NHTSA Complaint #10701678 — 2009 HONDA PILOT

COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE STOPPED OR AT LOW SPEEDS (TRYING TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE) AND FRONT END/STEERING COLUMN SHAKING WHILE BREAKING AT 60 MPH. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE REP AT THE HONDA DEALERSHIP THAT I LOST MY POWER STEERING BECAUSE THERE WAS A LEAK FROM ERODED SEAL, CAUSING POWER STEERING FLUID TO LEAK INTO THE BOOTS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. FOR THIS REASON, THERE WAS NEVER ANY LEAKAGE ONTO THE GROUND TO EVER INDICATE THAT THERE WAS A LEAK. ADDITIONALLY, A WARNING LIGHT NEVER CAME ON IN MY DASHBOARD TO ALERT ME OF THE ISSUE. AS A RESULT OF THE LEAK, I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY ENTIRE POWER STEERING RACK BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SOMETHING COVERED UNDER MY HONDA POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I NEEDED NEW BRAKES AND ROTORS FOR THE SHAKING ISSUE, BUT AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I FOUND THAT THIS HAS BEEN A FREQUENTLY REPORTED ISSUE IN HONDA PILOTS AND MAY ACTUALLY STEM BACK TO THE POWER STEERING ISSUE. YESTERDAY, I RECEIVED ANOTHER CALL ADVISING ME THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP ALSO NEEDED REPLACED DUE TO SUSPECTED DAMAGE THAT INCURRED DUE TO IT BEING DRY FROM THE LEAK. *TR