This defect could affect the 2018 to 2022 CR-V and HR-V.
The problem can cause the rear wheels to lock up or the vehicle to suddenly lose power.
This investigation could turn into a recall if a manufacturing defect is found.
The US government is now investigating a potential defect in the rear differential of over 1.7 million units of the 2018 to 2022 Honda CR-V and HR-V SUVs.
According to the investigators, the rear differentials in the all-wheel drive versions of these two models could suddenly lock up while driving, which would stop the vehicle and make it undrivable.
If this problem occurs at high speeds, such as on the highway, this could be dangerous because locking the rear wheels could result in a loss of control and an accident.
In addition, the preliminary report suggests that the sudden lockup of the rear differential could cause the rear driveshaft to break, thus leaving the vehicle with almost no power going to the wheels.
According to the early findings, this problem is caused by a leaky seal that can let the oil in the differential run dry, thus causing it to destroy itself by friction.
A recall hasn’t been announced yet, but there could be one if the investigators determine that the seal is leaking due to a manufacturing defect since this issue creates safety concerns for the occupants of the vehicle.
This is not the only investigation involving Honda in the United States. Indeed, the government is also looking into fantom braking problems with the 2017 to 2019 CR-V and the 2018 to 2019 Accord.
In these vehicles, it is alleged that the emergency braking system, part of the forward collision warning technology, can cause the vehicle to perform an unintended emergency stop for no apparent reason.
This second investigation includes 1.73 million vehicles and the investigators say they have received at least 270 reports of fantom braking by one of those two models.
