To close out March 2025, American Honda Motor Company submitted a safety recall report to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding certain 2024 and 2025 ADV160 scooters. On affected models, a manufacturing defect in the oil pump driven gear combined with an improper finish on the timing sprocket could cause abnormal gear wear. This could, in turn, eventually lead to engine seizure, which could increase the risk of a crash and/or an injury.
According to Honda's records, approximately 3,316 scooters may be affected by this issue. This represents around two percent of the population. Affected scooters were produced between March 22, 2023 and November 6, 2024.
Two problems are blamed for this issue, according to the report. The steel timing gear received "excessive shot blasting," and the oil pump driven gear was apparently deformed due to the cooling process (it's a polymer-based gear). The resulting shape ended up tapered, which in turn led to misaligned gears and uneven wear in operation.
Honda has received reports of this issue in other markets, beginning in Thailand and continuing into the US market. As of March 21, 2025, Honda says it has received a total of 28 warranty claims in the US related to this issue. However, through March 19, 2025, the company says that it has received no claims regarding injuries or deaths related to this issue.
Honda notified its dealership network about this issue on March 24, 2025, and will send out notifications via postal mail to registered owners of 2024-2025 ADV160s on or about May 26, 2025. The letter will instruct owners to make appointments with an authorized Honda Powersports dealer, who will perform the recall service at no charge to the customer.
If owners of affected ADV160s have already paid to have this service performed, they may be eligible for reimbursement claims with appropriate documentation. The replacement oil pump driven gear has been crafted from a more durable material, per Honda, with a different mold structure used to ensure its integrity.
Owners may contact American Honda's customer service at 866-784-1870 regarding recall campaign number KR9. Additionally, owners may contact the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
