NHTSA Complaint #10452668 — 2003 HONDA PILOT

HIGHWAY DRIVING, VEHICLE SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD AFTER AN ENGINE HESITATION (HEARD A LOUD NOISE, PASSENGER THOUGHT THE VEHICLE HAD HIT SOMETHING...FELT UNDER PASSENGER SIDE FOOTWELL.) DROVE HOME, NEXT DAY THERE WERE PROBLEMS GETTING THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE. AGAIN, IT LURCHED INTO REVERSE AND MADE A LOUD NOISE. IMMEDIATELY TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP WITH ONLY ONE "RACING" ENGINE NOISE AT 35MPH. DIAGNOSED WITH CODE #P0740 (TORQUE CONVERTER) REQUIRING COMPLETE TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. VEHICLE IS ORIGINAL OWNER/ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICE AT CORRECT TIME INTERVALS (INCLUDING A DOUBLE TRANSMISSION SERVICE DONE AT 60,000 AND 77,000) NO PAPERWORK INDICATING 2004 RECALL SERVICE WAS DONE, HOWEVER DEALERSHIP INSISTS IT WAS COMPLETED (THEY'RE STILL LOOKING FOR PAPERWORK.) ONLY MAJOR REPAIR: $1100 REPAIR DONE 82,400 - LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID (REPLACED FRONT PUMP SEAL, O-RING ON CONVERTER AND REAR MAIN) NOW, 2200 MILES LATER, TRANSMISSION IS OUT AND MUST BE REPLACED. DEALERSHIP QUOTING $5200 (NOT INCLUDING LABOR), AFTER DISCUSSIONS WITH HONDA THEY HAVE OFFERED TO COVER 40% OF REPAIR PRICE (NOT INCLUDING LABOR). I HAD A REASONABLE EXPECTATION THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD LAST LONGER THAN 87,000 MILES, CONSIDERING THE REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND SAFE DRIVING RECORD. THANKFULLY, I HAVE ALL REPAIR/SERVICE PAPERWORK AND WILL BE GOING TO BBB ARBITRATION, AS SUGGESTED IN THE HONDA WARRANTY HANDBOOK. ALSO, EXTREMELY THANKFUL THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT/INJURY/DEATH RELATED TO THIS SEVERE TRANSMISSION ISSUE (HAD I BEEN AT FULL HIGHWAY SPEED, 65MPH, THE OUTCOME MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SO POSITIVE WHEN THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION HESITATED AND THEN SURGED.) *TR