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Honda Pilot Transmission Problems

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Comments

  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    My transmission failed three weeks ago at 127k. The transmission basically broke apart. As we removed the old transmission, I noted one of the oil lines in the drivers side near the ABS was completely bent closed. This line was a feed line for trans oil on the side and rear of the transmission. It appears it came from the factory like that, and was probably the cause of about $2500 in repair costs. I spoke to the Honda rep, no compensation, he was not really interested in having a photo of the error made by Honda. Instead of a simple 90 degree elbow or a formed hose being installed, my transmission failed. The replacement was a big job, about 25 hours. If you are doing the replacement email me I will give you lots of good tips. NR
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Please don't offer "personal" help via email. We all benefit when a problem is discussed on the open forum. Thanks.
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    Yes the early 2004 transmissions have a different oil supply system than the early models. I think the oil supply line being pinched off (from factory) was the cause of my trans failure. nickr
  • texaspilot1texaspilot1 Member Posts: 1
    My honda has about 78,000 miles and above 70 MPH a humming noise with a steady slight vibration i can feel on the peddles, steering wheel and windshield. It almost sounds like a wind noise but I'm sure its in the Powertrain. I need to take it in to shop but I'm looking for data to backup my conclusion.
  • s1simpss1simps Member Posts: 28
    My 2011 Pilot with 34,000 miles was working fine. Service wrench showed up with code of A13 and 15% oil life. Took it to dealer for oil change and was told that the service code 3 meant "recommended drain and refill transmission fluid." Told them to go ahead and complete that service. Now, one day after the service was completed, the transmission is very rough when it shifts gears and the "D" is flashing! Rpms race between gear shifts. What could they have done wrong. I had no problems before this service was performed. Of course today is Sunday and the service department is not open. Any ideas? What should I have them do to fix this? Have they caused a terrible problem or was this problem already brewing? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    I suggest checking axles (front) and feel tires for a break split. I would start at a tire shop, not a Honda dealer unless you really trust the person. Could be tires with mud caught in the rims, make sure rims are perfectly clean use a pry bar to remove any sand or mud.
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    check . tires for out of round breaking apart between tread, and also check axles, bent rims or rims with small bits of mud caught in them can create shutter. Most garages will select the most expensive detailed option when problem solving
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    check color of your tranny oil it will tell you a great deal. I would call Honda to see if they will stand behind their product. Sounds like they like money take it to another dealer.
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    I have an 04 pilot, trans went about two weeks ago. It literally broke apart, there was a brake in the drivers side with oil all over the on the underside of the fender lining. in the course of removing the trans I noticed that my oil hose on the drivers side on the cab side of the tranny had been bent at 90 degrees not allowing any oil thru it. What is the purpose of this hose that feeds two areas of the transmission from the center moving to the side and rear. My replacement trans does not have the same system it has one mostly metal hose and distribution system that feeds only the rear part of the tranny. Honda takes no responsibility for this stupid error. Trans worked perfectly until blow up.
  • bamonsonbamonson Member Posts: 4
    Hi,

    I have a 2011 Honda Pilot with only 9,000 miles on it. In the last few months I've noticed that while sitting at stop lights (i.e., in gear but brake applied) it will lurch forward. Even with brake applied you can feel a noticable 'tug' forward. I thought this was just part of the engine revving to compensate for A/C on a hot day, but it also happens when the A/C is off. Anyone else experiencing this?
  • hmvhmv Member Posts: 1
    My 2009 pilot is doing exact same thing. Keep taking it in but won't act up when they test drive it. Please let me know what u find out. Taking mine back in today
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    My trans worked perfectly, until it just blow up. Yours is a problem I would demand perfection. New trans if that is actually the problem. Check tires and mud on rims or a bent rim. NR
  • oldsantafeoldsantafe Member Posts: 1
    My wife 04 pilot just got the flashing D yesterday at 107k, I drove it last night the D was flashing and I can't not manually shift to the lower gears, the car is driving fine with no shifting problems on the road and freeway, and now the D is not flashing but I still can not shift to the lower gears, I was thinking maybe the sensor is not working that would be cheap to fix, but after reading in this forums I'm not so sure, I guess I need to take it to the Honda dealer to get the bad news. Don :cry:
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    Check for a hose on the very right side towards the rear of the SUV that has a 90degree bend in it and will not allow oil to be distributed from one area of the trans to another. The failure to shift properly is not a good sign, not sure about sensor. All dealers I have spoken to will NOT dismantle in shop, they just replace it with a rebuilt trans. Look at the oil color, smell it if it is a brown red, get oil change with Honda oil immediately. If it smells burned that is a bad sign same solution. Replacement is expensive, consider a trade. NR
  • chris_hornechris_horne Member Posts: 10
    Went through all the postings here and this seems to be different than problems others are experiencing. Pilot is about to turn 130,000 miles. No previous problems with transmission. Never had the dreaded blinking D light.

