Our 2022 Passport Wheel rack and tie rods failed inspection at 28K miles. We were told my three separate mechanics that this was extremely premature and unusual. The car required extensive repairs of around 3K dollars out of pocket. There was no warning of this. Despite a complaint with the dealership and honda corporate we were told it was out of warranty and nothing could be done. In summary they told us despite this being extremely premature in a car with no accidents or damage, there was nothing they could do. We were forced to pay out of pocket as it could have caused steering failure if we did not repair. According to forums this has been a problem seen EXTREMELY prematurely in the Passport.
Honda Passport ball joint problems
17 of the 1,700 owner complaints about the Honda Passport describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 1999 model year.
- owner complaints
- 17
- worst model year
- 1999
- typical mileage
- 123,000
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20221
- 20211
- 20191
- 20012
- 20004
- 19995
- 19983
Often reported together
What owners say
During a routine maintenance visit at Honda Dealership, I was informed that the passenger side control arm bushing was cracked and needs replacement. I was told that it is standard procedure to replace both sides. My car had only 45500 miles. It was a surprise to me since this SUV is designed for off road, how a bushing can fail so early as it is only driven on Highways and in the city. To me it should be a manufacturing defect and so be covered by the manufacturer as it has low mileage.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The rear subframe, specifically the passenger-side rear suspension mounting bracket, is failing due to severe, premature corrosion. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My safety was put at extreme risk because a local authorized Honda dealership fraudulently closed out an active, critical safety recall (the federal safety agency Campaign Number 26V‑365) without actually performing the mandated repair. They returned the vehicle to me to drive on public roads with a heavily rusted, structurally compromised rear subframe where the flange seams are actively separating. Driving this vehicle poses a critical, ongoing risk because the rear control arm mounting points could fracture and fail. Such a failure would cause the rear wheels to become misaligned or inadequately retained, resulting in a sudden and catastrophic loss of vehicle handling, stability, and braking performance. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The local authorized Honda dealership explicitly acknowledged the open recall during my initial service visit and stated they needed to order the remedy parts. They subsequently contacted me to bring the vehicle back under the pretense that the parts had arrived. They released the vehicle back to me and marked the recall as officially completed in their system. However, physical inspection of the undercarriage confirms the passenger-side subframe bracket remains completely bare, unreinforced, and heavily corroded. Because official corporate recall notices confirm that the required replacement parts are globally backordered until the fall, it is physically impossible for the dealership to have performed the installation, confirming they falsified the repair record and returned an unsafe vehicle. Prior to the dealer visits, I experienced significant shuddering and abnormal vibrations from the rear suspension.
I purchased this vehicle on the 5th of july 2013. Took the vehicle home and noticed a badly defective tire on the right rear and that the brakes were having issues which included poor stopping and a vibration in the back. I got down on my hands and knees to look at the tire and then noticed large rotted holes in frame by tires. I then laid on my back and noticed that the entire frame was rotted out from front to back. This is so bad that I can push holes through the frame with just my fingers. I have since gotten online and discovered that there has been a recall issued on this vehicle for a control arm bracket that breaks off of the frame due to rot. This issue has far exceeded that recall and I am wanting to know what would be my best course of action from here? I am now afraid to even move this vehicle out of my drive way due to safety concerns for myself or others around me. Thank you so much for your time on this issue and I look forward to a response from you on this matter.... [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 honda passport. The contact stated that the vehicle would not accelerate over 30 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed. The failure was located at the transmission oil gasket. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 148,000. ..updated 07-17-13 *bf the ball joints, exhaust, tie rod end, engine gaskets, sway bar links and timing belt all needed to be replaced.
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 honda passport. The contact was driving 10 MPH when the vehicle drove over a speed bump and the rear passenger side lower control arm detached from the frame. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer confirmed that corrosion caused the rear passenger side lower control arm to detach from the frame. The manufacturer was contacted and they advised that the vehicle qualified for repairs under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 10v436000(suspension:rear) but the recall was expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileages were 190,000.
1998 honda passport with severe frame rot, almost caused accident when lower control arm rusted off and broke, thank god my kids weren't in the car with me! Had to get welded and now the upper control arms are rotting off.
