2005 HONDA PILOT Complaints

DRIVING ALONG AND MY VSA LIGHT COMES ON, THE BRAKES GRAB AND THE VEHICLE SWERVES AS IF I HAVE SUDDENLY SLAMMED ON BRAKES. MY FOOT IS ON ACCELERATOR AT THE TIME NOT THE BRAKES. LIVE ON AN ICY, WINDING ROAD WITH LOTS OF SEMI TRUCK TRAFFIC. VERY SCARY. HAPPENING EVERY SINGLE TIME I DRIVE NOW. ONCE THE VSA LIGHT COMES ON AND THE BRAKES LOCK MOMENTARILY THE VSA LIGHT AND WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON TILL VEHICLE TURNED OFF. FIRST TIME THE VSA LIGHT CAME ON THERE WAS NO LOCKING OF BRAKES. JUST THE LIGHT. NOW THE BRAKES LOCK UP MOMENTARILY EVERY TIME I DRIVE. EXTREMELY CONCERNED FOR MY SAFETY. *TR

I TOOK IT IN FOR A RECALL. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FRONT AND RIGHT ENGINE MOUNTS ARE "CRACKED". AT ABOUT 25-45 MPH THERE IS A NOTICEABLE SHUDDER UNDER THE HOOD. IN SEARCHING THE NHTSA DATABASE I FIND MANY OTHER REPORTS OF THIS SHUDDER AND SEVERAL SAYING THAT ENGINE MOUNTS ARE A PROBLEM IN THIS MODEL. THE REPORTS ARE IN SEVERAL AREAS INCLUDING ENGINE, SUSPENSION, DRIVE TRAIN, TRANSMISSION. IT SEEMS THE ENGINE MOUNTS COULD BE A COMMON DENOMINATOR. IF THE MOUNTS GO IT COULD CAUSE A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE INCLUDING LOSS OF CONTROL. *TR

YESTERDAY WAS THE MOST RECENT OCCURANCE OF A PROBLEM THAT HAS BEEN ONGOING (BUT RANDOM, NOT CONSTANT) SINCE SEPTEMBER. WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN JULY. THE PILOT HAS BEEN SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES RANDOMLY BY ITSELF. IT HAS HAPPENED WHILE I GENTLY APPLIED BRAKES AND ALSO WHILE I'VE BEEN ACCELERATING. THE FIRST COUPLE TIMES IT HAPPENED THERE WERE NO LIGHTS ON MY DASH BUT THEN THE VSA LIGHT CAME ON. IT WENT OFF AGAIN AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND BACK ON. I HAD MY BRAKES, PADS, AND ROTORS CHANGED AND THE BRAKE LINES FLUSHED. SINCE THEN NO LIGHTS HAVE BEEN ON. THEN YESTERDAY, VERY SUDDENLY, THE CAR BEGAN SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES. IT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS TURNING INTO A SHOPPING CENTER AND IF THERE HAD BEEN A CAR BEHIND ME I'M SURE I WOULD HAVE CAUSED AND ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE SUDDEN BRAKING WAS SO SEVERE. I COASTED FOR A BIT, TRIED TO REAPPLY THE BRAKES GENTLY AND THE CAR BROKE AGAIN THROWING ME FORWARD. IN TOTAL, IT "STOPPED SHORT" ABOUT 5/6 TIMES BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO GET TO A PARKING SPOT. IT HAPPENED WHILE BOTH BRAKING AND ALSO TRYING TO ACCELERATE. WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED BY THE CAR, IT IS ACCOMPANIED BY A LOUD RUMBLING SOUND AND SENSATION. SOMETHING SIMILAR TO GOING HIGH SPEED OVER A RUMBLE STRIP FOR A LONG TIME. NO LIGHTS ARE ON MY DASH NOW AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. DRIVING MY CAR IS LIKE PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE. MOST OF THE TIME IT DRIVES GREAT AND I LOVE IT, AND THEN OUT OF THE BLUE THE CAR BRAKES AT INAPPROPRIATE TIMES AND INTENSITY. IT FEELS LIKE DRIVING WITH AN INSTRUCTOR WHO SUDDENLY SLAMS ON THE BRAKES REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU MAY BE DOING. *TR

