2003 HONDA PILOT Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT SMELLED A STRONG BURNING ODOR INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED UNTIL THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO THIRD OR FOURTH GEAR. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE OVER 40 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED IN JANUARY OF 2005 FOR A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) HOWEVER, THE REMEDY WAS INSUFFICIENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE RPMS INCREASED UP TO 3000. HIS FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO LUNGE FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE IDLE AIR CONTROL SYSTEM HAD AN INTERNAL FAILURE ON THE AC MOTOR WHICH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE BECAUSE THERE WERE NO RECALLS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,612. UPDATED 06/01/11*LJ UPDATED 06/02/11

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED AND WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 120,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

2003 HONDA PILOT. CONSUMER STATES MECHANICAL PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVE LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH INTERMITTENTLY FROM THE BEGINNING OF OWNERSHIP. THE DEALER TOLD THE CONSUMER IT WAS RELATED TO THE GAS CAP NOT BEING SECURED PROPERLY. HOWEVER, ONCE THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED THE LIGHT NO LONGER FLASHED. ON AUGUST 19, 2003 THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER DUE TO A HESITATION ISSUE, BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. FOUR MONTHS LATER, THE CHECK ENGINE AND SRS LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE VTM LIGHTS WERE FLASHING. ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2005 THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT A SPECIAL PART HAD TO ORDERED. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE POWER STEERING PUMP AND GEAR BOX HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, THE EGR, V-TEC SEALS AND O-RING WERE ALL REPLACED TO RECTIFY THE ENGINE LIGHT PROBLEM. THE TIMING BELT AND LEFT AND RIGHT CONTROL ARM LINKS WERE REPLACED. THE INNER AND OUTER CV BOOTS WERE REPLACED. ON FEBRUARY 8, 20011 WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED ALMOST CAUSING A COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE NEXT DAY, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE TRANSMISSION HAD FAILED AGAIN. *JB

2003 HONDA PILOT (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION) HAS A SHUDDER IN THE TRANSMISSION BETWEEN 29-49 MPH. THE SHUDDER WAS FIRST NOTICED WHEN THE ODOMETER HAD ABOUT 130K MILES. WE WERE TOLD TO CHANGE THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, BUT WE HAD RECENTLY HAD THE TRANSMISSION SERVICED AT HONDA DEALER. IF YOU EASE OFF THE GAS THE SHUDDER WILL STOP. IT ONLY LASTS FOR A FEW SECONDS, BUT IT IS VERY NOTICEABLE SHAKE. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. A WELL MAINTAINED HONDA VEHICLE SHOULD NOT BE NEEDING ITS TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT 130K MILES. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY IN 2003 HONDA PILOT, GOING APPROXIMATELY 60 - 65 MPH, THE CAR VIOLENTLY SHOOK AS IF THE BRAKES HAD BEEN APPLIED. MINUTES LATER, IT HAPPENED AGAIN SO WE EXITED THE FREEWAY AND CONTINUED SLOWLY. ONCE HOME, THERE WAS A HESITATION WHEN SHIFTING TO REVERSE AND IT ACTUALLY ROLLED FORWARD FOR A FEW FEET. WE COULD HEAR IT SLIP INTO GEAR AFTER A FEW SECONDS WITH A METALLIC PING OR THUD. THE NEXT DAY, WE NOTICED THE GEARS SLIPPING WHEN ACCELERATING AROUND 40 MPH. TOOK THE CAR TO RENTON HONDA AND THEY SURMISED IT COULD BE BAD GASOLINE. AFTER PAYING FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST, THEY DETERMINED A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED AT A COST OF $3500 (WITH A GOODWILL DISCOUNT). THIS CAR WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW, HAS NEVER TOWED ANYTHING, AND HAS HAD EVERY SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE AT THE DEALERSHIP. THIS IS WHY THEY OFFERED THE DISCOUNT. THE CAR HAS 117,000 MILES AND HAS BEEN PAMPERED. THIS HONDA ISN'T LIVING UP TO THE HYPE! *TR

2003 HONDA PILOT EX EXPERIENCES SHUDDER/VIBRATION BETWEEN 35-40 MPH, LASTING IN DURATION OF 5 TO 10 SECONDS. DRAIN OF TRANSMISSION FLUID REVEALED FRICTION MATERIAL PRESENT. DEALER SUSPECTS TORQUE CONVERTER FAILURE, SAME AS ACURA MDX. *TR

THE 2003 HONDA PILOT I OWN IS ON IT'S SECOND TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE BECOMES DISABLED AND THE "D" LIGHT FLASHES ON THE DASH INDICATING THE TRANSMISSION HAS FAILED. THE HONDA DEALER SAYS THAT THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE REPLACED AGAIN. TWO TRANSMISSIONS AT ONLY 127, 500 IS A SIGN OF PROBLEMS WITH THE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE OF THE TRANSMISSION ITSELF. I BELIEVE HONDA SHOULD RECALL ALL 2003 & 2004 HONDA PILOT FOR TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE USEFUL LIFE OF THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER AND A PRIVATE MECHANIC PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC TEST. BOTH TEST REVEALED CODE P0730 WHICH MEANS THAT THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE A FAULTY TRANSMISSION SHIFT CONTROL SYSTEM, LOW TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL, OR POOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTION. BOTH SOURCES ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED NOR WAS THE MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 87,000.

2003 HONDA PILOT TRANSMISSION FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. WAS AT DEALERSHIP FOR TRANSMISSION RECALL IN OCT 2004 AND TO REPLACE A TRANSMISSION GEAR PRESSURE SWITCH IN DECEMBER 2010. *TR