Federal Register #DP26-001

NHTSA Denial of Defect Petition for Acura TLX and MDX AWD Systems

This notice from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), under the Department of Transportation, addresses a denied petition regarding alleged mechanical defects in certain Acura vehicles. - Government Buyer: - Department of Transportation (DOT) - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) - Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) - OEMs and Vendors: - American Honda Motor Co. (manufacturer of Acura vehicles) - Products/Services Referenced: - Acura TLX (Model Years 2021-2023) - Acura MDX (Model Years 2022-2023) - Power Take-off Unit (PTU) (part numbers referenced) - Transaxle output shaft (part numbers referenced) - Unique or Notable Requirements: - Petition alleged loss of All Wheel Drive (AWD) functionality, resulting in vehicles operating as front-wheel drive only - NHTSA determined the issue does not constitute a safety-related defect, as vehicles retain full mobility and control - No procurement or contract action is associated with this notice; it is an informational denial of a defect petition

Description

This notice announces the denial of petition DP26-001 submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requesting a safety defect investigation into mechanical failures causing loss of All Wheel Drive (AWD) in certain 2021-2023 Acura TLX and 2022-2023 Acura MDX vehicles equipped with Super Handling All Wheel Drive (SH-AWD). The petition alleged that these vehicles could permanently lose the ability to transfer drive torque to the rear wheels, effectively becoming front-wheel drive only. After reviewing consumer complaints, agency data, and other relevant information, NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation concluded that the issues are unlikely to constitute a safety-related defect and therefore denied the petition. The denial is based on the assessment that the failure does not result in loss of vehicle control or motive power and that the vehicles retain full mobility via front-wheel drive.

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