NHTSA Complaint #11699821 — 2012 HONDA PILOT

My 2012 Honda Pilot is experiencing the same engine defect that Honda acknowledged in later model years (2013–2015) and issued recalls/extended warranty coverage for. The defect involves the Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system causing excessive oil consumption, spark plug fouling, cylinder misfire, rough idle, fuel odor, and drivability issues that create an unsafe driving condition. I brought the vehicle to a Honda dealership in 2023 due to rough idle and a strong fuel smell — symptoms consistent with Technical Service Bulletin 13-082 for misfire and piston ring failure in 2009–2013 Honda Pilots. The dealer did not repair the issue or disclose that this matched a known defect. The vehicle now exhibits severe engine performance issues that pose a safety risk, including hesitation, engine shuddering, loss of power during acceleration, and strong fuel odor that may indicate improper combustion. Honda has issued recalls and warranty extensions for the identical defect on 2013 and newer Honda Pilot models with the same 3.5L V6 VCM engine but refuses to repair or acknowledge the defect for my 2012 Pilot, even though it uses the same engine architecture and has the same symptoms. This discrepancy indicates a potential gap in recall coverage that leaves owners of 2012 Pilots with a known safety-related defect unprotected. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate why the 2012 Pilot was excluded, despite identical engine design and failure patterns.