NHTSA Complaint #11124018 — 2011 HONDA PILOT

WHILE LEAVING A PARKING RAMP AT A SLOW WALKING PACE HEARD A LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY THE STEERING WHEEL SPINNING RAPIDLY TO THE RIGHT FOLLOWED BY THE VEHICLE TURNING INTO THE EXIT DOOR FRAME. I BACKED UP, TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE LOUD BANG. NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WAS OBSERVED. UPON DRIVING FORWARD AGAIN, NOTICED THE POWER STEERING HAD FAILED. I BROUGHT IT INTO THE HONDA DEALER WHO HAD NEVER SEEN A POWER STEERING FAIL LIKE THAT. THEY REPLACED THE PUMP, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE ISSUE. THEY ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING THE RACK AND PINION UNIT. THERE WAS SOME SIDEWALL SCUFFING ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE, WHICH INDICATED THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN RUBBING ON THE EXIT CURB, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TURN THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT. BY HOLDING THE WHEEL STRAIGHT, THE POWER STEERING WAS PROBABLY TRYING TO PULL THE WHEEL LEFT, SO WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED, THE WHEEL SPUN RAPIDLY RIGHT, ACTUALLY SPRAINING MY RIGHT THUMB WHICH WAS UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL CROSS MEMBER. KIND OF A FREAK ACCIDENT, BUT THE POWER STEERING SHOULDN'T FAIL IN THIS WAY. COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS IN A TURN ON A ENTRY OR EXIT RAMP WHERE THE FORCES WOULD HAVE BEEN SIMILAR TO THIS PARKING RAMP INCIDENT.