Honda refused help with a $25,000 engine bill at 56,000 miles until lawmakers intervened
A Honda owner facing a $25,000 engine replacement bill instead received a free replacement, but only after a television news team and federal lawmakers stepped in.
Here's what to know
The situation began when Ellie Shea, the owner of a 2017 Honda Pilot, heard an unusual noise coming from her family's SUV. After an inspection, mechanics determined the cause was rod-bearing failure, according to Autoblog .
Despite the vehicle having only 56,000 miles and being just out of warranty, Shea faced a repair estimate that exceeded the cost of buying another Pilot from the same model year.
Honda initially refused to contribute to the repair bill, citing the expired warranty. However, after local news outlet 7News and two lawmakers took on the family's cause, Honda reversed course, saying it would replace the engine at no cost.
More background
According to Autoblog, the Shea family was not alone in experiencing issues with their Honda's rod bearing. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration already had an ongoing investigation into rod-bearing failures in approximately 1.4 million Honda and Acura vehicles equipped with V6 engines.
In all, NHTSA had documented seven crashes or fires linked to the failures. A separate NHTSA recall issued in 2023 covered approximately 250,000 vehicles spanning model years 2016, 2018, and 2019. However, it did not include 2017, the model year of the Shea family's Pilot.
Interventions on the family's behalf
In addition to 7News publicizing the family's situation, U.S. senator Chris Van Hollen and U.S. representative Jamie Raskin — both from Maryland — wrote letters to NHTSA and Honda advocating on the Sheas' behalf.
According to Autoblog, Raskin asked Honda to answer six questions about the engine's failure and why the company refused to pay for a replacement.
Shea credited the lawmakers and television news team with securing a repair that Honda had initially refused to cover. In the end, the automaker agreed to collect the failed engine and install a replacement without charging the family.
While the Shea family finally received a free engine replacement after a yearlong struggle, Honda did not admit fault or promise to replace other engines experiencing the same defect. In a statement to 7News cited by Autoblog, Honda said inspecting the Sheas' engine could help advance its internal investigation into the rod bearing problem.
Where can I learn more?
For the Shea family, getting Honda to cover a major repair took help from reporters and lawmakers. The following stories explore other situations involving denied Honda claims, repair costs, and right-to-repair proposals.
• A Honda Accord owner faced a $5,000 head-gasket quote after years of denied claims.
• U.S. truck owner-operators faced record repair bills as Congress weighed right-to-repair legislation.
• Washington lawmakers pushed military right-to-repair legislation after a $2.3 billion vehicle upkeep bill.
• A $5,500 transmission repair bill may still cost drivers less than replacing their car.
• A BMW owner said an Australian dealership drove their SUV 220 kilometers during repairs.
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