2003 HONDA PILOT Complaints

TRANSMISSION GOING BAD. DEALER SAYS IT IS A BAD TORQUE CONVERTER AND COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE IF IT LOCKS UP WHILE MOVING. IT APPEARS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF THESE ISSUES WITH THE HONDA PILOT. *TR

HAVING DIFFICULTIES PUTING CAR INTO GEAR FROM PARK TO DRIVE ESPECIALLY IF VEHICLE IS ON A HILL. VARIOUS FRIENDS WHO HAVE THE SAME CAR HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. ONE FRIEND HAD TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION WHEN IT FAILED ON THE HIGHWAY. *TT

FRONT ENGINE MOUNT BROKE UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS; VEHICLE WAS NEVER DRIVEN OFF ROAD, ONLY ON PAVED ROADS. *TR

AS I WAS DRIVING DOWN A BUSY HIGHWAY THIS MORNING MY TRANSMISSION STARTED VIOLENTLY JERKING IN AND OUT OF GEARS SO HARD IT WAS THROWING ME FORWARD AND MY SEATBELT WAS LOCKING. AFTER THE JERKING THE RPM'S WENT TO 5,000 AT 55 MPH AND THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP CAME ON. I PULLED OVER AND HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED HOME. THE JERKING WAS SO BAD THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME SLOWED DOWN TO AVOID A COLLISION. I DO HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN THAT RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE AND SEEING THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON WITH THIS ISSUE, WHY HASN'T HONDA OWNED UP TO THIS PROBLEM. I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED FROM THIS NOT TO MENTION HOW SCARED I WAS WHILE IT WAS HAPPENING. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN! HONDA OBVIOUSLY DID NOT FIX THE ORIGINAL PROBLEM. I HAVE NOTIFIED HONDA MOTOR CORPORATION AND HAVE FILED A COMPLAINT, MY VEHICLE IS BEING TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE A DIAGNOSTICS DONE AND SENT TO THE "CASE WORKER", WHO SHOULD CONTACT ME IN 24-48 HOURS. IF HONDA DOES NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM AND SOMEONE DIES AS A RESULT OF THE TRANSMISSION LOCKING UP, THEY ARE GOING TO BE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. WHY DON'T THESE CORPORATIONS FIX THE PROBLEMS BEFORE A LIFE IS TAKEN. I EXPECT WAY MORE THAN 107,000 MILES OUT OF MY PILOT TRANSMISSION. *TR

WHILE DRIVING WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT TO THIRD, AND INSTEAD SHIFTED TO FIRST GEAR. THIS GAVE A SERIOUS JOLT TO THE CAR, AND NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. ON REVIEW BY A TRANSMISSION SHOP, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CLUTCH PACK WAS COMPLETELY DETERIORATED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. HONDA OF NORTH AMERICA S UNWILLING TO ADMIT THAT THERE IS A DESIGN FLAW IN THE TRANSMISSION. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS, NO FLASHING "D" SYMBOL ON THE DASH, NOTHING. JUST A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON A BUSY ROAD, DRIVING NORMALLY. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. *TR

I INITIALLY NOTICED A GASOLINE SMELL IN THE GARAGE. THEN, AFTER FILLING THE GAS TANK ONE DAY, AND PARKING IN THE GARAGE OVERNIGHT, I DISCOVERED A PUDDLE OF GASOLINE ON THE GARAGE FLOOR! THE GAS IS LEAKING FROM THE FUEL TANK, AT THE SEAM OR JOINT WHERE THE TANK'S INTEGRAL CYLINDRICAL "TUBE" PROJECTION TRANSITIONS TO THE FLAT SURFACE OF THE TANK. THE RUBBER FILLER HOSE CLAMPS ONTO THIS TANK TUBE, BUT THE LEAK IS IN THE TANK "TUBE JOINT SEAM" ONLY. LIGHT FINGER PRESSURE ON THE SIDE OF THE TUBE RESULTS IN A MORE OBVIOUS LEAKAGE RATE. I CONTACTED HONDA OWNER LINK, AND WAS TOLD THAT A DEALER HAD TO CONFIRM MY OBSERVATION BEFORE HONDA COULD HELP WITH THIS SAFETY DEFECT. I TOOK THE CAR IN, AND THE SERVICE TECH REPORTED "FUEL LEAK AT THE FILLER NECK. TANK HAS NO ROAD DAMAGE. TANK WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. FUEL IS LEAKING AT THIS TIME." I WAITED ANOTHER 2 HOURS FOR THE SERVICE MANAGER TO CONTACT AND RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM THE HONDA DPSR. SHE DECLINED ANY "GOODWILL" ASSISTANCE "DUE TO MILES AND YEAR OF VEHICLE". THE QUOTE TO REPLACE THIS SAFETY DEFECT IS $1200, AND NO ONE AT HONDA ACCEPTS ANY RESPONSIBILITY. I HAVE TRIED TO ELEVATE THIS DANGEROUS SAFETY DEFECT WITHIN HONDA, AND HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS NOT A SAFETY DEFECT BECAUSE THERE IS NO NHTSA ACTION IN PLACE. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ONLY FURTHER ELEVATION AVENUE BEYOND THE HONDA DPSR WAS TO FILE THIS NHTSA COMPLAINT, AND WAIT FOR ENOUGH SIMILAR FUEL TANK FAILURES TO BE REGISTERED BY NHTSA. MEANWHILE, GASOLINE IS LEAKING FROM MY DEFECTIVE PILOT FUEL TANK, AND MY ONLY CHOICES ARE TO RUN IT OUT OF FUEL AND PARK IT, OR TO PAY $1200 MYSELF TO CORRECT THE HONDA DESIGN OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THIS FUEL TANK. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW HONDA CAN DENY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SAFETY DEFECT, WHEN THEIR TECHNICIAN HAS CONFIRMED THAT IT IS INTEGRAL TO THE FUEL TANK, AND THAT THE TANK HAS NOT BEEN DAMAGED IN DRIVING. *KB

