Investigation PE05040: 2001–2002 Acura MDX

Status

CLOSED

Opened

Jul 14, 2005

Closed

Sep 14, 2005

Model years

2001–2002

Subject

Front coil spring breakage

Component: Suspension › Front › Springs › Coil springs

Summary

In an august 29, 2005 letter, honda notified nhtsa that it had identified a defect in the front coil springs of certain model year 2001 and early-2002 acura mdx sport utility vehicles.according to honda, some front suspension coil springs have insufficient corrosion protection and, in areas where road salts are used, may be susceptible to corrosion.rubber sleeves applied near the top and bottom of some springs to eliminate noise can trap salt water, increasing the potential for excessive corrosion.over time, excessive corrosion can cause spring failure.in some cases, a broken spring could puncture a front tire, which increases the risk of a crash.evidence of tire damage was identified in at least 4 (29%) of the spring fracture reports and 13 (21%) of the warranty claims.one report also indicated that a fractured spring damaged a brake line failure, resulting in extended stopping distance. To correct the condition, honda is recalling approximately 22,861 mdx vehicles sold or currently registered in the states of 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 where large quantities of road salt are used (honda recall p92, nhtsa recall 05v-385).there were no complaints or warranty claims involving vehicles from outside the recall region.dealers will replace both front suspension coil springs with improved springs.

An NHTSA investigation looks into whether a safety defect exists. Opening one is not a finding. Outcomes can include a recall, closure without action, or further inquiry.

Model years covered

• 2002 Acura MDX205 complaints
• 2001 Acura MDX224 complaints