2005 HONDA PILOT Complaints

I RECENTLY PURCHASED AN '05 HONDA PILOT FROM BUTLER PRE-OWNED DEALERSHIP IN BUTLER, PA. THE VEHICLE WAS LEASED FOR 3 YEARS, AND I WORKED THE DEAL ON THE CAR ON THE INTERNET. WHEN A PRICE WAS AGREED TO, I DROVE TO BUTLER TO PICK UP THE VEHICLE, HOWEVER, I TEST DROVE IT FIRST. IT HAD A VERY NOTICEABLE SHIMMY, AND A SHUDDER WHEN DRIVING AT 50MPH SPEEDS AND UP. I TOLD THE SALESMAN THAT THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE, SO WE RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND DROVE 3 OTHER '05 PILOTS ON THE LOT, ALL WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. THE SALESMAN AND SALES MANAGER SAID THIS WAS A RESULT OF PUTTING NEW TIRES ON ALL OF THESE VEHICLES, AND AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE FOR A WHILE, THE RIDE WOULD SMOOTH OUT. WELL, I SWALLOWED THIS LINE OF CRAP, HOOK, LINE, AND SINKER, AND AFTER RETURNING HOME, AND DRIVING THE PILOT FOR A COUPLE WEEKS, I REPLACED THE NEW KUMHO TIRES WITH OEM GOODYEAR INTEGRITY TIRES, AND HAD THE WHEELS BALANCED TWICE, ONCE AT HONDA DEALER, AND AGAIN AT LOCAL TIRE SHOP, WITH LATEST STATE OF THE ART BALANCING MACHINES. AFTER ALL THIS, THE SHIMMERING AND SHUDDERING IS STILL AS BAD AS IT WAS WHEN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE HOME, AND I CANNOT DRIVE THIS THING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET LATELY, I HAVE FOUND LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM PILOT OWNERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I AM HAVING. I PAID $16500 FOR THIS VEHICLE, AND CAN'T EVEN DRIVE IT OUT OF TOWN, AND I'M NOT GOING TO SIT STILL AND ACCEPT THIS AS MY FATE. FIRST, AT THE VERY LEAST, THE DEALER MIS-REPRESENTED THIS VEHICLE, AND I SHOULD HAVE SOME RECOURSE IN THIS RESPECT. SECOND, HONDA HAS OBVIOUSLY PUT OUT A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT, WHICH THEY SHOULD BE WILLING TO FIX, OR COMPENSATE THE VICTIMS OF THIS TYPE OF FRAUDULENT PRODUCT. I WAS VERY HAPPY AT THE PROSPECT OF PURCHASING A QUALITY VEHICLE, WHICH MY WIFE AND FAMILY COULD ENJOY FOR YEARS TO COME, AND FELT JUSTIFIED IN SPENDING THE MONEY TO DO SO. HOWEVER, I NOW FEEL SICK AT THE PROSPECT OF PAYING FOR THIS MISTAKE FOR THE NEXT 6 YEARS. PLEASE HELP! *TR

IN MAY 2008 WHILE APPROACHING A CURVE AT APPROX 30 MPH LIGHTLY APPLIED BRAKES. BRAKES LOCKED UP AND VSA LIGHT CAME ON. HAD THE CAR CHECKED BY DEALERSHIP AND NO ISSUES FOUND AND NO PARTS REPLACED. IN OCTOBER 2008, 5,000 MILES LATER, THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENED AT APPROX THE SAME SPEED - APPLYING THE BRAKES TO EXECUTE A TURN, NO VSA LIGHT INDICATOR CAME ON. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP A SECOND TIME AND FILED A SAFETY COMPLIANT WITH HONDA OF AMERICA (REF CASE # N012008-10-22-00221) AGAIN NO ISSUES WERE FOUND AND NO PARTS WERE REPLACED. HONDA WOULD NOT COMMIT TO THE SAFETY OF THE CAR. *TR

1. NORMAL VEHICLE USAGE LED TO FAILURE 2. THE FRONT AND RIGHT MOTOR MOUNT FAILED LEADING TO VIBRATION AND CLUNKY SHIFTING. 3. VEHICLE OWNER PURCHASED AND INSTALLED NEW MOTOR MOUNTS. *TR

THE PART THAT HAS FAILED IS THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT ON MY 2005 HONDA PILOT EX-L. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE IS NORMAL EVERYDAY DRIVING. NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE IS 3 YRS OLD AND HAS 55,000 MILES ON IT. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE A 390 DOLLAR BILL TO HAVE THE DEALER REPLACE THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNT. IF IT IS NOT REPLACED THE SIDE MOTOR MOUNT WILL EVENTUALLY GIVE AND CAUSE UNDUE STRAIN ON THE TRANSMISSION EVENTUALLY CAUSING TOTAL FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. FRONT MOTOR MOUNT REPLACED. OLD MOUNT IS AVAILABLE. *TR

