NHTSA Complaint #10897682 — 2016 HONDA PILOT

TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS IN SACRAMENTO, CA WHERE WE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE WITH OUR 2016 HONDA PILATE ELITE. THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED IN MAY 2016 ON A BUSY CITY STREET WITH OUR THREE YOUNG CHILDREN IN THE CAR. WHILE IN MOTION, THE CAR ESSENTIALLY SHUT DOWN WITH THE DISPLAY SCREEN SHOWING A SERIES OF WARNINGS INDICATING NUMEROUS SYSTEM FAILURES. THERE WAS NO ENGINE POWER BUT LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST THE VEHICLE TO A NEARBY PARKING LOT. THE DEALER INDICATED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM, JUST A COMPUTER GLITCH, AND THE ONLY REPAIR NECESSARY WAS TO RESET THE COMPUTER/SOFTWARE. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED LAST WEEK, ONLY THIS TIME WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. WE COMPLETELY LOST ALL ENGINE POWER BUT LUCKILY I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE AND PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER. IF I HAD BEEN IN THE FAST OR MIDDLE LANE WITH LITTLE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE OVER, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS COLLISION. SIMILAR TO THE FIRST INCIDENT, WE WERE UNABLE TO START THE CAR WITH THE WARNING LIGHTS SHOWING VARIOUS SYSTEM FAILURES. WE HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE SAME DEALER WHO INITIALLY INDICATED THEY WOULD JUST REBOOT THE SOFTWARE AGAIN. SO WE PRESSED UPON THEM TO DO A MORE THOROUGH DIAGNOSIS SINCE THIS IS THE SECOND TIME ITS HAPPENED. THEY AGREED TO KEEP THE VEHICLE AND SEEK TO IDENTIFY THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. AT THIS POINT NO DIAGNOSIS HAS BEEN MADE. WE WOULD HAVE NEVER EXPECTED THIS FROM A NEAR BRAND NEW (PURCHASED IN DECEMBER 2015 AND CURRENTLY HAS ONLY 9,200 MILES) PILOT ELITE LOADED WITH SAFETY AND TECHNOLOGY FEATURES. AGAIN WE EXPERIENCED TWO SEPARATE INCIDENTS WHERE THE CAR IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN WHILE IN MOTION WITH THE MOST RECENT OCCURRING ON THE FREEWAY. AND BOTH TIMES OUR THREE YOUNG CHILDREN WERE IN THE VEHICLE. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY RISK AND I CERTAINLY HOPE HONDA DOES ITS DUE DILIGENCE IN DIAGNOSING AND ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE.