MY 2006 HONDA PILOT EX-L EXPERIENCED SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION (SUA) AT 3:53 P.M. ON SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2010 NEAR OUR HOME ON KEY BISCAYNE, FLORIDA. WE WERE DRIVING AT AROUND 20 MPH AND AS WE GENTLY BRAKED IN APPROACH OF THE STOP SIGN, THE ENGINE OPENED UP NEARLY FULL THROTTLE AT JUST ABOVE 5000 RPMS. MY HUSBAND IMMEDIATELY AND FIRMLY APPLIED THE BRAKE AND PLACED THE GEAR IN PARK. WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE, NOT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO ROAR AT 5000 RPMS UNTIL HE TURNED IT OFF AT THE IGNITION AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS. HE RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND THE ENGINE RPM IMMEDIATELY SHOT UP TO 5000 RPMS AGAIN, WITH HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR IN PARK. THE TACHOMETER STAYED AT THE 5000 RPM LEVEL CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL HE AGAIN TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AT THE IGNITION AFTER ABOUT 45 SECONDS. WE WAITED A FEW MORE SECONDS AND RE-STARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN. THAT TIME, THE ENGINE STARTED AT A NORMAL RPM AND WE DROVE HALF A BLOCK TO OUR HOUSE. WE RECORDED A VIDEO OF THE SECOND EPISODE OF 5000 RPMS WITH A CAMERA WE HAD WITH US. WE PROVIDED THE VIDEO IMMEDIATELY TO AMERICAN HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE. AT THE REQUEST OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, I TOOK OUR PILOT TO BRICKELL HONDA IN MIAMI ON MARCH 1. I SHOWED THE VIDEO OF THE SUA TO THE SERVICE MANAGER, GEORGE RUIZ, ON HIS COMPUTER. HE WAS ASTOUNDED BY WHAT HE SAW AND EXPRESSED HIS GENUINE CONCERN THAT THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO OPERATE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER HIS SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. HE SAID UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD THE ENGINE OPERATE AT 5000 RPMS WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR BEING DEPRESSED ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THE DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER, KEVIN MCCLUNG, ALSO INSPECTED THE CAR. AMERICAN HONDA DETERMINED THE PILOT WAS OPERATING WITHIN NORMAL PARAMETERS. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO PICK UP THE CAR ON MARCH 5 AND DID SO ON MARCH 8. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. MY HUSBAND SPOKE TO HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER TERRY NIELSEN ON MARCH 3 WHO COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE VIDEO. *TR
2010
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
SINCE THE DAY WE BOUGHT THE CAR THE DOOR LOCKS (ESPECIALLY THE DRIVER SIDE) SQUEAL UPON LOCKING AND UNLOCKING. UPON REGULAR MAINTENANCE WE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF SERVICE AND THE DOOR LOCKS WERE REPLACED. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. ISSUE WAS MENTIONED AGAIN TO SERVICE AND WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THE DOOR LOCKS WERE REPLACED AGAIN (HOWEVER, THEY WERE NOT - PARTS WERE ORDERED, BUT NOT INSTALLED). THE ISSUE HAS NOW MOVED BEYOND SQUEALING AS THE DRIVER DOOR OCCASIONALLY FAILS TO UNLOCK UPON TURNING OFF IGNITION. (THE DRIVER DOOR IS SUPPOSED TO UNLOCK AUTOMATICALLY, BUT NOW FAILS). WE FEEL THIS HAS CHANGED FROM BEING SIMPLY ANNOYING TO A SAFETY ISSUE. IF THERE WERE AN ACCIDENT THE DRIVER DOOR MAY FAIL TO UNLOCK AND THE DRIVER COULD POSSIBLY BE TRAPPED. HOWEVER, BECAUSE WE ARE 3,000 MILES PAST OUR WARRANTY HONDA WILL NOT REPLACE DOOR LOCKS AGAIN (EVEN THOUGH THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE SINCE DAY OF PURCHASE). THEY HAVE OFFERED TO PAY FOR HALF HOWEVER, WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AS HONDA HAS NOT CHANGED THE DOOR LOCK MECHANISM AND FIX WOULD MOST LIKELY BE TEMPORARY. WE WERE ALSO INFORMED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. SEEING HOW IT IS COMMON A POSSIBLY A SAFETY ISSUE, WE BELIEVE HONDA SHOULD NOT ONLY REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS, BUT SHOULD REDESIGN THE LOCKING MECHANISM SO THE ISSUE WILL BE SOLVED. *TR