ON 10/30/2008 MY WIFE LEFT HOME AT APPROXIMATE 6:00 AM. AT ABOUT 6:05 AM THE BRAKES ON HER 2005 HONDA PILOT EX-L APPLIED THEMSELVES WITHOUT ANY PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHEN SHE DID PUSH ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THERE WAS NO EFFECT. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE VSA INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND A VSA ACTIVATION INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE BEHIND HER NEARLY REAR-ENDED HER. *TR

"D" LIGHT ON DASH STARTED FLASHING ON INTERSTATE TRIP. BROUGHT IT INTO DEALER 3 DAYS LATER. 4TH GEAR PRESSURE SWITCH ON TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. CAR WITH 40, 692 MILES ON IT. BOUGHT BRAND NEW. THE REPAIR COST OVER 300$. *TR

I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE BRITAX REGENT WAS CRASH TESTED WITH THE TETHER. I AM HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT THE TETHER IN MOST CARS ONLY HOLDS 40 LBS. HOW THEN CAN MY 80LB CHILD BE SECURED IN THE BRITAX REGENT IF THE TETHER CAN ONLY HOLD 40 LBS.? (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=2005, MAKE=HONDA, MODEL=PILOT). *TR

I OWN A 2005 HONDA PILOT. PURCHASED NEW AND CHOSE HONDA AS AN ?INVESTMENT? AS THE REPUTATION IS IMPECCABLE FOR SAFETY. I LIVE IN FL AND TRAVEL 70 MILES DAILY, CHOSE TO PAY THE PRICE FOR A HONDA AS MY PURCHASE WAS FOR THE LONG HAUL. I LIVE IN AN UPSCALE AREA, WORK IN THE MEDICAL COMM. IN AUG 2007 I CHANGED JOBS AND WORK NEAR A LARGE HOSPITAL CONSTRUCTION AREA. IN NOV, 2007 MY AC UNIT BEGAN MAKING A HORRIBLE NOISE, THEN A HORRIFIC SMELL ENSUED. INVESTIGATION BY HONDA REVEALED MICE INFESTATION IN THE AC UNIT. THE REPAIR WAS $8K AND TOOK ONE MO. NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE FELT IT WAS AN ISOLATED HORRIFIC DISTURBING ONCE IN A LIFETIME DISASTER! MY CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME IN JAN 08. OVER THE PAST WK MY AC UNIT BEGAN MAKING A RUMBLE, I RET'ND TO HONDA ASSUMED THERE WAS A LOOSE FITTING. TO MY SURPRISE, ANOTHER MICE INFESTATION IN THE AC UNIT! MY INS. HAS BEEN AGAIN NOTIFIED. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ONLINE. I HAVE LOCATED A SITE WOMBAT NATION, INTERESTING THAT 90% OF THE VEHICLE COMPLAINTS WITH RODENT INFESTATION ARE HONDA?S! I CONTACTED YOUR CUST SERVICE LINE, SPOKE WITH JAMAL WHO CONFIRMS HONDA HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH A PROBLEM. DO YOU REALLY EXPECT THIS CONSUMER TO BELIEVE THAT NONE OF THESE OTHER HONDA CONSUMERS HAVE CONTACTED HONDA? THEY DENY THE KNOCK SENSOR PROBLEM. THEY DENY THE SERVICE BULLETIN 06012004-NHTSA 10014213? SHAME ON HONDA??FORGET THE FACT THAT MY INVESTMENT IN A HONDA IS LOST, HAVE THEY CONSIDERED THE MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS OF HANTA VIRUS? DO THEY NOT REALIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS CONDITION AND THE FACT THAT THE HONDA IS HARBORING RODENTS? BEING THE VEHICLE IS #1 IN SAFETY FEATURES, IT MOST CERTAINLY WOULD APPEAR TO BE THE SAFEST WITH CHILDREN! JUST IMAGINE, MICE IN YOUR CAR WITH YOUR BABY!THIS MATTER MUST BE INVESTIGATED FURTHER. I AM CONTACTING EVERY CONSUMER ADVOCACY SERVICE POSSIBLE TO GET THE WORD OUT. JUST IMAGINE THE POTENTIAL DANGER OF HWY DRIVING AND SEEING A MOUSE IN YOUR CAR! PLEASE ADV YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU. *TR

SIMULTANEOUS FAILURE OF LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS AT ONLY 65,000 MILES. FURTHER DAMAGE COULD LED TO CATASTROPHIC BEARING FAILURE AND LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. REPAIRED AT HONDA DEALERSHIP FOR $600 (BEARINGS AND ALIGNMENT). *TR

CONSUMER QUESTION ABOUT 2005 HONDA PILOT RECALLS. CONSUMER WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF HER VEHICLE IS INCLUDED IN THE TWO RECALLS FOR THE FUEL TANK AND THE MISALIGNMENT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. *KB