NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2003 Honda Pilot. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
THERE ARE SEVERAL ISSUES: 1. THE PROBLEM BEGAN WITH THE KEY NOT FITTING PROPERLY AS IT ONCE DID, PERHAPS AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS. WHEN I TURN THE KEY OR PUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION IT WON'T TURN TO GET THE VEHICLE STARTED. I TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT AND IT DOESN'T MATTER. THE PILOT STILL WON'T START. WHEN READING THE MANUAL, IT'S A PUSH SIGN UNDER THE IGNITION BUT THIS ISN'T ADDRESSED IN THE MANUAL. IT DOESN'T TELL YOU THE PURPOSE OF THE PUSH SIGN. I'VE TRIED EVERYTHING TO GET THE KEY TO TURN AND I'VE LET OTHERS TRY ALSO. AND IT DOESN'T WORK FOR ANYONE. THE STEERING WHEEL IS TURNED ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT BUT THE WHEELS ARE NOT AND IT WON'T TURN TO THE RIGHT IT ALL; IT'S LOCKED. THE VEHICLE WON'T GO IN NEUTRAL, SO I CAN ROLL IT OR NOTHING. 2. THERE IS KNOCKING NOISE THAT IS LOUDER WHEN YOU ACCELERATE ON THE LEFT FRONT SIDE PERHAPS IT'S COMING FROM THE DRIVE-TRAIN OR AXLE ON THAT SIDE, ALMOST SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING IS LOOSE AND MAY FALL OFF. 3. THE RADIO TURNS OFF FOR A FEW SECONDS RANDOMLY AND IT MAY NOT HAPPEN AGAIN FOR A WHILE AND SUDDENLY DOES ONCE AGAIN. 4. THE LOCK AND HANDLE TO THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT BROKE OFF AND CANNOT BE OPENED. 5. THE WIRE TO CONTROL THE HANDLES FOR THE REAR SEATS TO RECLINE AND FOLD DOWN BROKE FROM WITHIN THE SEATS. I LOOKED INSIDE IT'S THE PIECE OF PLASTIC TO HOLD THE WIRE IN PLACE THAT BROKE, THERE NEEDS TO BE A BETTER REPLACEMENT PART MADE OF STEEL NOT PLASTIC. 6. THE FLOOR MAT STICKS IN BUNCHES CAUSING THE CARPET TO SOIL CAN BE HAZARDOUS I.E. TOYOTA, ONLY REMEDY IS TO REPLACE THE FLOOR MAT FOR THE TRUCK ENTIRELY, VERY, VERY EXPENSIVE... 7. WHEN IT REACHES 30MPH IT SHAKES AND YOU CAN HEAR A LOUD NOISE LIKE YOU'RE DRIVING OVER SOMETHING RIDGED IT'S SCARY. 8. THE BUTTON FOR FOUR WHEEL DRIVE DOES NOT FUNCTION 9. THE CHROME ON THE DOOR HANDLES PEELED OFF TEARING THE SKIN CAUSING INJURIES TO THE HAND, MY FINGER STILL FEELS TINGLY AND NUMB. PLEASE HELP!!! *TR
I OWE A 2003 HONDA PILOT. IN 2007 I COMPLAINED TO THE HONDA SERVICE CENTER OF A GRINDING NOISE SEVERAL TIMES BUT NOTHING COULD BE FOUND. ON 2/6/2010 MY TRANSMISSION FAILED. THIS PROBLEM WAS REPORTED SEVERAL TIMES AND THE DEALER COULD NEVER FIND A PROBLEM. NOW SINCE THE WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED IT IS MY PROBLEM. I HAVE READ OF THE SAME SITUATION HAPPENING TO MANY PEOPLE AND BELIEVE IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE HONDA TRANSMISSION. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT IS FAMILIAR WITH NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE CONTACT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY RISK SINCE THE LACK OF ACCELERATION COULD CAUSE A CRASH. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000.
