2004 HONDA PILOT Complaints

INTENSE SHUDDER EMANATING FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR CAUSING THE WHOLE CAR TO SHAKE. TYPICALLY OCCURS BETWEEN 20-30 MPH DURING SLIGHT ACCELERATION. ABATES SOMEWHAT IF TAKE FOOT OFF OF ACCELERATOR. FROM MY READING, THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE INVOLVING THE TORQUE CONVERTER.

TORQUE CONVERTERS GET STUCK AND CAUSES VEHICLE TO "SHUDDER" OR VIBRATE QUITE BADLY IN THE 40-50 MPH RANGE.

OK THE VEHICLE STALLS ON HILLS, BECOMING NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PROCEED, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY EMITS A GRINDING-SCRAPING SOUND SEEMING TO COME FROM THE FRONT-END PORTION OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. SO, FAR IT HAS ALWAYS MANAGED TO CONTINUE RUNNING/MOVING FORWARD DURING AND AFTER. IT JUST FEELS LIKE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS BADLY, AND NEAR THE END OF SLIPPING/FAILING. I LOOKED UP IT'S VALUE ON A WEBSITE, AND A WARNING BOX POPPED UP NOTIFYING ME THAT MY PILOT'S YEAR MAKE & MODEL HAS 6 SEPARATE MANUFACTURER'S RECALLS. UPON LOOKING FURTHER, I SEE THAT-INDEED-ONE RECALL IS FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS! THEN, WHEN I DID ANOTHER SEARCH, SPECIFIC TO MY VIN #, I SAW THAT MY PARTICULAR PILOT DOES NOT HAVE ANY RECALL ON IT. YET, NOW, THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING, AND I ONLY JUST PURCHASED MY CAR AT THE END OF JANUARY, 2019....I WANT TO AT LEAST MAKE MY BEST EFFORT TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS OF ATTEMPTING TO GET A TRANSMISSION RECALL ON MY CAR-SINCE I NOW THAT OTHER 2004 HONDA PILOTS HAVE GOTTEN ONE. I AM FILING MY COMPLAINT TODAY BASED UPON THAT KNOWLEDGE, DESPITE THE HIGH MILAGE ACCUMULATED ON MY SPECIFIC PILOT. THERE'VE BEEN ABOUT 10 SEPARATE OCCURANCES OF THE STALLING-GRINDING TRANSMISSION "DEATH THROES" SINCE I ACQUIRED IT, ALL TOOK PLACE AT LOW SPEEDS ON URBAN STREETS, AND HALF *5 OR 6 TIMES) HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING UP A LARGE HILL, THE REST ON FLAT CITY STREETS. I HOPE THIS IS SUFFICIENT INFO FOR THIS COMPLAINT TO BE PROCESSED. THANKS

FUEL TANK WILL NOT ACCEPT FUEL IN A TIMELY MATTER, ACTS AS THOUGH THERE IS A PLUG IN THE TANK.

FUEL TANK-- THE FUEL TANK WILL NOT FILL AT A NORMAL RATE, IT CONTINUES TO SHUT OFF AS IF THE TANK IS FULL. VERY ANNOYING AS IT TAKES LOTS OF TIME TO FILL THE TANK PLEASE ADVISE [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).' *PM

RINSING WITH WATER OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE AFTER EXPOSURE TO SALTED ROADS AFTER SNOWFALL (ROUTINE PRACTICE) I NOTICED FLAKES OF RUST BENEATH THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. I CRAWLED UNDER THE VEHICLE TO OBSERVE EXTENSIVE CORROSION OF THE CROSS MEMBER THAT THE REAR SUSPENSION STRUTS ARE ATTACHED TO. THE REAR DRIVER SIDE AREA WHERE THE STRUT IS CONNECTED IS CORRODED TO THE EXTENT WHERE THE MOUNT IS PARTIALLY EATEN AWAY AND A LARGE HOLE HAS FORMED. THE OTHER STRUT MOUNTING AREA IS CHARTING THE SAME COURSE AND IS SUBSTANTIALLY CORRODED. SHOULD A STRUT DISCONNECT FROM THE VEHICLE A LOSS OF CONTROL WOULD OCCUR. THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE OF THE VEHICLE IS 107000. NO OTHER PARTS OF VEHICLE APPEAR TO BE CORRODED TO A LEVEL APPROACHING THE REAR. I WILL LOOK AT THE FRONT END TO INSPECT MORE CLOSELY FOR CORROSION DAMAGE AND TO TAKE PICTURES. VEHICLE WAS PARKED (STATIONARY) WHEN THE CORROSION WAS OBSERVED.

