NHTSA Complaint #10789635 — 2016 HONDA PILOT

I WRITE TO YOU TO CONVEY MY SAFETY CONCERNS REGARDING A NEW HONDA 2016 PILOT. MY ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE MY CONCERNS WITH AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO., INC. WERE MET WITH TEPID RELUCTANCE AND A CAVALIER NEGLECTFUL ATTITUDE. 1.AT HIGH SPEEDS (55-75 MPH) THE VEHICLE OVERSTEERS AND DURING EMERGENCY AVOIDANCE MANEUVERS BECOMES UNSTABLE. TWICE WHILE AVOIDING DEAR ON INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS, I HAVE ALMOST LOST CONTROL AND WAS SERIOUSLY CONCERNED ABOUT ROLLING THE VEHICLE OVER. I OWN AND HAVE DRIVEN A 2003 PILOT FOR OVER 180,000 MILES AND NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS SORT OF ISSUE. I BELIEVE THE SUSPENSION IS INCORRECTLY DESIGNED AND THAT UNEXPECTED AND UNNECESSARY ROLLOVERS ARE IMMINENT. 2.THE 'AUTO IDLE OFF' FEATURE TURNS THE ENGINE COMPLETELY OFF AT CERTAIN TIMES AND UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES. IT TAKES BETWEEN 900 AND 1,300 MILLISECONDS TO RECOVER POWER TO THE WHEELS WHEN THIS HAPPENS. UNLIKE HYBRID VEHICLES (FROM WHICH THIS FEATURE WAS TAKEN), THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE ELECTRICAL MOTOR TO PROVIDE TORQUE TO THE DRIVETRAIN WHILE THE ENGINE RESTARTS AND AS A RESULT, THERE IS DELAY IN ACCELERATING. IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF TIMES, THIS IS OF NO CONSEQUENCE HOWEVER IN A SMALL FRACTION THIS DELAY INCREASES THE RISK OF COLLISION. ABOUT ONCE PER WEEK, I EXPERIENCE A DELAY IN ENTERING DENSE TRAFFIC WITHIN SHORT INTERSTATE MERGE LANES. THIS DELAY OF ABOUT ONE SECOND IS ENOUGH TO REMOVE MY MARGIN OF ERROR AND INCREASES THE RISK OF COLLISION DURING A MERGING MANEUVER. WHILE THERE IS A SWITCH TO DEFEAT THIS FEATURE, IT RESETS EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND REMEMBERING TO OVERRIDE IT EVERY TIME IS INCONSISTENT WITH HUMAN MEMORY AND PERFORMANCE.