2003 HONDA PILOT Complaints

CAR RAN AWAY IN REVERSE AS IF IT HAD A MIND OF ITS OWN. FULL WEIGHT ON THE BRAKES BUT THE CAR KEPT ACCELERATING. CRASHED INTO UTILITY POLE ENCIRCLED WITH OLD CAR TIRES. CAR BOUNCED OFF AND THEN CRASHED INTO THE POLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. HIT GEAR SHIFT INTO FORWARD. ENGINE SCREAMING REALLY HIGH REVS, CAR RACED FORWARD AND I DID EVERYTHING I COULD TO AVOID HITTING PARKED VEHICLES AND A POND AS CAR KEPT GOING FASTER. WITH NOWHERE TO HEAD BUT GOLF COURSE OR HIGHWAY, I STEERED ONTO A FARM FIELD AND DROVE A HALF MILE UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO PULL OUT THE KEYS FROM THE STARTER WHICH STOPPED CAR. I DID NOT THINK I WAS INJURED AT TIME BUT I ENDED UP WITH WHIPLASH WHICH MEANT I LOST ABOUT SIX MONTHS INCOME. HONDA REFUSED COMPENSATION, OR PAID FOR ANY OF THE REPAIRS OF THE CAR WITH EXCEPTION OF THE KEY INTERFACE FOR STARTER . HONDA CLAIMED THAT NOTHINGS WRONG WITH CAR. SAID HAD MY FOOT ON ACCELERATOR. HOWEVER, HONDA DEALERSHIP CHARGED ME MORE THAN $3,000 TO FIX A COMPLETELY DESTROYED BRAKING SYSTEM HOW COULD I HAVE HAD MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND DESTROYED THE BRAKES? HONDA REFUSED TO BUY MY CAR AND DECOMMISSION IT BECAUSE THEY SAID CAR WAS PERFECT. DOWNRIGHT RUDE AFTERWARD. I DID NOT LET ANYONE ELSE DRIVE THE CAR AND USED IT AS INFREQUENTLY AS I COULD. SEVEN MONTHS LATER, I WAS IN AN UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE AND SAME THING HAPPENED. THE CAR ACCELERATED INTO THESOLID CONCRETE WALL JUST FOUR FEET AHEAD. THE IMPACT DESTROYED CAR. FRONT END CRUMPLED IN, THE ENGINE DAMAGED AND ALL AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. THIS FROM A FOUR FOOT COLLISION. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHROME PLATING ON THE DOOR HANDLES WAS PEELING AND CAUSING MINOR INJURIES TO THE CONTACT'S FINGERS. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT ALL FOUR DOORS WERE AFFECTED BY THE FAILURE. THE PROBLEM PERSISTED FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT ALL FOUR HANDLES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

PARKED THE CAR. CAME BACK ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER, HEARD LOUD LIKE SHOTS FIRED, ROUNDED THE CORNER TO SEE IT WAS OUR AIRBAGS POPPING...THE CAR WAS ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD, AND GOING TO THE DASHBOARD. CALLED 911 AND BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPT. CAME ( 1 MILE AWAY) THE WHOLE CAR WAS ENGULFED. THE WHOLE CAR DESTROYED, ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS THE SHELL NO SEATS NO DASHBOARD NO LICENSE PLATES NOTHING LEFT. WE COMPLIED TO ALL RECALLS AND TOOK IT TO A HONDA DEALERSHIP EACH TIME FOR REPAIRS. WE HAD A STEERING COLUMN FIRE ABOUT 2-3 YEARS AGO DRIVING ALONG AND THE CAR FILLED WITH SMOKE, IT WAS A ELECTRICAL FIRE, BUT PULLING OVER TURNING OFF THE ENGINE PUT OUT THE FIRE. HAD IT REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY. A WEEK BEFORE THE BIG FIRE WE FELT THE COLUMN AND IT WAS HOT...BUT COOLED AFTER WE PARKED IT. THEN DAYS LATER IS WHEN IT BURNED TO THE GROUND, EVEN THE TIRES WERE GONE. HONDA DOESN'T CARE ABOUT OUR LOSS, AND OF COURSE IT'S NOT THEIR FAULT. P.S. IN 2007 WE GOT HURT IN THAT SAME CAR WE WERE STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD ( WE WERE IN THE CAR) AND A TRUCK CROSSED THE LINE AND HIT US HEAD ON. OUR SEAT BELTS DIDN'T HOLD US IN, THEY LOOSENED AND AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WE WERE HURT AND HONDA SAID THE TRUCK HIT US TOO HIGH IS WHY THE AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY. THAT SOUNDS RIDICULOUS. THE SEAT BELT SHOULDER STRAPS DIDN'T HOLD US CAUSE WE WEREN'T MOVING ALSO SOUNDS RIDICULOUS. HONDA DIDN'T CARE THEN EITHER. *TR