AT ABOUT 80,0000 MILES ON MY PILOT A VIBRATION AND NOISE WHILE TRAVELING AT A STEADY SPEED ANYWHERE BETWEEN 30 - 50 MILES PER HOUR. THE DEALER SAYS THAT IT COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH THE TORQUE CONVERTER BUT HE IS NOT SURE. AT TIMES THE SOUND IS FAINT AND OFTEN TIMES IT IS QUITE LOUD. THE DEALER IS QUOTING AROUND $4000 TO FIX IT. WHEN I ALSO RESEARCHED ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. I AGREE THAT HONDA NEEDS TO ISSUE A RECALL. *TR
DURING THE FREEZING WEATHER IN JACKSONVILLE. FL. SPECIFICALLY ON THE 7TH & 8TH JAN. 2010, THE GAS PEDAL ON MY 2003 HONDA PILOT WAS STICKING. AFTER STARTING THE VEHICLE, I HAD TO APPLY EXTRA FOOT DOWNWARD PRESSURE TO MAKE THE GAS PEDAL MOVE AND MAKE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATE. THIS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS DURING THE 2 WEEKS THAT IT WAS FREEZING ON CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN THIS AREA. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN 2003 AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM ARISE UNTIL THIS TIME. THE PROBLEM 'SEEMS' TO DISAPPEAR AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN RUNNING & WARMED UP. I ALSO CALLED HONDA 800-999-1009 AND INFORMED THE HONDA CUSTOMER REP. ABOUT THE ISSUE. HONDA INFORMED ME TO TAKE IT TO HONDA SERVICE OR MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC.*CW
2003 HONDA PILOT EX-L RES; AUTOMATIC, 112,700 MILES. TRANSMISSION BEGAN SLIPPING WHILE SHIFTING FROM 2ND-3RD WITH THE SELECTOR IN DRIVE. SHORTLY THERE AFTER AT ROUGHLY 60 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WE EXPERIENCED A JARRING DOWNSHIFT FROM 5TH TO 2ND GEAR WITH A LOUD MECHANICAL "THUNK", THEN IMMEDIATELY BACK TO A HIGHER GEAR, MAYBE 4TH. THE TRUCK DECELERATED SO FAST AND HARSHLY THAT MY WIFE AND 2 CHILDREN WERE THROWN FORWARD INTO THEIR SEAT BELTS AND ALL ITEMS FROM THE FLOOR AND BACK SEAT WERE THROWN INTO THE FRONT OF THE CABIN. THIS MISHAP WAS UNSAFE ON THE HIGHWAY AND I COULD HONESTLY SEE THIS CAUSING AN ACCIDENT UNDER THE RIGHT CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR INSTANCE, MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY. THE MAINTENANCE INDICATOR LAMP ("MIL") ILLUMINATED AND THE TRANSMISSION MODE SELECTOR BEGAN FLASHING THE DRIVE ("D") INDICATOR. WE IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND PARKED THE VEHICLE AT OUR HOME A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY. THE CLUTCH SLIPPED BETWEEN THE FIRST 3 GEARS BELOW 40 MPH ON THE SHORT DRIVE HOME. THE DEALERSHIP PULLED CODE P0780. NO ASSOCIATED FLUID LEAKS AND THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS STILL PINK AND DIDN'T SMELL BURNT. 3 SERVICE TECHNICIANS TEST DROVE IT. AS SOON AS THE TRANSMISSION WARMED UP, IT DISPLAYED THE SAME BEHAVIOR REPORTED ABOVE AND THE LAST TEST DRIVE BARELY MADE IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDS REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION FOR $4,293.00. THE TRUCK WAS SERVICED PER HONDA'S RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE/SERVICE SCHEDULE WITH HONDA GENUINE FLUIDS AND PARTS. THE LAST TRANSMISSION/ REAR DIFFERENTIAL SERVICE WAS APPROXIMATELY 9,000 MILES AGO IN JANUARY, 2009. THIS VEHICLE ALSO HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID JET KIT PERFORMED IN 2004. I WILL ALSO BE FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU DUE TO THE UNUSUALLY HIGH AMOUNT OF 2003/2004 HONDA PILOT FAILED TRANSMISSION REPORTS I HAVE READ ON A NUMBER OF ONLINE FORUMS. MOST VEHICLES THAT EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURES HAD BETWEEN 90K-130K MILES. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND SHOULD REACH CLASS ACTION LEVEL. *TR
FIRST, DOOR LOCKS AUTOMATIC NOW HAVE TO UNLOCK MYSELF, ALONG WITS THE OUTSIDE DOORS.ALARM BUTTON NO LONGER WORKS TO UNLOCK. DOOR HANDLES INSIDE HAVE BEEN PEELING AND ACTUALLY CUT YOUR FINGERS WHEN OPENING THE DOOR, I HAVE MASWING TAPE IN THEM AND IT'S UGLY, FINALLY..LIGHTS INSIDE ARE GOING OUT ON RADIO, DIMMING ON INTERIOR ALSO.
2003 HONDA PILOT EX WITH 101,054 MILES FRONT, SIDE AND REAR MOTOR MOUNTS WERE CRACKED AND LEAKED HYDRAULIC FLUID. HONDA DEALER REPLACED ALL THREE MOTOR MOUNTS COSTING $600.00. HONDA DEALER STATES THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM SINCE THE MOTOR MOUNTS HAVE HYDRAULIC FLUID IN THEM (THEY ARE NOT ALL RUBBER). *TR
TRAFFIC ON A SURFACE ROAD CAME TO AN ABRUPT STOP. THE 2004 FORD F150 DID NOT STOP IN TIME AND REAR-ENDED OUR 2003 HONDA PILOT ALONG THE RIGHT HALF OF THE BUMPER. THE IMPACT WAS SEVERE ENOUGH TO SHOVE THE RIGHT FRAME RAIL FORWARD SEVERAL INCHES, WRINKLING THE ROOF AND PUTTING THE DRIVERSIDE REAR DOOR IN TENSION SO THAT IT COULD NOT BE OPENED. THE TWO FRONT SEATS WERE OCCUPIED BY ADULTS. BOTH THE DRIVER'S AND PASSENGER'S SEAT BACKS FAILED. THE DRIVER SUFFERED NO INJURIES, BUT THE PASSENGER SUFFERED BRUISING FROM THE B-PILLAR AND STRAINED BACK FROM THE COLLAPSING SEATBACK.
