NHTSA Complaint #10381501 — 2005 HONDA PILOT

AFTER PULLING OUT OF A PARKING GARAGE AND DRIVING ABOUT 4 CITY BLOCKS, OUR 2005 HONDA PILOT MADE A LOUD GROANING SOUND AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN AN INTERSECTION WHILE TURNING LEFT. FROM THAT POINT, FOR THE NEXT HALF MILE, THE CAR SCREECHED TO A COMPLETE STOP EVERY 15 TO 20 SECONDS, EVEN WHILE ONLY PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR GOING SPEEDS UP TO 20 MPH. I INSTRUCTED MY WIFE TO PULL INTO THE FIRST AVAILABLE PARKING LOT, AT WHICH POINT WE SAW THAT THE VSA CAUTION AND OFF LIGHTS WERE ON. I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF, PULLED THE KEY OUT, PUT IT BACK IN AND STARTED THE CAR BACK UP. THE VSA LIGHTS DID NOT COME BACK ON. I PRESSED THE VSA OFF BUTTON IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS MALFUNCTION ON THE WAY HOME. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY SCARY DEFECT. I HAVE READ OTHER OWNERS' EXPERIENCES OF THIS SAME ISSUE AND I AM CONVINCED THAT IT IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING DEFECT. WE HAD OUR TWO YEAR OLD AND OUR NEWBORN IN A CAR WHICH SCREECHED TO AN UNEXPECTED FULL STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION HALFWAY THROUGH A TURN. THERE WAS NO ICE, THE ROADS WERE DRY, AND THE TURN WAS CONTROLLED AND NORMAL. THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE VSA TO ENGAGE. WE WERE LUCKY NO CARS WERE COMING THE OTHER DIRECTION TO HIT THE PILOT IN THE INTERSECTION. I HAVE ALSO READ OF THIS UNPROMPTED FULL STOP OCCURRING AT SPEEDS UP TO 60 MPH. THE POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS OF THIS ARE DEVASTATING. WE PURCHASED THIS CAR USED WITH 105,000 MILES ON IT. IT NOW HAS APPROXIMATELY 115,000 MILES. WE HAVE BEEN PLEASED WITH THE VEHICLE UNTIL NOW, BUT THIS ONE ISSUE IS ENOUGH OF A SAFETY ISSUE THAT I WILL IMMEDIATELY PURSUE GETTING RID OF THE VEHICLE AND FINDING SOMETHING SAFER. *TR