Honda Owner Searching for Answers After Vehicle Spontaneously Combusts

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A Lyons man is seeking answers from Honda Motor Company after his vehicle spontaneously combusted in his driveway on Wednesday, September 4.

Kirk Little was at a church service with his wife on September 4, when his father, Kirk Little, Sr., called him in a panic to tell him his 2021 Honda Pilot was on fire. “My dad, who is also my neighbor, realized something was on fire at our house and came running over,” he explained.

Little’s father also notified the Toombs County Fire Department of the emergency, which responded quickly and contained the fire, ultimately saving Little’s home. “[The firefighters] were outstanding. I cannot thank them enough for their rapid response, hard work, and professionalism,” he emphasized. “My dad did his best with a water hose to spray my house, deck and roof, to ensure that they would not catch fire. Once my wife and I arrived home, it was very upsetting. The car was completely engulfed and we and the fire department were concerned that our house was going to catch fire.”

The vehicle was purchased new from Grainger Honda in Savannah in March 2021, had around 51,000 miles on it, and had no active recalls or previous mechanical issues. It had been parked at the home for several hours at the time of the fire.

Little spent several days repeatedly calling the Grainger Honda dealership in an effort to have a Honda representative to come evaluate the vehicle and determine the cause of the fire. “Grainger Honda finally did return my call after repeated attempts to reach out. I requested a representative from the dealership to come out and investigate, or at the very least evaluate the incident, to which they declined. They spent a total of 55 seconds on the phone with me and basically told me to call American Honda because there was nothing they could do,” he recounted. “I reached out to American Honda and was treated like a number. They refused to send an investigator out simply stating that they ‘don't do that,’ and that I should just work through my insurance, which I am currently doing. They seem unconcerned that their product just spontaneously caught fire and could have caused additional catastrophic property damage or serious injuries or worse.”

He continued, “I stressed the seriousness of what happened, and the agent I spoke with said she just got off the phone 30 minutes prior with someone whose Honda spontaneously accelerated on the highway, and that there were a lot of incidents that they have to deal with and only so many agents to handle the volume.”

The Toombs County Fire Chief Johnny Moser investigated the blaze, but could not determine an exact cause of the fire, as all he and other officials could determine was that the incident began in the engine compartment.

“It is very frustrating because when I bought the vehicle in 2021, I got such a low interest rate, which was the only way I could afford the vehicle. With the economic situation the way it is, I won't come close to getting such a low rate today, which means I can't afford another vehicle similar to the one I lost through no fault of my own,” Little emphasized. “I reached out to Grainger Honda again after speaking with American Honda, and again, they said there was nothing they could do. I had to deal with American Honda.”

He added, “No one cares. You buy a car, sign on the dotted line, and the dealership, Honda, don't care anymore. They sold me the vehicle, got theirs, and now I'm left without a car and no options to afford another one.”

Little has now contacted the National Highway Safety Administration, which is working to investigate the incident.