The encyclopedia · Engineering & Operations · Technical decision · 2025
Honda's engine software could stall the car on sudden acceleration — 294,612 recalled
Flawed fuel-injection software could stall MDX Type-S, TLX Type-S and Pilot models on sudden acceleration. Honda recalled 294,612 (NHTSA 25V031, Feb 2025).
Honda · Acura · 2025-02-18
What happened
On February 18, 2025 Honda recalled 294,612 vehicles — 2022-25 Acura MDX Type-S, 2021-25 Acura TLX Type-S and 2023-25 Honda Pilot models — after a defect in the ECU's fuel-injection software.
The software could cause a sudden loss of power or a stall when the driver accelerates hard. Honda was aware of 674 warranty claims but reported no crashes or injuries.
The fix reprograms the ECU's fuel-injection software free of charge. Owner notification letters were scheduled for March 17, 2025 (NHTSA campaign 25V031000).
A car's engine quitting on a sudden acceleration is software deciding to stop feeding fuel.
Why it happened
- The ECU's fuel-injection software was tuned to cut fuel at the wrong moment under hard acceleration, producing a power loss or stall — a decision coded into the engine's brain.
- The defect surfaced through 674 warranty claims after the vehicles were on the road, because the failure needed a specific driving moment to appear.
- Honda shipped the software across three model lines — Acura MDX Type-S, TLX Type-S and Honda Pilot — so one flawed calibration multiplied into a 294,612-vehicle recall.
- No physical part failed; the fix was a software reprogram, which is why the recall cost is a technician's update, not a parts swap.
The lesson
An engine stall is a part; here it was a calibration. A fuel-injection software tune that cuts power under acceleration is a safety defect — and 674 warranty claims are the evidence, not the anomaly.
Aftermath
Honda reprogrammed the ECU's fuel-injection software in affected vehicles at no cost. The recall was resolved without reported crashes or injuries.
Sources
- NHTSA API — recall 25V031000, Honda Pilot fuel injection system
- Motor Safety — Honda issues large-scale recall over risk of stall
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