2003 HONDA PILOT Complaints

VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT PROPERLY IN LOWER GEARS; VEHICLE WOULD NOT DOWNSHIFT TO FIRST GEAR, BUT WOULD REMAIN IN NEUTRAL. INTERMITTENTLY, VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT FROM FIRST GEAR TO SECOND GEAR, THEN SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL (ENGINE WOULD CONTINUE TO REV, BUT VEHICLE WOULD NOT MOVE). INTERMITTENT 'CLUNK' AS TRANSMISSION MOVES FROM ONE GEAR TO ANOTHER. WHEN VEHICLE DOES NOT SHIFT, POSES A SAFETY HAZARD AS YOU CANNOT MERGE INTO TRAFFIC; OR VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO MERGE, AND WOULD REMAIN IN NEUTRAL, HOLDING UP TRAFFIC BEHIND. HIGHLY DANGEROUS CONDITION, AS DRIVER CANNOT DEPEND ON VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE WHEN REQUIRED. *TR

SAME ISSUE AS EVERY OTHER PILOT OWNER WITH THE 2ND GEAR NOT WANTING TO SHIFT UP AROUND 30-40 MPH, A DELAY AND RPM'S GO UP CAUSING SAFETY ISSUES. *TR

OUR TRANSMISSION KEEPS SLIPPING AROUND 2 OR 3 GEAR.. THERE WAS A RECALL ABOUT THIS PART THAT WAS SUPPOSEDLY FIXED ON OUR CAR. OUR CAR ONLY HAS $116K MILES ON IT, AND IT SEEMS KIND OF FISHY THAT IT IS THE SAME PART THAT WAS RECALLED AND "SUPPOSEDLY" FIXED. TRANSMISSIONS USUALLY LAST A LOT LONGER THAN THIS BEFORE THEY FAIL. THEY NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR FAULTY VEHICLE PARTS! *TR

THE IGNITION INTERLOCK MECHANISM ON OUR 2003 HONDA PILOT EX FAILED ALLOWING THE IGNITION KEY TO BE REMOVED WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER WAS NOT IN PARK THEREBY ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO ROLL AWAY. I REPORTED THE ISSUE TO U.S. HONDA (CASE #[XXX]) WHO SAID THE ISSUE WAS RARE FOR THAT VEHICLE THEREFORE NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED COVERING THE DEFECT. WHEN RESEARCHING THE DEFECT, I NOTED THAT A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE 2003 HONDA ACCORD, CIVIC AND ELEMENT MODELS FOR PRECISELY THE SAME PROBLEM. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

THE RIGHT REAR TAILLIGHT HAS FALLEN APART INTERNALLY. THERE IS A CLEAR "HALF-DOME" OVER THE BULB ON THE BRAKE LIGHT PORTION, INSIDE THE TAILLIGHT UNIT THAT HAS FALLEN OFF AND NOW IS LOOSE INSIDE THE UNIT ITSELF. IT APPEARS THAT IT IS A "SNAP-ON" INSTALLATION WHEN THE UNIT IS ASSEMBLED. THERE IS NO-WAY TO FIX THIS WITHOUT DESTROYING THE SEALED UNIT. DEALER WANTS $150 FOR A REPLACEMENT. *TR

I INADVERTENTLY TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF WITH THE TRANSMISSION STILL IN DRIVE, AND I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION. I THEN EXITED THE CAR. THE CAR STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARD AS I WAS PASSING BEHIND IT, SO I HAD TO UNLOCK THE DOOR AND CLIMB BACK INTO THE MOVING VEHICLE AND APPLY THE BRAKE. THIS SAME FAILURE WARRANTED RECALLS FOR 2003 ACCORDS, CIVICS, AND ELEMENTS, BUT SO FAR NOT FOR PILOTS. I WONDER IF THE INTERLOCK MECHANISM IS COMMON AMONG ALL THESE DIFFERENT MODELS, AND IF SO, WHY HONDA WASN'T REQUIRED TO ISSUE A RECALL FOR THE PILOT, ALSO? THE DESIGNS MUST BE VERY SIMILAR FOR SO MANY MODELS TO BE EXPERIENCING THE SAME FAILURE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE HEADLIGHTS SUDDENLY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. NEITHER THE DEALER NOR THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 160,239.

AT ABOUT 80,0000 MILES ON MY PILOT A VIBRATION AND NOISE WHILE TRAVELING AT A STEADY SPEED ANYWHERE BETWEEN 30 - 50 MILES PER HOUR. THE DEALER SAYS THAT IT COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER BUT HE IS NOT SURE. AT TIMES THE SOUND IS FAINT AND OFTEN TIMES IT IS QUITE LOUD. THE DEALER IS QUOTING AROUND $4000 TO FIX IT. WHEN I ALSO RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. I AGREE THAT HONDA NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

MY VEHICLE IS LEAKING WATER TO THE INTERIOR, LIKE A NUMBER OF OTHER HONDA OWNERS. HONDA IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT...AND IT WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO ELECTRICAL FAILURE BECAUSE OF MOISTURE ON CRITICAL ELECTRICAL PARTS IN THE STEERING COLUMN. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION INITIALLY STARTED TO SHUDDER WHEN THE VEHICLE OPERATED WITHIN THE 40-60 MPH ZONE. NOW THE SHUDDER SEEMS TO OCCUR IN THE RANGE OF 30 TO 60 MPH. THE TRANSMISSION IS ALSO ERRATICALLY SHIFTING UP AND DOWN WITHIN THE DRIVE RANGE CAUSING FOR UNEVEN PERFORMANCE. I NOW OPERATE THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS IN THE "D3" GEAR. ALTHOUGH IT WASTES GAS, THE CAR OPERATES SMOOTHER AND DOES NOT HAVE THE SHUDDERING THAT WAS BEING EXPERIENCE WHILE IN THE "D" GEAR. GIVEN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION, I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A FAMILY MEMBER. OTHERWISE, I WOULD HAVE HAD TIME TO RESEARCH THE CAR AND WOULD HAVE FOUND THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS A VERY SERIOUS FAILURE ON THIS VEHICLE. IT IS IN FACT A LATENT DEFECT THAT HAS OCCURRED WITH CONTINUED REGULARITY. GIVEN THE HISTORY OF THIS ISSUE, AND THE WAY HONDA HAS RESPONDED, I WILL NOT BE LOOKING AT HONDA WHEN I BUY A NEW CAR. *TR