NHTSA Complaint #11683588 — 2017 HONDA PILOT

On April 30, 2024, while sitting at a traffic light waiting to turn, my Honda Pilot experienced a catastrophic engine failure. The driver heard a loud knocking sound and the engine failed. The driver was left to navigate to a safe area through traffic. The vehicle was towed to a nearby auto mechanic for evaluation. It was determined that a connecting rod had penetrated the engine block and that engine would not be salvageable. The vehicle was towed again to another auto mechanic, where the engine was removed and replaced with a used engine of the same make and model with other required support equipment (timing belt, water pump, miscellaneous belts and hardware) at a cost of $8656.00 Given the passage of approximately 15 months since the engine was replaced, the catastrophically failed engine is no longer available to be inspected. Thankfully the vehicle was stationary when the failure occurred or the driver may have been at greater risk. He did need to walk through a busy intersection to get to safety. The engine failure and replacement was performed and documented by an independent service center. The failed engine was not inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance carrier’s representatives. Only observed by the two independent service centers. There were no warning lamps, or no messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. This issue appears to be related to NHTSA investigation: PE25008