2003 HONDA PILOT Complaints

THE CHROME FINISH ON THE DOOR HANDLES FROM THE INSIDE, THIS CHROME FINISH IS A THINK LATER OF MATERIAL ALMOST LIKE FLEX METAL - IT'S VERY SHARP AND EASILY CREATES CUTS IN HAND WHEN OPENING THE CAR DOORS. APPROX 3 DAYS AGO, I WAS MOVING MY HAND AS I WAS DRIVING AND MY FINGER TOUCHED THE PEALING CHROME FINISH CREATING A DEEP CUT CAUSING PAIN AND BLEEDING. I HAVE KIDS AND THEY MAY GET HURT BY THIS. *TR

2003 HONDA PILOT EXL TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT AT 101,950 MILES IN JUNE OF 2012. THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH A SINGLE TRANSMISSION SLIP AND SEVERE HARD (SHIFT) ENGAGEMENT WHILE ACCELERATING BETWEEN 40 AND 45 MPH. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS AND PROGRESSIVELY INCREASED IN OCCURRENCE. THEN REVERSE GEAR SELECTION STARTED SLIPPING AND FAILING TO ENGAGE. FROM THAT POINT ON, THE PILOT TRANSMISSION BEGAN CONSISTENTLY SLIPPING AND SLAMMING (HARD SHIFTING) ALL GEARS (INCLUDING WHILE IN D1,D2 AND D3) AND THE LONGER IT WAS DRIVEN, THE WORSE IT GOT, EVEN SLIPPING AND SLAMMING THE DOWNSHIFT GEAR CHANGES MAKING THE CAR UNSAFE TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC AND DRIVE ON THE ROAD. THE HARD SHIFTING WAS BECOMING SO SEVERE THAT IT FELT LIKE TRANSMISSION GEAR TOOTH FAILURE WAS EMINENT. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS, NO FLASHING 'D' OR TROUBLE CODES ON THE PCM WERE FOUND, EVEN WITH ALL OF PROBLEMS. THE HONDA DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR WAS REGULARLY SERVICED RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION WITH A 'REMANUFACTURED HONDA TRANSMISSION' AT A COST OF OVER $6400, WITH NO ASSISTANCE FROM HONDA CORPORATE. FILING A COMPLAINT WITH HONDA CORPORATE ONLY ADDED TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT, WHERE THE HONDA REPRESENTATIVES I DEALT WITH APPEARED TO BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT TRYING TO TURN A PROFIT ON REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION RATHER THAN BEING CONCERNED ABOUT TREATING THEIR CUSTOMER FAIRLY AND OR LOSING CUSTOMER LOYALTY. NOTE, THIS PILOT HAD THE TRANSMISSION 2ND/3RD GEAR OIL-JET KIT RECALL PERFORMED IN 2004 AND APPARENTLY, IT ONLY POSTPONED FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO, THIS PILOT WAS NEVER ABUSED, ALWAYS DRIVEN ON PAVED ROADS, NEVER TOWED ANYTHING AND NEVER HAD TO USE THE VTM-4 WHEEL DRIVE LOCKUP MODE. THE TRANSMISSION AND DIFFERENTIAL FLUIDS WERE REPLACED EVERY 30,000 MILES WITH HONDA FLUIDS PER THE RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. *TR

THE IGNITION SWITCH LOCKED UP AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START. I WAS STRANDED AT WORK FOR SEVERAL HOURS. HONDA NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY $600 FOR A REPAIR THEY ARE WELL AWARE DO TO A PARTS DEFECT. PREVIOUSLY THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD STARTED TO ROLL BACK ON THE INCLINED DRIVE WAY WHEN I REMOVED THE IGNITION KEY WITH THE SHIFTER STILL IN DRIVE. *TR

VEHICLE SHUDDER/SHAKE STARTING AT 50 MPH. ADVISED NEEDED NEW TRANSMISSION. CALLED HONDA TO CHECK IF RECALL OR WOULD BE REIMBURSED. TOLD NO AND SAID WANTED PROBLEM ON RECORD. REPLACED TRANSMISSION AT OWN EXPENSE $3045. DRIVE LIGHT PERIODICALLY FLASHES. HAVE NOT REPAIRED AS >$300. *TR

THE PILOT SHUDDERS GOING AT SLOWER RATES OF SPEED AT PRETTY REGULAR INSTANCES. MY MECHANIC INFORMED ME THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER, POSSIBLY THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH 2003 HONDA PILOTS. *TR

HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE SINCE NEW. HAD THE 2ND GEAR RECALL DONE AS REQUIRED AT ABOUT 30,000. AT 96,000 THAT TRANNY WENT OUT AND HAD A "REBUILT" INSTALLED BY SUNSET HONDA SLO, CA. UNDER WARRANTY. AT ABOUT 150000, D INDICATOR FLASHED MEANING SENSORS ON TRANNY NEEDED REPLACEMENT.NOW EXPERIENCING LOSS OF DRIVE, SOMETIMES WHEN COMING OUT OF STOP, ENGINE JUST REVVING BUT NO DRIVE, ALSO, AS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE YESTERDAY, WHEN GOING AT ABOUT 35, LOSS OF POWER/DRIVE OCCURRED. THIS COULD SHOW THAT I NEED AN ACTUAL DECENT NEW TRANNY PUT IN! I HAVE YET TO VISIT MY WELL QUALIFIED AND NON HONDA DEALER MECHANIC! I HAVE BEEN A HONDA OWNER SINCE 1992 AND THIS WILL BE MY LAST HONDA EVER! THE RELIABILITY IS OVER WITH AND THEY ARE WAY OVERPRICED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WAS REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN THE DRIVE POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE LOCKING MECHANISM FOR THE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MECHANIC WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 75,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

STEERING LOCK ALLOWS DRIVER TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WITHOUT PLACING THE GEAR SELECTOR TO "PARK". CAR ROLLED BACKWARDS. THERE (LUCKILY) WAS NO DAMAGE AND NO ONE WAS HURT. CAR WAS ALSO BROUGHT TO THE LOCAL HONDA DEALER TO REPAIR PROBLEMS WITH UNLOCKING THE IGNITION SWITCH TO START THE CAR. KEY REGULARLY BECAME STUCK IN THE KEYHOLE. THIS COULD LEAVE SOMEONE STRANDED REPAIR FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH LOCKING FROM WAS $518. THE REPAIR ALSO FIXED THE GEAR SELECTOR ISSUE (CAN NO LONGER REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WITHOUT PLACING THE SELECTOR IN "PARK"). THE MAIN CONCERN HERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOMEONE REMOVES THE KEY AND THE VEHICLE ROLLS INTO AN UNSUSPECTING PERSON OR STRIKES ANOTHER VEHICLE. OF SECONDARY CONCERN IS FOR SOMEONE TO BE STRANDED BECAUSE THE MECHANICAL IGNITION MECHANISM FAILS. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED HE WAS ABLE TO INSERT AND REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION, BUT THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN TO START THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 115,000.

2003 HONDA PILOT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO RECALL 12V-136 CONCERNING LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS *TGW ON DECEMBER 7, 2011, THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE DUE TO THE A/C NOT WORKING. THE DEALER FOUND THE BLOWER MOTOR TRANSISTOR WAS FAULTY. THE AC TRANSISTOR WAS REPLACED AND RE-TESTED AND OPERATING NORMALLY. THE CONSUMER STATED PRIOR TO TAKING THE VEHICLE IN TO REPLACE THE AC TRANSISTOR, THE LOW AND HIGH BEAM HEADLIGHTS WERE WORKING. THE VERY NEXT MORNING, SHE DISCOVERED THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WERE NO LONGER WORKING. ON DECEMBER 13, 2011 BOTH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WERE REPLACED AT A COST OF $ 142.06. IN APRIL 2012. THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WOULD GO OFF FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN COME BACK ON AGAIN. ON MAY 10, 2012, THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL, STATING THE LOW BEAM TERMINAL WOULD BE REPLACED, AND IF NECESSARY THE COMBINATION LIGHTING SWITCH WOULD BE REPLACED TOO. ON THE SAME DAY SHE RECEIVED THE NOTICE, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS WENT OUT AGAIN. THE CONSUMER INFORMED THE DEALER, THE LOW BEAMS WEREN'T WORKING AND THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE LOW BEAM BULBS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER ASKED THE DEALER, WOULD REPLACING THE LOW BEAM TERMINAL FIX THE PROBLEM, AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR RESPONDED BY SAYING NO, AS THE TERMINAL HAD NOTHING TO WITH THE LOW BEAM. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AND LATER THAT AFTERNOON, THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS WERE WORKING AGAIN. ON MAY 21, 2012. THE LOW BEAM HEAD LIGHTS FAILED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DEALER ONLY REPLACED THE COMBINATION LIGHT SWITCH AND NOT THE LOW BEAM TERMINAL. THE LOW BEAMS ARE CURRENTLY NOT WORKING, WHICH IS FORCING THE CONSUMER TO USE THE HIGH BEAM LIGHTS. *JB UPDATED 09/06/12. *JB