2005 HONDA PILOT Complaints

RADIATOR FAILURE DUE TO LACK OF PROTECTION, RESULTING IN PUNCTURE, LOSS OF COOLANT AND ENGINE OVER HEATING. POSSIBLE ENGINE FIRE. *JB

AT 8,000 MILES MY 2005 HONDA PILOT DEVELOPED A VIBRATION, OR JITTER AT 65 MPH AND HIGHER. MODERATE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATION BY 73 MPH. OWNER HAD AN INDEPENDENT TIRE DEALER CHECK AND RE-BALANCE THE WHEELS AS NEEDED. VIBRATION REMAINED. 2 MORE VISITS TO DEALER WHO ADVISED NO PROBLEM FOUND AND GO SEE THE GOODYEAR DEALER, WHO WANTED NO PART OF THIS ISSUE. MORE TRIPS TO DEALER WHO ADVISED THE VEHICLE OWNER SHOULD CONSIDER REPLACING THE OEM TIRES (NOW AT ONLY 8,500 MILES). OWNER REPLACED OEM TIRES WITH MICHELIN LTX M/S ($700) AND VIBRATION REMAINS. DEALER RE-BALANCED TIRES ON HUNTER 9700 MACHINE RESULTING IN MINOR IMPROVEMENT BUT BASIC JITTER REMAINS. NEXT VISIT THE DEAL ACKNOWLEDGES JITTER, IT'S ANNOYANCE, AND BLAMES TREAD PATTERN ON THE NOW NON-OEM TIRES. FILED COMPLAINT WITH HONDA NORTH AMERICA AND WAITED 312 BUSINESS HOURS FOR A RETURN CALL. HONDA RESPONDED WHEN I MENTIONED ARBITRATION. HONDA NORTH AMERICA REPORTS THE DEALER SAID 'NO PROBLEM FOUND'. NOW AT 14,000 MILES. HONDA SAYS THEY HAVE NO REGIONAL REP COVERING MY AREA (4TH LARGEST METROPOLITAN AREA IN THE US) AND WILL CALL ME BACK, SOON. THE VEHICLE JITTER REMAINS, 65 MPH AND HIGHER, MAKING THE VEHICLE TIRING TO DRIVE ON TRIPS OF DISTANCE (VACATION TRAVEL). THE JITTER/VIBRATION IS DISTRACTING AND OVER RIDES STANDARD 'ROAD FEEL'. HONDA APPEARS TO NOT BE INTERESTED IN MY ISSUE, OR DOES NOT HAVE A SOLUTION. OTHER HONDA PILOT OWNERS IN MY AREA, AND ON INTERNET BOARDS, REPORT THE SAME SYMPTOM. *JB

2005 HONDA PILOT EX-L WAS PURCHASED ON 7-13-2005 IT NOW HAS 1210 MILES ON IT. A VIBRATION HAS OCCURED SIMILIAR TO OUT OF BALANCE WHEELS AND TIRES AT AROUND 70 MPH. DEALER HAS BALANCED WHEELS, SENT VEHICLE OUT TO ANOTHER TIRE COMPANY FOR ROTATION AND SPIN BALANCE. NOTHING HAS CURED THE VIBRATION. THE DEALER IS HELPFUL, BUT APPARENTLY CANNOT SOLVE MY PROBLEM. WE FEEL THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THIS IS NOT AN UNCOMMON PROBLEM, THAT HONDA REFUSES TO ADDRESS.

BRAND NEW 2005 HONDA PILOT EXL WITH RES HAS A VIBRATION BETWEEN 70 MPH AND 80 MPH. HONDA WILL NOT FIX THIS BECAUSE THEY CLAIM THEY CAN'T DRIVE OVER 65 MPH AND THEREFORE CAN'T PROVE THE PROBLEM EXISTS. I'VE HAD HONDA BALANCE THE TIRES TWICE AND PAID TO HAVE A GOODYEAR DEAL BALANCE THEM. THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *JB

DT: CALLER'S WIFE WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT WAS HIT IN THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL AREA , AND AIR BAG DEPLOYED. CALLER'S WIFE HANDS WERE BURNED VERY BADLY. CALLER BELIEVED A SUBS TANGO FROM THE AIR BAGS BURNED WIFE'S HANDS. THE SUBSTANCE WAS A GRAY COLOR AND WAS EMBEDDED IN HER SKIN AND CUDGEL'S. SHE HAD BUMPS AND BRUISES. BUT THE BURNS WERE MAKING HER EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE, AND SHE WAS HAVING A HARD TIME. DEALER/ MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. SHE HAD TO GO TO THE DOCTOR TWICE TO GET AN OINTMENT AND PAIN PILLS. *AK

2005 HONDA PILOT EXL CRASHED INTO A MEDIAN AS A RESULT OF SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND TRACTION.*MR THE CONSUMERS LAWYER STATED ON FEB 2, 2005 THE MANUFACTURER ISSUED A RECALL REGARDING THE STEERING COLUMN WHICH COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMERS LAWYER BELIEVED THE CRASH AND RECALL WERE IDENTICAL. *JB

MAKE: HONDA PILOT 2005 PLEASE ALSO REVIEW: HTTP://WWW.HONDAPILOT.ORG/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=4117&PERPAGE=15&PAGENUMBER=27 WHICH HAS 27 PAGES OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I JUST BOUGHT A 2005 PILOT. I HAD THE HITCH INSTALLED BY HONDA. I NOTICED SOME VIBRATION LOWER THAN 70 MPH BUT ASSUMED THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE CAR. LO AND BEHOLD, WHEN I DROVE THE CAR HOME I NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT VIBRATION IN THE STEERING STARTING AROUND 69MPH, PEAKING AT AROUND 76 MPH AND FADING TO "NORMAL" AT AROUND 80 MPH. THE VIBRATION FEELS LIKE A WHEEL BALANCE PROBLEM. CURRENTLY THE DEALER IS TRYING TO HELP, HOWEVER THEY ARE NOT CONFIDENT THAT THEY CAN FIX THE PROBLEM. THINGS WE HAVE TRIED: A. MAY 30 PROBLEM NOTED ON TEST DRIVE BEFORE PURCHASE BUT IGNORED AS A NEW VEHICLE/DRIVER INTERPRETATION PROBLEM. PROBLEM WAS NOTED DAYS LATER THOUGH. B. JUNE 4 CAR TAKEN IN FOR INSPECTION 1) TEST DRIVE SHOULD MINIMAL PROBLEM NOT DRIVEN AT 76 MPH THOUGH 2) DEALER (RICHARD/BRETT) ALIGNED WHEELS 3) SHORT TEST DRIVE (BELOW 76 MPH) INDICATES FIXED 4) LONGER DRIVE AT 69 THROUGH 80 MPH INDICATES PROBLEM STILL EXISTS 5) SUGGESTED TO BRING THE CAR IN FOR A ''FORD'' HIGH-TECH REBALANCE C. JUNE 6 I AM NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN A FORD HIGH-TECH REBALANCE, BECAUSE THAT WOULD SIGN ME UP FOR EXPENSIVE REBALANCES FOR THE REST OF THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THE FRONT SUSPENSION SYSTEM SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE A NORMALLY BALANCED WHEEL. TALKED TO RICHARD ABOUT SWAPPING TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TIRES IN FOR THE FRONT TIRES. HE WILL DISCUSS WITH THE SALES MANAGER. D. JUNE 7 I ROTATED THE BACK WHEELS TO THE FRONT TO DISQUALIFY THE WHEELS FROM THE EQUATION. CONSIDER DRIVING ANOTHER SIMILAR, NEW VEHICLE. F. JUNE 9 RICHARD DUDLEY CALLED BACK. TALKED TO HIM AND HE INDICATED THAT HE STILL NEEDS TO DO A FORCE ALIGN TO DISQUALIFY THE WHEELS. G. DEALER SWAPPED OUT TIRES FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE. H. DEALER RADIAL FORCE BALANCED THE FRONT WHEELS.

