NHTSA Complaint #10586965 — 2011 HONDA PILOT

WHEN DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT SPEEDS OF 60 TO 65 WHEN I NEED TO BRAKE THE FRONT END OF MY PILOT SHIMMIES WHILE I APPLY THE BRAKE CAUSING ME TO NOT BE SURE IF I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP. I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS ROUGH ROAD SURFACE AND MY SON THOUGHT IT WAS OUT IF BALANCE TIRES. I DON'T DRIVE THE FREEWAY THAT OFTEN AND THERE WERE NO ISSUES WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS. LATELY I'VE BEEN ON THE FREEWAY MORE THAN USUAL AND I NOTICED THE PROBLEM WAS GETTING WORSE. ON MAY 1ST I WENT TO COSTCO WHERE I PURCHASED MY RADIAL TIRES JANUARY 2013 AND HAD THEM CHECK THE BALANCE OF MY TIRES. THEY SAID THEY WERE BALANCED AND PRESSURE WAS GOOD. LATER THAT DAY I CALLED HONDA SAN LEANDRO WHILE DRIVING HANDS FREE STATING I HAD A SERIOUS PROBLEM. THE PILOT WAS SHIMMING/VIBRATING VERY HARD. I FELT THE PROBLEM WAS SO DANGEROUS THAT I TOOK MY PILOT TO AN AUTOMOTIVE SHOP VERY CLOSE TO MY LOCATION LEAVING IT FOR REPAIRS. THE OWNER OF THE SHOP CALLED ME THE NEXT MORNING MAY 2, 2014 TELLING ME WHAT HE FOUND. THE BUSHINGS WERE CRACKED AND BROKEN. I ASKED TO BE SHOWN WHERE THEY CAME FROM AND WAS SHOWN THE APPROXIMATE AREA UNDER A DIFFERENT CAR AND WAS TOLD THAT THESE TWO BUSHINGS HAD THE JOB OF PROVIDING A SMOOTH DRIVE. THE OWNER TOLD ME THAT HONDA CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THE REPLACEMENT BUSHINGS WHICH LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THEY KNEW THE ORIGINAL DESIGN WAS DEFECTIVE. WHY DIDN'T HONDA ISSUE A RECALL? MY PILOT NOW HAS ONLY 38,000 MILES. MY BILL IS $513.82 WITH THE 2 BUSHINGS BEING $306.26.I HAVE THE ORIGINAL BUSHINGS THAT WERE REMOVED FROM MY PILOT.