An issue in the manufacturing process could trigger a fuel leak in certain Honda Passport and Pilot SUVs.
Honda recently notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of its intent to launch a voluntary recall of 205,760 of its midsize SUVs to fix a production issue with its fuel neck tube and filler pipe setup. The incomplete connection between the two pieces could lead to separation, find an ignition source and trigger a fire, particularly in the event of an accident.
Specifically, the problem affects the 2023-2024 Honda Passport SUVs built between February 15, 2023 and May 13, 2024; as well as 2023-2025 Honda Pilot SUVs built between February 14, 2023 and May 8, 2024. Both vehicles are manufactured at Honda’s Lincoln, Alabama manufacturing plant.
According to documents the automaker submitted to the agency: “During installation of the fuel pipe assembly, an out of sequence process prevented the fuel neck tube and fuel filler pipe from forming a complete connection.” That, in turn, creates a “fuel system integrity issue” that brings vehicles out of compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), apart from creating a potentially dangerous situation for owners, their passengers and other motorists alike.
Honda says it received its first warranty claim for the issue on May 13, 2024, when a dealer caught the problem during a pre-delivery inspection for a new vehicle. Over the following week, the company found six more vehicles in its warehouse inventory with a similar problem of an incomplete connection between the two pieces of the fuel filler system.
As of November 21, there has been one warranty claim related to the problem, but no accidents, injuries or deaths. The recall report notes 1% of vehicles are estimated to have the defect. However, that is just an estimate, and all affected vehicles will need to at least have the fuel filler setup checked by a dealer technician.
How will Honda solve the problem?
Honda says it will mail out recall notices to impacted owners on January 6, 2025. It has already notified dealers as of this week (December 3).
The remedy does not include actually replacing parts, as the issue is from a loose connection during the manufacturing process. Dealer technicians will check to see whether the two pieces are connected as snugly as they should be, and tighten them if needed so there’s no latent risk of a fuel leak. Most vehicles in the recall population should still be under warranty, but Honda will repair the problem free of charge regardless.
You can check whether your Passport or Pilot is affected through the NHTSA’s recall page, or Honda’s recall site. The campaign you’re looking for is either NHTSA recall number 24V-900 or Honda recall designation OKM.