MY HONDA PILOT SHUTTERS AT 25-50 MPH I HAD IT CHECK WITH MY LOCAL DEALER HONDA AND IT SEEMS LIKE ITS COMING FROM TRANSMISSION ISSUE'S. *TR

ANYWHERE BETWEEN 35-50 MPH I GET A SHUDDER THAT SOUNDS LIKE DRIVING OVER A RUMBLE STRIP ON THE FREEWAY. THE PROBLEM STARTED OUT TO WHERE IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUSH OF AIR WAS FLOWING UNDERNEATH THE CAR FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS, THEN PROGRESSED TO A RUMBLE STRIP NOISE. AT THAT POINT, I HAD IT LOOKED AT. MECHANIC SAYS FAILED TORQUE CONVERTER AND WILL HAVE TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE 132,000 MILES ON THE CAR. HAVEN'T CONTACTED HONDA AS I'M THE SECOND OWNER AND HAVE READ IN MANY DIFFERENT PLACES ON THE INTERNET THAT HONDA WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. MECHANIC WARNED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WILL GO AT ANY TIME NOW AND THE CAR ISN'T SAFE TO DRIVE. I'VE DECIDED IF THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING TO FAIL AT 132,000 MILES, I'M NOT TAKING THE CHANCE OF PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO IT, ONLY TO FAIL AGAIN (SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT PEOPLE ENDING UP WITH SEVERAL TRANSMISSIONS INSTALLED BY HONDA WITH SUBSEQUENT FAILURES). I'VE OWNED THREE HONDAS. THE LACK OF RESPONSE FROM HONDA ON THIS ISSUE ACROSS THE BOARD MEANS THEY LOST ME AS A CUSTOMER. *TR

I PICKED UP MY GRANDCHILDREN FROM SCHOOL WHICH IS LESS THAN A MILE AWAY. WHEN I PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AFTER A STOP, I FELT THE BACK OF THE SEAT GO BACK. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE CAR TO A PLACE WHERE WE HAVE OUR OIL CHANGED AND TIRES ROTATED. THE MECHANIC SAID THAT THE SUPPORT MOUNT BRACKET FOR THE DRIVER'S SEAT IS BROKEN. THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SEVERE TO FATAL INJURY HAD I BEEN HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON. I HAD TO CROSS ROUTE 83 IN BENSENVILLE/WOOD DALE AREA IN ILLINOIS. *TR

2003 HONDA PILOT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AIRBAG REPLACEMENT ISSUES. *SMD THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN SALT WATER. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE HE DOES WORK NEAR THE WATER, BUT NOT SALT WATER. *JB