PURCHASED A 2004 HONDA PILOT USED AT 136K MILES. WITHIN A WEEK OF DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE CODES P0700, P0705, P0740 WERE ALL PRESENT, WHICH ARE ALL IN RELATION TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION SHOP CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE ACROSS HONDA & ACURA VEHICLES IN THE '03-'04 RANGE (SEE 2003-2004 ACURA MDX SERVICE BULLETIN 06-003). A DESIGN FLAW IN THE TORQUE CONVERTER CAUSES IT TO BREAK DOWN & SHED METAL FRAGMENTS, WHICH COMPROMISES THE REST OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE ONLY REAL FIX IS TO REBUILD OR REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. HONDA AMERICAS CUSTOMER SERVICE REFUSED TO REVIEW MY CASE ANY FURTHER, EVEN UNDER GOODWILL CONSIDERATION.

KEY WILL NOT NOT TURN IN IGNITION TO START CAR. TRIED SPARE KEY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS FROM GOOGLE, TURNING STEERING WHEEL, BRAKES, DISCONNECTING BATTERY. LOCKSMITH CHARGE TO REPAIR $300+, PER COMMENTS ON GOOGLE BETTER TO REPLACE OR WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. COST TO REPLACE $600+. TRIED TAPPING AROUND KEY HOLE WITH SCREWDRIVER & HAMMER WHILE SOMEONE TURNED KEY, DID NOT WORK.

REAR SUSPENSION CROSS MEMBER SUPPORT RUSTS OUT DUE TO DESIGN. OVER TIME WATER IS THROWN FROM TIRE AND RESTS IN THE SUPPORT NUT AREA. OVER TIME RUST BUILDS UP AND THE SUPPORT BREAKS THROUGH THE REAR CROSS MEMBER. NO WAY FOR THE WATER TO ESCAPE. I AM SUPPLYING ONE PICTURE OF MY CAR SHOWING WHERE RUST HAS STARTED. TWO ADDITIONAL PICTURES ARE FROM THE SHOP FIXING MY CAR FOR ANOTHER ISSUE SHOWING ANOTHER CUSTOMER WITH THE SAME ISSUE, BUT MUCH WORSE. YOU CANNOT BUY THE CROSS MEMBER DUE TO HOW THE CAR IS MADE. SO THE FIX IS TO CUT OUT THE RUST AND WELD IN A NEW SUPPORT. THE CAR SHOP WILL RUST PROOF AND PUT A WATER RESISTANT FOAM OVER THE NEW SUPPORT NUT ENSURING THE RUST WILL NOT RETURN. MY COST OF THIS REPAIR FOR BOTH SIDES IS JUST SHY OF $2000. MY OPINION IS THIS IS A FACTORY DESIGN FLAW THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BY HONDA. NO RECALLS FOR THIS ISSUE EXIST, AND YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE BACK END SUPPORT POTENTIALLY COLLAPSING AS YOU ARE DRIVING. THE ISSUE WAS CAUGHT BY THE TRANSMISSION SHOP DOING OTHER WORK ON 12/18/2018. THEY JUST FIXED THE OTHER CUSTOMER'S PILOT (2004) WITH THE SAME ISSUE (PICTURES I ATTACHED) AND HAD THE FORESIGHT TO LOOK AT MY 2004 PILOT. SO FOR SAFETY REASONS I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE THEM APPLY THE SAME FIX.

REAR STRUT MOUNT ON FRAME IS TORN, WHEN DRIVING AND HIT SMALL BUMPS MAKES A CLUNK NOISE.