NHTSA Complaint #10955685 — 2013 HONDA PILOT

ON 7/5/2016, I SET OUT TO DRIVE MY PARENTS TO AN APPOINTMENT. I AM THEIR FULL-TIME CAREGIVER. MY FATHER HAS DEMENTIA & RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND MY MOTHER HAS ALZHEIMER'S. MY 9 YR OLD GOLDEN RETRIEVER WAS ALSO IN THE CAR. WHEN I TRIED STARTING THE CAR, IT DIDN'T WANT TO TURN OVER. BUT AFTER A FEW TRIES, IT STARTED. NO INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON, SO I FIGURED IT WAS A FLUKE. I PULLED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY, BEGAN DRIVING (NEIGHBORHOOD - 25MPH SPEED LIM) AND SHORTLY BEGAN HEARING KNOCKING NOISES. AFTER LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A MILE (CROSSING SUBURBAN MAIN ROAD 35MPH SPEED LIM), THE CAR WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE GAS PEDAL. I TURNED OFF THE AIR CONDITIONER AND ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS, AND I PROMPTLY TURNED AROUND AND HEADED BACK HOME. IT CONTINUED TO KNOCK AND FAILED TO ACCELERATE ABOVE 20 MPH. STILL, NO INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON. I ALSO CHECKED THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE AND OIL GAUGES AND THEY WERE ALSO GIVING NORMAL READINGS. WE FAILED TO MAKE IT THE QUARTER-MILE BACK HOME. SHORTLY AFTER I TURNED THE CORNER ONE STREET AWAY FROM OUR HOUSE, THERE WAS A SUDDEN EXPLOSION IN THE ENGINE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. LESS THAN A SPLIT SECOND BEFORE THE EXPLOSION, THE CHECK OIL AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. IT DIDN'T EVEN GIVE ME ENOUGH TIME TO GET MY FINGER ON THE KEY BEFORE IT SET ABLAZE. MY FATHER CAN'T WALK WELL AND USES A SCOOTER. BOTH MY PARENTS ARE DIMINISHED MENTALLY AND COULD NOT UNLOCK THEIR DOORS WHICH DID NOT UNLOCK AUTOMATICALLY. IF I HADN'T ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOWS, & IF THIS HAD HAPPENED ON THE MAIN ROAD INSTEAD OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE PEOPLE CAME TO HELP, I COULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN EVERYONE OUT IN TIME. INSURANCE CO TOLD ME THERE WAS A RECALL ON ENGINE PISTON WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF - #13V382000. NEITHER DEALERSHIP-HERITAGE HONDA WESTMINSTER MD-NOR LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDER SHOCKLEY HONDA KNEW ABOUT IT EITHER.