New Honda HRX217HZAA

[damcar]

I purchased a NEW HRX217HZAA lawnmower on 4/12/2023, paid $1200 and brought it home. Mowed for about 20 minutes then put it in the garage. The next week when I tried to start it with the electric start it would not turn over so I pulled the rope. Way to much compression. So I called the dealer and the owner said yes they are having problems with the compression release, just bring it back and they will fix it. That was over three weeks ago and they still don't have the part from Honda and don't know when they will have it. Tomorrow I am going to ask for a refund and see what they say.

Bottom line is this is an ongoing problem right now so I would not advise anyone to buy the new Honda lawnmower.

I had a John Deere 14SB for over 23 years that I gave away and now I wish I still had it.

 

[StarTech]

This is what we get when they cheapen a product. Some one screwed up in designing the new camshaft.

 

[Wolfepack88]

Yes, this is a known issue and a service bulletin is coming while they produce the quantity of the new camshafts. I had my mower repaired but was lucky and got one of the new camshafts sent to my dealer from a Honda engineer that was monitoring the forum and saw my post about this. It will get fixed but holy smokes there will be a lot of mowers as my dealer opened everyone they had in their inventory and found them all needing to be repaired.

 

[Wolfepack88]

You might get yours quicker if you see this thread and the Honda Engineer's reply. He fedex'd the part to my dealer for repair and I got my mower in a few days.

Mower won't pull start

Hello. I have a new Honda Model HRX217HYA with hydro drive and pull start. When trying to start with the throttle at FAST and blades disengaged, drive speed at zero, all as instructed, the engine kicks back. It is as if the engine pre ignites or back fires and pulls back on the pull rope so...

www.lawnmowerforum.com

 

[damcar]

Yes, this is a known issue and a service bulletin is coming while they produce the quantity of the new camshafts. I had my mower repaired but was lucky and got one of the new camshafts sent to my dealer from a Honda engineer that was monitoring the forum and saw my post about this. It will get fixed but holy smokes there will be a lot of mowers as my dealer opened everyone they had in their inventory and found them all needing to be repaired.

I was told by my dealer it is a compression release issue. Are you saying now it is really a cam issue? I spoke to my dealer yesterday and he is hoping Honda will extend the money back offer of 30 days to a longer period so we can get refunds on these machines. He did say if they don't offer refunds he is considering offering it himself to protect his reputation. We'll see what happens in about a week.

He also said he has repaired 15 of these since the first of the year and now has 5 sitting in the back waiting on parts. Ouch!! Sad for the dealers when this is really a Honda issue but the dealer takes the heat.

 

[Wolfepack88]

The cam impacts the compression release. I was told Honda has 7 day not 30. My dealer refunded me twice as it happened to two mowers. Then the honda guy fedexed a new cam to my dealer and I purchased the first mower back repaired.
A question I have is if the dealer fixed that many why would he sell another mower. A Stop sell order should have gone out to all dealers and retailers.

 

[Wolfepack88]

My dealer opened up every one of the HRX mowers and tested and every one needs a repair! Not a good deal. My mower came back and I put a tach on it and it was at 2600 and the specs are 2900-3100 and the dealer forgot to replace the broken pull handle that originally broke when the handle was ripped out of my hand on the first go around. The dealer should have adjusted the rpm when they set it up for me. Quick adjustment to governor but why did I have to do it? Does anybody do their job anymore?? Slackers one and all!!

 

[damcar]

The cam impacts the compression release. I was told Honda has 7 day not 30. My dealer refunded me twice as it happened to two mowers. Then the honda guy fedexed a new cam to my dealer and I purchased the first mower back repaired.
A question I have is if the dealer fixed that many why would he sell another mower. A Stop sell order should have gone out to all dealers and retailers.

I agree they should not keep selling them if they are defective from the factory. What I was told by them was the mower usually works fine the first time it is used but the second or third time you use it then it quits. They knew that before I bought it since they have repaired so many but they sold it to me anyway.
I cannot say I personally looked up the return policy but that is what my dealer told me. Of course I was only told this after the 30 days were up.

At this point I just want a refund but we'll see what happens.

 

[damcar]

Well after 6 weeks of waiting my mower is finally fixed and I have used it one time with success. I just hope it keeps going with no more problems.

 

[Robertog]

I have exactly the same issue, up here in Canada, Honda Canada has been giving me the runaround about this, first telling me their reviewing my claim and then saying they are still waiting to assign the case. Bought the lawn mower on the 30th of March and it failed after 3 hours of use. So like everyone else I am borrowing lawnmowers from whoever I can just to cut the lawn. Honda has fallen from grace on this issue.