RE: RECALL # JF7 PASSENGER AIRBAG INFLATOR (FOR 2003 - 2007 HONDA PILOTS SOLD IN HIGH ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY STATES) MY VEHICLE WAS SOLD NEW IN FEBRUARY 2003 IN MYRTLE BEACH, AN OCEAN-FRONT CITY IN SOUTH CAROLINA, ONE OF THE STATES REFERRED TO IN THE ABOVE RECALL AS HAVING HIGH ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY. THE VEHICLE REMAINED TITLED IN COASTAL SOUTH CAROLINA FROM FEBRUARY 2003 UNTIL MARCH 2007, A PERIOD OF FOUR YEARS. BECAUSE THE VEHICLE SPENT THE FIRST FOUR YEARS OF ITS EXISTENCE IN AN AREA OF HIGH ABSOLUTE HUMIDITY, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE PRESENT AND FUTURE FUNCTIONALITY OF BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER AIRBAG INFLATORS. PLEASE ADD MY VEHICLE TO THE RECALL LIST FOR REPLACEMENT OF BOTH AIRBAG INFLATORS. THANK YOU. *TR

A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE HAD OUR MECHANIC (WHO WORKED WITH A LOCKSMITH) REBUILD THE IGNITION SWITCH BECAUSE OUR KEYS WERE FAILING TO TURN THE SWITCH, MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO START THE CAR. THIS REPAIR COST US ABOUT $400. WE ALSO HAD NEW KEYS CUT. NOW THE PROBLEM HAS RESURFACED. THE KEYS ARE NOT WORN, BUT THEY ARE STILL UNABLE TO TURN THE SWITCH UNLESS THEY GO IN "JUST RIGHT" -- WHICH MEANS 15+ MINUTES OF FIDDLING WITH THE KEY TO START THE CAR -- AND SOMETIMES IT JUST DOESN'T WORK AT ALL. THE LOCKSMITH WILL CHARGE US ANOTHER $400 TO REBUILD THE SWITCH AGAIN -- OR WE CAN PAY $535 (PLUS TAX) TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM REPLACE IT. [THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE DOOR LOCKS, BY THE WAY, WHICH WOULD STILL HAVE TO BE OPENED WITH THE OLD KEY -- AND COST ANOTHER $400 TO REPLACE.] WE HAVE STARTED LEAVING A KEY IN THE IGNITION AT ALL TIMES TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN USE THE CAR. ONCE WE GET IT IN THERE, WE JUST LEAVE IT THERE. WE DRAPE A SMALL TOWEL OVER THE STEERING COLUMN TO HIDE THE KEY, BUT THERE IT STAYS. IT'S A RIDICULOUS SITUATION, AND WE ARE NOT ALONE. I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS ONLINE. WHY HAS THIS NOT BEEN RECALLED? *TR

I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2003 HONDA PILOT. I AM AN OLDER, CAUTIOUS DRIVER AND HAVE BABIED THIS VEHICLE, DOING ALL REGULAR SERVICE AT THE DEALER'S, SO IT WOULD RUN IN TOP SHAPE FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. AROUND SIX MONTHS AGO I NOTICED AT LOWER SPEEDS (20-30 M.P.H.) THE VEHICLE SHUDDERS. TO COUNTER THE PROBLEM I HAVE TO ACCELERATE AND THEN IT GOES AWAY. I HAVE HAD THE DEALER CHECK IT THREE TIMES AND EACH TIME THEY SAY THEY CANNOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS HARD TO BELIEVE. LAST WEEK THE D LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALER RIGHT AWAY AND THEY SAID IT WAS A SENSOR. I ASKED IF THAT COULD BE MAKING THE CAR SHUDDER AND THEY SAID PROBABLY. I HAD THEM CHANGE IT AND THE SHUDDER HAS NOT GONE AWAY. THIS MORNING IT WAS PARTICULARLY HEAVY SO I CALLED THE DEALER AGAIN AND THEY GAVE ME THE AMERICAN HONDA NUMBER. I CALLED THEM AND THEY SAID THE DEALER SHOULD LOOK AT IT. I'VE SEEN SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME COMPLAINT AND I'M VERY CONCERNED THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT HONDA IS CHOOSING TO IGNORE; A LITTLE LIKE OTHER AUTO COMPANIES HAVE DONE OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS UNTIL A FATALITY HAPPENS. AS I CARRY MY FAMILY IN THIS VEHICLE AND I AM PARTICULARLY CONCERNED. *TR