2003 HONDA PILOT Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED GEAR SLIPPAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTED ERRATICALLY AT TIMES WHILE THE RPM'S REVVED WITHOUT FORWARD MOMENTUM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ESSERMAN LARGO HONDA (554 NE 1ST AVE, FLORIDA CITY, FL 33034, (844) 329-6036) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000.

WE HAVE OWNED THIS TRUCK SINCE FEBRUARY 2019. THIS SITUATION HAS OCCURRED ON THE CITY STREETS AS WELL AS ON THE HIGHWAY. THE SPEED WOULD VARY BETWEEN 35MPH AND 65MPH. WHILE WE WERE DRIVING WITH 4 SMALL CHILDREN IN OUR TRUCK, THE TRUCK WOULDN'T SWITCH GEARS. OUR FOOT WOULD BE ON THE GAS, BUT THE TRUCK WOULDN'T ACCELERATE. SOMETIMES THE TRUCK WILL BE IN PARK AND WE'LL GO TO SHIFT INTO (D) AND IT WON'T SHIFT. IT HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES. (I HAVE SELECTED THE MOST RECENT DATE OF OCCURRENCE BELOW, BUT THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES ON DIFFERENT DAYS. I DO NOT HAVE PHOTOS, AS THIS IS A MOTION THING. I DO NOT HAVE DOCUMENTATION AT THE MOMENT, BUT WILL BE TAKING IT TO A MECHANIC THIS WEEK.) I HAVE ESTIMATED THE MILLES ON THE TRUCK, BUT I BELIEVE IT IS LESS THAN 180K.

I TOOK MY PILOT TO THE HONDA DEALER FOR THE AIRBAG RECALL BUT THEY REFUSED TO RESET THE RED WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD. DOES THIS MEAN THE AIR BAGS ARE STILL DEFECTIVE?

I WAS DRIVING ON SR 207 WHEN A TRUCK SIDESWIPED ME WHICH SENT MY CAR TO A DEEP DITCH. IT BRIEFLY LAID ON ITS SIDE THEN UP AND OUT THE DITCH BUT DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG DIDN'T DEPLOY.

I HEARD CRUNCHING NOISES COMING FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT CUSHION. I ASSUMED IT WAS A SPRING GIVING WAY, SINCE THE CAR IS 16 YEARS OLD. I ARRANGED TO HAVE THE FRONT SEATS REUPHOLSTERED AND REPAIRED THE FOLLOWING WEEK. A COUPLE DAYS LATER, I GOT INTO THE CAR AFTER RUNNING AN ERRAND, AND THE DRIVER'S SEAT ACTED LIKE A ROCKING CHAIR! THIS WAS IN THE PARKING LOT OF SAM'S CLUB. I SLOWLY AND CAUTIOUSLY DROVE HOME, SINCE IT FELT LIKE THE DRIVER'S SEAT COULD LET GO. ONLINE RESEARCH INDICATED A BRACKET BROKE THAT HOLDS THE DRIVERS SEAT DOWN, AND THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE FOR THE HONDA PILOT. THEY SAID NO RECALL BECAUSE NOBODY HAD DIED?? THIS DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT. THE RE-UPHOLSTERER HAD THE BRACKET WELDED AS A SIDE-JOB WHEN HE DID HIS WORK. STILL, THIS ISN'T OK. IF THE SEAT HAD LET GO AND SLID FORWARD WHILE I WAS DRIVING, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. I NEEDED TO REPORT THIS.

WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE THE D INDICATOR STARTS BLINKING. THE NEXT EXIT IS STILL 10 MILES AWAY..I STOP THE CAR AT A GAS STATION FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. I THEN GET BACK ON THE INTERSTATE TO GET HOME WITHOUT GETTING IN AN ACCIDENT OR FATALLY INJURING MYSELF OR OTHERS ! THIS HAS HAPPENED A FEW TIMES WHENEVER I GO OVER 55-60 MPH. SO IT SEEMS TO BE WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS CHANGING FROM 3RD TO 4TH GEAR.?? WHY HAVEN'T I RECEIVED A RECALL FOR THIS TRANSMISSION/POWERTRAIN PROBLEM ?? POSSIBLY CAMPAIGN # 04V176000 AND RECALL # P30. I ONLY HAVE 147,000 MILES ON MY PILOT !! HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO GET INJURED OR EVEN KILLED FOR THIS MATTER TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BY SOMEONE OR HONDA ???

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V501000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED LANDMARK HONDA (5125 DUKE ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22304, (703) 823-8000) AND WAS INFORMED ABOUT DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT DECLINED THE REPAIRS DUE TO THE FEE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

THE ATTACHMENT POINTS ON THE FRAME WHERE THE REAR SUBFRAME ATTACHES HAVE NEARLY COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. THE REST OF THE FRAME APPEARS TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION. AN INTERNET SEARCH SHOWED THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH HONDA PILOTS. GIVEN THE PREVALENCE OF THE ISSUE, IT APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW. THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE SINCE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE MOUNTING POINTS COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE ATTACHED PICTURE IS NOT FROM MY VEHICLE BUT THE DAMAGE IS IDENTICAL TO THAT SHOWN IN THIS PICTURE.

THE REAR SUB-FRAME ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF THIS 2003 HONDA PILOT IS EXTREMELY RUSTED EXPOSING THE SUSPENSION CROSS-MEMBER BOLT WHICH IS SIMILARLY RUSTED. AN INTERNET SEARCH INDICATES THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH HONDA PILOTS AND A POTENTIAL HIGH-RISK POINT OF FAILURE.

I NEVER GOT RECALLS FIXED AND DEALER SERVICE MARKED AS CHECKED BUT NOT REPLACED AND SRS LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE SERVICE AND I HAD TO PAY TO GET RECALLED DUE TO EMERGENCY INTERLOCK WAS DAMAGED