NHTSA Complaint #10526463 — 2004 HONDA PILOT

I NOW HAVE BEEN THE VICTIM FOR THE 2ND TIME OF WHAT IS UNQUESTIONABLY A MAJOR DESIGN FLAW IN THE TRANSMISSION / TORQUE CONVERTER OF THE SHARED POWER TRAIN FOR HONDA PILOTS ('03 ,'04) HONDA ODYSSEY VANS ('02 TO '04) & ACURA MDX ('01, '02). I OWNED A PRISTINE 2001 ACURA MDX WITH JUST OVER 100K MILES ON IT WHICH EXPERIENCED THE ALL TOO COMMON TRANS./ TORQUE CONVERTER FAILURE ONLY A FEW MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED IT FROM A HONDA DEALER. THIS HAPPENED IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT THE POWER TRAIN RECALL (SANCTIONED BY NHTSA) HAD BEEN COMPLETED IN 2004. I PARTED WAYS WITH THE VEHICLE, INCURRING A SUBSTANTIAL LOSS. BUT THE NIGHTMARE CONTINUES, AS UNFORTUNATELY, MY OTHER VEHICLE IS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. RIGHT AFTER I PURCHASED IT NEW IN 2004, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER SINCE THE MODEL WAS SUBJECT TO A NEARLY IDENTICAL POWER TRAIN RECALL AS THE MDX AND ODYSSEY. MY DEALER SAID MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, & THAT MY NEW PILOT SHOULD BE FINE. YET @ 60K, THE "D" LIGHT ON THE SHIFTER DISPLAY STARTED TO BLINK FROM TIME TO TIME. EACH TIME THE DEALER SAID EVERYTHING WAS FINE; SHUTTERING ON DOWNSHIFTING OVER THE YEARS WAS PASSED OFF BY THE DEALER AS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE. THEN LAST WEEK, THE POWER TRAIN FAILED ON THIS VEHICLE AS WELL. THIS TIME MY SON WAS DRIVING, & THE CAR SHUTTERED SO BADLY THAT IT NEARLY WENT OUT OF CONTROL. THIS CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED & I HAVE ALL SERVICE RECORDS. CLEARLY THE RECALL "REMEDY" FOR THIS MAJOR DESIGN FLAW HAS NOT SOLVED THE ISSUE, AND THESE POWER TRAINS STILL PRESENT A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD FOR THE VEHICLE OPERATOR & OTHERS ON THE ROAD WHO MAY NEED TO AVOID A DISABLED VEHICLE IN FRONT OF THEM. PLEASE DO SOMETHING! IF YOU TOTAL ALL THE POWER TRAIN COMPLAINTS FOR THE RECALL YRS. ON THESE 3 MODELS, YOU GET NEARLY 3000. THE LEGITIMACY OF NHTSA IS AT STAKE. THIS "SOLUTION" WAS A GOOD DEAL FOR HONDA, BUT IT HAS NOT PROTECTED THE PUBLIC! *TR