SUSTAINED VIBRATION WHEN DRIVING AT SPEEDS ABOUT 45 TO 75 MPH. MULTIPLE TRIPS TO DEALER, WAS TOLD THIS IS A "CHARACTERISTIC OF THE VEHICLE". STARTED THE FIRST DAY I DROVE THE VEHICLE OFF THE LOT WITH 50 MILES ON IT.

2005 HONDA PILOT EX WITH LESS THAN 500 MILES ON IT.. ~90% BRAKE FAILURE ON VEHICLE ON TWO OCCASIONS... 06/15/2005 AND 06/24/2005. TAKING TO HONDA OF CONCORD (CONCORD NC) TO BE REVIEWED... MAY OR MAY NOT REPAIR DEPENDING ON IF THEY CAN "DUPLICATE" THE PROBLEM BUT ARE AWARE OF SOME CASES OF THE MASTER CYLINDER GOING COMPLETELY OUT FOR A "MOMENT". ALERTING YOU ALL IN CASE THIS HAPPENS TO OTHERS AND TO HAVE ON RECORD.

2005 HONDA PILOT - FUNDAMENTAL FLAW IN SHOULDER BELT CENTER SEATING POSITION 2ND ROW. THE BELT STARTS IN THE CEALING SO FAR FORWARD THAT WHEN A PERSON WITHOUT A THICK UPPER BODY SITS IN THE CENTER POSITION IN THE 2ND ROW, THE BELT PASSES NEXT TO THE CHEEK RATHER THAN THE SHOULDER. IN THE CASE OF A CHILD WHO IS TOO BIG TO BE IN A BOOSTER WITH A BACK BUT IS STILL RELATIVELY SMALL, THE SHOULDER BELT ACTUALLY PASSES IN FRONT OF THE SHOULDER AND DESCENDS TO THE BUCKLE WITHOUT EVEN TOUCHING THE SHOULDER OR THE UPPER CHEST! THIS LEAVES THE CHILD IN A POSITION TO HAVE HER NECK PERHAPS BROKEN OR OTHERWISE BE INJURED BY THE BELT IN THE EVENT OF A SIDE COLLISION FROM THE LEFT. MOREOVER, IT ALSO LEAVES PARENTS WITH THREE CHILDREN, SUCH AS ME, WHO NEED TO USE THE FULL CARGO AREA FOR CARGO, FACED WITH THE UNACCEPTABLE CHOICE BETWEEN PLACING THE SHOULDER HARNESS BEHIND THE CHILD'S BACK OR PLACING THE THE CHILD IN THE 3RD ROW AND ELIMINATING MUCH OF THE NEEDED CARGO SPACE. THE HONDA SERVICE DEALER ADVISED THAT IS JUST THE WAY THE VEHICLE IS DESIGNED. HONDA CUSTOMER RELATIONS WAS EVEN LESS HELPFULL. THE REPRESENTATIVE SIMPLY SAID IT "COMPLIES WITH ALL GOVERNMENT STANDARDS" AND THEN REFUSED TO REFER ME TO A SUPERVISOR OR ANYONE ELSE AT HONDA HEADQUARTERS IN CALIFORNIA OR TELL ME THE PHONE NUMBER FOR HONDA HEADQUARTERS IN CALIFORNIA. SURELY IT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH FEDERAL RULES TO DESIGN A BELT SO THAT IT DOES NOT EVEN MAKE CONTACT WITH THE SHOULDER AND UPPER CHEST OF A CHILD ONCE THEY ARE TOO LARGE FOR A BOOSTER WITH A BACK AND ARE THEREFORE SITTING AGAINST THE UPTIGHT PART OF THE 2ND ROW SEAT RATHER THAN BEING MOVED FORWARD BY THE BOOSTER. HONDA NEEDS TO PLACE THE BELT ABOUT SIX INCHES FURTHER BACK ON THE CEILING OR ATTACH AN ADAPTER TO THE BACK OF THE SECOND ROW THAT WOULD COME OVER THE SEAT AND GRASP THE SHOULDER HARNESS WHEN A CHILD OR SMALL WOMAN IS SEATED IN THE SECOND POSITION. PLEASE HELP BEFORE SOME CHILD IS INJURED.