NHTSA Complaint #10194018 — 2007 HONDA PILOT

2007 HONDA PILOT WITH 2,200 MILES. PULLING OFF THE HIGHWAY ON AN EXIT, WE SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. NOT KNOWING THE CAUSE, WE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (NO BREAKDOWN LANE, SO WE WERE MOSTLY OUT OF THE TRAFFIC LANE). WE WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE, SO WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE CAUSE WAS DETERMINED TO BE A BREAK IN THE CONDENSER COOLING COIL DUE TO A ROAD OBJECT HITTING THE UNPROTECTED COIL. SEARCHING ON THE INTERNET SHOWED DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS FOR HONDA VEHICLES (BUT VERY FEW FOR OTHER MANUFACTURERS). HONDA SAID THAT THIS WASN'T COVERED BY THE WARRANTY, BUT AFTER COMPLAINING TO HONDA CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE, THEY PAID FOR THE PART. I ALSO COMPLAINED TO THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER, WHO PAID FOR THE LABOR. I PAID FOR THE TOWING. THE SAFETY ISSUE IS THAT SEEING THE WHITE SMOKE WITHOUT KNOWING THE CAUSE CAN MAKE THE DRIVER BE STOPPED IN AN UNSAFE LOCATION TO DO PROBLEM DETERMINATION, LEADING TO VARIOUS POSSIBLE INJURIES OR DEATH. *TR