NHTSA Complaint #10472045 — 2005 HONDA PILOT

I HAD JUST RETURNED FROM MONTANA ON SATURDAY NIGHT (TO SPOKANE, WA); WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START MY CAR SUNDAY MORNING, MY KEY GOT STUCK IN THE IGNITION. I WORKED ON IT FOR 90 PLUS MINUTES AND FINALLY WAS ABLE TO GET IT OUT OF THE IGNITION. DURING THIS TIME HOWEVER, THE KEY DID NOT EVER TURN IN THE IGNITION THEREFORE EVERYTHING REMAINED "LOCKED". I IMMEDIATELY TRIED THE SAME KEY ON THE DRIVERS DOOR; NO LUCK. IT DID HOWEVER OPEN THE BACK HATCH AND THE PASSENGER DOOR, BOTH MANUALLY (THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED IN THE KEY, SO I WAS USING IT THE OLD FASHIONED WAY UNTIL I GOT A NEW BATTERY). SO, WITH THIS INFORMATION I WENT DOWN TO LARRY MILLER HONDA, DOWNTOWN SPOKANE IN A BORROWED VEHICLE. WHILE THERE I WAS APPROACHED BY A SALESMAN AND I EXPLAINED MY DILEMMA: "UNABLE TO TURN KEY IN IGNITION, THEREFORE UNABLE TO GET MY CAR MOVING AT ALL!"..HE THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO "SPRAY WD 40 INTO THE IGNITION SWITCH AND THE DOOR LOCKS". AND INFORMED ME THAT THE SERVICE DEPART. WAS NOT OPEN BUT WE WENT BACK THERE BECAUSE "THERE WERE SOME EMPLOYEES WORKING ON SOME VEHICLES. WHEN WE GOT BACK THERE, THE SALESMAN ASKED THE SERVICE DEPT WORKER IF HE THOUGHT SPRAYING WD40 INTO MY IGNITION SWITCH WOULD WORK, THE SERVICEMAN AGREED. SO I GOT SOME WD 40, SPRAYED AWAY AS DIRECTED, NO LUCK. MONDAY: WENT BACK TO HONDA, WHERE ONE OF THE MANAGERS TOLD ME "NEVER SPRAY WD40 INTO IGNITION, THIS WILL GUM IT UP...AND NOW IT WILL COST ME 600.00 OR SO TO REPLACE IGNITION SYSTEM. HE ALSO STATED "THEY HAVE BEEN DOING ALOT OF THESE LATELY BECAUSE OF GUMMED UP IGNITIONS ON THE PILOT." I ASKED IF THIS DID NOT RAISE A FLAG FOR THEM AND POSSIBLY A PROBLEM. HE THEN SAID I WOULD NEED TO GET A WHOLE NEW KEY, RE-PROGRAM IT AND THEN GET A NEW IGNITION SET W/ NEW KEYS AND RE-PROGRAM THEM. I SAID THAT HONDA GAVE ME THE WRONG INFORMATION RESULTING IN DESTROYING MY IGNITION AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE RESP. MORE. *TR