NHTSA Complaint #10649030 — 2005 HONDA PILOT

THE TRANSMISSION LINE THAT GOES INTO THE RADIATOR WAS DISLODGED AND ALL THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKED OUT AS WELL AS COOLANT. THE CAR HAD BEEN DRIVEN ABOUT 4 MILES AND WAS PARKED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION LINE OR THE RADIATOR BUT BOTH HAD TO BE REPLACED ACCORDING TO THE HONDA DEALER.THE COST OF REPLACEMENT WAS $641.55 AND NONE OF THIS WAS COVERED BY HONDA. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT IN THE HONDA PILOT AND IS A MAJOR PROBLEM IN BOTH THE HONDA PILOT AND ODYSSEY VAN. THIS CONNECTION WAS NOT DAMAGED AND SIMPLY LET LOOSE. IT HAS OCCURRED IN MANY OTHER VEHICLES AT DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF MILEAGE FROM MY VEHICLE. THIS CONNECTION SHOULD NEVER COME LOOSE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS AND IS A SERIOUS DEFECT WITH SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERNS. THE REPAIR PERSON AT THE DEALER TOLD ME THAT THEY ARE SEEING A LOT OF THESE PROBLEMS AND THAT THE LINE SIMPLY BLOWS OUT UNDER THE PRESSURE FROM INSIDE THE RADIATOR (HE SAID ABOUT 110 PSI) HONDA SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DEFECT AND ALL HONDA PILOTS AND ODYSSEY VANS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND THE DEFECT CORRECTED BEFORE SERIOUS INJURIES OCCUR. WE BELIEVE YOU SHOULD INVESTIGATE THIS FURTHER AND HAVE HONDA TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION. AS I INVESTIGATED THIS I DETERMINED THAT IN SOME CASES THE COOLANT AND RADIATOR FLUID MIX TOGETHER AND CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS CAUSED BY THE SAME PROBLEM BUT THE REPAIR COST GO INTO THE THOUSANDS $ BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE TO THE TRANSMISSION. *TR