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BEGAN FAILING AT 89,000 MILES THEN FINALLY FAILED AROUND 94,000. WHEN I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE HONDA DEALER HE DID NOT MENTION ANY RECALLS AND HE FAILED TO MENTION THAT THERE WERE ANY PROBLEMS. ALL HE WAS INTERESTED IN IS SELLING ME A BRAND NEW HONDA OR A NEW TRANSMISSION. I HAD TO GET IT REBUILT AND NOW AT 101,000 THE SHUDDER BETWEEN 40-50MPH IS STARTING AGAIN SO I KNOW IT IS A MATTER OF TIME. I FEEL THE TRANSMISSIONS ON THESE VEHICLES ARE DEFECTIVE AND HONDA NEEDS TO MAKE GOOD ON THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. *TR

MY 2003 HONDA PILOT WITH 76000 MILES HAS STARTED TO MAKE 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 $2100 TO FIX IT. WHEN I RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. HONDA NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL. *TR

2003 HONDA PILOT STARTED TO SOMETIMES DROP OUT OF GEAR. FEELS LIKE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL. I STEP ON GAS, CAN HEAR ENGINE REV, BUT FEELS LIKE TRANSMISSION HAS DISENGAGED. I HAVE TO COAST OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD, PLACE CAR IN PARK AND THEN IN DRIVE AGAIN TO CORRECT PROBLEM. WHEN TRANNY IS NOT ACTING UP, I ALSO HAVE NOTICED THE CAR SHAKES AROUND 50-60MPH. D WAS FLASHING AND ENGINE LIGHT ON FIRST TIME TRANNY DISENGAGED, SO I TOOK CAR TO ME MECHANIC, WHO TOLD ME DIAGNOSTICS WERE TELLING HIM CAR NEEDED NEW SENSORS, WHICH HE REPLACED. WENT UPSTATE, THINKING PROB SOLVED, WELL, I ALMOST CAUSED A PILE UP ON GWB IN NEW YORK WITH CAR DROPPING OUT OF DRIVE AGAIN AT ABOUT 45MPH, NOWHERE THERE TO PULL OVER, SO I HAD TO STOP CAR IN MIDDLE OF ROAD, DROP IT INTO PARK, THEN MOVE IT INTO DRIVE. THIS TIME NO FLASHING D OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON.I BROUGHT IT TO HONDA. THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD CHECK THE TRANNY. THE ONLY THING THEY FOUND WRONG WAS TRANNY FLUID WAS SLIGHTLY OVERFILLED, SO THEY DRAINED SOME FLUID. THEY DID TELL ME IF PROBLEM PERSISTED I WOULD NEED A NEW TRANNY AND ALSO NEEDED NEW ENGINE MOUNTS ON MY 8 YEAR OLD CAR WITH 103,000MILES. NEXT DAY PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE! MEANWHILE I HAD DEALER CHECK ON THE PRICE OF NEW TRANNY..4,700.00! WAS VERY UPSET TO FIND ALL OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS AND MANY WEBSITES. I CALLED HONDA DEALER, TOLD THEM I FELT HONDA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 PILOTS, AND OTHER MODELS. THEY ASKED ME WHAT I WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS.I TOLD THE MAN, IF THEY ARE NEGOTIATING A PRICE ON A NEW TRANNY, THEN HONDA KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE CARS.I EXPLAINED TO HIM I'VE ALREADY SPENT 700.00 ON SENSORS AT MY MECHANIC, AND ANOTHER 250.00 WITH HIS SERVICE STATION ON THIS TRANNY, AND WOULD NOT PAY ANY MORE THAN 500.00. NEXT DAY GOT CALL TELLING ME THEY WOULDN'T GIVE ME ANYTHING TOWARD NEW TRANNY.VERY UNHAPPY HONDA NOT MAKING GOOD ON AN OBVIOUS DEFECT IN THESE TRANNYS! NO MORE HONDAS FOR ME.*KB

THIS VEHICLE MAKE HAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. MANY TIMES I HAVE BEEN IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY NEGOTIATION OF THE ROADWAY TO AVOID BEING INVOLVED IN A MAJOR COLLISION. THE HONDA PILOT'S AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF DRIVE, INTO NEUTRAL, WITH NO WARNING AND AT VARYING SPEEDS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR TWO YEARS. IT HAPPENS AT SLOW SPEEDS (I.E. 25 MPH AND ALSO AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS 65-70 MPH). TRANSMISSION FLUID HAS BEEN POWER FLUSHED AND FILLED BY AN ASE CERTIFIED DEALER. FLUID WAS NOTICEABLY DARK. MECHANIC THOUGHT THE PROBLEM IS A COMBINATION TORQUE CONVERTER LOCK-UP ISSUE AS WELL AS A TRANSMISSION ISSUE. HONDA STATES THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS SERVICED FOR A FACTORY TRANSMISSION PROBLEM RECALL, HOWEVER, THIS WAS PRIOR TO ME PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. *TR