Honda recalls over 259,000 cars in the US for brake pedal problem: What you need to know

In New York, Honda is issuing a recall for over 259,000 cars throughout the United States. The reason behind this recall is a potential issue where the brake pedal could move out of its correct position, which could impact a driver’s ability to safely stop or slow down.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released documents detailing the recall. The affected vehicles include specific Honda Pilots from model years 2023 to 2025, as well as cars from Honda’s luxury brand Acura, such as the Acura TLX from 2021 to 2025 and the Acura MDX from 2023 to 2025.

According to the NHTSA’s report on the recall, some of these vehicles have a brake pedal pivot pin that was not correctly secured during manufacturing. This incorrect installation could result in the pedal moving out of place, leading to the possibility of accidental brake application, thus increasing the risk of an accident.

“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 in a statement Wednesday.

As a remedy, Honda says authorized dealers will inspect the vehicles covered by this recall and replace the brake pedal assembly if necessary, free of charge. Per the NHTSA’s report, the company estimates 1% of these vehicles have this issue.

Dealer notifications began on June 13. And mailed owner notification letters are set to follow on July 28. In the meantime, drivers can also confirm if their specific vehicle is included in this recall and find more information using the NHTSA site or Honda’s recall lookup.

Between February 2024 and June 5, the NHSTA notes, Honda received three warranty claims related to this issue – but no reports of injuries.

Honda began investigating the faulty brake pedal in April 2024, after receiving a report of a vehicle experiencing this issue. The company later determined that improper assembly of the brake pedal pivot pin occurred at a supplier’s U.S. plant, which has since been closed. Production was transferred to a plant in Mexico – where the supplier now uses a camera sensor “to verify whether the pivot pin is staked,” the recall report notes.