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Federal filingsHome›Recalls› 19V298000
NHTSA campaign 19V298000 · manufacturer recall L4M, Z4L

2018–2019 Acura and Honda: engine and engine cooling recall

Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.

high 93,946 vehicles affected 94% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot vehicles and 2019 Acura RLX, RLX Sport Hybrid, TLX and Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline vehicles. The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt. Risk Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash. Fix Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.

Reported to NHTSA Apr 12, 2019 by Honda (American Honda Motor Co.), owners notified Jun 7, 2019.

What that means, in plain English

Source: WhichTrim's reading of the filing above — not NHTSA's wording

Timing belt tooth separation can cause an engine stall, losing drive power in traffic and increasing crash risk, but the filing is hedged ('may result') and does not describe sudden loss of steering/braking control or a fire/stop-drive order.

Written for us by a language model from the manufacturer's filed text, which is quoted in full above. Where the two differ, the filing is the record and this is only our summary of it.

The fix, from the dealer bulletin

Source: NHTSA remedy instructions and dealer notice
Stop-sale Not stated in the dealer documents
Remedy Instructions filed: the dealer bulletin exists

Parts named

Part numberDescriptionQty
14400-R9P-A01Timing Belt1
14551-RCA-A01Timing Belt Idler Bolt1
90002-R70-A00Flange Bolt (10 x 85)1
90103-SV4-013Flange Bolt (10 x 30) (For MDX only)1
90168-TA1-A00Flange Bolt (10 x 60)2
90161-SDA-A01Flange Bolt (12 x 45)1
90176-SKN-000Flange Bolt (12 x 30)3
90002-R8A-A00Flange Bolt (10 x 75)3
15302-5G0-A00Oil Filter Base/Oil Cooler Gasket1
90212-SA5-003Self-Locking Nut (10 mm)3
18393-SJA-A01Pre-Chamber Gasket1
90163-SDA-A01Flange Bolt (10 x 35)2
90161-T2A-A002
90164-TY3-A01Flange Bolt (10 x 60)2
90371-SEF-000Flange Nut (10 mm)4
10002-5J6-A12Cylinder Block Assembly1

Labour, as the warranty table lists it

  • 0.5 h · op 1105C3
  • 0.9 h · op 1105C8
  • 3.2 h · op 1105C5
  • 2.9 h · op 1105C5
  • 5.1 h · op 1105D0
  • 12.5 h · op 1105C6

The operation code and time the manufacturer pays the dealer; a customer-pay estimate elsewhere is a different number.

Special tools

  • Tool Name Part Number Quantity Holder Handle 07JAB-001020B 1
  • 50 mm Offset Holder Attachment 07MAB-PY3010A 1
  • 19 mm Socket 07JAA-001020A 1
  • Cylinder Leak Down Tester Commercially available 1 REQUIRED MATERIALS Material Name Part Number Quantity Acura Long-Life
  • Acura Genuine Motor Oil 0W-20 08798-9041 6
  • Hondabond HT (1 tube repairs 4 vehicles) 08718-0004 1

Read from NHTSA’s copy of the manufacturer’s dealer documents (manufacturer campaign L4M, Z4L). The procedure itself is in the bulletin; a franchised dealer has the current copy on the manufacturer’s portal, and that copy governs. Working a lot or a fleet? Recall Watch carries this line on every VIN it checks: remedy status, hours, stop-sale.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 19V298000

Vehicles built Jun 1, 2018 to Dec 3, 2018 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearClassSafety SignalRecalls on file
2018 Acura MDXCompact SUVF10
2019 Acura MDXCompact SUVD9
2019 Acura RLXMidsize SedanC3
2019 Acura TLXCompact SedanD6
2019 Honda OdysseyMinivanF20
2018 Honda PilotLarge SUVF7
2019 Honda PilotLarge SUVF13
2019 Honda RidgelineLarge Pickup truckF11

Those are the model years inside WhichTrim's range, 2016 onward. The campaign may cover others outside it, and the only thing that settles whether one specific vehicle is included is its VIN.

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired 94%

of the campaign

The final figure: the six quarters of reporting that 49 cfr 573.7 requires have closed.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. Type the VIN and the WhichTrim recall report checks this campaign’s build window and engine against it.

Campaign 19V298000 · the manufacturer calls it L4M, Z4L

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

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A recall covers a build range. Only your VIN settles it.

Check it with the WhichTrim recall report now, or have us check it every night and email you when something new is filed.

Photo: Taiga Miyamoto / Unsplash

Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Is L4M, Z4L the same recall as 19V298000?

Yes. L4M, Z4L is the number Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 19V298000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Jun 1, 2018 to Dec 3, 2018. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.