NHTSA Complaint #11318331 — 2016 HONDA PILOT

ON 3/15/2020, MY FAMILY AND I WERE IN OUR 2016 AWD HONDA PILOT ELITE. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN NOTICING THIS PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION GETTING WORSE SINCE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW. WHEN DRIVING THE CAR IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA (APPROX. 25 MPH), THE CAR SUDDENLY "LURCHED/JERKED" FORWARD WITH SOME FORCE WHEN WE WERE SLOWING DOWN TO A POSTED STOP SIGN. THIS WAS A HUGE ISSUE DUE TO THE FACT PEOPLE WERE CROSSING RIGHT IN FRONT OF US. AFTER THIS, WE PROCEEDED TO HEAD HOME. AGAIN THE CAR BEGAN TO "JERK/LURCH" FORWARD WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO PERFORM A SLOW SPEED NORMAL STOP, CAUSING US TO ALMOST REAR END THE VEHICLES IN FRONT OF US. LASTLY, BEFORE GETTING HOME, DURING THE PILOT'S ACCELERATION FROM A STOPPED POSITION, BETWEEN THE 1-4 GEARS, THE CAR AGAIN WOULD EITHER JERK FORWARD UNPREDICTABLY OR NOT EVEN SHIFT INTO GEAR PROPERLY, LEAVING THE CAR WITH NO POWER TO GET MOVING. NOW IF THIS WASN'T ENOUGH TO WANT SOMEONE TO TAKE THEIR CAR IN, ON 3/16/2020, MY WIFE WAS BACKING THE CAR OUT OF OUR GARAGE. WHEN SHE SHIFTED THE TRANSMISSION INTO REVERSE, THE ENTIRE ENGINE/FRONT END OF THE CAR VIOLENTLY SHUTTERED (ASSUMED IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION DRIVE ASSEMBLY) AND WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY TO REVERSE. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHTS BEGAN TO LIGHT UP THE DASH ALONG WITH OTHER ELECTRICAL WARNING LIGHTS. WE EVENTUALLY GOT THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED IT AND THEY ARE INDICATING TO US THAT IT IS A TRANSMISSION MODULE REPAIR/RE-CALIBRATION THAT NEEDS SOFTWARE UPDATES AS WELL. NOT REALLY SURE ABOUT THESE REPAIRS AS WE HAVE BEEN INDICATING TO OUR HONDA DEALERSHIP THESE PROBLEMS WITH THIS TRANSMISSION SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR, BUT THEY ASSURED US OVER THE LAST 3 YEARS THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM OR FIND ANYTHING WRONG, UNTIL NOW, WHEN OUR WARRANTY EXPIRED. SEEN A TON OF INTERNET POSTS ABOUT FAULTY 2016/2017 HONDA PILOT TRANSMISSIONS AND NOTHING IS BEING DONE YET.