CLEAR COAT BEGAN COMING OFF OF MANY HORIZONTAL SURFACES. HAS CONTINUED FOR YEARS. NOW THE ACTUAL PAINT IS COMING OFF AND THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. *TR
DRIVING HONDA PILOT 2003 WITH 84,000 MIL ONTO EXPRESSWAY ON RAMP--IT STARTED BUCKING---LIKE IT WOULD LURCH FORWARD AND THEN STOP---FINALLY WENT FORWARD. DROVE IT FOR 1 MORE WEEK AND THIS HAPPENED A FEW MORE TIMES. TOOK TO A VERY GOOD MECHANIC. THEY TESTED THE CAR AND NOTHING CAME UP AS WRONG. THEN YELLOW LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING--AND THE CAR WOULD LOSE POWER WHEN GOING SLOWLY THROUGH A SUBDIVISION--AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN REGAIN POWER. SOMETIMES I HAD TO PULL OVER AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND THEN IN DRIVE TO GET IT TO GO. TOOK THE CAR TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID IT WAS A CLOGGED GAS LINE. THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. COST WAS $400 FOR "CLOGGED GAS LINE" AND ANOTHER 400 FOR SOMETHING ELSE LEAKING. NO LIGHTS ON WHEN LEAVING THE DEALERSHIP. ONE DAY LATER THE YELLOW LIGHT WAS BACK ON AND IT SOMETIMES LOSES POWER WHEN GOING SLOWLY. THERE HAVE BEEN NO DEATHS OR ACCIDENTS YET---BUT IF ANYONE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING ME ONTO THE ON RAMP, THEY WOULD HAVE HIT ME. THE CAR LOOKED LIKE A BUCKING BRONCO. I WANT YOUR HONDA DEALERSHIP IN WAUKESHA WI ----WILDE HONDA TO PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION---THIS IS NOT NORMAL--AT YOUR COST. I DRIVE PEOPLE AROUND FOR A LIVING---I AM A REALTOR AND IT WAS VERY EMBARRASSING WHEN WE SWUNG INTO THE SUBDIVISION AND I HAD TO PULL OVER BECAUSE I HAD NO POWER. IMAGINE THAT ON A HIGHWAY WITH A SEMI BEHIND ME. THIS IS A LAWSUIT WAITING TO HAPPEN. *TR
2003 HONDA PILOT LX 5 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND CHANGING GEARS ON ITS OWN WITHOUT WARNING. TRANSMISSION FAILURE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD AND HE HEARD A HIGH PITCHED WHISTLING NOISE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO RECUR WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE SECOND GEAR SPEED SENSOR WAS REPLACED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE FRONT WHEELS LOCKED AND THE VEHICLE ABRUPTLY STOPPED MOVING FOR A FEW MOMENTS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE BROKE THE FRONT MOTOR MOUNTS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 139,000.
MY 2003 HONDA PILOT HAS CRACKED ENGINE MOUNTS. IT CAUSES THE STEERING WHEEL TO VIBRATE. THE FRONT AND BACK MOUNTS WERE REPLACED AT 97,000 MILES. *TR
I'M NOT OF THAT SCARED OF STICKING GAS PEDALS KIND ON PERSON. JUST WANT TO FILE THIS INCIDENT TO PROBABLY HELP OTHERS TO AVOID PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE. AFTER CAR BEING PARKED FOR THREE WEEKS AT AIRPORT WHEN FIRST STARTED IT I HAD AND ISSUE WITH THE STUCK GAS PEDAL. FORTUNATELY I WAS IN THE PARKING GEAR WHEN I FIRST PRESSED THE PEDAL, OTHERWISE COULD BE AN ACCIDENT ON THE PARKING LOT IF I WAS IN THE DRIVE GEAR. I JUST PULLED THE PEDAL BACK WITH MY TOE AND PRESSED AND PULLED IT COUPLE TIMES MORE BEFORE IT STARTED WORKING OK. BEFORE THAT I FELT IT LITTLE MUSHY AFTER LONG PARKING PERIODS ESPECIALLY IN THE RELATIVELY COLD DAYS IN GEORGIA AUTUMN/WINTER BUT IT WAS COMING AWAY AFTER DRIVING THE CAR DAILY. WHEN I GOT BACK HOME I RECTIFIED THE PROBLEM BY POURING SOME OIL IN THE THROTTLE CABLE JACKET AND LUBRICATED THE PEDAL AXIS AS WELL. HAD NO PROBLEMS SINCE THAN SO FAR. *TR
FAILED IAC VALVE IN 2003 HONDA PILOT CAUSED ENGINE SURGE DURING PARKING. THIS RESULTED IN AN AUTO ACCIDENT. *TR
2003 HONDA PILOT W/45,500 MILES HESITATION/SURGING WHILE MAINTAINING SPEED OR WHILE LIGHTLY ACCELERATING FROM MAINTAINED SPEED. HUMMING NOISE DURING HESITATION/SURGE. VERY NOTICEABLE BETWEEN 25-40MPH. ADVISED BY HONDA DEALER THAT TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE. *TR
TRANSMISSION WAS SLOW TO TRANSITION TO 3RD GEAR WHILE GOING APPROX. 30-35 MPH. A FEW DAYS LATER, THE "D" LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, BUT WHEN CAR WAS TURNED OFF, IT DID NOT GO ON AGAIN. TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC THINKING IT WAS A "3RD SWITCH" ISSUE I HAD READ ABOUT ON CAR SITES. MY MECHANIC SAID ONE SOLENOID WAS COLD, WHILE ANOTHER WAS HOT. HE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER TO RUN THE CODES AND GET A SECOND OPINION. THE DEALER SAYS IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. MY MECHANIC PICKED THE CAR UP AND ON THE WAY BACK, IT STARTED SHIFTING FROM 4TH TO 1ST OR 2ND GEAR ON THE HIGHWAY. HE SAID HE ALMOST SMACKED HIS HEAD ON THE WINDSHIELD IT JERKED SO HARD. THIS MARKS A VERY RAPID DECLINE OVER LESS THAN A WEEK AND AFTER MY MECHANIC THOUGHT THE ISSUE WAS NOT THE TRANSMISSION. I BELIEVE THE CAR WAS PART OF THE 2004 TRANSMISSION RECALL WHICH WAS SERVICED BY A HONDA DEALER. *TR
