shortages with the shift.
But so rapid was growth that new employees were not properly trained on the essential “staking” process – the process which holds the pivot pin pieces together. Inadequate training meant that brake pedals with unstaked pivot pins were assembled into cars, setting the perilous scenario that led to the recall.
Honda’s inquiry started in April 2024 when the company first reported its case of unusual brake pedal movement. Its second case was reported in December 2024, and subsequent to that, Honda decided to conduct a thorough investigation along with its supplier. In February 2025, Honda had already been actively checking pieces, and the final decision regarding the recall was taken in June 2025 upon identifying the extent of the production defect .
Safety impact and response
In spite of the gravity of the defect, Honda has reported that neither accidents nor fatalities have been directly linked to this brake pedal defect. Three warranty claims for the defect have been lodged with the company until June 2025. The risk for disastrous effects is ongoing, as the drivers will most likely be unaware of the defect until during a time of emergency braking, hence the defect is especially dangerous.
Remedy and owner notification procedure
Honda has announced an extensive remedy program for the owners of the recalled vehicles. Free inspections of all the recalled vehicles will be conducted by certified Honda and Acura dealerships, and the entire brake pedal assembly will be replaced if the defect is found. Dealer notifications were initiated on June 13, 2025, and owner notification letters will be sent beginning July 28, 2025.
Owners of the vehicles, who have already paid for brake pedal repair for the same problem, are also entitled to compensation from Honda. In the first person, agitated customers can call Honda’s customer service line at 888-234-2138 and seek immediate redress with recall numbers FLX and XLY in reference. Owners may also check their vehicle’s status on the NHTSA website or Honda’s internal official recall system.
This recall is Honda’s pro-active response to fix a potentially life-critical manufacturing flaw, the significance of quality control in cases of supplier transfer and the highest priority role of brake system integrity in overall vehicle safety.