While driving my 2001 honda passport down rt. 51 I heard a very loud ,crunching noise under my car. Suddenly I had no control of the vehicle. Terrified, and after weaving back and forth on the road among other traffic, I was finally able to get the car off the road. It had to be towed on a flatbed truck. I was told by the tow truck operator that the underside of the car was totally rusted out and that he had never seen a control arm totally rust off a car. My car has been garage kept and well maintained since I bought it new in 2001. The collision center that it was towed to tried to weld the frame, but, there is still major rust damage under the car. I notified my honda dealer of the problem and was told that since it was an isuzu product honda held no responsibility for the problem. This automobile only has 90,000 miles on it and I planned to continue using it for several years to come..
Frame rust around the spot where rear control arm is attached to frame. It is completely rusted thru. The part is still attached to the frame, but the frame itself has rusted through on either side and has separated from the vehicle. I heard some clicking noises and stopped vehicle to check it, and found the part totally separated from the vehicle frame, and proceeded to call a tow truck.
The frame is rusted out on the drivers side all the way back to where the control arm and body mounts mount to the frame. I am not driving the vehicle now as it is not safe to drive and is undriveable. The last time I drove the vehicle it began to shake, traveling at approximately 50 MPH and approximately 10 miles to my destination (home). I slowed the vehicle down to approximately 35 to 40 MPH (on the freeway) and put on my hazard lights on and drove it still shaking but somewhat controllable at this point. Approximately 1.5 miles from home, I stopped at a stop sign, upon acceleration from a complete stop I hear a very loud clunk from the rearend and the vehicle is shaking again at approximately 5 MPH. I drove home and looked underneath and see that the control arm is almost detached from the frame. I have had several mechanics and a frame repairers look at it and the mechanic said not to drive it and the frame repairer said 1600.00 to 2000.00 to fix it (basically replacing the entire frame rail on the driver side and part on the other side of the vehicle as it is starting to rust now as well). The vehicle went to the frame repairer for an estimate on may 13, 2010 but has not been driven since the incident on march 5, 2010.
Related recalls
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
- Risk
- Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on beginning June 10, 2026.
Recall number 26V365000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Isuzu is recalling certain model year 1998-2002 isuzu rodeo and model year 2002 isuzu axiom vehicles, and honda is recalling certain 1998-2002 honda passport vehicles, that were originally sold, or are currently registered, in the states of maine, new hampshire, vermont, massachusetts, rhode island, connecticut, new york, new jersey, pennsylvania, delaware, maryland, the district of columbia, west virginia, ohio, indiana, michigan, illinois, wisconsin, minnesota, iowa, missouri, and kentucky. Vehicles that have experienced sustained exposure to highly corrosive materials used in some jurisdictions for road deicing purposes may experience excessive corrosion in the vicinity of the forward mounting point bracket for the left or right rear suspension lower link prior to the time that such corrosion would normally be expected.
- Risk
- Excessive corrosion may result in the left or right rear suspension lower link bracket becoming detached from the frame, which can affect vehicle handling and potentially cause a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear suspension lower link bracket area. For vehicles in which little or no corrosion is found, the area will be treated with an anti-corrosive compound. For vehicles in which corrosion has damaged the rear suspension lower link bracket and affected its connection to the vehicle frame, a reinforcement bracket will be installed. In the rare event the corrosion is so severe that the reinforcement bracket remedy would not be appropriate, a repurchase offer will be extended to the vehicle's owner. All inspections and remedies will be provided free of charge for vehicles that are 10 years old or less. For vehicles older than 10 years, isuzu will offer a free remedy, but only if the vehicle is presented to an isuzu service facility, or honda dealer (as applicable), dealer within 12 months of when owner notifications were issued. The safety recall began on december 10, 2010. Isuzu owners may contact isuzu at 1‑800‑255‑6727. Honda owners may contact honda at 1‑800‑999‑1009.
Recall number 10V436000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. Paint was applied unevenly on the rear axles, resulting in insufficient paint hardness. Should this occur on the surface that contacts the rear axle lower link bracket bolt head and/or nut, the nut may loosen.
- Risk
- The bolt could detach fully, causing separation of the lower link from the rear axle, increasing the risk of loss of vehicle control.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rear axle lower link joint nut and bolt.
Recall number 00V058000 · Recall details
Questions about the Honda Passport ball joint
Which Honda Passport years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 1999 (5 complaints), 2000 (4 complaints) and 1998 (3 complaints).
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