This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
On October 4, 2014 while my son was driving the accelerator became stuck luckily he was driving and we were traveling 30 miles per hour. The car was shifted to neutral and stopped. Yesterday, after cutting the car off and removing the key the engine was sill running. The key was reinserted and removed. Today on 10/102014 once again, I pulled in the garage tried to turn off the car and remove the key but the engine was still running with the key removed. I reinserted the key as I did the day before, as I removed the key the car accelerated became stuck again, fortunately the car was in park. I did not step on the gas or accelerate since I was merely reinserting and removing the key. In any event the car pedal was stuck. I am concerned and hope this does not happen again so I am reporting for my safety.
I had been driving for about 15 minutes when car suddenly failed to maintain speed and slowed from 45 mph to 30-35 mph. I could not get car to accelerate, engine was audibly strained and smoke was shortly evident from under hood. I put on my emergency flashers and pulled off the road as soon as it was safe to do so. No warning lights were illuminated. Smoke ceased when I turned the engine off. Upon exiting the car I observed a heavy stream of brown oily liquid draining from hood and additional blue oily fluid following shortly thereafter. I checked the fluid levels to find totally depleted transmission fluid and rapidly diminishing engine coolant. I called my Honda dealer service dept. And was advised not to drive the car and to have it towed to the service dept. Which I did. It was determined that a hose had disconnected and the radiator would need replacement. He could offer no explanation as to what caused the problem stating it had not seen it before. Total cost: $825. Given the many internet complaints of this identical problem unreported to official agencies combined with those reported to Honda corporate and NHTSA I am unconvinced that all Honda dealerships are unaware of this issue. I am, however, totally convinced that serious injury or death would have resulted had I been driving on a crowded highway at 70 mph when this hose disconnected causing an instantaneous loss of speed with impending engine failure. I am equally convinced that Honda Corp. Is negligent in not admitting this to be a manufacturing defect worthy of a voluntary recall and financial reimbursement to it's customers. NHTSA is negligent in it's lack of attention to the serious nature of this problem and failure to mandate a recall.
The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the vehicle exhibited a reduction in power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the radiator and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.updated 06/10/14 MA 07/24/17
Like so very many other Honda Pilot owners of the timeframe, I have experienced a transmission leak and failure from a radiator failure - and though Honda had settled a class-action suit about these problems with a minor warranty extension... my failure, of course, happened shortly after that extension. I am out nearly $5,000 and nearly got killed when my car died because Honda has failed to properly recall these transmissions. Shame on Honda - and shame on you for not holding them to task even after they settled a lawsuit (with such a lame and still unsafe response).
I was driving up a hill when my vehicle started to lose power and high rpms upon acceleration. Was not able to climb hill so I pulled over and turned the car off. Restarted and made it a short distance before it stopped. I was fortunate to get out of harm's way prior to the car giving out completely.the vehicle had to be towed. A mechanic took a look at the vehicle and explained that transmission and radiator were both ruined and would both need to be replaced. He indicated that transmission fluid and radiator fluid mixed causing the malfunction and it also has caused the need for flushing of the engine. I have noticed that several other owners have made internet posts about the same problem. This issue should be under consideration for a recall by Honda as it sounds like a common occurrence that is the result of a design flaw. It is potentially very dangerous as this happens with no warning and causes the vehicle to stop functioning. Obviously, this would be very dangerous if it occurs at highway speeds. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
- Marquette, MI, USA
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While driving along a rural 2 lane highway with no one behind me, the transmission appeared to slip and the engine RPM went way up. The truck slowed down. This lasted 3 or 4 seconds and then went back to normal. In a few minutes, I stopped at the light entering the village of saranac lake, NY. The 2005 Honda Pilot stopped running. I tried to restart and nothing happened at all. I put my flashers on and opened the hood. I saw a liquid that looked like chocolate milk leaking under the engine. After it was towed to a garage, the mechanic said he thought the radiator leaked and allowed the antifreeze to mix with the transmission fluid. The truck would need a new radiator and maybe a new trans and or engine. If someone had been behind me when this happened, it could have caused an accident because it caused the vehicle to slow down and the brake lights did not come on. I read that over 1 million 2003 and 2004 Honda Pilot were recalled for the same problem.
Vehicle diagnosed at dealer service center as having 2 cracked / broken engine mounts. Affected mounts are right (passenger) side and front mount. Based on similar anecdotal reports on internet forums (piloteers.org and others) this appears to be a fairly common occurrence on Honda Pilot and Odyssey of this vintage. They share the same chassis. It also appears the right and front mounts are most likely to be affected.
Got into vehicle today. Placed car into drive and the car would not accelerate. I placed it back into park and then back to drive. It finally kicked into gear. I got on the highway and drove approximately 30 miles with no problems. I made a quick stop. When I started my car again it did the same thing. I drove about a mile and the transmission starting slipping badly. It stopped accelerating completely. I had it towed to the dealer. I was informed by the dealer that the radiator had failed and had mixed with the transmission fluid. Was told the radiator and the transmission would need to be replaced. Wake up ntsb. This has been reported consistently to you as a complaint and posted on numerous forums online. This is definitely a problem with this model and Honda is not stepping up. Make them answer the complaints. Most people do not have $5000 to repair an 8 year old car.
