Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||||
| 1102 | 11/16/2002 | 10013763 | Front camber adjustment. honda tech line summary. *tt | 04/26/2005 | |
| 04010 | 03/02/2004 | 10008380 | Clicking noise from right side of the cargo area. *mj | 07/29/2004 | |
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||||
| 02045 | 10/29/2002 | 02045 | 10000261 | Creaking or ticking noise from the dashboard or a front strut. *tt | 02/20/2003 |
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||||
| 1203 | 12/16/2003 | 10014205 | Clunk, tick noise from right rear shock. *nm | 04/29/2005 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 10/05/2002 | 6 | 10/05/2002 | |
| 2003 honda pilot. consumer states mechanical problems with the vehicle *tgw the consumer stated the drive light began to flash intermittently from the beginning of ownership. the dealer told the consumer it was related to the gas cap not being secured properly. however, once the transmission was replaced the light no longer flashed. on august 19, 2003 the vehicle was taken to the dealer due to a hesitation issue, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem. four months later, the check engine and srs lights illuminated. also, the vtm lights were flashing. on september 8, 2005 the transmission light began flashing. the consumer was informed that a special part had to ordered. the consumer also stated the power steering pump and gear box had to be replaced. also, the egr, v-tec seals and o-ring were all replaced to rectify the engine light problem. the timing belt and left and right control arm links were replaced. the inner and outer cv boots were replaced. on february 8, 20011 while driving 70 mph, the transmission suddenly downshifted almost causing a complete loss of control of the vehicle. the next day, the vehicle was taken to the dealership, where the consumer was informed the transmission had failed again. *jb | |||
| 08/17/2009 | 138400 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 10/16/2008 | 67118 | 1 | |
| Had to replace front and side motor mounts on my 2003 honda pilot. this was after only 67,118 miles. mechanic said this is a common problem with the original motor mounts. this could be very dangerous. *tr | |||
| 03/14/2006 | 5 | 05/30/2003 | |
| My vehicle vibrates at highway speeds between 70-80 mph. i have taken the car into the dealer no less than 5 times for the problem and just recently was told that honda is aware of the problem and that the vibration is a characteristic of the vehicle. up to this point the dealer has re-balanced the tires over and over and redone the alignment. i even purchased brand new tires and still there is the vibration. the dealer road force balanced the tires and still the vibration problem. there are many people complaining about this problem on the hondapilot.org website and there appears to be no resolution. *jb | |||
| 07/08/2002 | 0 | 07/08/2002 | |
| Since owning the vehicle in 8/2002, there has been a slight vibration at speeds around 70 mph. since chsnging the tires recently, the problem is more pronounced, but only when cold. the vibration borders on a shake, and you can feel it in the steering wheel as well as the floorboards. | |||
| 03/15/2003 | 100 | ||
| The problem has been traced to the upper shock mounts. their design causes a rattle on small to moderate road irregularities. i was forced to make a personal modification to the mount as honda would not acknowledge the problem. others (national web site) have experienced the same symptoms, but honda says this is charastic of vehicle. i have been a major supporter of honda in purchases and their customer service is incredibily insensitive. my next purchase may be a vw or volvo. since i modified the bracket, the sound is not the issue. the value honda has placed on my business is. i can document all efforts to resolve the issue, however honda does not want to admit there is a problem. surely i can not be the only one to have this issue with honda as i have remained professional at all times. i will not let the issue die. there should be reasonable expectations that support should go along with product loyalty. bill price | |||
| 06/25/2003 | 100 | 0 | 06/10/2003 |
| My honda pilot becomes unstable at speeds above 60 mph, it responds as though there is play in the steering and any small road imperfections cause the vehicle to veer left or right, i took it to cush honda where i purchased the vehicle and they said three of four tires had 52 pounds of air in the tires, which had to have been there on delivery since i have less than 700 miles on the vehicle and it has never been serviced or had air put in the tires, the problem still exists and is unsafe at highway speeds in traffic, the service manager claims all pilots do it and it is a design problem? please advise. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 05/25/2008 | 92000 | 1 | |
| The front lower ball joint on my 2003 honda pilot separated while being driven out of a parking lot. the front right suspension collapsed. upon inspection, the joint had never been lubricated when the car was assembled. this joint is a lubed-for-life joint that cannot be inspected or lubricated once assembled. the protective boot and retaining clip were in perfect condition when the joint failed. i am a mechanical engineer (tennessee license # 110751) and have been involved in several metal failure investigations. i am certain that this joint failed due to having not been lubricated at the factory. this car had been inspected by a honda dealership as a certified used car and had also been serviced at the honda dealership where it had passed their suspension check. if this failure had occurred 10 minutes earlier or later we would have lost control of the vehicle on the interstate at 70mph. the car has never been in an accident or abused in any way. neither honda usa nor the two dealerships involved would recognize the seriousness of this failure. the lower control arm, hub assembly, and steering knuckle were replaced at my expense. *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 09/30/2003 | 18000 | 3 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 honda pilot. the contact noticed that the tires on his vehicle were deteriorating on the interior sidewall. he took the vehicle to the dealer on five occasions and they performed a realignment. he then took the vehicle to an independent repair shop and a technician stated that the rear of the vehicle does not adjust the camber and caster. the contact had to replace four sets of tires, in which all of them had a large amount of tread. the manufacturer stated that the lifetime of the tires were 28,000 miles. all attempts to have the vehicle repaired properly have been insufficient. the failure mileage was 18,000 and current mileage was 79,000. updated 10-30-08 *bf updated 10/31/08 | |||
| 07/02/2006 | 20000 | 1 | 12/27/2002 |
| Noticeable cabin vibration when car approaches 70mph, very noticeable. no modifications or repairs as of yet. *tr | |||
| 08/22/2005 | 36700 | 4 | 08/19/2003 |
| I was driving near my house my wife's honda pilot suv and the rear suspension suddenly broke down. the fork and wheels support are broken and unweld (unsolder) *jb | |||
| 10/01/2003 | 1 | ||
| My wife and i both own 2003 honda pilot's. both vehicles have a thumping noise that seem to come from the right rear wheel area when driving over small or larger bumps.i have contacted the honda customer service department and was told they have no information on this problem, that it maybe generic. i have talked to my dealer (wade raulserson, gainesville, fl) service department and have been told the same thing. no information, it may be generic. i have corresponded over the internet with numerous other pilot owners that have the same complaint. several have done considerable research on their own and the best diagnosis seems to be a design problem with the right rear shock mount. you have a complaint(#10023250) detailing a failure on the right rear of the vehicle. the vehicle rolled over resulting in injuries to the driver and extensive damage to the vehicle. this make me wonder if there is an inherent design fault with the rear suspension on the pilot that could ultimately result in a catastrophic failure that may cause major injury or death.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SHOCK ABSORBER | |||
| 05/13/2004 | 12000 | 1 | 07/02/2003 |
| We bought a new honda pilot in july 2003. we do not tow anything with it. we do not take it off road. there has been no accident. we like the vehicle. however, on may 13th while driving the pilot a loud snap was heard in the rear of the pilot. we looked at it and discovered that the left rear shock absorber mount had broken off from the chassis. if that would have happened while on the freeway a serious accident very well might have occurred. this is a real safety concern.*ak | |||
| 03/01/2004 | 1 | 02/19/2003 | |
| I consistently hear noise that seems to come from the right rear wheel area when driving over small or large bumps. my dealer (clair international inc.) was unable to fix and called honda tech line. they were advised by honda tech line (ref.# 1192151, access code 20710502012) that it was normal noise from rear shocks with possible update in the future. a month later i had dealer replace the strut (part# 52610-s9v-a01) but problem persists. *ak | |||