NHTSA Complaint #11187180 — 2007 HONDA RIDGELINE

MY RADIATOR FAILED IN A FASHION IN WHICH THE RADIATOR FLUID MIXED WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, DESTROYING MY TRANSMISSION. I WAS DRIVING MY 2007 HONDA RIDGELINE ON A MAIN ROAD IN VA WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILED CAUSING ME. THE FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION WAS CAUSED BY THE RADIATOR FAILING AND SUBSEQUENTLY MIXING COOLANT WITH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THIS MIX OF FLUIDS DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR. I DID NOT WANT TO BUY A NEW CAR, SO I HAD A LOCAL SHOP INSTALL A USED TRANSMISSION AND RADIATOR AT THE COST OF ABOUT $4K. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH HONDA RIDGELINES AND MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION LINE BOLTS LEADING TO THE RADIATOR ARE COMPRISED OF DISSIMILAR METALS CAUSING CORROSION AND A DANGEROUS TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT HONDA OF AMERICA ASKING FOR ASSISTANCE IN THE REPAIR BECAUSE A HONDA SHOULD LAST AT LEAST 250K MILES WITHOUT PREMATURE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. HONDA REPLIED BY MAKING ME AWARE OF THE WARRANTY AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE, AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE IT IS A WELL KNOWN SCENARIO AS CITED ON RIDGELINE ENTHUSIAST WEBSITES. I HAVE BEEN A HONDA ENTHUSIAST AND OWNED 6 HONDAS SINCE 1991, AND I HAVE ALWAYS HAD GOOD LUCK WITH THESE VEHICLES, BUT THIS SCENARIO IS CERTAINLY AN EXCEPTION AND WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO SERIOUS INJURY.