NHTSA Complaint #10319544 — 2006 HONDA PILOT

MY 2006 HONDA PILOT EX-L EXPERIENCED SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION (SUA) AT 3:53 P.M. ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2010 NEAR OUR HOME ON KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA. WE WERE DRIVING AT AROUND 20 MPH AND AS WE GENTLY BRAKED IN APPROACH OF THE STOP SIGN, THE ENGINE OPENED UP NEARLY FULL THROTTLE AT JUST ABOVE 5000 RPMS. MY HUSBAND IMMEDIATELY AND FIRMLY APPLIED THE BRAKE AND PLACED THE GEAR IN PARK. WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE, NOT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO ROAR AT 5000 RPMS UNTIL HE TURNED IT OFF AT THE IGNITION AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS. HE RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE RPM IMMEDIATELY SHOT UP TO 5000 RPMS AGAIN, WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR IN PARK. THE TACHOMETER STAYED AT THE 5000 RPM LEVEL CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL HE AGAIN TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AT THE IGNITION AFTER ABOUT 45 SECONDS. WE WAITED A FEW MORE SECONDS AND RE-STARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN. THAT TIME, THE ENGINE STARTED AT A NORMAL RPM AND WE DROVE HALF A BLOCK TO OUR HOUSE. WE RECORDED A VIDEO OF THE SECOND EPISODE OF 5000 RPMS WITH A CAMERA WE HAD WITH US. WE PROVIDED THE VIDEO IMMEDIATELY TO AMERICAN HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE. AT THE REQUEST OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, I TOOK OUR PILOT TO BRICKELL HONDA IN MIAMI ON MARCH 1. I SHOWED THE VIDEO OF THE SUA TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, GEORGE RUIZ, ON HIS COMPUTER. HE WAS ASTOUNDED BY WHAT HE SAW AND EXPRESSED HIS GENUINE CONCERN THAT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO OPERATE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER HIS SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. HE SAID UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD THE ENGINE OPERATE AT 5000 RPMS WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR BEING DEPRESSED ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER, KEVIN MCCLUNG, ALSO INSPECTED THE CAR. AMERICAN HONDA DETERMINED THE PILOT WAS OPERATING WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO PICK UP THE CAR ON MARCH 5 AND DID SO ON MARCH 8. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. MY HUSBAND SPOKE TO HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER TERRY NIELSEN ON MARCH 3 WHO COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE VIDEO. *TR