200 HONDA PILOT... TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SLIPPING... HOLDING GEAR BEFORE LURCHING TO NEXT GEAR... SAME WITH SLOWING DOWN... PRETTY ALARMING... WAS TOLD THAT I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF AROUND $3000... CAR ONLY HAS 88,000 MILES ON IT... VERY FRUSTRATING... HONDA SHOULD REPLACE THESE ON THEIR DIME. *TR
CONSUMERS 2003 HONDA PILOT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED. CONSUMER FOUND AN AFFORDABLE AUTO SHOP AND LEARNED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY WHEN THE INFORMATION WAS PROVIDE TO HONDA CONSUMER WAS DENIED WARRANTY SERVICE. A MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER, THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE VEHICLE, REGARDING THE TRANSMISSION IN RELATION TO THE SECOND GEAR, THE CONSUMER STATED HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY RECALLS ON THE VEHICLE, AS A NOTICE NEVER CAME IN THE MAIL. THE MECHANIC CONFIRMED THE VEHICLE MET THE RECALL OUTLINED IN THE NOTICE HE FOUND ONLINE. HONDA INFORMED THE CONSUMER THE CLAIM WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE PROBLEM DID NOT MEET THE RECALL REQUIREMENTS ISSUED IN 2004. ACCORDING TO THE INVOICE, THE TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSIS STATED THE TRANSMISSION OVERHEATED. IT ALSO STATED A LIST OF PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED ON THE VEHICLE, MAINLY THE SECONDARY SHAFT 2ND GEAR AND THE COUNTER SHAFT 2ND GEAR. *JB
OUR 2003 HONDA PILOT LOCKED UP ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE OF THE 2ND GEAR. WE WERE TRAVELING IN THE 3RD LANE OVER 60 MPH WHEN BOTH FRONT TIRES LOCKED AND WE SKIDDED TO A HALT IN LESS THAN 200 YARDS ON THE HIGHWAY. PRIOR TO OUR VEHICLE BREAKING DOWN, THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF DANGER, NO UNUSUAL SOUNDS, NO BLINKING LIGHTS OR ANY HESITATION WITH THE CAR. OUR VEHICLE HAD 138,400+ MILES AND HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY ACCORDING TO HONDA'S RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES, INCLUDING ALL TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGES. ON MAY 7, 2004 WITH 36,384 MILES, OUR VEHICLE HAD RECEIVED A RETROFIT OF THE A/T OIL JET KIT DUE TO HONDA'S 04-021B SAFETY RECALL ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SECOND GEAR. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. THE CAR BEHIND US STOPPED JUST IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION. OUR CAR COULD NOT BE ROLLED INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE AS BOTH FRONT WHEELS WERE LOCKED AND WE WERE STRANDED IN THE 3RD LANE. A POLICE OFFICER WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND LOGGED THE INCIDENT AS A DISABLED VEHICLE. THE OFFICER REQUESTED FOR IMMEDIATE TOWING SINCE WE WERE IN A DANGEROUS LOCATION. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A HONDA DEALER, WHO PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING DIAGNOSIS AND ESTIMATE: "TRANSMISSION INTERNAL FAILURE BOTH FRONT AXLES TWISTED NEEDS 2 TIRES - FLAT SPOTS ALIGNMENT $5,199.14 PLUS TAX" WE OPTED NOT TO REPAIR THE HONDA AND INSTEAD PURCHASED A NEW NON-HONDA VEHICLE AND RECEIVED A TRADE-IN VALUE FOR 'AS-IS' CONDITION. *TR
CAR JOLTED FORWARD WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. VERY SCARY. IT DIDN'T SHIFT PROPERLY AFTERWARDS. WHILE PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR ON A SLOPE, FOR EXAMPLE, IT DIDN'T SHIFT AND THEN JOLTED FORWARD. IN ONE OCCASION THAT I PUT THE CAR IN THE R GEAR, AND IT DIDN'T GO BACKWARDS. CHECKED WITH A HONDA DEALERSHIP, AND TOLD THAT THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR
