NHTSA Complaint #11076898 — 2017 HONDA PILOT

NEW PILOT ELITE JUST OVER 2 MONTHS OLD AND WITH ROUGHLY 3800 MILES ON IT HAD THE SUNROOF (NOT PANORAMIC MOONROOF) BLOW OUT ON A RURAL HIGHWAY WITH NO CARS OR OBJECTS IN SIGHT. NOTHING HIT THE CAR OR FLEW INTO VIEW PRIOR TO EXPLOSION. THIS OCCURRED 100 MILES FROM HOME AND ON A SUNDAY SO THE CAR HAD TO BE LIMPED HOME TO BE TAKEN TO THE DEALER THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE DEALER CLAIMED THEY TOOK PICTURES AND COMMUNICATED WITH AMERICAN HONDA OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SUNROOF BLEW OUT BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN WEAKENED BY ROCK CHIPS OVER TIME EVEN THOUGH WE HAD NEVER SEEN A SINGLE BLEMISH IN THE SUNROOF AND WE LOOK THROUGH IT REGULARLY BECAUSE WE HAVE SMALL CHILDREN AND LOOK AT THE AIRPLANES THROUGH THERE. WHEN I PICKED UP THE CAR AFTER I HAD TO PAY OUT OF POCKET FOR THE REPAIR, THE SERVICE MANAGER SHOWED ME THE ALLEGED ROCK CHIPS IN THE PAINT ON THE ROOF.. THERE WERE WAY TOO MANY THERE FOR A 2 MONTH OLD CAR. WHEN I GOT HOME AND SHOWED MY WIFE THE 'ROCK CHIPS', I REALIZES THAT THERE WASN'T A SINGLE ROCK CHIP FORWARD OF THE SUNROOF AND IT DAWNED ON ME THAT THOSE WEREN'T ROCK CHIPS BUT GOUGES IN THE PAINT FROM SHATTER GLASS ALL OF WHICH WERE BEHIND THE SUNROOF.