NHTSA Complaint #11186259 — 2018 HONDA PILOT

ON SATURDAY I WAS DRIVING MY 10 MONTH OLD 2018 HONDA PILOT WITH APPROX. 7,000 MILES ON IT TO AIRPORT TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER. MY HUSBAND AND 3 YOUNG KIDS WERE MERGING ONTO AIRPORT PROPERTY ON A EXTREMELY BUSY AFTERNOON, MY VEHICLE STALLED. IT WAS LIKE A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I WAS LEFT STRANDED AT 7PM, IN DARK, WITH 3 SCARED CHILDREN, UNABLE TO ALERT OTHER HOSTILE DRIVERS AROUND ME BY TURNING ON FLASHERS. AFTER NOT BEING ABOUT TO PUSH VEHICLE OUT WAY OF HEAVY TRAFFIC, I WAS FORCED TO CALL MY INSURANCE COMPANY FOR ASSISTANCE WHICH PROVED TO BE A SERIOUS CHALLENGE DUE TO THE HORNS AND DEROGATORY LANGUAGE OF OTHER DRIVERS AND AS A RESULT MY CHILDREN HAVING AN EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN IN THE BACK SEAT. MY HUSBAND WAS FORCED TO LEAVE THE KIDS AND I IN THIS VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION IN ORDER TO GET TO OUR 14 YR OLD DAUGHTER (TRAVELING ALONE) OFF HER FLIGHT. ONCE POLICE ARRIVED, THEY PARKED UNIT BEHIND ME IN ORDER TO PROTECT US FROM BEING HIT. THE POLICE SEARCHED MANUAL AND INTERNET AND WERE UNABLE TO GET VEHICLE INTO EMERGENCY NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE DRUG ONTO TOW TRUCK AND TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. 2 DAYS LATER, HONDA INFORMED ME IT WAS A "DEAD BATTERY." "BATTERY?" I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR OVER 20 YEAR AND HAVE NEVER BEEN LEFT ON HIGHWAY, IN MOTION DUE TO A BATTERY. AFTER SOME READING OF MY OWN, I LEARNED ABOUT A FUEL SAVING FEATURE ON MY CAR CALLED "AUTO IDLE-STOP". WITH THIS FEATURE MY ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHEN BRAKE COMPRESSED IN ORDER TO SAVE ON FUEL. WITH A DEAD BATTERY, THE BATTERY WAS UNABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE. SO BASICALLY THIS FUEL SAVING FEATURE TURNS OUT TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM BECAUSE INSTEAD OF BEING STRANDED IN A PARKING LOT , I WAS STRANDED IN THE MIDDLE OF A HIGHWAY. AFTER FURTHER READING ABOUT THIS FEATURE, I LEARNED THAT MY VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE AUTOMATICALLY ENABLED THIS AUTO-IDLE IF BATTERY CHARGE WAS LOW, WHICH DID NOT HAPPEN.