MY '03 HONDA PILOT WAS IMPACTED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE BY A DRIVER BACKING UP A BIT FAST AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS WERE DEPLOYED. THERE WAS DAMAGED DONE TO THE FRONT FENDER TO THE EXTENT OF BUCKLING ONE OF THE FENDER CORNERS. SHORTLY AFTER THIS INCIDENT THE SRS LIGHT CAME ON AND IT WILL NOT GO OFF. CALLED DEALER ABOUT THE SRS LIGHT AND WAS TOLD THAT IT IS PROBABLY A DEFECT WITH THE AIRBAGS, AIRBAG SENSORS OR A MODULE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT CAN BE AS MUCH AS $1000 DOLLARS TO GET IT FIXED AFTER PARTS AND LABOR. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE AND HAVE DISCOVERED PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT ACCIDENTS WITH THIS VEHICLE AND THE AIRBAGS NOT DEPLOYING. I BELIEVE THERE IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE WITH THIS VEHICLE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND FIXED FREE OF CHARGE BY HONDA. *TR
I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2003 HONDA PILOT THAT HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY. I WAS ON CA HIGHWAY 80 WHEN THE "D" LIGHT SUDDENLY STARTED FLASHING THEN THE GEARS STARTED TO STICK. THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO OVERDRIVE AND I HAD TO SUDDENLY SLOW THE CAR ON THE HIGHWAY TO 40 MPH. I PULLED OFF AS SOON AS IT WAS SAFE AND WAS UNABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE NOR GET IT INTO OVERDRIVE. HAD TO DRIVE IT AT AN UNSAFE SPEED ON THE HIGHWAY TO THE NEAREST REPAIR STATION. HONDA IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGING THIS DEFECT NOW THAT THE CAR HAS 110,000 MILES AND I HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION. *TR
2003 HONDA PILOT MOTOR MOUNTS BROKEN. CAR ONLY HAS 77K ON IT. OWNED 5 OTHER HONDAS NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE. NO ROUGH DRIVING. COST IS OVER 500.00 TO REPLACE SAFETY ISSUE, COULD BE A SERIOUS ISSUE IF THE MOUNTS FAIL. ALSO THE KEY IN THE IGNITION IS ALWAYS GETTING STUCK AND SOMETIMES TAKES 20 MINUTES TO GET IT TO TURN THE CAR ON. *TR
OWN A 2003 HONDA PILOT AND THE MIDDLE SEAT DRIVER SIDE SEAT BROKE AND WON'T RECLINE OR GO DOWN. COULD CAUSE A SAFETY HAZARD IF THE REAR PASSENGERS CAN'T GET OUT. *TR
TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, SLIPPING NOT GOING INTO SECOND GEAR, EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENTLY, BROUGHT IN FOR REPAIR IN MAY 2009 DEALER COULD NOT FIND A PROBLEM. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS INCREASED IN JUNE, "D" LIGHT FLASHING, SLIPPING NEAR ACCIDENT TRYING TO PULL INTO TRAFFIC AND TRANSMISSION DID NOT ENGAGE ENGINE JUST REVVED; DEALER REPLACED A PART FOR $800. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS INCREASING IN FREQUENCY, MORE SLIPPING NOT GOING INTO GEAR MORE NEAR ACCIDENTS PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, DEALER NOW NOTICES PROBLEM, DEALER SAYS WE NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. *TR
HEADLAMPS ON 2003 HONDA PILOT SIMPLY STOP WORKING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. *TR
THE 2ND ROW LH (DRIVER'S SIDE) PASSENGER SEAT IN MY 2003 HONDA PILOT PURCHASED 1/2/2003 WITH ABOUT 90K HAS HAD TWO RELATED PROBLEMS ON THIS SEAT. THIS SEAT IS RARELY SAT IN AND ALMOST NEVER MOVED. IT BECAME JAMMED IN THE UPRIGHT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, LIKELY MUCH EARLIER THAN I DETECTED IT IN JULY 2009. I ATTEMPTED TO FOLD THE SEAT DOWN VIA THE TOP LEVER AND WAS NOT ABLE TO. THE RESULT WAS THE TOP LEVER PLASTIC HANDLE BROKE OFF THE CABLE ACTUATOR. I PAID OVER $200 AT THE DEALER (PRIORITY HONDA IN HUNTERSVILLE NC, 28078 - 704.875.3100) TO HAVE IT FIXED EVEN THOUGH I FEEL THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE JAMMED CAUSING THE TOP LEVER TO BREAK OFF. AT REPAIR, NOTHING WAS FOUND THAT WOULD CAUSE THE JAM SUCH AS A FOREIGN OBJECT OR ANY DAMAGE. RECENTLY I TRIED TO MOVE THE SEAT FORWARD (SIDE LEVER ENGAGES BOTH BACK FOLD DOWN AND BASE RELEASE) TO ALLOW MY CHILDREN TO EXIT FROM THE THIRD ROW SEAT AND FOUND THAT THIS LEVER WAS NOT WORKING AS WELL. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE ABOVE-MENTIONED DEALER THE EVENING OF 8/24/09 AND LEFT IT WITH THEM UNTIL THE EVENING OF 8/24. ED JENKINS THE SERVICE MANAGER ADVISED ME THAT HE PERSONALLY WORKED WITH THE MECHANIC TO LOOK AT THE ISSUE SPENDING THREE HOURS WORKING ON IT AND COULD NOT REPAIR IT. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT A NEW SEAT FRAME WAS REQUIRED TO MAKE THE SEAT OPERATIONAL. A SEAT SHOULD NOT FAIL AFTER 6 YEARS WITH LIGHT USE AND IN MY OPINION SHOULD LAST AS LONG AS OR EXCEED THE LIFETIME OF THE VEHICLE, WHICH IN THE US IS ABOUT THIRTEEN YEARS I CONSIDER THIS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND AN IMPORTANT SAFETY ISSUE AS PASSENGERS MAY BECOME ENTRAPPED IN THE THIRD ROW SEAT. ANY DELAY IN EXITING ESPECIALLY IF THE OTHER SIDE IS OCCUPIED OR SOMEHOW BLOCKED COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH IN AN EMERGENCY. *TR
