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530,000 Hondas, Acuras under expanded NHTSA investigation for steering problem

Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into the 2022 and 2023 Honda Civic. The agency had received 145 complaints from owners stating that the car suddenly exhibited “sticky steering” and increased steering effort. WeÂ’re now learning that the investigation is expanding to include hundreds of thousands more cars. The original probe included around 238,000 Civics, but the NHTSAÂ’s latest report, issued Friday, noted that the investigation is expanding to include more than 530,000 Hondas and Acura vehicles. The 2022 and 2023 Honda Civic, 2023 Honda CR-V, and 2023 Acura Integra are affected. A drastic increase in complaints drove the expansion, as the NHTSA said it had received 1,300 reports and was aware of at least 14 crashes related to the problem. An alarming 11 of those crashes involved a roadway departure due to loss of steering control. Two of them came after the driver allegedly overcorrected, and there are three known injuries from the crashes. NHTSAÂ’s report found that the problem happened primarily in the winter months and after the car had been driven in a straight line for an extended period to warm up the vehicle and gear. Though alarming, itÂ’s worth noting that this investigation has not yet reached the recall stage. Honda acknowledged the problem, noting that it was a manufacturing issue for the steering gear unit. The manufacturing process created conditions that could cause greater internal stress, which can wear and deform the gears inside the steering component. The NHTSA also found that the factory did not guarantee consistent lubrication throughout the gear, which could be the cause of the temporary increase in steering effort. The automaker directed its dealers to replace the electronic power steering gearbox to correct a manufacturing defect, but NHTSA will continue its process, moving to an engineering analysis. If that study finds a defect, it could request a recall. Government/Legal Acura Honda Safety

Acura's MDX SEMA concept took the wrong parts from the NSX GT3

When it comes to SEMA show cars, the more absurd the better, such as with the 1,040-horsepower Bisimoto Hyundai Santa Fe. That's not the case with Acura's custom MDX. This crossover was designed to match the NSX GT3 racecar, and gets a custom trailer to tow it. However, instead of doing something awesome like dropping in the NSX's twin-turbo V6, Acura decided the defining characteristics of the race car were the paint, splitter, and wing. So that's what the MDX and trailer got. In addition to a matching white paint scheme with orange and black accents, the SUV wears a massive front splitter that looks like a shelf stuck close to the ground. It's the only aero modification on the vehicle, and it just looks silly, what with the massive gap between the base of the bumper and the splitter itself. There aren't any performance modifications on this SUV either, except the lowered suspension, so the only thing the splitter is likely to do is break off on the first mildly steep driveway it comes across. To complement the MDX's dubious aero aid, the custom trailer gets a "wing" at the back. Actually, it looks like Acura slapped some endplates on the back to give it a wing look. The trailer also gets running boards that extend the splitter along the side. Maybe it all works together to keep the trailering rig planted. But probably not. If Acura wants suggestions for next time, we suggest a mid-engined MDX, or perhaps one with a wild hybrid system. We'll call this a missed opportunity. Related Video: Featured Gallery Acura MDX with custom NSX GT3 Trailer: SEMA 2016 View 11 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Acura MDX SEMA concept Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Design/Style SEMA Show Acura Crossover Racing Vehicles acura mdx acura nsx gt3

Acura Integra to capstone combustion era as EV transition begins

The recent launch of the resurrected Integra nameplate is just part of a larger shift in mission at Acura. Its leaders have repeatedly said they want Acura to be the performance brand of Honda, where driving fun and dynamics come first. However, in a new report, Acura says it plans to go big on fully electric vehicles, at even greater speed than its parent company, by skipping the hybrid step altogether. According to Acura assistant VP of sales Emile Korkor, the Integra was a capstone to the internal combustion era at Acura. It marked a sort of homecoming to the marque's performance pedigree, and once Integra is launched, the brand will move forward with electrifying its lineup. The company's plans were revealed in an Automotive News interview, where Korkor said, "We're going to bypass hybrids altogether. So our shift is going very rapidly into BEV. That's our main focus." At first blush, that seems to be at odds with brand boss Jon Ikeda's public statements about Acura. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, Ikeda was saying that he wanted to take the Integra racing, as something of a mascot for the "fun" brand at Honda. Perhaps we've been desensitized to automakers making big proclamations about EV transitions a la Jaguar, Land Rover, Bentley, and Infiniti, but typically the green messaging has not been about performance in the traditional sense. Says Korkor, "We're not just dipping our toe in the water with electric at Acura, we are jumping all in. And that's not just because we need to. It's because we want to. Acura is really focused on performance, and electrification is one of the greatest ways we can augment that performance." While electrification and performance are not mutually exclusive, we have yet to drive an EV that connects to the road as beautifully as a 1990s Integra or NSX did. Acuras have never been about power and torque. Yet they were still compelling performance cars thanks to brilliant steering and driving dynamics. Then there's the issue of what Acura represents. Back in February, Ikeda said that Acura was purposefully holding off on an EV strategy because it needed to re-establish its performance bona fides. Now, Korkor says, "The benefit of returning to the Integra right now is that it's going to help shepherd a new generation of customers and build loyalty as we move into a new era." The problem is, the Integra alone isn't enough to establish that performance cred.