As soon as I stopped in front of my house, I saw fluid pouring from the front right engine area.fortunately for me, the problem occurred at that moment. There were no symptoms of, or dash board alerts previous to that.( and nothing on the street) the car was towed on a flatbed to my service center, which is a certified Honda service center.. apparently there was a line failure that allowed antifreeze and transmission fluid to mix and go into the transmission. The radiator was replaced and coolant flushed. The transmission was flushed 6 times with 28 quarts of transmission fluid and after driving 16 miles I am aware that the tranny is compromised and am going back to flush again. My service man made it clear that there is no guarantee on the transmission. I am a woman who maintains her car diligently and could not have done anything to prevent this catastrophic failure and upon researching the problem, find other Honda owners experiencing the same thing. It is up to Honda to step up and recognize a design/product flaw and perhaps recall others before it happens to them. I sincerely hope Honda realizes that this is an opportunity to do the right thing and fix the problem.
While driving at approx. 45 mph, the engine blew out the middle front spark plug (I believe it's #5) and coil pack damaging the radiator and stalling the vehicle. The spark plug was original and had never been touched. The spark plug threads were stripped requiring an insert to repair the head. The coil pack was broken and the twisted wires blew the ignition coil fuse. The expelled coil pack and/or spark plug (I never did find the spark plug) also put a hole in the radiator requiring replacement.
I was driving my 2005 Honda Pilot probably around 40mph, a noise, I turned on the closest road to get out of traffic and was heading up hill, the RPM dial moved erratically, the vehicle did not want to go, there were no engine lights on, the temperature gauge was normal. The vehicle shut off. I had no steering control, because I was on a hill I had to use the emergency brake to stabilize the vehicle. The vehicle had died. I turned the ignition to the off position and then tried to restart since we were on a 2 land road with no guard rail and a steep drop off beside the passenger side. When I tried to turn it on, a light came on the alt temp. I was unable to get the vehicle down and had to wait for assistance. We lifted the hood and it was not hot coming from inside but there was a fluid leaking. My vehicle was towed to the Honda dealership. I was told that this has happened to several other Honda Pilot. We could have been killed if we were on the highway when this vehicle died with no warning or lights. I was told that they think something when with the radiator which leaked fluid into the transmission. They don't know yet if the engine is dead until the work on the rest of the vehicle. The customer service person from Honda, [xxx], is not willing to assure me that if my vehicle is repaired it wont happen again and that we will be safe. My family feels that this is a faulty design that cause the vehicle to have a catastrophic break down. We have own Honda's for over 25 years and have never had a complaint. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for a stability control repair, the dealer advised him that the engine motor mount also needed to be replaced. The dealer did not specify if the motor mount was fractured or worn. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 115,000.
When accelerating the vehicle begins to shudder, jerk and lose power while accelerating from 0-40mph. Steering wheel begins to shake, acceleration seems to stall. At higher speeds on freeway there is some shuddering but not as noticeable. Braking or reducing speed does not immediately stop the shuddering. Its almost predictable at low speeds. Loss of power during acceleration feels as if the vehicle could stall especially when turning left with on coming traffic approaching.
I own a 2005 Honda Pilot. I have had an issue that is increasingly getting worse- when driving 30-45 mph, the engine/transmission starts to shudder. If I let off the accelerator it will let up. It is scary, the whole vehicle jolts repeatedly. If the engine is jolting so dramatically, I can only imagine that the stabilization of the engine is being put in jeopardy. In doing some research, I have found that I am one of hundreds, if not thousands of people with the same problem and complaint. I feel that this is the manufacturer's defect that should be addressed and resolved by Honda promptly. The concern is not only for the vehicle itself, but mostly for the lives that these vehicles carry. Please give attention to our complaint before a serious accident occurs. We have paid for a safe and reliable car, so please give us one. Thank you for your attention and consideration, please help NHTSA!
At 30-40 mph the Pilot shudders significantly and does so for about.5-3 seconds. There is apparently a design or other flaw in the torque converter (which will ultimately lead to a failed transmission). Despite what appears to be hundreds or thousands of the same complaints nationwide, Honda will apparently not not address the issue. The driving dangers are obvious, and consumers are left with repair bills of $3,000 - $5000. Please do something about this NHTSA.
I took it in for a recall. I was told that the front and right engine mounts are "cracked". at about 25-45 mph there is a noticeable shudder under the hood. In searching the NHTSA database I find many other reports of this shudder and several saying that engine mounts are a problem in this model. The reports are in several areas including engine, suspension, drive train, transmission. It seems the engine mounts could be a common denominator. If the mounts go it could cause a catastrophic failure including loss of control.
I saw on the news that the NHTSA was investigating a brake issue on the Honda Pilot 2005. I experienced a similar issue but thought it was a glitch as it only happened one day (although it happened twice that day). I've finally gotten around to filing an official report both with Honda and NHTSA to hopefully aid in the investigation. The braking issue happened on two separate occasions on the same day, roughly 2 months ago. The first incident happened on the freeway. I was going the speed limit when all of a sudden I felt like the car completely lost power. The lights on the dashboard flashed, my speed decreased suddenly although I still had my foot on the gas. It only last a few seconds and then I regained control of the vehicle. An hour later, when I was off the freeway, it happened again, but this time I was going 25 miles an hour driving on city streets. Same exact issue where it felt like the car computer shut down with no power for a few seconds. It hasn't happened since, but I'm very scared that it may happen at any time again. We only have one car and have a 1 year old. I hope Honda and the NHTSA make progress into identifying the issue. Please let me know if I can contribute any more information. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
While driving at normal town speed (~25mph) car began overheating and speed dropped. Pulled car over to cool. Started to drive slowly home and symptom repeated. Car towed to Honda. They diagnosed as radiator and transmission fluid mixing due to failure in the radiator. Damaged the transmission that needed to be totally replaced, along with a radiator and transmission cooler. Engine also needed extensive flushing. Suggested cost was $6400 without labor. After repairs, engine damage could be assessed. This appeared to be a minor failure in the radiator that destroyed a separate system and might have damaged the engine.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Chicago, IL, USA