OUR HONDA PILOT WILL SHUTTER WHILE ACCELERATING BETWEEN SPEEDS OF 20 TO 50 MILES PER HOUR. THE SHUTTER WILL CONTINUE IF YOU CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE, IF I LET OFF THE GAS PEDAL SHUTTER DISSIPATES AND I CAN RESUME ON ACCELERATING. OCCASIONALLY THE REAR END JUMPS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. IT LOOKS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH MULTIPLE PILOT/MDX OWNERS. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED SOON, BEFORE SERIOUS INJURY COULD OCCUR. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
FRONT ENGINE MOUNT WAS BROKEN AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. NOW, AT 84105 MILES, THE SIDE ENGINE MOUNT IS BROKEN. I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL CARS SINCE 1975, AND HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ANY ENGINE MOUNT UNTIL THIS 2003 HONDA PILOT. *TR
2003 HONDA PILOT 140K MILES. TRANSMISSION SLIPS OUT OF GEAR WHEN ACCELERATING. THE "D" INDICATOR BEGAN TO FLASH THEN THE CAR WOULD ACT LIKE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRYING START FROM A DEAD STOP IN 4TH GEAR. *TR
SRS LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND STAYS ON. *TR
TRANSMISSION FAILED TO ENGAGE NEXT GEAR SLIPPING. WAS MERGING HIGHWAY TRAFFIC AND HARDLY AVOIDED ANOTHER CAR COMING FROM BEHIND ME. SEEN OTHER CUSTOMERS COMPLAINING ON 2003-2004 PILOT TRANSMISSIONS FAILS SAME WAY SOON AFTER 100KMILES. *TR
OUR 2003 HONDA PILOT'S (WITH 85,000 MILES) CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON APPROXIMATELY 6/1/09. WE RECENTLY JUST PURCHASED THIS PILOT AND ARE THE SECOND OWNERS. THE CAR WAS BOUGHT AND SERVICED AT THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP RIGHT UP UNTIL WE BOUGHT IT. ANYHOW, WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR BEGAN TO DOWNSHIFT AND THE CAR SLOWED DOWN RATHER VIOLENTLY AS WE PULLED OFF ON THE EXIT RAMP. THE REST OF THE DRIVE HOME THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHIFTING AND DOWN-SHIFTING QUITE ROUGHLY. WHERE IT GETS REALLY INTERESTING WAS THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD A RECALL ON THE TRANSMISSION IN 2004, WARNING THAT THE TRANSMISSION COULD HAVE "GEAR FAILURE AND LOCK-UP CAUSING A REAR-END COLLISION." BUT THE LOCAL HONDA DEALERSHIP INFORMED US THAT THE RECALL IS TOTALLY UNRELATED TO OUR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE COST OF REPAIR. *TR
IGNITION LOCKED UP. THE CAR COULD NOT BE SHUT OFF. THE KEY COULD NOT BE REMOVED FROM THE IGNITION. DEALER WANTED $900 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR
THE FLOOR BOARD OF MY 2003 HONDA PILOT IS VERY DAMP TO THE EXTENT THAT IF YOU WERE TO LEAVE A PAPER BACK ON IT, THE BAG WOULD BECOME WET. THIS WAS LAST OBSERVED ON AN 5-HOUR TRIP WE WERE TAKING ON JUNE 5TH. IT RAINED ALL DAY, AND WE WERE RUNNING THE AIR CONDITION FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP. WHEN WE RETURNED HOME, WE HAD TO REMOVE THE MATS (WHICH WERE WET ON THE BOTTOM) TO ALLOW THE FLOORS TO DRY OUT. IT STILL IS DAMP TO THIS DAY (JUNE 16TH). I DON'T KNOW IF IT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM, OR IF IT IS OUTSIDE WATER LEAKING IN. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM THAT I FIRST NOTICED APPROXIMATELY 3 YEARS AGO. DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF PROBLEM THEN. IT IS HARD TO ATTRIBUTE THE PROBLEM TO ANY EVENT BECAUSE THE FLOOR REMAINS DAMP FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME THAT YOU CAN'T REALLY BE SURE WHAT CONDITION IS CAUSING IT - YOU ARE OPERATING THE VEHICLE THROUGH SO MANY CONDITIONS THAT IT'S HARD TO TELL. FROM TIME TO TIME I HAVE TO TAKE OUT THE MATS WHEN IT BECOMES EXTREMELY DAMP. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF MOLD, THOUGH I'VE BEEN ABLE TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM BECOMING TOO MUSTY. *TR
2003 HONDA PILOT, 95K MILES, TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN STARTED FLASHING, SLIPPING OR POPPING BETWEEN GEARS, ACCELERATION IS GONE, WENT DOWNHILL VERY QUICKLY. I LOGGED ONTO VARIOUS WEBSITES AND SEE THE SAME TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS REPORTED BY MANY EARLY MODEL HONDA PILOT OWNERS I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED AS I EXPECTED A HONDA TO BE TOP NOTCH. *TR
