NHTSA Complaint #10511377 — 2005 HONDA PILOT

I WAS DRIVING MY 2005 HONDA PILOT PROBABLY AROUND 40MPH, A NOISE, I TURNED ON THE CLOSEST ROAD TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC AND WAS HEADING UP HILL, THE RPM DIAL MOVED ERRATICALLY, THE VEHICLE DID NOT WANT TO GO, THERE WERE NO ENGINE LIGHTS ON, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WAS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF. I HAD NO STEERING CONTROL, BECAUSE I WAS ON A HILL I HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STABILIZE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD DIED. I TURNED THE IGNITION TO THE OFF POSITION AND THEN TRIED TO RESTART SINCE WE WERE ON A 2 LAND ROAD WITH NO GUARD RAIL AND A STEEP DROP OFF BESIDE THE PASSENGER SIDE. WHEN I TRIED TO TURN IT ON, A LIGHT CAME ON THE ALT TEMP. I WAS UNABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE DOWN AND HAD TO WAIT FOR ASSISTANCE. WE LIFTED THE HOOD AND IT WAS NOT HOT COMING FROM INSIDE BUT THERE WAS A FLUID LEAKING. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO SEVERAL OTHER HONDA PILOTS. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IF WE WERE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS VEHICLE DIED WITH NO WARNING OR LIGHTS. I WAS TOLD THAT THEY THINK SOMETHING WHEN WITH THE RADIATOR WHICH LEAKED FLUID INTO THE TRANSMISSION. THEY DON'T KNOW YET IF THE ENGINE IS DEAD UNTIL THE WORK ON THE REST OF THE VEHICLE. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSON FROM HONDA, [XXX], IS NOT WILLING TO ASSURE ME THAT IF MY VEHICLE IS REPAIRED IT WONT HAPPEN AGAIN AND THAT WE WILL BE SAFE. MY FAMILY FEELS THAT THIS IS A FAULTY DESIGN THAT CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO HAVE A CATASTROPHIC BREAK DOWN. WE HAVE OWN HONDA'S FOR OVER 25 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A COMPLAINT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR