Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH | ||||||||||||||||
| 12V136000 | HONDA (AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.) | from 11/26/2001 to 08/19/2003 | V (Vehicle) | 554428 | 04/27/2012 | ODI | HONDA (AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO.) | 03/30/2012 | 03/30/2012 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | Honda is recalling certain model year 2002-2004 cr-v and model year 2003 pilot vehicles. due to tension from the combination switch wiring harness, wear on the surface of the electrical terminal can occur, yielding copper oxide, which increases electrical resistance. increased electrical resistance may cause the terminal ends to melt within the wiring harness connector. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | If this occurs, the low beam headlights may become inoperative, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Honda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the low beam terminal harness or replace the lighting switch as necessary, free of charge. the safety recall is expected to begin on or about april 24, 2012. owners may contact honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Honda's recall campaign number is s34.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov. | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||||
| 07027 | 05/12/2007 | 10021945 | Low beam headlights intermittently do not come on. *kb | 06/27/2007 | |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - TAIL LIGHTS | |||||
| 04041 | 07/20/2004 | 10010757 | Taillight reflector is loose or distorted. *tt | 12/10/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | ||||||
| EA11012 | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) | 09/12/2011 | 09/17/2012 | Low Beam Headlights Stop Illuminating | 12V136000 | |
| This investigation was prompted by preliminary evaluation (pe) 11-017, and was based on reports from consumers alleging that both low beam headlights stopped illuminating simultaneously.some complainants also reported that the combination switch (switch) that controls the headlights and turn signals, and/or its electrical wiring harness connector were damaged by overheating.odi's pe information request letter asked honda for certain data on model years (my) 2002-2006 cr-v, 2003-2008 pilot, 2003-2008 element, 2001-2005 civic, and 2000-2001 s 2000 vehicles.analysis of complaint and honda data show that a complete low beam headlight circuit failure occurs in models with 2-bulb headlight systems (i.e., a single bulb on each side for high and low beam).models with 2-bulb systems include my 2002-2004 cr-v, 2003-2005 pilot, 2001-2003 civic, and 2003-2008 element.models with 4-bulb headlight systems (i.e., two bulbs on each side, one for high and one for low beam) have different electrical circuits for the headlights and do not experience the same failure mechanism as the 2-bulb system.my 2000-2001 s 2000 models with 2-bulb high intensity discharge headlights also have different electrical circuits for the headlights and do not experience the same failure mechanism.honda introduced the 4-bulb headlight system in cr-v in my 2005, in pilot in my 2006, and in civic in my 2004.on march 29, 2012 honda submitted a defect information report (dir) to recall 554,428 vehicles, including my 2002-2004 cr-v and my 2003 pilot.in the dir, honda stated that tension from the combination switch wiring harness to the electrical terminal for the low beam headlight circuit could cause a small amount of motion as the combination switch was operated.this motion, over time, can wear the surface of the terminal creating copper oxide, increasing electrical resistance, which may cause the terminal to melt within the harness connector.odi continued its investigation, and on august 31, 2012 honda submitted another dir to recall an additional 820,789 vehicles.this report included the my 2002 civic vehicles which were not subject to a prior safety recall (04v-086) for headlights, all of my 2003 civic, and my 2004-2005 pilot.honda's dir advised that operation of the turn signal switch lever at high speed and/or with heavy force can cause movement between the combination switch body and the sub-harness wiring connector.this can cause wear and continued movement can create copper oxide, increasing electrical resistance, and potentially causing the terminal to melt within the harness connector. please see both dirs at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/ under safety recall 12v-136 for complete details.honda also provided additional information on the element model, stating that it was not recalled due to it's very low failure rate.honda sold 301,497 element vehicles in the united states and received 17 reports, while odi received one report (see voq 10395219).honda's technical explanation for the low rate, which was submitted under request for confidentiality, is that the headlight switch, as installed in the element, reacts differently to the forces applied to it as compared to the recalled models.see attachment for additional information. | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - HIGH/LOW BEAM DIMMER SWITCH | ||||||
| EA11012 | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) | 09/12/2011 | 09/17/2012 | Low Beam Headlights Stop Illuminating | 12V136000 | |
| This investigation was prompted by preliminary evaluation (pe) 11-017, and was based on reports from consumers alleging that both low beam headlights stopped illuminating simultaneously.some complainants also reported that the combination switch (switch) that controls the headlights and turn signals, and/or its electrical wiring harness connector were damaged by overheating.odi's pe information request letter asked honda for certain data on model years (my) 2002-2006 cr-v, 2003-2008 pilot, 2003-2008 element, 2001-2005 civic, and 2000-2001 s 2000 vehicles.analysis of complaint and honda data show that a complete low beam headlight circuit failure occurs in models with 2-bulb headlight systems (i.e., a single bulb on each side for high and low beam).models with 2-bulb systems include my 2002-2004 cr-v, 2003-2005 pilot, 2001-2003 civic, and 2003-2008 element.models with 4-bulb headlight systems (i.e., two bulbs on each side, one for high and one for low beam) have different electrical circuits for the headlights and do not experience the same failure mechanism as the 2-bulb system.my 2000-2001 s 2000 models with 2-bulb high intensity discharge headlights also have different electrical circuits for the headlights and do not experience the same failure mechanism.honda introduced the 4-bulb headlight system in cr-v in my 2005, in pilot in my 2006, and in civic in my 2004.on march 29, 2012 honda submitted a defect information report (dir) to recall 554,428 vehicles, including my 2002-2004 cr-v and my 2003 pilot.in the dir, honda stated that tension from the combination switch wiring harness to the electrical terminal for the low beam headlight circuit could cause a small amount of motion as the combination switch was operated.this motion, over time, can wear the surface of the terminal creating copper oxide, increasing electrical resistance, which may cause the terminal to melt within the harness connector.odi continued its investigation, and on august 31, 2012 honda submitted another dir to recall an additional 820,789 vehicles.this report included the my 2002 civic vehicles which were not subject to a prior safety recall (04v-086) for headlights, all of my 2003 civic, and my 2004-2005 pilot.honda's dir advised that operation of the turn signal switch lever at high speed and/or with heavy force can cause movement between the combination switch body and the sub-harness wiring connector.this can cause wear and continued movement can create copper oxide, increasing electrical resistance, and potentially causing the terminal to melt within the harness connector. please see both dirs at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/ under safety recall 12v-136 for complete details.honda also provided additional information on the element model, stating that it was not recalled due to it's very low failure rate.honda sold 301,497 element vehicles in the united states and received 17 reports, while odi received one report (see voq 10395219).honda's technical explanation for the low rate, which was submitted under request for confidentiality, is that the headlight switch, as installed in the element, reacts differently to the forces applied to it as compared to the recalled models.see attachment for additional information. | ||||||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH | ||||||
| EA11012 | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) | 09/12/2011 | 09/17/2012 | Low Beam Headlights Stop Illuminating | 12V136000 | |
| This investigation was prompted by preliminary evaluation (pe) 11-017, and was based on reports from consumers alleging that both low beam headlights stopped illuminating simultaneously.some complainants also reported that the combination switch (switch) that controls the headlights and turn signals, and/or its electrical wiring harness connector were damaged by overheating.odi's pe information request letter asked honda for certain data on model years (my) 2002-2006 cr-v, 2003-2008 pilot, 2003-2008 element, 2001-2005 civic, and 2000-2001 s 2000 vehicles.analysis of complaint and honda data show that a complete low beam headlight circuit failure occurs in models with 2-bulb headlight systems (i.e., a single bulb on each side for high and low beam).models with 2-bulb systems include my 2002-2004 cr-v, 2003-2005 pilot, 2001-2003 civic, and 2003-2008 element.models with 4-bulb headlight systems (i.e., two bulbs on each side, one for high and one for low beam) have different electrical circuits for the headlights and do not experience the same failure mechanism as the 2-bulb system.my 2000-2001 s 2000 models with 2-bulb high intensity discharge headlights also have different electrical circuits for the headlights and do not experience the same failure mechanism.honda introduced the 4-bulb headlight system in cr-v in my 2005, in pilot in my 2006, and in civic in my 2004.on march 29, 2012 honda submitted a defect information report (dir) to recall 554,428 vehicles, including my 2002-2004 cr-v and my 2003 pilot.in the dir, honda stated that tension from the combination switch wiring harness to the electrical terminal for the low beam headlight circuit could cause a small amount of motion as the combination switch was operated.this motion, over time, can wear the surface of the terminal creating copper oxide, increasing electrical resistance, which may cause the terminal to melt within the harness connector.odi continued its investigation, and on august 31, 2012 honda submitted another dir to recall an additional 820,789 vehicles.this report included the my 2002 civic vehicles which were not subject to a prior safety recall (04v-086) for headlights, all of my 2003 civic, and my 2004-2005 pilot.honda's dir advised that operation of the turn signal switch lever at high speed and/or with heavy force can cause movement between the combination switch body and the sub-harness wiring connector.this can cause wear and continued movement can create copper oxide, increasing electrical resistance, and potentially causing the terminal to melt within the harness connector. please see both dirs at http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/recalls/ under safety recall 12v-136 for complete details.honda also provided additional information on the element model, stating that it was not recalled due to it's very low failure rate.honda sold 301,497 element vehicles in the united states and received 17 reports, while odi received one report (see voq 10395219).honda's technical explanation for the low rate, which was submitted under request for confidentiality, is that the headlight switch, as installed in the element, reacts differently to the forces applied to it as compared to the recalled models.see attachment for additional information. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | |||
| 12/07/2010 | 95000 | ||
| The right rear taillight has fallen apart internally. there is a clear half-dome over the bulb on the brake light portion, inside the taillight unit that has fallen off and now is loose inside the unit itself. it appears that it is a snap-on installation when the unit is assembled. there is no-way to fix this without destroying the sealed unit. dealer wants $150 for a replacement. | |||
| 11/15/2011 | 160239 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2003 honda pilot. while driving 35 mph, the headlights suddenly failed without warning. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the current and the failure mileages were 160,239. | |||
| 11/15/2011 | 160239 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 honda pilot. while driving 35 mph, the headlights suddenly failed without warning. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the current and the failure mileages were 160,239. kmj | |||
| 11/15/2011 | 160239 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 honda pilot. while driving 35 mph, the contact stated the headlights suddenly shut off without warning. the dealer or manufacturer had not been nor was the vehicle diagnosed or repaired. the current and failure mileages were 160,239. bw | |||
| 07/11/2009 | 108900 | 1 | |
| Headlamps on 2003 honda pilot simply stop working. this is very dangerous. *tr | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - BRAKE LIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 11/09/2006 | 3 | 12/28/2003 | |
| My wife and i own a 2003 honda pilot. on the evening of 11/09/06 she was attending an event. when she started up the truck she could not get it out of park. after turning off the car and turning it back on a couple of times somehow she was able to get it into drive. this happened again later on when she dropped off a friend and left the car in park while she let her friend out. she tried the same tactic as before and after a few times she was able to get it out of park. when she returned home she told me of the problem. i went to the garage and started the truck up and the same thing happened to me. i began to pump the brakes and noticed that the brake lights were not functioning properly and that when they came on i was able to take it out of park. there was no hazard light of any kind to inform us of this malfunction and that it was tied to the brake lights. my wife drove over 60 miles that evening and may or may not have had her brake lights working. i took it to a honda dealership the next day and they replaced a switch, fp # 5615215, description sw.stop 36750-s84. *nm | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS | |||
| 07/29/2004 | 0 | 1 | 05/17/2003 |
| Honda pilot headlights do not provide sufficient light to safely operate the vehicle. only a few feet in front of vehicle are illuminated, and a sharp cut-off line between light and darkness is clearly visible at a distance that is not far enough to safely drive at night.*ak | |||
| 09/16/2003 | 1 | ||
| Headlights on the 2003 honda pilot are not bright enough to illuminate the road at highway speeds. honda knows of the situation and will not take any action. *jb | |||
| 05/07/2003 | 1 | 03/06/2003 | |
| The headlights on my new 2003 honda pilot are like a small pocket flashlight extremely dim and insufficient for night driving pleaser help me remedy this problem. *jb | |||
| 11/17/2002 | 53 | 1 | 11/01/2002 |
| Head light too weak, cant see more than 20 feet. not enough illumination. *ts *nlm **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12-12-02 cut over to artemis**770154 | |||
| 11/16/2002 | 6800 | 1 | |
| The headlights lights were very dim and the dealership was unable to adjust the lighting projection. which resulted in poor visibility. the manufacturer indicated it this was a design characteristic. *jb | |||
| 01/31/2003 | 11/18/2002 | ||
| Headlights on the new honda pilot are weak and fail to adequately illuminate the road ahead. it's the difference between using a spotlight vs a floodlight. the high beams when in use just seem to disappear into the night. you can see but the light is not bright enough in my opinion. i think the high beams should be more like a spotlight in lighting up the road ahead. i think it is a definite design flaw. | |||
| 11/26/2002 | 11/01/2002 | ||
| Head light is not enough illuminate at night very risky when turn either left or right on a highway. we have stop driving at night after found out. dt | |||
| 07/01/2002 | |||
| Headlights are very weak and do not sufficeintly illuminate the road ahead. this creates a very serious driving hazard on the freeway especially at speeds as high as 70 mph. the pilot's headlights fail to illuminate. dt | |||
| 11/06/2002 | |||
| Consumer states, the head light component provide poor light obstructing the driver's view. dealer has inspected. please provide further information. mr | |||
| 09/01/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states the low beam headlights are weak or not properly aligned resulting in poor night visibility. consumer states has to use high beams. nlm | |||
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING - HEADLIGHTS - SWITCH | |||
| 12/07/2011 | 4 | ||
| 2003 honda pilot. consumer writes in regards to recall 12v-136 concerning low beam headlights *tgw on december 7, 2011, the consumer took the vehicle in for service due to the a/c not working. the dealer found the blower motor transistor was faulty. the ac transistor was replaced and re-tested and operating normally. the consumer stated prior to taking the vehicle in to replace the ac transistor, the low and high beam headlights were working. the very next morning, she discovered the low beam headlights were no longer working. on december 13, 2011 both low beam headlights were replaced at a cost of $ 142.06. in april 2012. the low beam headlights would go off for a few days and then come back on again. on may 10, 2012, the consumer received a recall notice in the mail, stating the low beam terminal would be replaced, and if necessary the combination lighting switch would be replaced too. on the same day the she received the notice, the low beam headlights went out again. the consumer informed the dealer, the low beams weren't working and they advised her that the low beam bulbs needed to be replaced. the consumer asked the dealer, would replacing the low beam terminal fix the problem, and the service advisor responded by saying no, as the terminal had nothing to with the low beam. the vehicle was serviced and later that afternoon, the low beam lights were working again. on may 21, 2012. the low beam head lights failed again. the consumer stated the dealer only replaced the combination light switch and not the low beam terminal. the low beams are currently not working, which is forcing the consumer to use the high beam lights. *jb | |||
| 11/25/2002 | 1400 | 1 | 10/16/2002 |
| While driving the vehicle at night the consumer can only see about 25 feet ahead. dealer has been notified. *ts *jg *nlm | |||