THE MOTOR MOUNTS ON OUR 2003 HONDA PILOT BROKE, AND WE WERE ALERTED BY OUR HONDA DEALERS SERVICE DEPARTMENT. THE CAR HAS ABOUT 79,000 MILES ON IT. THE MOTOR MOUNTS HELP HOLD THE ENGINE IN PLACE. A GOOGLE SEARCH REVEALED ONLINE CHAT BOARDS WITH DOZENS AND DOZENS OF PILOT OWNERS COMPLAINING THAT THE MOTOR MOUNTS BROKE ON THEIR CARS, AT AS LITTLE AS 60,000 MILES. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS WIDESPREAD AND POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS. WE HAD OUR BROKEN MOTOR MOUNTS REPLACED. *TR
FEB 2009 NOTICED TRANSMISSION WAS PERIODICALLY SLIPPING AT 86,000 MILES, 1000 OVER EXTENDED WARRANTY. DID NOT MALFUNCTION WHEN MY MECHANIC CHECKED IT. I WAS PASSING A TRUCK GOING UPHILL AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION DOWNSHIFTED TO FIRST GEAR ON ITS OWN AND SLAMMED TO ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP. EVERYTHING IN MY CAR WAS THROWN FORWARD. TOOK IT TO A MECHANIC WHERE I WAS TRAVELING AND HE RECORDED THE CODE P0730, PROBLEM IN SHIFT CONTROL SYSTEM. BACK TO MY MECHANIC AGAIN FOR SOLENOID REPLACEMENT. STILL NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. CALLED HONDA CORP AND WAS TOLD THAT I HAD TO TAKE IT TO A HONDA DEALER. HONDA DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING NEW TRANSMISSION. I PROVIDED ALL RECORDS FOR PROOF OF MAINTENANCE. THERE IS NO PROOF THAT THE "FIX IT" WAS EVER PERFORMED ON THE TRANSMISSIONS RECALL. I AM OUT OVER $2500.00 FOR A PROBLEM THAT HONDA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED RESPONSIBILITY FOR IN THE PAST BUT IS CHOOSING TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY NOW. I AM THANKFUL THAT I DID NOT CRASH WHEN THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED. *TR
VEHICLE WILL NOT ACCEPT KEY, AFTER PLAYING WITH IT FINALLY GET THE KEY INTO THE IGNITION, BUT WILL NOT START. PLAY AND PLAY WITH IGNITION AND CAR FINALLY STARTS. TAKE TO HONDA DEALERSHIP IN EL CAJON CA , THEY SAY BECAUSE OF WEIGHT OF KEYS, HAVE A TOTAL OF 3 KEYS ON MY CHAIN, THAT IT HAS WORN OUT THE KEY AND THE TUMBLERS IN THE IGNITION. THEY MAKE A NEW KEY, IT GOES RIGHT IN BUT THE IGNITION IS STILL NOT TURNING OVER, HAVE TO GET A IGNITION. THEY REPLACE THE IGNITION BUT NOW I HAVE TWO HEAVY HONDA KEYS BECAUSE THE "NEW IGNITION" IS A SIDEWINDER AND IT COMES WITH A KEY THAT THEY CAN'T PROGRAM TO FIT THE DOORS. NOW MY KEY CHAIN IS HEAVIER THAN BEFORE. THIS COST ME $850.00. *TR
BLINKING D LIGHT ON 2003 HONDA PILOT TRANSMISSION. DEALERS SAY THEY DON'T KNOW THE CAUSE. EDMUNDS FORUM FULL OF SAME COMPLAINT, SAME EVASIVE ANSWER. TRANSMISSION ABOUT TO FAIL. *TR
NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V176000 THIS RECALL WAS PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE, NOW THE VEHICLE HAS STARTED SLIP AND SHIFT HARD, THE VEHICLE HAS HAD ISSUES WITH THE "D" FLASHING DURING NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, BUT RESETS WHEN THE CAR IS SHUT OFF. I'M AFRAID THAT THE AS STATE ON THE RECALL CONSEQUENCE: QUOTE: "GEAR FAILURE COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION LOCKUP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH." I DID SOME RESEARCH ABOUT THIS AND THERE SEVERAL HUNDREDS IF NO THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS ISSUE. *TR
THE HONDA PILOT 2003 WHICH HAS 134500 MILES ON IT STARTED TO REV UP WHILE ACCELERATING AND LURCHING FORWARD VIOLENTLY. ONCE WHILE TRYING TO GET ON THE INTERSTATE THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY STALL AS IF PUT IN A NEUTRAL AND LURCHED BACK TO 50MPH SPEED IN FEW SECONDS. LUCKILY NOT BODY IS BEHIND BUT WOULD HAVE CAUSED A CRASH. HAD THE VEHICLE TO HONDA CAR DEALER WHO SERVICED THE VEHICLE 1 WEEK BACK AND THEY SAID TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND WAS QUOTED $4000 FOR THE REPAIR. CALLED HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND COMPLAINED ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE AND THE SR CHECKED WITH HIS SUPERVISOR AND SAID THEY ARE NOT GOING TO REPAIR OR REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION PARTS. *TR
WHILE DRIVING 2003 HONDA PILOT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE REVVED UP WHILE SEEMING TO COAST AND THEN JOLTED FORWARD. CAR HAS 109,000 MILES. BROUGHT TO DEALERSHIP AND WAS INFORMED THERE WAS AN INTERNAL ISSUE WITH TRANSMISSION AND FAILURE OF CONTROL MODULE. ENTIRE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ACCORDING TO DEALER REPAIR SHOP IT WAS CODED AS AN INCORRECT GEAR RATIO. THIS SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING TO A VEHICLE WHICH HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY AND ONLY DRIVEN ON PAVED ROADS. *TR
