2003 HONDA PILOT Complaints

I OWN A 2003 HONDA PILOT. TWO OF THE FOUR ENGINE MOUNTS ARE BAD. FROM PEOPLE I HAVE TALKED TO, IT SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN MANY, MANY HONDA PILOTS. IT SEEMS TO ME TO BE DEFECTIVE FOR SO MANY PEOPLE TO BE HAVING THE SAME COSTLY PROBLEM. *TR

THE CAR MAKES GRINDING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD WHEN THE CAR GENTLY ACCELERATES FROM BELOW 1400 RPM TO 1500 RPM. IT STARTED TO HAPPEN AROUND 30000 MILES AND HAPPENS FREQUENTLY NOW (97000 MILES). DEALER HAS REPLACED EGR VALVE 3 TIMES WITH NO AVAIL AND THEY CANNOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. SOMETIMES THE GRINDING NOISE LASTS UPTO 5 SECONDS. THE TACHOMETER JUMPS UP AND DOWN AROUND 1500 RPM WHILE MAKING THE GRINDING NOISE. THE DIFFERENTIAL FLUID WAS CHANGED BUT NOISE STILL HAPPENS. *TR

2 FAILURES: 1) REAR AIR UNIT FAILED AT 50,000 MILES / 5 YEARS. 2) TWO MOTOR MOUNT BROKEN (FRONT AND SIDE) AT 60,000 MILES / 6 YEARS. *TR

NOTICED THAT THE HONDA PILOT WOULD SHAKE WHEN DRIVING AT 60, THEN EVENTUALLY START FEELING THE BRAKES GOING INTO EFFECT AND THE SPEED DROPPING TO BELOW 40. HOWEVER, DRIVING AT 25 YESTERDAY, THE BRAKES LOCKED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP, I HAD TO PUSH DOWN THE BRAKES AND THEN THE CAR MOVED. *TR

I OWN A 2003 HONDA PILOT EXL,LATELY I'VE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE SWITCH NOT WANTING TO TURN ON OR UNLOCK STEERING WHEEL. WHAT SHOULD I DO...I'VE OWN TWO OTHER HONDAS AND HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS.(98 ACCORD,98 CIVIC);THEIR WAS RECALL ON THEM. IS THEIR A RECALL ON THE HONDA PILOT SWITCH OR STEERING COLUMN. *TR

1-FAILED IGNITION LOCK 2- CANNOT START THE CAR 3- REPLACE THE IGNITION LOCK CYLINDER. *TR

HAD TO REPLACE FRONT AND SIDE MOTOR MOUNTS ON MY 2003 HONDA PILOT. THIS WAS AFTER ONLY 67,118 MILES. MECHANIC SAID THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE ORIGINAL MOTOR MOUNTS. THIS COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS. *TR

MY 2003 HONDA PILOT WAS CAUSING LACERATIONS TO THE HANDS AND FINGERS WHEN USING THE DOOR HANDLE FROM THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE DELAMINATING DOOR HANDLES. THE CHROME PLATING ON THE PLASTIC DELAMINATES AND HAS A VERY SHARP EDGE THAT SLICES THE FINGERS OR HANDS IF RUB AGAINST. ALL OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE HAD LACERATION INJURIES FROM THESE DEFECTIVE HANDLES. I HAVE POINTED OUT THE DEFECT TO HONDA BUT THEY SAY IT IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND NOT COVERED. I HAVE OLDER VEHICLES FROM OTHER MANUFACTURERS THAT DON'T HAVE THIS ISSUE AND OBVIOUSLY DISAGREE WITH HONDA'S ASSESSMENT. *TR

HAD 2003 HONDA PILOT IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE TIMING BELT. SERVICE MGR CALLED AND STATED THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT AND SIDE MOUNT WERE BROKEN. HE STATED THIS IS A ONGOING OCCURRENCE WITH THE HONDA PILOTS....WE HAD 137,000 MILES. I AM BEING INFORMED THAT THIS OCCURS AROUND 60,000 MILES ALL THE TIME. *TR

THE TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT STARTS FLASHING AFTER ABOUT 5 MINUTES OF DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, HOWEVER, THERE IS NO EFFECT ON DRIVING PERFORMANCE. WE HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO OUR MECHANIC BUT HE CANNOT FIND A PROBLEM WHEN HE PLUGS THE DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM INTO THE COMPUTER. WHILE THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT AFFECTED OUR USE OF THE VEHICLE DIRECTLY, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT ONE DAY THE TRANSMISSION WILL SEIZE UP. FOR INFORMATION, WE HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED WHEN THE TRANSMISSION CHECK WARNING WAS ISSUED A FEW YEARS AGO (YEARS BEFORE THE PROBLEM OCCURRED) AND WE WERE TOLD BY OUR HONDA DEALER THAT OUR TRANSMISSION DID NOT FALL INTO THE CATEGORY THAT REQUIRED REMEDIAL WORK. *TR