2005 HONDA PILOT Complaints

SRS LIGHT REMAINED ON. PAID $119 T HONDA TO DO DIAGNOSIS [THEY WON'T DO IT WITHOUT PAYING THE FEE]. RESULTS SAID THAT IT'S A FAILED LEFT SIDE FRONT SENSOR. DEALER ASKING FOR $285 ON TOP OF THE FEE. BASED ON THE COMPLAINTS HERE, HONDA SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS THIS MIGHT BE A POTENTIAL RECALL AS ITS A SAFETY ISSUE. MY PILOT HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT SO NO CAUSE FOR THE SENSOR TO BE DEFECTIVE OTHER THAN POOR DESIGN/WORKMANSHIP AND HONDA SHOULD STAND BEHIND SAFETY. *TR

VEHICLE DIAGNOSED AT DEALER SERVICE CENTER AS HAVING 2 CRACKED / BROKEN ENGINE MOUNTS. AFFECTED MOUNTS ARE RIGHT (PASSENGER) SIDE AND FRONT MOUNT. BASED ON SIMILAR ANECDOTAL REPORTS ON INTERNET FORUMS (PILOTEERS.ORG AND OTHERS) THIS APPEARS TO BE A FAIRLY COMMON OCCURRENCE ON HONDA PILOTS AND ODYSSEYS OF THIS VINTAGE. THEY SHARE THE SAME CHASSIS. IT ALSO APPEARS THE RIGHT AND FRONT MOUNTS ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY BECAME STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY AFTER SOME TIME HOWEVER, THE STEERING WHEEL THEN SEIZED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO REINSERT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION OR REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 102,000.

INTERMITTENT TRANSMISSION FAILURE CAUSING VEHICLE TO LOOSE ACCELERATION AT LOW TO MEDIUM SPEEDS. ONGOING ISSUE AFTER REPAIRS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. FIRST INCIDENT AT 93,000 MILES AND INTERMITTENT PROBLEM CONTINUES AT 112,000 MILES AFTER 3 REPAIRS. INTERNET SEARCH SHOWS THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS OF UNSAFE TRANSMISSION ISSUES ON 2005 HONDA PILOTS YET HONDA MOTORS REFUSES TO ADMIT DESIGN FLAW. ACURA MDX WITH EXACT SAME DRIVE TRAIN AS THE HONDA PILOT HAS BEEN RECALLED FOR THE SAME ISSUES BEING EXPERIENCED BY PILOT OWNERS YET HONDA MOTORS WILL NOT DO A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD UNSAFE ISSUE WITH THESE VEHICLES THAT IS OVIOUSLY CAUSED BY AN DESIGN FLAW AS HONDA CORRECTED THE DESIGN IN THE 2006 MODELS. HONDA SHOULD BE MADE TO TAKE RESONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DEFECTS. *TR

AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON AFTER STARTING VEHICLE AND STAYED ON WHILE DRIVING. LIGHT STAYED ON CONSISTENTLY FOR UP TO 2 WEEKS. AFTER 2 WEEKS, LIGHT ILLUMINATION WAS INTERMITTENT. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG SENSOR WAS BAD AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $345. DEALER INDICATED THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY FOR THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. NOTICED THERE HAVE BEEN MANY COMPLAINTS FOR THIS SAME ISSUE FOR THE 2005 HONDA PILOT. ALSO NOTICED THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE ON THE 2005 HONDA ODYSSEY. WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE ON THE 2005 HONDA PILOT? A DEVICE CRITICAL TO THE OVERALL SAFETY SYSTEM OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH IS NOT A WEAR ITEM ON THE VEHICLE, SHOULD NOT FAIL. IF IT DOES, IT SHOULD BE REPLACED AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER. *TR

RADIATOR FAILED, CAUSING LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID, CAUSING LOSS OF MOTION. THE CAR STOPPED DEAD IN THE ROAD AND COULD NOT MOVE ON ITS OWN POWER. FROM CONTACT WITH OTHER HONDA PILOT AND HONDA RIDGELINE OWNERS, I LEARNED THAT THIS TYPE OF FAILURE OCCURS FREQUENTLY AT AROUND 100,000 MILES. THE SINGLE RADIATOR UNIT COOLS BOTH THE ENGINE AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. *TR

