2003 HONDA PILOT Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE IGNITION WOULD LOCK ABNORMALLY AND WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO INSERT THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION. WHEN THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO INSERT THE KEY, HE WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE IGNITION OVER AND THE WHEELS WOULD REMAIN LOCKED. ADDITIONALLY, THE CONTACT WOULD SPORADICALLY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH INSERTING THE KEY INTO THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO ADVISED THAT HE WOULD ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE SO THAT THE KEY WOULD FIT INTO THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE KEY WAS THE ORIGINAL KEY PROVIDED WITH THE VEHICLE WHEN PURCHASED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA PILOT WITH DVD PLAYER AND WIRELESS HEADPHONES. MY WIFE AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH OUR TWO YOUNG KIDS WHO WERE WATCHING A DVD WITH THE HEADPHONES. THE KIDS STATED THAT THE HEADPHONES STOPPED WORKING AND STARTED MAKING A WHITE NOISE SOUND. A FEW MINUTES LATER WE SAW SMOKE COME OUT OF THE DASHBOARD, THROUGH THE TAPE DECK AND OTHER OPENINGS. WE WERE SCARED TO DEATH AND HAD LIMITED VISIBILITY. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER WITHOUT WRECKING. WE ALL GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND LET THE SMOKE CLEAR. AFTERWARDS, WE TOOK IT TO THE CHARLESTON, SC DEALERSHIP. EVEN THOUGH THEY FOUND BURNT PARTS IN THE DVD PLAYER, THEY REFUSED TO HELP. THEY WANTED OVER $1000 TO PUT IN A NEW DVD PLAYER. WE TOOK THE PAPERWORK AND LEFT, WHILE THE DVD HEADPHONES STILL DO NOT WORK TO THIS DAY. I EVEN FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE BBB, WITHOUT SUCCESS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD BANG COMING FROM THE ENGINE, THE POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED FUNCTIONING AND THE IGNITION TURNED OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP BUT WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THE TIMING BELT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000.

CAR CLUNKED WHEN ACCELERATING, SEEMED TO BE SLIPPING WHEN SHIFTING INTO GEAR, HAPPENED HERE AND THERE AND THEN HAPPENED MORE OFTEN. TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. *TR

I PURCHASED THE 2003 HONDA PILOT IN NOVEMBER OF 2002. AT ABOUT 32,000 MILES, A "SHUTTERING" BEGAN TO OCCUR AT LOWER SPEEDS. (15 TO 35 MPH.) I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE BACK TO 3 DIFFERENT HONDA DEALERS OVER TIME AND NONE ACKNOWLEDGE THE ISSUE. STATING IT IS NOT OBSERVED WHEN IN SHOP. I HAD MENTIONED TO THE LAST DEALER THAT A CLOSE FRIEND PURCHASED A 2009 HONDA VAN THAT IS NOW BEING RECALLED FOR THE SAME "SHUTTERING" OF THE TRANSMISSION AND HE WAS TOLD THE COMPUTER NEEDED TO HAVE A PROGRAM UPDATE. THE DEALERSHIP, DAVENPORT IN ROCKY MOUNT ,NC ACTED AS IF THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF THIS RECALL AND DID AS THE OTHER DEALERS, NOTHING. *TR

TRANSMISSION BEGINNING TO GO BAD. A VERY COMMON PROBLEM ON THE 2003 HONDA PILOT. HONDA KNOWS ABOUT THIS AND REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. ALSO MOTOR MOUNTS GOING BAD. *TR

