2003 HONDA PILOT Complaints

I JUST BOUGHT A 2003 HONDA PILOT WITH 164,000 MILES ON IT A FEW DAYS AGO AND NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION WASN'T SHIFTING CORRECTLY. IT SEEMED LIKE IT WOULD SOMETIMES OVER REV BEFORE SHIFTING BUT THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT. LAST NIGHT I PICKED MY GRANDCHILDREN UP FROM TOWN AND WAS HEADING BACK UP THE HIGHWAY GOING ABOUT 55MPH, ALL OF A SUDDEN IT JERKED BACK AND DOWNSHIFTED TO 2ND GEAR, LUCKILY NO ONE WAS BEHIND OR THEY WOULD'VE HIT US. I NOTICED THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AT THAT TIME ALSO.

WINDOW REGULATORS STOP WORKING AND WINDOW CAN CRASH WHEN DRIVING. SO FAR I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE TWO REGULATORS AND ONE WINDOW.

2003 HONDA PILOT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO AIRBAG SAFETY RECALL. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TRADED IN, IN 2011. *JS

2003 HONDA PILOT EX WITH 219,000 MILES ON IT. THE TWO REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTS THAT ATTACH THE BODY CHASSIS TO THE FRAME WERE RUSTED OUT AND COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THE FRAME. IN FACT ON THE RIGHT SIDE THERE WAS A LARGE HOLE THAT HAD RUSTED OUT. APPARENTLY NO EXCESSIVE RUST ON THE REST OF UNDERCARRIAGE. VEHICLE WAS IN VERY GOOD MECHANICAL SHAPE AND MAINTENANCE KEPT UP. VEHICLE WAS KEPT IN A GARAGE AT NIGHT NOT SUBJECT TO UNUSUAL WEAR AND TEAR. UPON SLOW ACCELERATION FROM A RED LIGHT I HEARD A LOUD CRASH AS IF WE'D BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. I WAS CROSSING A BUSY INTERSECTION AND THE LIGHTS WEREN'T FUNCTIONING SO I WAS PROCEEDING VERY SLOWLY THROUGH THE 4 WAY FLASHING LIGHTS WHEN THIS HAPPENED. THERE WERE NO VEHICLES BEHIND US SO I CLEARED THE INTERSECTION THEN PARKED THE CAR TO CHECK IT OUT BUT NO VISIBLE DAMAGE, NO DEBRIS IN INTERSECTION ETC. DROVE IN TOWN FOR ANOTHER COUPLE DAYS AND IT SEEMED TO DRIVE FINE. THE INCIDENT BOTHERED ME ENOUGH TO TAKE IT IN TO FIRESTONE AND HAVE THE CAR CHECKED OUT ON THE LIFT FOR ANYTHING UNUSUAL WHILE GETTING AN OIL CHANGE. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE VEHICLES SAFETY. I WAS CALLED BACK TO LOOK AT THIS ISSUE AND WAS TOLD THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS NOT ATTACHED TO THE FRAME AT ALL. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION AND I WAS ADVISED NOT TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME. THANKFUL THIS WASN'T WORSE AND NOT ON HIGHWAY WHEN IT HAPPENED.

THIS VEHICLE IS NO LONGER ON THE ROAD. IT WAS GIVEN/NO MONEY TO A JUNKMAN 5 YEARS AGO. PLEASE WE HAVE TRIED TO STOP THE NOTICES AND CALLS. PLEASE LET MOTOR VEHICLE KNOW THAT THIS CAR IS NO LONGER ON THE ROAD. WE HAVE CALLED HONDA SEVERAL TIMES TO STOP THESE NOTICES.

REAR SUBFRAME MOUNTS COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. SUBFRAME SITTING ON EXHAUST. JUST HAD PILOT AT DEALERSHIP FOR OIL CHANGE AND INSPECTION AND THEY DID NOT EVEN MENTION THE ISSUE TO ME, GUESS THEY DIDN'T INSPECT IT VERY WELL. FOUND ON MY OWN AFTER DRIVING HOME AND HEARING NOISES COMING FROM THE REAR END. THANKFULLY THE EXHAUST DID NOT BREAK FROM THE WEIGHT OF THE SUBFRAME OR THE WHOLE REAR END WOULD HAVE FALLEN DOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE ENGINE EMITTED A LOUD UNIDENTIFIABLE SOUND THAT STARTLED THE DRIVER. THE DEALER (CAPITOL HONDA, 745 CAPITOL EXPRESSWAY AUTO MALL, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA 95136) WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND WAS PROVIDED WITH VIDEO/RECORDINGS OF THE FAILURE, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 149,000. *TT *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE REPAIRING THE REAR BRAKE PADS, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS SEVERELY CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (SULLIVAN HONDA, 45 MIGEON AVENUE TORRINGTON, CONNECTICUT 06790) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR FRAME WAS RUSTED AND THAT DIRT AND MOISTURE WERE COLLECTING IN THE FRAME RAILS, WHICH ENTERED TROUGH HOLES ON THE FRAME. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 207,000.

THE REAR DRIVER SIDE ELECTRIC DOOR LOCK MECHANISM IS JAMMED NOT ALLOWING THE DOOR TO BE LOCKED OR UNLOCKED EITHER MANUALLY OR ELECTRICALLY. THIS, I IMAGINE, CAN HAPPEN WITH ANY DOOR. LUCKILY, THE JAM IS IN THE UNLOCKED POSITION ALLOWING THE DOOR TO BE OPENED. WHAT IS NOT SAFE IS THAT DOOR CANNOT BE LOCKED LEAVING THE CAR VULNERABLE TO THEFT OR CAR JACKING. IF THE DOOR WAS JAMMED IN THE LOCKED POSITION, THIS CAN BE UNSAFE FOR PASSENGER EXIT IN THE EVENT OF EMERGENCY (A FIRE OR EMERSION IN WATER). ANY ELECTRIC DOOR LOCK MECHANISM MADE BY ANY VEHICLE MANUFACTURER SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO FAIL SAFE ALLOWING MANUAL LOCKING AND UNLOCKING OF THE DOOR IN THE EVENT OF ELECTRICAL POWER LOCK MECHANISM FAILURE. THIS IS JUST AS MUCH A SAFETY ISSUE AS A JAMMED SEAT BELT OR FAULTY AIRBAG. THIS SHOULD BE A NO COST REPAIR BY MANUFACTURER DEALERSHIPS LIKE THEY DO WITH JAMMED SEAT BELTS OR FAULTY AIRBAGS. AT LEAST THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO FREE UP THE LOCK MECHANISM WITHOUT CHARGE TO CUSTOMERS. THIS NEEDS TO BE SERIOUSLY REVIEWED AND ADDRESSED BY NHTSA FOR SAFETY WITH POLICY AND REPAIR PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES CLEARLY SPELLED OUT. THIS FAILURE HAPPENED AS A RESULT OF REMOTE KEY ACTIVATION OF THE DOOR LOCKS WITH NO MANUAL PHYSICAL OPERATION OF THE DOOR ITSELF.

THIS IS A FOLLOW UP OF A COMPLAINT FILE LAST YEAR- NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11045405. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A HONDA DEALER AS REQUIRED BY AMERICAN HONDA. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE OPDS MODULE WAS FAULTY. I CONTINUED TO CONTACT AMERICAN HONDA BY MAIL. THEY ADVISED THAT ME THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $775.00 DEDUCTIBLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE DEFECTIVE OPDS MODULE VERBALLY AS THEY WOULD NOT CORRESPOND TO ME IN ANY WRITTEN FORM.