NHTSA Complaint #10357946 — 2003 HONDA PILOT

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2003 HONDA PILOT. I HAD THIS PROBLEM IN JUNE 2010. ON A MODERATE UPHILL CLIMB, THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 35 MPH AND I FELT VIBRATION AND SHAKING. FROM A STANDING STOP, THE VEHICLE HESITATED FOR A FEW SECONDS BEFORE SHIFTING TO THE 2ND GEAR, AND THEN AGAIN BEFORE SHIFTING TO THE 3RD GEAR. THE PROBLEM CAME OFF AND ON UNTIL YESTERDAY. I WAS AGAIN DRIVING ON A MODERATE FREEWAY UPHILL CLIMB WHEN THE VEHICLE SHIFTED GEARS, SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 50 MPH, VIBRATED BEFORE SHIFTING AGAIN AND PICKED UP SPEED. I GOT FORTUNATE THAT THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND DID NOT HIT MY VEHICLE. IT COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. THIS IS WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE DRIVE 'D' INDICATOR WAS FLASHING AND THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. I GOT OFF FROM THE FREEWAY AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR. WHEN I TURNED THE ENGINE BACK ON, THE FLASHING 'D' DISAPPEARED. I TOOK IT BACK TO COMMUNITY HONDA TODAY WITH THE SAME COMPLAINTS I TOLD THEM IN JUNE, PLUS WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY. I WAS SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT MY HONDA PILOT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION, TO THE TUNE OF $4,100 PLUS TAX. I SEARCHED THE INTERNET FOR THE SAME PROBLEM ON OTHER 2003 HONDA PILOTS AND I FOUND OUT THAT IT IS VERY COMMON FOR THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. WHAT INFURIATES ME IS THAT HONDA ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN (06-003 DATED JUNE 9, 2007) FOR THE 2003 ACURA MDX WHICH IS BASICALLY THE SAME AS THE 2003 HONDA PILOT. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. BECAUSE OF HONDA'S FAILURE TO ISSUE THE SAME SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THE 2003 HONDA PILOT, I BELIEVE THAT HONDA SHOULD BE PAYING FOR THE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT ON MY VEHICLE. *TR