WHILE DRIVING, AIRBAG, (!), VSA, VTC AND BRAKE LIGHTS ALL LIT UP. HORN STOPPED WORKING AS DID ALL CONTROLS FROM STEERING WHEEL (CRUISE, RADIO AIRBAG LIGHT). I PULLED OVER, EVERYTHING SEEMED TO WORK BUT LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. WENT TO HONDA IN FT PIERCE, FL. WAS TOLD IT'S PROBABLY A LOW BATTERY. REPLACED BATTERY, LIGHTS ALL STAYED ON. CONTACTED JOHNSTON HONDA IN STUART, FL. HEAD MECHANIC TOLD ME HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WOULD CAUSE THIS AND IF HE RAN IT ON DIAGNOSTICS, IT COULD TAKE 8 HOURS AT $80 AN HOUR AND HE STILL MAY NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. BROUGHT THIS LEMON TO LOCAL MECHANIC WHO RAN ON DIAGNOSTICS FOR 2 HOURS. COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM SO HE DID NOT CHARGE. AS ALMOST ALL OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOVE, WHILE DRIVING AT 35 TO 40 THE CAR STARTS TO SHUDDER AS THOUGH IT WILL TURN OFF. WAS TOLD IT'S POSSIBLY DEFECTIVE MOTOR MOUNTS. I HAVE CONTACTED AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR WORKS IN CALIFORNIA WITH THESE ISSUES AND THEY ESSENTIALLY TOLD ME TO 'GFY'. STATED CAR IS NOT THEIR PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VSA WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE BRAKES BEGAN TO LOCK WITHOUT APPLYING ANY PRESSURE TO THE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT ON ITS OWN AND WAS THEN MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND UPON RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT A VSA TROUBLE CODE WAS DETECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE A TROUBLE CODE WAS NOT DETECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THERE WAS AN OPEN AND CLOSED INVESTIGATION UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER DP12002 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL). A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE12-028 WAS OPENED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED WHEN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY BEGAN TO PULL TO THE LEFT BEFORE CRASHING INTO AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER WERE KILLED AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A SAVAGE FACILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT ENGINEER AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS POSSIBLY RELATED TO A FAULTY ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL. A DEFECT PETITION WAS OPENED AND CLOSED UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER DP12002 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL). THERE WAS A CONCURRENT INVESTIGATION ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE12-028 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT OR THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. ..UPDATED 02/25/13 *BF

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE BRAKES ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY AS THE ABS AND VEHICLE STABILITY WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE SPUN IN FULL CIRCLE THREE TIMES BEFORE STOPPING. THE CONTACT HAD TO DISCONNECT AND RECONNECT THE BATTERY IN ORDER TO RELEASE THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT EVERY CODE FOR THE BRAKE SYSTEM SHOWED UP WHEN PERFORMING A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. THE DEALER COULD NOT DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE FAILURE, BUT SUGGESTED THEY REPLACED THE VEHICLE STABILITY AND ABS MODULES. THE DEALER COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE REPAIR WOULD REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 170,000.

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, MY HONDA PILOT ABRUPTLY PULLED TO THE LEFT. IT FELT LIKE THE ANTI LOCK BRAKES ACTUATED. THE VSA AND TRIANGLE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE PILOT WAS PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY WHERE IT STOPPED. THE IGNITION WAS TURNED OFF AND ON AN THE CONDITION CLEARED. *TR

WHILE DRIVING A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY FROM MY HOME THE CAR'S BRAKES LOCKED UP ON THEIR OWN. THE NEXT 1/4 MILE WHILE TRYING TO REACH A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER THE BRAKES WOULD LOCK AND UNLOCK WITHOUT WARNING. ONCE PULLED OVER AND NOTICED THE VSA LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. AFTER THEN READING THE OWNERS MANUAL I FOLLOWED THE INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND THEN BACK ON. AT THIS POINT THE VSA LIGHT WAS OFF AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE BACK HOME WITHOUT ANOTHER INCIDENT. VERY CONCERNED TO DRIVE VEHICLE AGAIN SINCE IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY OR MAJOR ROAD AN ACCIDENT WOULD BE LIKELY. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN 2 AND 4 YEARS OF AGE AND THIS IS THE VEHICLE WE USE TO GET THEM AROUND. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND REVIEW OF THIS ISSUE. *TR

I WAS DRIVING UNDER SLIGHTLY WET CONDITIONS AT A FAIRLY LOW SPEED (APPROX. 25 - 30 MPH) AND THE CAR SEEMED, MOMENTARILY, AS IF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD GONE FLAT AND AN INDICATOR LIGHT WITH A TRIANGLE AND AN EXCLAMATION POINT AND THE VSA LIGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY CAME ON. I PULLED OVER, CHECKED THE TIRE, TURNED THE CAR OFF, RESTARTED IT AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE FOR THE REST OF THAT DAY. THE NEXT MORNING, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING AFTER THE CAR HAD SAT ALL NIGHT. AFTER TURNING IT OFF AND BACK ON, THE INDICATOR AND VSA LIGHTS WERE OUT, BUT THEN CAME BACK ON LESS THAN 30 MINUTES LATER WHILE IDLING. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS DAY WERE COLD, BUT DRY. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AND TOOK THE CAR TO LEITH HONDA. I EXPERIENCED THE SAME CONDITION WHILE DRIVING IT TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM AND THE CAR'S COMPUTER DIDN'T INDICATE THAT THE VSA HAD EVEN BEEN ON. I PICKED THE CAR UP THAT NIGHT, AFTER THEY HAD CLOSED, AND EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM LESS THAN 15 MINUTES AFTER I LEFT THE DEALER. I THEN EXPERIENCED IT AGAIN THE NEXT DAY, AFTER A COLD START, AND THEN AGAIN TODAY, ALSO AFTER A COLD START, BUT THIS TIME WHILE IDLING. THIS IS A SCARY AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND THERE ARE LOTS OF REPORTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FLOATING AROUND THE INTERNET. MY PARTICULAR EXPERIENCES HAVEN'T BEEN AS BAD (YET) AS OTHERS HAVE DESCRIBED, BUT THE SYMPTOMS ARE THE SAME (FRONT BRAKES MOMENTARILY LOCKING AND STEERING PULLING, IN MY CASE, TO THE LEFT). *TR