NHTSA Complaint #10407725 — 2011 HONDA PILOT

I DRIVE A 2011 HONDA PILOT. IT WAS PURCHASED NEW. ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 7, 2011, A FAMILY MEMBER DISCOVERED THAT THE VEHICLE, WHICH WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY OF THE HOUSE, HAD A FLAT IN THE FRONT, DRIVER-SIDE TIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS PLACED ON A FLAT BED AND TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC. UPON INSPECTION, THE MECHANIC NOTED THAT THERE WAS A PUNCTURE TO THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE WHICH SHOULD NOT BE REPAIRED. A REPLACEMENT TIRE WAS PURCHASED AND THE OLD ONE WAS DISCARDED. I SPECULATED THAT ROAD HAZARD MAY HAVE CAUSED THE PUNCTURE, SO DID NOT THINK MUCH ABOUT FILING A COMPLAINT. THE TIRE HAD ABOUT 6,183 MILES ON IT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. ON THE EVENING OF JUNE 17, 2011, AS I WAS DRIVING ALONG THE TAPPAN ZEE BRIDGE (CONNECTING ROCKLAND AND WESTCHESTER COUNTIES) IN NEW YORK, THE TIRE WARNING INDICATOR WENT ON. UPON MY ARRIVAL AT HOME (ABOUT AN 8-MINUTE DRIVE FROM THE BRIDGE), I NOTICED A HISSING SOUND COMING FROM THE REAR, DRIVER-SIDE TIRE AND IMMEDIATELY CONCLUDED THAT THE TIRE WAS DEFLATING. THE FOLLOWING MORNING THE TIRE WAS FLAT. AFTER INSTALLING THE SPARE, I TOOK THE TIRE TO A GOODYEAR DEALER. UPON INSPECTION, THE MECHANIC NOTED THAT THERE WAS A PUNCTURE TO THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE WHICH SHOULD NOT BE REPAIRED, WHICH WAS THE SAME ISSUE DISCOVERED WITH THE FRONT, DRIVER-SIDE TIRE. I REPLACED IT WITH A NEW TIRE. THE TIRE HAD APPROXIMATELY 6,500 MILES ON IT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THIS TIME I FILED A COMPLAINT SINCE IT WAS HIGHLY COINCIDENTAL THAT TWO TIRES WOULD FAIL WITHIN A 10-DAY PERIOD WITH THE SAME FACT PATTERN. I SUSPECT THAT THE VEHICLE CAME INSTALLED WITH AT LEAST TWO TIRES THAT HAD WEAK SIDEWALLS. *TR