WHILE PARKED, UPON NORMAL CLOSING OF THE REAR HATCHBACK DOOR, THE LICENSE PLATE & FRAME CAME OFF MY CAR AND FELL TO THE GROUND. I PICKED IT UP TO RE-ATTACH TO THE DOOR AND DISCOVERED THAT THE METAL SURROUNDING THE BOLTS HAD SHEARED OFF FROM THE CAR LEAVING GAPING HOLES IN THE HATCHBACK DOOR. THE LICENSE PLATE CAN NOT BE ATTACHED TO THE CAR WITHOUT SOME FORM OF BODY WORK OR CREATIVE MACGYVER TYPE SKILLS. MY PLATE FELL OFF THE CAR WHILE PARKED. MY CONCERN IS IF IT HAD FALLEN OFF WHILE MOVING AT A HIGH SPEED. IT COULD HAVE HEADED STRAIGHT FOR A VEHICLE OR PEDESTRIAN BEHIND/BESIDE ME. *TR

MY 8 YEAR OLD GRANDSON WAS SITTING IN THE SEAT RIGHT BEHIND THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT. HE COMPLAINED THAT THE SEATBELT KEPT GETTING TIGHTER AND TIGHTER. HE RELEASED THE SEATBELT AND IT RETRACTED ALL THE WAY BACK WHERE IT HAS BEEN EVER SINCE. IT NO LONGER PULLS FORWARD MORE THAN 2 INCHES. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE IN THAT THE SEATBELT IS NO LONGER FUNCTIONAL. PLUS, I WAS VERY WORRIED FOR MY GRANDSON BECAUSE IT WAS GETTING SO TIGHT ON HIM. ANY SMALL CHILD COULD BECOME TRAPPED. I WAS JUST RELIEVED THAT HE WAS STILL ABLE TO REACH THE LATCH AND BUCKLE AND SAFELY RELEASE IT. *TR

I BOUGHT THE 2005 PILOT EX IN 2009. BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER AFTER 1 MONTH OF DRIVING FOR HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION. DEALER COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THOUGHT THIS MUST BE HOW IT SHIFTS. HAVE ALWAYS NOTICED A SLIGHT RADIATOR FLUID SMELL. NO ONE COULD FIND ANY LEAK. ABOUT 3 YEARS LATER AT 110,000 MILES, TRANSMISSION FLUID AND RADIATOR FLUID MIXED WHEN THE RADIATOR GAVE OUT. WE WERE OUT OF TOWN AND ON OUR WAY HOME LEAVING US ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO BE TOWED BACK INTO TOWN (APPROX 30 MILES) AND HAD TO SPEND AN EXTRA NIGHT UNTIL THE REPAIRS WERE FINISHED. $637.00 REPAIR FOR THE RADIATOR. 2 MONTHS LATER NOTICED THE AIR CONDITIONER NOT WORKING. TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL GUY WHO SAID IT WASN'T HOOKED UP RIGHT WHEN THEY REPLACED THE RADIATOR. CORRECT HOOKUP, PRESSURE TEST AND RECHARGE AIR SYSTEM WAS $186.00. A WEEK LATER AFTER EXPLAINING THE RADIATOR PROBLEM TO MY LOCAL REPAIR GUY WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED TWICE TO TRY TO SAVE US FROM FUTURE TRANSMISSION TROUBLE. $292.00 FOR THE TRANSMISSION FLUSH RELATED TO THE RADIATOR FAILURE. NOW A MONTH AND A HALF LATER WE HAVE A SHUDDER BETWEEN 35 AND 45 MPH AND A NOISE AT ABOUT 55 MPH THAT SOUND LIKE A PIECE OF METAL DROPPING OFF THE CAR. ASKED THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP AND THEY BOTH SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WENT WITH THE TRANSMISSION PLACE, AFTER READING ALL THE SIMILAR STORIES OF OTHER 2005 HONDA PILOTS, THE DEALERS WILL OVER CHARGE AND NOT EVEN ADMIT TO THIS KNOWN ISSUE. THE STORIES OF THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENING AGAIN MADE US GO WITH THE MOST COMPETENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DOES THIS EVERY DAY. SO IT'S THE FOURTH OF JULY AND WE ARE WITHOUT THE FAMILY CAR TODAY. SHOULD BE ABLE TO PICK IT UP TOMORROW WITH THE REBUILT TRANSMISSION FOR $3,915.00. TOTAL BILL; $5,031.00 FOR A FAILED RADIATOR. THIS IS WRONG. HONDA SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE AND BE MADE TO RECALL IT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE'S VSA ENGAGED LOCKING UP THE BRAKES. WE WERE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE NOT CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. IT HAPPENED AGAIN WHY LEAVING THE HIGHWAY FOR SIDE STREETS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. WE ARE EXTREMELY CONCERNED AS THE VEHICLE HAD JUST BEEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THE RECALL INVOLVING THE INVOLUNTARY COMMAND OF VSA ENGAGEMENT. THIS IS ABSURD THAT THESE VEHICLES ARE ALLOWED TO STILL BE ON THE ROAD WITH SUCH A SERIOUS FLAW THAT COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF LIFE. *TR