NHTSA Complaint #10703576 — 2007 HONDA RIDGELINE

MY VEHICLE HAS CATASTROPHIC INTERNAL ENGINE FAILURE. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANY ISSUE WITH MY VEHICLE. I HAD MY 3 YEAR OLD GRANDSON WITH ME AND WE WERE OUT TO RUN A QUICK ERRAND. I DETECTED A STRANGE NOISE THAT I THOUGHT WAS A STONE IN MY WHEEL. I DECIDED TO TURN THE TRUCK AROUND AND FOREGO THE ERRAND, AS IT WAS AN ODD NOISE. MOMENTS AFTER I TURNED THE TRUCK AROUND MY VTM-4 AND VSA WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND LOOKED THESE WARNING LIGHTS UP IN MY OWNER'S MANUAL. BASED ON WHAT I READ, THEIR WAS NO DANGER IN PROCEEDING SLOWING, AS THESE INDICATOR LIGHTS ARE RELATED TO STABILIZATION AND EQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF TORQUE. THE MANUAL SUGGESTED IT BE TAKEN TO A MECHANIC. I NO SOONER PULLED OUT AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE RIDGELINE CEASED. I HAD NO STEERING, NO POWER, NOTHING. I MANAGED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THANKFULLY, I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY AND WAS GOING AT A SLOW RATE OF SPEED, OTHERWISE I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WAS A SCARY EXPERIENCE FOR MY GRANDSON AND ME. I HAD TO HAVE THE RIDGELINE TOWED TO MY MECHANIC AND IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT A PISTON RING BROKE AND GOUGED THE CYLINDER. THE ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED. I TALKED TO HONDA OF AMERICA TO INQUIRE IF THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM HISTORICALLY WITH THIS ENGINE, BUT COULDN'T GET A STRAIGHT ANSWER. I PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY OFFERED WITH THIS VEHICLE BUT IT EXPIRED AT 100,000 MILES. I AM CONVINCED THAT THIS IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT BASED ON THE INFORMATION I HAVE SINCE READ REGARDING THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT WITH THIS ENGINE. BECAUSE MY WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED, I BEAR THE COST OF THIS EXPENSE. DISAPPOINTED THAT MY HONDA DIDN'T LIVE UP TO IT'S REPUTATION. THIS IS A VEHICLE THAT WAS WELL MAINTAINED, WITH AN EXPECTED ENGINE LIFE OF TENS OF THOUSANDS MORE MILES. *TR