NHTSA Complaint #10548701 — 2005 HONDA PILOT

I WAS ON A CIRCULAR ON-RAMP TO A HIGHWAY. MY VEHICLE STARTED LOSING POWER UPON ACCELERATION SO THE ENGINE REVVED BUT CAR SLOWED DOWN. I MADE IT OFF THE RAMP TO THE HIGHWAY AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO THE SHOULDER. THE CAR HAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SO I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WASN'T CLICKING INTO PLACE PROPERLY BUT IT WAS. I NOTICED A PUDDLE OF FLUID. I HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHO SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION COOLING LINE BLEW OUT & THE RADIATOR WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE ADAPTER BECAUSE THERE ARE NO THREADS LEFT ON THE RADIATOR TO GRAB THE CONNECTOR. HE SAID IT WAS SOMETHING THAT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. IT WAS A MECHANICAL FAILURE. I HAVE READ SEVERAL POSTS ON LINE ON A NUMBER OF WEB SITES FROM OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. MOST PEOPLE HAVE ALSO REPLACED THEIR TRANSMISSIONS BECAUSE THE RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION FLUIDS RUIN BOTH WHEN MIXED TOGETHER. MY CAR IS STILL AT THE MECHANICS, SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION YET, BUT THE POSTS INDICATE THAT THE CAR IS NEVER THE SAME. I WAS LUCKY THAT I HAD ENOUGH JUICE TO PULL OVER TO SAFETY. APPARENTLY THERE ARE NO RECALLS FROM HONDA IN SPITE OF THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS THAT I'VE SEEN. REPAIRS ARE EXPENSIVE & THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO OCCUR MOSTLY WITHIN THE 100,000 MILE RANGE, GIVE OR TAKE. IF I GET RID OF THE CAR BEFORE OR AFTER FIXING IT, IT WOULD ONLY BE A PROBLEM FOR THE NEXT CONSUMER & THAT'S NOT REALLY FAIR. I FEEL THAT HONDA SHOULD REIMBURSE CURRENT OWNERS FOR TRANSMISSIONS AND RADIATOR REPLACEMENTS ON THOSE CARS THAT HAVE HAD THE PROBLEM AND RECALL/REPAIR THE PARTS ON THE ONES THAT HAVEN'T. I FEEL THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE BECAUSE MY CAR COULD HAVE COME TO A COMPLETE STOP ON THE HIGHWAY AND CAUSED A SERIOUS & POTENTIALLY FATAL ACCIDENT. HONDA NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECT BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT OR KILLED. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. *TR