– Problems with the Honda 3.5-liter V6 engine have led to a lawsuit alleging that a recall and other actions by Honda failed to repair several Acura and Honda models.
The class action includes these vehicles equipped with 3.5 liter V6 engines.
2014-2020 Acura RLX
2015-2020 Acura TLX
2016-2020 and 2022-present Acura MDX
Honda Pilot 2016-2022
Honda Odyssey 2018-present
Honda Passport 2019-2025
2017-present Honda Ridgeline
According to the lawsuit, the engines wear out prematurely, causing damage to the connecting rods, crankshaft, pistons and bearings. The result is complete engine failure.
The owner who filed the class action complains that engine problems with the 3.5L are causing engine noise, misfires, hesitation in acceleration, power problems and engine stalling. The plaintiff further states that an engine fire is possible.
The plaintiff claims the Honda V6 engine was supposed to last at least 200,000 miles, but her Honda Pilot engine failed at 76,420 miles.
The lawsuit was filed by Ohio plaintiff Savannah Messenger, who purchased a used 2016 Honda Pilot in August 2024. She complains that the 3.5 liter engine started making noise and that a dealer found metal debris in the oil pan. The Pilot was out of warranty and charged a price of $11,874 to replace the V6 engine.
She tried to convince Honda to replace the 3.5 liter engine, but the request was denied, so she purchased a rebuilt engine for $2,400 and had the engine installed by a third party.
The plaintiff complains that Honda has refused to honor its warranties and that the engine problems are believed to have caused the vehicles to lose value.
Honda has reportedly been aware of the problems with the 3.5-liter V6 engine since 2015, and a recall was issued for more than 200,000 vehicles in November 2023.
According to Honda’s recall:
“During the production of the crankshaft, due to incorrect settings of the equipment used to manufacture the engine crankshaft, the crankpin was ground incorrectly, resulting in crankpins with a crown or convex shape that were out of specification.”
But the class action lawsuit claims the recall did not solve the engine problems.
“However, the recall was limited in scope and failed to address the underlying defect that was present in all class vehicles. The recall did not address the underlying design and manufacturing defects related to the rotating assembly and/or excessive operating or idle temperatures, leaving many class vehicles without an adequate remedy for the dangerous defect.” — Honda 3.5L lawsuit
The lawsuit also points to an August 2025 investigation opened by the government to investigate Honda engine problems in Acura and Honda vehicles that were not included in the 2023 recall.
The Honda 3.5L engine class action lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California: Savannah Messenger v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., et al.
The plaintiff is represented by Blood Hurst & O’Reardon, LLP, and Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, PC
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