NHTSA Complaint #10536839 — 2003 HONDA PILOT

1. FALL OF 2011, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PICK UP SPEED CAR WOULD BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND SHAKE. FOR SAFETY, I WOULDN'T DRIVE FASTER THAN APPROX. 35 MPH. ARRIVING AT MY DESTINATION, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. THE ENGINE REVVED AND SURGED FORWARD SEVERAL TIMES. FUEL INJECTION CLEANER REMEDIED THIS. 2. 2012, WHEN INITIALLY ACCELERATING, GEARS WOULD ROUGHLY CHANGE WITH A THUMPING SOUND. WHILE DRIVING AND PICKING UP SPEED, CAR WOULD REV LOUDLY. BRAKES WERE APPLIED TO KEEP IT FROM LUNGING FORWARD. (VERY SCARY), BUT MAINTAINED CONTROL. CHECKED TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL, ADDED 1/4 QT OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. PROBLEM PERSISTED. ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. DROVE IT TO THE HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT. MECHANIC CHECKED AND TEST DROVE CAR. ADVISED ABOUT LIGHT FLASHING WHEN IN DRIVE-(THIS HAD NOT OCCURRED).THEY COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. ENGINE WARNING LIGHT RESET. RETURNED TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT ONE WEEK LATER WHEN ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. MECHANIC TEST DROVE AND AGAIN COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. WARNING LIGHT RESET. APPROX. 3 WEEKS LATER, WARNING LIGHT RETURNED. CONTINUED TO DRIVE CAUTIOUSLY. ON AUG 20, 2013 (DRIVING APPROX 20 MPH) THREE HOUSES FROM MY HOME, MY CAR CHANGED GEARS WITH A LOUD CLUNK (SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING BROKE). I TURNED INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND HAVEN'T MOVED OR DRIVEN IT SINCE. MY HONDA PILOT HAS APPROX. 65,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I BELIEVE HONDA MOTORS AND DEALERSHIPS ARE AWARE OF THIS RECURRING DEFECT WITH THE HONDA PILOT MODELS AND IS DELIBERATELY IGNORING THE CONSUMERS OF THEIR PRODUCT. I'VE RECEIVED SEVERAL NOTICES FROM HONDA DEALERS STATING MY 2003 PILOT IS IN HIGH DEMAND. I AM ANGRY THAT I'M STUCK WITH THIS WRECK, BUT GLAD THIS JUNK WAS NOT PASSED ON TO SOMEONE ELSE. IN THE MEANTIME I'M WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION AND MAYBE FORCED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE. VERY DEPRESSED. *TR