NHTSA Complaint #11695104 — 2016 HONDA PILOT

My 2016 Honda Pilot with 81,000 miles has very definite pinging in the engine that increases with RPM increase. It has had an engine ping for over a year but was told that the noise is "just something Honda's are doing". Since pinging has gotten louder, I had an independent mechanic try to find the problem. He checked the cam shaft, rocker arm and push rods for wear and all were normal. He then stopped the ignition to one cylinder at a time. When number 5 was isolated the pinging stopped. His conclusion is that it is likely the connecting rod bearing on cylinder 5 and I should take the car to my Honda dealer. Took the car to dealer and their preliminary diagnosis was: "Found a noise coming from bottom end of engine." Since my VIN is not covered by the earlier engine recall the repair costs are mine. It will cost $875 to get an indepth evaluation and then pay the additional costs for parts or engine replacement. I contacted the Honda Service Center and was told the VIN is not covered but they "might" beable to help on the repair costs. So: Is it safe to drive? Do I keep the pilot and hope that my VIN will be included in a future recall? Will Honda help in the repair? Unsure what I will do, but the quality of 2016 Honda engine is definitely in question and hope that Honda will acknowledge their engine problem and expand the recall.