Karmactive Staff
If you drive a 2023–2025 Honda Pilot, a 2022–2024 Acura MDX or a 2021–2025 Acura TLX, the steering in your vehicle may lose power assist. This is the Honda Pilot power steering recall 2026 owners are checking now. American Honda Motor Co. has recalled about 635,808 vehicles in the United States. The cause is a software error in the electric power steering system. Check whether your vehicle is on the list now.
Honda filed the recall with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on October 29, 2026. The campaign number is 26V721000, and Honda’s own codes for it are KQB and TQA. It covers three models. The filing lists 383,110 Pilots from the 2023–2025 model years, built between September 2022 and December 2025. It lists 177,100 MDX crossovers from 2022–2024 and 75,598 TLX sedans from 2021–2025. Vehicle identification numbers became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 11, 2026, so owners can look up their own vehicle today.
The practical consequence is simple and urgent. When the steering assist cuts out, the wheel turns heavy at the exact moment you need it. That can happen during a lane change or a highway merge. The repair cannot arrive as a software update over the air. You must book a dealer appointment for a free reprogramming of the steering control unit. Until then, allow extra room and grip the wheel with both hands.
What the software error does
The steering hardware comes from Robert Bosch Automotive Steering, according to the recall filing. The defect sits in the software that runs the electric power steering assist, in a part called the Driver Attention Monitor. Its job is to adjust steering help based on road conditions. During straight-line driving, the calculation can divide a number by zero. That is a floating-point error, and it forces the steering system into a failsafe mode.
Failsafe mode is the system’s protective response. It switches off the steering assist rather than keep assisting with faulty data. Drivers then feel a sudden jump in steering effort. The filing lists one injury report and 146 warranty claims tied to this problem between May 2022 and October 2026. It lists no deaths.
Why some reports say “do not drive” when Honda does not
Several local television reports described this campaign as a “do not drive” order. The official government record says otherwise. It carries two safety flags, one for parking the vehicle and one for parking it outside. Both are marked false. Honda has not told owners to stop driving these vehicles.
That distinction matters. A “do not drive” instruction means the agency wants the vehicle off the road until it is repaired. Here, the agency instead expects owners to keep driving, watch for heavy steering and schedule the free repair. Reading the flags correctly keeps the advice proportionate to the actual risk.
The two-year hunt for the cause
The filing describes a roughly two-year hunt for the cause. Technicians and the supplier cleared error codes after repairs, which erased the trail. Bosch identified the floating-point divide-by-zero error on August 22, 2025. Honda then reproduced the fault in December 2025. The company used dashcam footage from a customer vehicle, which confirmed the diagnosis before the recall was filed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Honda and Acura models are in the 635,808-vehicle power steering recall?
The campaign covers 2023–2025 Honda Pilot, 2022–2024 Acura MDX and 2021–2025 Acura TLX vehicles. The filing lists 383,110 Pilots, 177,100 MDX crossovers and 75,598 TLX sedans. These three groups together make up the roughly 635,808 recalled vehicles in the United States.
Can the Honda Pilot power steering recall be fixed over the air?
No. The official record marks the over-the-air update flag as false. Honda will reprogram the electric power steering control unit at a dealership at no cost to the owner. The repair requires a visit, so owners should book an appointment rather than wait for a remote update.
Is there a “do not drive” warning on the 2026 Honda Pilot steering recall?
No. The government record marks both the park-it and park-outside flags as false, and Honda has issued no stop-driving order. Some local reports used the phrase anyway. Owners should watch for heavy steering and schedule the free dealer repair.
What owners should do next
Enter your vehicle identification number on the NHTSA recall lookup page at NHTSA.gov to see whether your vehicle is included. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on December 14, 2026. Honda customer service is available at 1-866-784-1870. While you are at the dealer for the steering reprogramming, ask the service desk to check for open recalls. Have them handled in the same visit.
