Tailgate problems of the 2014 Honda Pilot

The 2014 Honda Pilot and potentially all other years with a similar design pose an unreasonable safety risk to occupants seated in the third row, as the rear tailgate cannot be opened from inside or outside of the vehicle under certain circumstances. Two specific scenarios that should be considered but not limit the scope of this concern include the following: 1) the interior of the tailgate does not have an accessible handle for occupants seated in the third row to open the rear hatch and exit the vehicle in a reasonable time frame in the event of a power loss. 2) any door lock failures on the same circuit as the tailgate will cause the rear hatch to become inoperable and not open as intended.

I was stopped in a driveway with the vehicle running in park. I used the power liftgate and approached the vehicle's rear storage area. The lift support failed to fully lift the tailgate and I struck my head on the tailgate as I leaned in to retrieve something from the rear area. It beeped as if it was obstructed and the tailgate attempted to lift higher but then began to close while continuing to beep. On subsequent attempts to use the power liftgate (within a few minutes), the lift support failed to keep the tailgate up and lifted the tailgate progressively shorter distances with each attempt. The rear tailgate was extremely difficult to open by hand and would not stay elevated without full support. Both lift supports were replaced at home. The driver's side lift support that was removed has no resistance opening or closing by hand. The passenger's side lift support that was removed still has resistance and appears to have been functioning. There was no difficulty with the liftgate prior to this incident.

White paint on roof, tailgate, and doors is peeling away from primer. Honda has previously repainted the hood and tailgate due to peeling. The door started peeling this month.

I have a pearl white 2014 Honda Pilot touring that has had paint issues that Honda refuses to fix on the hood. I came outside one day to get in my car and noticed that pint was peeling. I took the vehicle in to the local dealership in colorado springs, CO and was directed by them to take it to their collision center to have the paint tested. After the test, the report stated that the paint is indeed factory paint and that Honda didn't put enough paint on the vehicle. I was directed to file a complaint with Honda's corporate office and was told that although they acknowledged that this isn't an isolated incident and that it has been nationwide with this exact model and color, they will not fix the paint unless it was only on the roof or tailgate. This is not the first time this has happened with this car, as I have had the paint redone on the roof in 2017 when I was stationed in killeen, TX. I don't care that the vehicle has a defect, I just want Honda to fix the issue. Simply acknowledging that there isn't enough paint is not good enough. When a customer purchases a vehicle, they expect that the company has provided an adequate product that will last. Spending $45k on a car, then have that cars paint begin peeling, only to be told that I have to pay for their mistake is not only ludicrous but asinine as well. I am wanting Honda's corporate office to issue out an updated warranty that covers the entire vehicle for paint defects nationwide and pay to fix not just my vehicle, but others as well.