2003 HONDA PILOT Complaints

THE TRANSMISSION OF MY 2003 HONDA PILOT DIED. WHEN I WENT TO A MESSAGE BOARD AT EDMUNDS.COM I FOUND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THEIR 2003 PILOTS BEGINNING WITH 90,000 MILES. HONDA CHECKED MY SECOND GEAR THAT THEY DID RECALL BUT CLAIM THAT THE PROBLEM IS NOT WITH THAT GEAR. A REPUTABLE TRANSMISSION MECHANIC THAT REBUILDS TRANSMISSIONS, RECOMMENDED BY TWO MECHANIC FRIENDS OF MINE, AGREES WITH HONDA, THAT IT HAS FAILED COMPLETELY. FOR A COMPANY THAT PRIDES ITSELF FOR A SUPPOSED EXCELLENT MECHANICAL MAINTENANCE REPUTATION, I AND A LOT OF OTHER HONDA OWNERS ARE SORELY DISAPPOINTED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN PREVIOUSLY TO THE DEALER IN 2004 FOR A RECALL REPAIR UNDER THE NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN: AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THIS MOST RECENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,000.

THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY STARTING SLIPPING WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND STRUGGLED TO GET OVER A VIADUCT WITH NO POWER TO ACCELERATE. THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING WITHOUT ANY WARNING AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DROVE THE PILOT SLOWLY HOME AND TOOK TO SHOP. THE TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD BEEN CHANGED AT 90K. THE PRESSURE SWITCHES WERE CHANGED BUT DID NOT WORK FOR SLIPPAGE. THE TRANSMISSION WAS BROKE AND NEEDED REPLACING. THIS VEHICLE HAD ALL RECALLS COMPLETED. *TR

I HAVE BEEN HAVING A HARD TIME TURNING THE IGNITION WITH MY KEY. NOW THE KEY WILL NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THERE MAY BE A SITUATION WHERE THE CAR MAY NEED TO BE MOVED IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND CANNOT BE TURNED. I FOUND THIS WEBSITE FROM 23 OTHER COMPLAINTS FOR THE SAME ISSUE ON THIS WEBSITE ALONE. *TR

2003 HONDA PILOT IGNITION - AT FIRST WE WERE HAVING ISSUES INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION. THEN IT PROGRESSED TO NEEDING TO JIGGLE THE KEY IN ORDER TO GET IT TO TURN TO ANY POSITION OF THE IGNITION. THE KEY WOULD GO IN BUT IT'D TAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, OF A MINIMUM OF 10 TO 15 MINUTES, BEFORE WE COULD GET THE IGNITION TO START. WE READ THE MANUAL AND UNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THE WHEELS STRAIGHT - THAT SEEMED TO HELP FOR A FEW ATTEMPTS. NOW THE KEY GOES IN BUT DOESN'T TURN AT ALL. WITH EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED ABOUT THIS ISSUE FROM HONDA CUSTOMERS AND THE VOLUME OF CUSTOMERS IT IS AFFECTING WHY ISN'T HONDA DOING THE 'RIGHT THING' AND ISSUING A VOLUNTARY RECALL?! *TR

I RECENTLY BOUGHT A USED 2003 HONDA PILOT FROM [XXX] OF COLERAIN IN OHIO. THE CAR HAS 137,000 APPROXIMATE MILES ON IT. THEY WANTED ME TO PAY OVER 15,000 FOR THE CAR AND FINALLY AFTER DEBATING FOR HOURS OVER 4. THEY SOLD ME THE CAR OUT THE DOOR WITH NO WARRANTY OFFERED FOR 10,500. I WAS VERY HAPPY AND I HAVE 2 CHILDREN AND ONE ON THE WAY. I BOUGHT THE CAR ON AUGUST 5, 2012 LESS THAN TWO WEEK GO BY AND I AM DRIVING HOME GOING 65MPH ON 71 AND THE CAR JERKS DOWN GEARS TO 30 MILES AN HOUR IN A SPLIT SECOND. MY NECK AND MY BACK ARE BOTH HURTING AND I DO NOT WANT TO SUE NOR TRY TO GET RICH OFF OF THIS. MY COMPLAINT IS, I TOOK THE CAR TO[XXX] OF COLERAIN THE NEXT MORNING THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS BAD AND THEY COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. SO BASICALLY THEY SAID I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR A $7,000 DOLLAR REPAIR. I LEFT THE CAR THERE AND CAME HOME DID ALL KINDS OF RESEARCH FOUND THAT CAR IS UP FOR RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. THEY EVEN HAVE A FACEBOOK PAGE DEDICATED TO FIXING THIS PROBLEM! HOW CAN HONDA KEEP THESE VEHICLE'S ON THE ROAD? IF MY 17 MONTH OLD WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE CAR WITH ME SHE WOULD HAVE MAYBE BROKE HER NECK. GO DRIVE 65MPH AND THROW THE CAR IN REVERSE THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME! AND THEY SAID I BOUGHT A CERTIFIED USED HONDA? SO WHAT DO I DO ? WHO DO I CALL? AND WHY CAN THEY SELL ME A CAR IN SUCH A STATE? WITH OVER 4 RECALLS ON PARTS AND ONE BEING POTENTIALLY FATAL. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

CAR "SHUDDERS" AT 40-45 MPH. HONDA HAS HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THE 2003 PILOT AND ODYSSEY. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE CAR SHAKES LIKE IT IS FALLING APART. APPROX. COST TO REPAIR $4,000.00. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE AND EARLY WAS SLIPPING WHEN I WAS ON THE HIGH WAY. *TR

2003 HONDA PILOT IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM- THE FIRST DAY I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS INSERTING KEY INTO IGNITION AND HAD TO JIGGLE IT AROUND IN ORDER TO TURN IT TO START THE ENGINE. THE NEXT DAY THE KEY WOULD GO IN BUT IT WOULD TAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AND AT LEAST 10-15 MINUTES TRYING TO START THE IGNITION. I WAS GETTING STUCK IN STORE PARKING LOTS AND AT HOME. NOW THE KEY GOES IN AND DOESN'T TURN AT ALL. THE STEERING WHEEL IS ALSO LOCKED AS WELL AS THE GEAR SHIFT SO THERE IS NO WAY TO PUT IN NEUTRAL TO TOW IT. *TR

THE IGNITION KEY WILL NOT SLIDE INTO THE IGNITION WITHOUT A GREAT AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND TIME. THIS IS A WELL DOCUMENTED PROBLEM. I WILL HAVE TO LEAVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE. *TR