2014 Honda Pilot

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER CAR, AND STARTED SMELLING GAS IN THE CAB OR THE CAR. YOU COULD SMELL IT BOTH IN AND OUT OF THE CAR. TOOK IT TO THE MECHANIC AND A FUEL LINE WAS CHEWED THROUGH, LEAKING GAS INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE PART IS UNDERNEATH THE MANIFOLD, SO IT WILL HAVE TO BE PULLED TO REPLACE THE PART. IT WILL BE AROUND $800 TO FIX. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE HAVE HAD RODENT DAMAGE. WE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH OUR OLDER HONDA VEHICLES.

AT 29,000 MILES (JULY 2015) THE RIGHT REAR TIRE RIM FAILED AT A WELD JOINT. IT WAS REPLACED BY HONDA. AT 35,400 MILES (APRIL 2016) ANOTHER RIM FAILED FOR THE SAME REASON. AT 42,800 MILES (JULY 2016) THE THIRD RIM FAILED DUE TO A BAD WELD JOINT. BOTH SECOND AND THIRD RIMS WERE ALSO REPLACED BY HONDA. HONDA REFUSED TO REPLACE THE REMAINING RIM, WHICH AT THE TIME WAS STILL FUNCTIONING, BUT STATISTICALLY WILL FAIL. THEY DID NEGOTIATE AND AGREE TO SELL TO US A NEW RIM AT COST, AND PROVIDE THE MOUNTING OF THE TIRE. ALL THREE RIM FAILURES WERE PRESUMABLY THE RESULT OF OVER-HEATED WELDING, WHICH PENETRATED THE RIM BARREL. AFTER A RANDOM PERIOD OF TIME AND STRESS FLEXING FROM THE ROAD SURFACE, TINY AIR CHANNELS DEVELOPED THROUGH PARTS OF THE WELDING JOINT, ALLOWING AIR TO SLOWLY ESCAPE. ALL THREE FAILURES WERE NOTICED VIA THE TIRE PRESSURE SENSORS SENT TO THE FRONT PANEL INDICATOR.

ON 9-1-15 I TOOK MY CAR TO METRO HONDA IN MONTCLAIR BECAUSE MY TIRE WAS LEAKING AIR, IN WHICH IT WAS FOUND THAT MY HONDA FACTORY RIM WAS CRACKED AT THE POINT WHERE IT IS WELDED TOGETHER. MY RIM WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER HONDA FACTORY RIM. THEN ON 3-1-16 I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO METRO HONDA BECAUSE ANOTHER TIRE WAS LEAKING AIR, AND AGAIN IT WAS FOUND ANOTHER RIM (DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST ONE) WAS CRACKED AT THE POINT WHERE IT IS WELDED TOGETHER. I CALLED HONDA CORPORATION ASKING FOR FURTHER INSPECTION OF MY CAR TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THE RIMS. HONDA CORPORATION REFUSED TO FURTHER INSPECT MY VEHICLE. ON 6-28-16 MY TIRE WAS LEAKING AIR, AND AGAIN IT WAS FOUND THAT ANOTHER HONDA FACTORY RIM WAS CRACKED AT THE POINT WHERE IT WAS WELDED TOGETHER. 3 OUT OF MY 4 RIMS HAVE ALL CRACKED, CAUSING TIRE DAMAGE AND UNSAFE CONDITIONS FOR ME TO DRIVE.

I FILED A COMPLAINT IN FEBRUARY CONCERNING CRACKS IN THE WELDS ON THE RIM OF A WHEEL. 6/2/16, I HAD A SLOW LEAK IN A TIRE AND WHILE REPLACING THE TIRE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE RIM HAD FORMED A CRACK IN THE WELD. I ENDED UP PURCHASING A RIM AT MY OWN EXPENSE TO REPLACE THE FIRST RIM (THE DEALER HAS REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR EITHER RIM). I LIVE ON A DIRT ROAD, BUT HAVE NOT HIT ANY POTHOLES, CURBS OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT SEEMED A POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THE CRACKS. IN FACT, SINCE THE INCIDENT WITH THE FIRST RIM, I HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS ABOUT POT HOLES, RAIL ROAD CROSSINGS, MY SPEED ON DIRT ROADS ETC.

THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN MY PILOT REACHED 15K MILES. WHEN DRIVING I CAN FEEL THE ENGINE VIBRATE WHEN ACCELERATE AROUND 35 -45 RPM SPEED. I DID SOME RESEARCHES ONLINE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SIMILAR PROBLEM ( WHEN ECO/VCM KICKS IN CAR VIBRATES) IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TRANSITION FROM 3 CYLINDERS TO 6 CYLINDERS. I HOPE THAT HONDA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. I DON'T FEEL SAFE WHEN THE VIBRATION KICKS IN WHEN DRIVING; FELT LIKE THE ENGINE WOULD EXPLODE KINDA SCARY FEELING. ALSO IF TOO MUCH VIBRATION, IT WOULD REDUCE THE LIFE THE ENGINE. PLEASE HELP US ON THIS ISSUES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND THE BRAKES FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

ON APRIL 17, 2016 AT 3.30 PM WHILE FORWARD PARKING MY VEHICLE, I EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION, RESULTING IN THE VEHICLE IMPACTING THE WALL IN FRONT OF MY PARKING SPOT. THE WALL WAS APX. 20 FT FROM THE CAR AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE DURING THE LATER STAGES OF THE PARKING MANEUVER AND SPEED WAS MINIMAL <5 KM/H). BEFORE COMING TO A STANDSTILL, THE ENGINE SPRUNG TO MAXIMUM RPM WITHOUT ME EVER TOUCHING THE ACCELERATOR. I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO CONTROL IT AND THE BRAKES WERE ALSO INEFFECTIVE. UPON IMPACT THE DRIVER FRONT AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND THE HORN STARTED. I SWITCHED OFF THE ENGINE AND REMOVED THE KEYS. SEVERAL WITNESSES CAME FORWARD FOR ASSISTANCE, POLICE, AMBULANCE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE ON SITE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THIS INCIDENT IS VERY CONCERNING; PEOPLE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED HAD THIS HAPPENED IN ANOTHER LOCATION OR IF PASSERSBY WHERE PRESENT.

OVER A PERIOD OF TIME FROM JAN 2016 TO THE PRESENT, I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH FLAT TIRES TOOK TO TIRE SHOP THEY DETERMINED IT WAS A CRACK IN THE WELD OF THE RIM FRONT PASSENGER TIRE. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE RIM. THEN A MONTH LATER DIFFERENT TIRE SAME ISSUE CRACK IN THE WELD OF THE REAR PASSENGER RIM. DEALERSHIP NOW HAS THAT RIM ON ORDER THEY ARE GOING TO REPLACE. BOTH WERE LOCATED IN THE ORIGINAL FACTORY WELD.

2014 HONDA PILOT BOUGHT FROM DEALER IN 12/2015 WITH 18,000 MILES ON ODOMETER. VEHICLE ROLLED DOWN OUR DRIVEWAY WHILE TRANSMISSION WAS IN "PARK". THIS WAS AN UNCONTROLLED RUN-AWAY VEHICLE. DRIVEWAY IS TYPICAL SUBURBAN DRIVEWAY, SLIGHT GRADE, NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. NO OTHER VEHICLE HAS EVER ROLLED DOWN OUR DRIVEWAY, EVER. THE 2014 HONDA PILOT ROLLED ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS BEFORE WE CONTACTED THE DEALER IN 01/2016. IT ROLLED AN ESTIMATED DISTANCE OF 18 FEET BEFORE COMING TO A REST PARTIALLY BLOCKING A PUBLIC ROADWAY. DEALER REPLACED TRANSMISSION UNDER WARRANTY. WHILE THAT WORK WAS BEING PREFORMED, THE LOANER CAR, ANOTHER 2014 HONDA PILOT, ALSO ROLLED DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. OUR VEHICLE WAS RETURNED WITH THE NEW TRANSMISSION AND HAS SINCE ROLLED ON TWO ADDITIONAL OCCASIONS. THE MOST RECENT ON 3/2/16 WAS CAPTURED ON VIDEO TO DOCUMENT VEHICLE IN "PARK" AND ROLLING DOWN OUR TYPICAL SUBURBAN DRIVEWAY. WE CONTACTED DEALER AGAIN. DEALER NOW STATES NOTHING MORE CAN BE DONE AND TO "JUST USE PARKING BRAKE". WE GET THAT, THAT IS GOOD GENERAL ADVICE HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE REPRESENTS A SAFETY HAZARD AND A LEVEL OF POTENTIAL LIABILITY TO US AS OWNERS THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THIS RUN AWAY VEHICLE COULD DAMAGE OTHER'S PROPERTY OR INJURE OR KILL A PERSON. WE ARE DISTRAUGHT ABOUT THIS AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

OVER A PERIOD OF TIME FROM 2/14/16 UNTIL 2/29/16, I HAVE HAD ISSUES WITH FLAT TIRES DUE TO CRACKS IN THE WELD OF A RIM. ONE WAS DISCOVERED AND I HAD IT REPAIRED. ON THE 29TH, WHILE HAVING ANOTHER FLAT CHECKED, TWO MORE CRACKS WERE DISCOVERED ON THE SAME RIM, BUT IN A DIFFERENT LOCATION THAN THE ORIGINAL CRACK. ALL THREE WERE LOCATED IN THE ORIGINAL FACTORY WELD.