THE FRONT ENGINE MOUNT IS CRACKED AND ONE OF THE SIDE MOUNTS IS TORN AND ABOUT TO CRACK. MY HONDA PILOT WAS PURCHASED NEW IN FEBRUARY 2003 AND HAS 84,000 MILES ON IT. HONDA CLAIMS THAT THE ENGINE MOUNTS ONLY LAST FIVE YEARS. THIS SEEMS TO BE A DEFECTIVE PART, ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE VOLUME OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOUND ON THE WEB. *TR
THE CHROME PLATING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLE OF OUR 2003 HONDA PILOT IS FLAKING AT THE FRONT EDGE. IT IS A DANGEROUS CUT HAZARD. OUR PILOT HAS ONLY 69077 MILES. THIS DEFECT SHOULD BE A RECALL, AS IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I PURCHASED A EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM THE DEALER, BUT WAS TOLD THAT THIS IS NOT COVERED. THE REPAIR COST IS $39.00 LABOR AND $20.00 FOR HANDLE. THE DEALER SERVICE WRITER SAID HE HAS SEEN THIS BEFORE, AND HAS EVEN EXPERIENCED IT HIMSELF. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 15-20 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HESITATED INTERMITTENTLY WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. THERE WERE NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THERE WERE MECHANICAL FAILURES IN THE TRANSMISSION. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN;AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION). THE AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THAT THERE WAS AN EARLIER RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE IN 2004; HOWEVER, IT HAS NOT CORRECTED THE FAILURE ADDRESSED IN THE SAFETY RECALL. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,000. UPDATED 6/01/09 *CN UPDATED 06/02/09.*JB
I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 2003 HONDA PILOT WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. I TRAVEL FREQUENTLY AND CURRENTLY HAVE 157,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED AS REQUIRED AND PROPERLY MAINTAINED. IT HAS ALWAYS GIVEN ME PROBLEMS WITH HARSH SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS, BUT DUE TO LACK OF ANY CODE WARNINGS, I'VE BEEN ADVISED BY THE DEALER AND PERSONAL MECHANICS THAT THERE WERE NO CONCERNS. AS THE PRIMARY DRIVER OF A VEHICLE, ONE CAN SENSE ANY CHANGES IN HOW AN AUTOMOBILE DRIVES AND AT 50,265 MILES, I BEGAN TO NOTICE A CHANGE WITH THE SHIFTING OF GEARS. AGAIN AT 87,767 I EXPRESSED CONCERN, BUT STILL NO CODES. AT 103,226 MILES, MY CONCERNS GREW AND FURTHER CHECKING AND DIAGNOSIS INDICATED THAT THERE IS HARD SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS, BUT NO INDICATIONS THAT A REPLACEMENT OF TRANSMISSION WAS NEEDED. ON APRIL 18, 2009 WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY, I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND EXPERIENCED THE ENGINE 'REVVING' AS THOUGH IT WAS IN NEUTRAL - THERE WAS NO POWER. I HAD A TOTAL OF 6 PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE. I MANEUVERED TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE AND WAS ADVISED TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED. ON APRIL 29, 2009, MY VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A REPUTABLE TRANSMISSION COMPANY TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED AT A COST OF $3,500. I PURCHASED THE PILOT CONFIDENT THAT I INVESTED IN A VEHICLE THAT WILL PROVIDE ME ASSURANCE OF NO MAJOR POWERTRAIN ISSUES. I FELT STRONGLY ABOUT HONDA'S REPUTATION SO THIS IS QUITE A DISAPPOINTMENT. UPON RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM I HAVE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM 2003 PILOT OWNERS WITH TRANSMISSION FAILURES (SEE EDMUNDS.COM FORUMS). IS ANYONE REVIEWING THE POTENTIAL LIABILITY INVOLVED WITH THE FAILURES OF THESE TRANSMISSIONS? ESPECIALLY SINCE I'VE EXPERIENCED THE LOSS OF POWER AND NAVIGATION ABILITY! A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE OCCURRED. ARE THERE DISCUSSIONS FOR A TRANSMISSION RECALL? *TR
2003 HONDA PILOT. 2ND GEAR GOING OUT. SEEMS TO HAVE CHIPPED TEETH ON GEAR. I CONTACTED HONDA. THEY TOLD ME THAT MY PILOT HAD ALREADY BEEN LOOKED AT BACK IN 2004. MY MECHANIC SAYS THAT THIS IS WITHOUT A DOUBT A DIRECT RESULT OF ORIGINAL RECALL ON THIS MODEL. THIS ALL BEGAN WITH MY "D" FLASHING. NOW MY SECOND GEAR IS GRINDING AND ABOUT TO O OUT. *TR
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026