MY CONVERTIBLE CHILD RESTRAINT COMES EQUIPPED WITH A LATCH STRAP WITH A STATED LIMIT OF 80 LBS (SUPERLATCH). WHEN I INSTALL THE SEAT USING THE SUPERLATCH STRAP, I AM REPEATEDLY FINDING THAT WITHIN TWO DAYS OF NORMAL USE, THE INSTALLATION BECOMES SIGNIFICANTLY LOOSER-SOMETIMES AS MUCH AS 2-3 INCHES OF MOVEMENT. AS A CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICIAN, I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE SEAT IS INSTALLED CORRECTLY AND TIGHTLY TO BEGIN WITH. I KNOW THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON REPORTING THIS FOR THIS SEAT. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE SUPERLATCH CLIP/HOOK MECHANISM COME DETACHED FROM MY VEHICLE'S LATCH ANCHOR BARS SEVERAL TIMES, DESPITE HEARING AN AUDIBLE CLICK WHEN INSTALLING THE SEAT AND PULLING ON THE STRAP TO ENSURE PROPER ATTACHMENT AT THE TIME ON INSTALLATION. THE SUPERLATCH STRAP ADJUSTER IS FAILING TO MAINTAIN TIGHTNESS AND THE CONNECTORS ARE NOT REMAINING SECURELY ATTACHED TO THE LATCH BARS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE UNACCEPTABLE. THE MANUFACTURER'S "SOLUTION" IS TO INSTALL WITH THE VEHICLE BELT AND/OR REPLACE THE ORIGINAL SUPERLATCH STRAP WITH A STANDARD 40-48 LB LATCH STRAP. (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=2010, MAKE=NISSAN, MODEL=SENTRA). *TR

I HAVE A 2003 HONDA PILOT WITH 137,000 MILES ON IT AND IT VIBRATES SOMEWHERE AROUND 35-45 MPH. MY MECHANIC RECOMMENDED WE HAVE THE TRANSMISSION CHECKED AS HE HAS SEEN 3 OR 4 OTHER PILOTS DO THE SAME THING. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES TO THE POINT WHERE I JUST GOT USED TO IT. WITH THE THOUGHT OF A NEW TRANSMISSION LOOMING, I DECIDED TO SEARCH IF OTHERS HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE AND AM SHOCKED TO SEE HOW MANY OTHERS HAVE DEALT WITH THIS. I HAVE BEEN A HONDA OWNER ALL MY DRIVING LIFE AND SEEING THIS ISSUE SO PROMINENT DEFINITELY MAKES ME RETHINK ANOTHER ONE. I DO HOPE HONDA WILL RECTIFY THIS BEFORE SOMETHING SERIOUS HAPPENS. *TR

2003 HONDA PILOT, TRANSMISSION SLIP BETWEEN 25 AND 40 MPH ALMOST LIKE IT'S SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL, USUALLY WHEN IT'S SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD. HAPPENS OCCASIONALLY WITHOUT WARNING. USUALLY STALL FOR SEVERAL SECONDS SOMETIMES CANNOT PROCEED CAUSING SAFETY HAZARD IN TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. ALSO TOLD THAT MOTOR MOUNTS NEED REPLACED. SEEMS TO BE VERY COMMON PROBLEM CAN'T AFFORD REPAIR. TRANSMISSION COOLER THAT HONDA INSTALLED WAS OBVIOUS PATCH TO ATTEMPT TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF A FAULTY DESIGN. ARE WE GOING TO LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS ? *TR

OWNER OF 2003 HONDA PILOT. ABOUT A YEAR AGO "D" LIGHT STARTED BLINKING ON THE CAR. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT NO PROBLEMS FOUND. ABOUT THREE MONTHS LATTER, CAR STARTED HESITATING WHEN SHIFTING INTO 2ND - 3RD GEAR. WENT BACK TO DEALER AND TOLD THAT NO PROBLEMS FOUND WITH TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM BECAME WORST AND THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR AT ABOUT 30 MPH. I WOULD HAVE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PUT IT BACK IN GEAR TO CONTINUE DRIVING. I RETURNED TO THE DEALER AND THIS TIME THEY FLUSHED THE TRANS FLUID AND SAID THAT THIS SHOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. WELL IT DIDN'T. NOW THE DEALER IS TELLING ME THAT THERE IS A TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND IT WILL COST ME $3221.79 TO REPLACE THE TRANS (THIS IS AFTER THE $1,300.00 THAT HONDA CORP AGREED TO PAY). I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY HONDA WOULD TAKE SO LONG TO DIAGNOSE THIS PROBLEM, IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WITH THIS CAR. MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHEN I FIRST COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION. VIN [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR