2003 HONDA PILOT Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE IGNITION KEY WHEN THE SHIFT LEVER WAS NOT IN PARK. HE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN PARK WHEN HE TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE MINOR DAMAGES TO THE VEHICLE. NO ONE WAS INJURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH FOR $564 AT HIS EXPENSE. THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR HIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL VEHICLE FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE IGNITION SWITCH. HE WAS ALSO TOLD BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT IF IT DOES BECOME A RECALL TO KEEP HIS RECEIPT AND HE WOULD BE REIMBURSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 72,000.

THE DRIVER'S SEAT ON MY 2003 HONDA PILOT HAS BROKEN AWAY FROM THE FRAME OR BRACKET IN THE FRONT AND RIGHT SIDE. THE SEAT ROCKS PRECARIOUSLY WHEN I DRIVE OR ACCELERATE. THIS IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY HAZARD, AND I'M WONDERING IF THIS IS A FREQUENTLY REPORTED PROBLEM, AND WHETHER HONDA HAS AN OBLIGATION TO FIX IT. THANKS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE THE KEY WILL NOT SLIDE INTO THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT HAD TO SLIDE THE KEY IN PARTIALLY IN ORDER TO START THE VEHICLE. SHE ALSO STATED THAT SHE HAD TO LEAVE THE KEY IN THE IGNITION BECAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE WHOLE IGNITION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE WEAR AND TEAR IN THE IGNITION. THE DEALER ALSO ADVISED HER THAT THE FAILURE WOULD GET WORSE IF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 146,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AND HE HEARD A HIGH PITCHED WHISTLING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE SECOND GEAR SPEED SENSOR WAS REPLACED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE FRONT WHEELS LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STOPPED MOVING FOR A FEW MOMENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE BROKE THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 139,000.

2003 HONDA PILOT STARTED "JUDDERING" AT 35-40 MPH WHEN IT HIT AROUND 45K MILES. NUMEROUS VISITS TO DEALER AND A MECHANIC EVEN RODE WITH ME WHILE I DROVE AND DUPLICATED PROBLEM, BUT WHEN IT WENT BACK INTO THEIR SHOP THEY DENIED A PROBLEM. I GAVE UP WHEN WE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND WE JUST LET OFF THE GAS THEN GIVE IT MORE AND IT CORRECTS. NOW, THOUGH, THE GEAR SHIFTER IS GETTING "STUCK" OR NOT FULLY GOING INTO "P" AND ROLLING, IF THE ER BRAKE IS NOT ON AND THE GEAR IS NOT SHIFTED INTO "R" AND THEN "P" AGAIN. ACURA BULLETIN #06-003 ADDRESSES EXACT ISSUE AS A TORQUE CONVERTER PROBLEM AND THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS REPLACING. LOCAL DEALER CLAIMS NO AWARENESS OF ISSUE AND WON'T DO ANYTHING SINCE CAR HAS OVER 100K AND IS OUT OF EVEN THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED BY NHTSA BEFORE SOME 2003 PILOT TRANSMISSION TOTALLY FAILS AND SOMEONE IS KILLED! PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SO MY TRANSMISSION CAN BE REPLACED!! *TR

MY 2004 HONDA PILOT MAKES A LOUD RATTLING OR VIBRATING NOISE THAT I CAN FEEL WHEN THE CAR IS GOING ABOUT 35 - 60 MPH. I NOTICE IT DAILY ON MY WAY TO AND FROM WORK. SINCE I LIVE WHERE THERE IS NO HONDA DEALER NEARER THAN 150 MILES, I'VE ASKED LOCAL MECHANICS TO TRY TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE VIBRATION. I'VE FOUND OUT THAT THE PROBLEM MAY BE A BAD TORQUE CONVERTER, AND WILL BE QUITE COSTLY TO REPAIR. *TR

2003 HONDA PILOT TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 90000. SEEMS THAT THE RECALL FIX DID NOT WORK. JUST DO AN INTERNET SEARCH AND YOU WILL SEE HOW MANY OF US HAVE HAD TO PAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FOR HONDA TRANSMISSIONS. SECOND TO THIRD GEAR IS THE PROBLEM. YOU DID FORCE THEM TO RECALL THE ODYSSEY PROBLEM IT IS TIME FOR ACTION FOR US PILOT OWNERS. *TR

THE IGNITION KEY CYLINDER ON MY 2003 HONDA PILOT JAMMED AND YOU CANNOT TURN THE KEY. ONCE OUT, YOU CANNOT PUT KEY IN IT AGAIN. *TR

I OWN A HONDA PILOT 2003. 2 WEEKS AGO OUR AIR CONDITIONER COMPRESSOR DIED. WE WERE ON OUR WAY ON VACATION WHEN IT WENT. THE MECHANIC SAID WE COULD HAVE LOST A LOT MORE HAD THE BELT SNAPPED. DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THESE BUT FIGURED ITS WORTH REPORTING. *TR

THE KEY DOES NOT TURN IN THE IGNITION. WE HAVE TO WIGGLE IT OR MESS WITH IT MANY TIMES TO GET IT TO TURN, SOMETIMES IT TAKES TOO LONG FOR US TO GET TO IT TURN, WHICH CAUSES MANY INCONVENIENCES FOR US. THE DEALER WANTS $700-$900 TO REPAIR THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS OUTRAGEOUS. THE CONSUMER SHOULD NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DEFECT OR MISTAKE IN THE ENGINEERING DESIGN OF THE VEHICLE. AND WE KNOW THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH HONDAS. PLEASE RECALL PILOTS FOR THIS VERY INCONVENIENT DEFECT. IF THERE IS AN EMERGENCY AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO GET TO THE HOSPITAL QUICK, NOT BEING ABLE TO START YOUR CAR BECAUSE THE KEY WON'T TURN WILL BE CATASTROPHIC. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF QUICKLY BY THE MANUFACTURER. *TR