Honda Pilot and Passport may have missing frame welds

NHTSA campaign 19V784000 · Reported 2019-10-31 · Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)

high How serious is it? About this label

Most vehicles checked will be fine, but one with missing welds could leave occupants less protected in a crash; Honda has not told owners to stop driving while they wait for the inspection.

What's wrong, in plain English

The upper frame members at the front of the vehicle may not have been fully welded to the body when the vehicle was built. Those welds help absorb and spread out the force of a front-end crash, so a vehicle missing them may not protect the people inside as well as it should. A dealer will inspect your vehicle for missing welds free of charge. If welds are missing, Honda will offer to buy the vehicle back or give you a similar replacement vehicle.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see if your vehicle needs inspecting.
2. Book the free inspection with your Honda dealer, or call Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138 and mention recall X6J.
3. If welds are missing, take up Honda's offer to repurchase your vehicle or supply a similar replacement.

Affected vehicles (3)

2019 Honda Passport
2019 Honda Pilot
2020 Honda Pilot

Who to contact

Honda — official Honda recall lookup

Customer service: 1-888-234-2138

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Honda Pilot, Passport and Ridgeline body and frame recalls explained · all 6 Honda recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: STRUCTURE:BODY
Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Pilot and 2019 Passport vehicles. The front frame left and right side upper members may not have been welded completely to the unibody. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" and 219, "Windshield Zone Intrusion."
Safety risk: In the event of a crash, incomplete body welding may provide inadequate protection to occupants, increasing the risk of an injury.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for missing welds, free of charge. If the vehicle is identified as missing welds, the dealer will offer to repurchase the vehicle or provide a similar replacement vehicle. Owner notification began November 6 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is X6J.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.