Honda Recalls 880,514 Pilots, Ridgelines and Acura MDXs Over Rust That Can Break the Rear Suspension

If you drive a Honda Pilot, Ridgeline or Passport, or an Acura MDX, that you have owned for a few years, there is a real chance federal safety regulators want you to act this summer. Honda is recalling 880,514 vehicles across the United States because a rusting rear subframe can let suspension parts come loose, and in the worst case a driver can lose control of the vehicle. The recall is logged with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as campaign number 26V365000, and Honda plans to mail letters to affected owners starting July 7, 2026. The repair, which can mean replacing the rear subframe, is free.

This is not a vague advisory. It names specific model years and specific states, and it points to a problem that gets worse the longer a vehicle sits in a region that salts its roads through winter. Here is exactly which vehicles are covered, why the defect happens, and the steps to take whether or not a letter has reached your mailbox yet.

Which Hondas and Acuras Are Covered

The recall covers four popular family vehicles built over roughly the past decade. The affected ranges are the Honda Pilot from the 2016 through 2022 model years, the Honda Ridgeline pickup from 2017 through 2023, the Honda Passport from 2019 through 2023, and the Acura MDX from 2014 through 2020. Between them, these are some of the most common three-row SUVs and mid-size trucks on American driveways, which is why the count climbs past 880,000 units.

According to the NHTSA notice, the rear subframe on these vehicles can corrode to the point where suspension components attached to it can separate or fail. The agency warns that such a failure can cause a driver to lose handling or control. Honda estimates that only about 1 percent of the recalled vehicles actually carry the defect, but because there is no easy way for an owner to know which side of that statistic they fall on, every listed vehicle is included so dealers can inspect them.

The recall was issued for vehicles originally sold or currently registered in 23 states and the District of Columbia: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. That list is not random. It tracks almost exactly with the parts of the country that spread road salt and brine to keep highways clear during snow and ice.

Why Road Salt Is Behind So Many Recalls

Salt keeps winter roads drivable, but it is brutal on the metal underneath a car. Saltwater spray works into seams, brackets and welds, and over several winters it can eat away at structural parts that owners never see. The rear subframe is one of those hidden components. It is a steel structure that anchors suspension arms and other parts to the body of the vehicle. When it weakens, the parts bolted to it can shift or detach.

Corrosion recalls have a long history in the salt belt. Automakers have recalled or extended warranties on trucks and SUVs before for rusting frames, fuel tank straps and brake lines, and the pattern is consistent: the vehicles most at risk are older, have spent their lives in northern states, and have not been undercoated or regularly rinsed. The Honda action fits that pattern, which is why a 2014 Acura MDX in Michigan deserves a closer look than a 2022 Pilot that has only ever seen Arizona.

For drivers, the practical takeaway is that rust is not only a cosmetic problem. A rocker panel bubbling with corrosion is annoying. A corroded subframe is a safety issue. If you live in one of the listed states and own one of the listed vehicles, the recall is worth treating as a priority rather than a piece of junk mail.

How to Check Your Vehicle and What to Do Now

You do not have to wait for a letter. Go to nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter your 17-character Vehicle Identification Number, which is printed on the lower corner of the windshield on the driver side and on your registration and insurance documents. Searching by VIN tells you whether your specific vehicle has any open recall, including this one under campaign number 26V365000. You can also check on Honda or Acura owner websites, or call the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

If your vehicle is included, Honda says dealers will repair or replace the rear subframe components at no charge. Under federal law, a safety recall repair must be done free of charge by an authorized dealer, and that covers parts and labor. Owner notification letters are scheduled to begin going out on July 7, 2026. If a remedy is not yet available when you call, ask the dealer to log your VIN so you are contacted the moment parts arrive.

While you wait, pay attention to how the vehicle feels. Clunking or knocking from the rear over bumps, a change in how the back end tracks through corners, or unusual tire wear can all point to suspension trouble. If you notice any of those signs, have the vehicle inspected sooner rather than later, and mention the recall so the technician knows to examine the subframe specifically. A used-car buyer looking at one of these models in a salt-belt state should also run the VIN before signing anything.

Part of a Busy Summer for Recalls

The Honda action landed during one of the heaviest recall stretches of the year. In early June, Stellantis recalled more than one million Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator vehicles over a power steering wiring fault that can start a fire even with the ignition off, with owners told to park outside and away from buildings until repairs are made. Ford has continued to work through a long list of its own campaigns covering software, brakes and other issues. Taken together, the volume is a reminder that recalls are routine and that staying on top of them is part of ownership.

The simplest protection is to register for free recall alerts. NHTSA lets owners sign up to be emailed when a new recall is issued for a vehicle they have saved, and most manufacturers send notices to the address on file with your registration. Keeping that address current is the easiest way to make sure a safety letter actually reaches you. For more on staying ahead of unexpected repair bills, see our guide to why car repair bills have jumped this year.

For now, the message for owners of these Hondas and Acuras is clear. Check the VIN, watch for warning signs, and book the free repair as soon as the remedy is ready. A corroded subframe is the kind of fault that stays invisible until the moment it is not, and this recall exists to fix it before that moment arrives.

Sources:

• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/honda-recall-pilot-ridgeline-passport-mdx-rear-suspension/
• https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=26V365000
• https://www.wbiw.com/2026/06/15/massive-waves-of-vehicle-recalls-hit-millions-of-us-drivers-fire-suspension-and-brake-risks-flagged/