NHTSA Complaint #10706211 — 2006 HONDA PILOT

ON THE DAY THAT THE FIRE OCCURRED, I DROVE THE CAR APPROXIMATELY 8-10 MILES ROUND TRIP BETWEEN10:30-10:45 A.M., AND THEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE FOR 3 HOURS. AFTER THAT, I DROVE MY CAR APPROX. 1 MILE, AND IT WAS PARKED OUTSIDE FOR A LITTLE OVER AN HOUR. THEN, ABOUT 30-45 SECONDS AFTER I BEGAN DRIVING MY CAR BACK HOME, MY SON NOTICED SMOKE. I DIDN'T SEE THE SMOKE AND THOUGHT MY WINDOW WAS HAZY, SO I CONTINUED DRIVING. ABOUT 1/2-1/4 MILE FROM MY HOME, I SAW A LITTLE SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD AND MY ENGINE BEGAN SPUTTERING. IT WAS DURING THIS TIME, I NOTICED THAT DIFFERENT INDICATOR LIGHTS BEGAN DISPLAYING. HOWEVER, MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED NORMAL LEVELS. BECAUSE I WAS SO CLOSE TO HOME, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO DRIVE INTO MY DRIVEWAY, WHERE I PARKED AND EXITED THE CAR AND NOTICED ADDITIONAL SMOKE AND FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. I EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. THE HONDA DEALERSHIP SERVICE OFFICE AND MY INSURANCE COMPANY INVESTIGATED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE, WHICH WAS DETERMINED TO BE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE CAUSED BY THE ALTERNATOR, AND THE TIMING BELT, BATTERY, ALTERNATOR AND PORTIONS OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT HAD TO BE REPLACED. I WAS INFORMED THERE WAS NOTHING I COULD DO TO PREVENT THIS. MY INSURANCE PAID FOR THE DAMAGE. THANKFULLY, I WAS CLOSE TO HOME WHEN THIS HAPPENED, AND COULD PUT OUT THE FIRE ON MY OWN, OTHERWISE, THE DANGER TO MYSELF AND MY CHILDREN AND THE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. *TR