The announcement follows an investigation spanning nearly five years and comes after one reported injury and 146 warranty claims associated with the problem. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), affected owners will receive a free software update, with notification letters scheduled to begin arriving in December.
A Software Error Can Unexpectedly Disable Steering Assistance
The recall involves three vehicle lines manufactured across different production periods. According to Honda’s October 29, 2026, safety recall report, the affected population includes 383,110 Honda Pilot SUVs from model years 2023–2025, 177,100 Acura MDX SUVs from 2022–2024, and 75,598 Acura TLX sedans from 2021–2025.
The defect originates in the electric power steering (EPS) software supplied by Robert Bosch Automotive Steering LLC. The system normally reduces the physical effort required to turn the steering wheel, particularly during low-speed maneuvers.
According to the NHTSA filing, the software contains an error involving the Driver Attention Monitor’s road-condition compensation calculation. Under specific operating conditions, the program can attempt to divide a floating-point number by zero, producing an internal error.
Rather than managing that error without interrupting steering assistance, the incorrectly configured software can force the EPS system into a protective failsafe mode. When this occurs, electric steering assistance shuts off and warning indicators illuminate on the dashboard.
The steering mechanism remains mechanically functional, meaning drivers can still turn the wheel. But the additional force required could make sudden steering corrections more difficult, potentially increasing the likelihood of a collision.
Honda’s investigation established that the malfunction occurs under certain conditions while the vehicle is traveling straight, according to the manufacturer’s report.
Honda outlines a free repair after a years-long investigation
Honda first received a report concerning the steering malfunction on November 29, 2021. Additional complaints emerged between August 2023 and August 2025, although investigators initially struggled to identify the cause.
According to the company’s federal filing, diagnostic error codes had sometimes been deleted by dealerships or the supplier, complicating examinations of returned components.
A breakthrough came on August 22, 2025, when the supplier identified the failure through an analysis of returned parts. Honda subsequently reproduced the malfunction in December 2025 using dashcam footage and technical findings.
Further testing continued throughout 2026. On October 22, Honda determined that the defect represented a motor vehicle safety risk and authorized the recall. By that date, the manufacturer had documented 146 warranty claims, one reported injury, and no reported deaths associated with the issue between May 22, 2022, and October 22, 2026.
The remedy does not require replacing the steering assembly. Authorized Honda and Acura dealerships will instead reprogram the EPS control unit with corrected software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are scheduled for December 14, 2026. According to the NHTSA, affected vehicle identification numbers became searchable in its recall database on November 11.
Owners can check their vehicles at NHTSA.gov/recalls or contact Honda customer service at 1-866-784-1870, referencing recall numbers KQB and TQA. The campaign illustrates how a software configuration error in a shared automotive system can affect hundreds of thousands of vehicles across multiple model lines.