    Problem is on cold mornings, when you start the car and put the shift lever into the D position, the D light does not come on. You can jiggle the shift lever and get the light to come on. If you drive the Pilot with the D light off, the transmission does not shift properly. If you jiggle the shift lever to get the light to come on, the car shifts normally. This problem does not happen when selecting any other gear, including reverse; all other gear selections work fine. After you drive the car a few miles with the D light on, the problem goes away, meaning if you stop the car and restart it, you no longer have to jiggle the shift lever to get the D light to come on.

    Does anyone have experience with this problem?
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    Change oil immediately. The trans oil feed hose under the master brake is important. My trans made a tremendous bang and the case blew apart. Buy a used trans and trade it. Nick
  • adioshondaadioshonda Member Posts: 1
    We have a 2004 Honda Pilot. The vehicle began to shudder and shake as we drove around town. It felt like the transmission was going to fall out. We took it into the mechanic who at first couldn't replicate the symptom. Upon persistence he kept at it and felt what we had been talking about. He said the only way to properly inspect was to pull the transmission. We gave the go ahead. He quickly found the problem: refer to NHTSA reference #04V389000. The problem was caused by a factory defect. I checked the VIN with the recall and found that our Pilot was not within the specified VIN numbers. I made a call directly to Honda and explained that my mechanic found basically the same problems as specified in the recall. Honda replied that my VIN was not within the listed VIN #'s so they would not cover the damage (replace the transmission $3000+). I filed a complaint with NHTSA. To this day, I have not received any response. The Pilot is our family car so we paid for the repair. We have totally lost faith in Honda and will without a doubt be looking elsewhere.
  • chris_hornechris_horne Member Posts: 10
    to adioshonda: I am sorry to hear you had this problem. We have a 2004 pilot with 130,000 miles on it. I was wondering about your situation. How many miles on your pilot? Did the D light start flashing? Did you change the transmission fluid every 30,000 miles? Again, sorry about your situation. Same may be in my future. Often transmission failure is caused by radiator failure. I bought a new radiator and am going to have it installed soon to try to prevent the transmission from failing. Thanks!
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    Check the transmission feed pipe on the top part of trans near the brake boaster look for the rubber section bent at 90 degrees and closed to any oil transferred through the hose/pipe. This was straight from the factory no one noticed it and it took out my transmission no compensation. Please check these or have a mechanic read his and check it for you . Nr
  • chris_hornechris_horne Member Posts: 10
    Nickr1948,

    Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out and keep an eye on it in the future. If it was straight from the factory, do you know how it got bent at 90 degrees?
  • terispilotterispilot Member Posts: 1
    I have been experiencing a "jerk" or "shudder" in my 2011 Pilot as well. At first I thought it was water in my fuel lines or I had potentially purchased some bad gas, but I spoke with a friend who has a 2009 and she has had the same problem. I don't have a flashing D or anything like that. It doesn't do it all the time so catching it to show a mechanic can be maddening. When will Honda realize this is a recall problem?
  • jtsibesjtsibes Member Posts: 19
    You shouldn't even have to "catch it" form your mechanic to know. If he's a HONDA mechanic he already knows...they are WAY too many of us with transmissions problems for them not to know. BTW...I never had the flashing "D". Good luck
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    The pipe was bent like that at the factory, no oil was going to the drivers side trans. Disappointed Honda did not catch that error before or since. NR
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    I agree about them catching the problem. Why wasnt a Bulletin sent out? I had no warning about my trans, just a huge bang. No problems to that point. My last Honda, quality control is an issue. NR
  • georginigeorgini Member Posts: 1
    Not sure my issue belongs with these other posts but maybe it's related. On 2/12/13, the transmission on my 2006 Honda Pilot (90,000 miles) would not engage. Stepping out of the vehicle there was a pool of clean transmission fluid under the front wheels. The Honda dealership said the lines were corroded, looked bent, and needed to be replaced along with the radiator that had just been replaced one month earlier. (I believe the radiator had a pin size leak, which never caused a problem, for years except it always smelled of antifreeze. But the dealership would never acknowledge it.)
    In many years of driving several Honda models over 150,000 miles each, I have never replaced a radiator let alone the transmission fluid lines. Could this be the beginning of the Pilot transmission problems listed here ? And could replacing the radiator recently be a reason for the lines to rupture ?
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    Please look on the top of the trans, check if dealer replaced the circulation lines in the top. If he has, Honda is onto the problem. If he has not, please have a mechanic or you can do this, look at the lines and see if they have any 90 degree angles with a collapsed rubber hose under the brake boost. Hope that works. Nick
  • gruntorgruntor Member Posts: 1
    is there any way to get a picture ou the hose or pipe your talking about my email is gruntor@verizon.net thanks
  • marcy_2006marcy_2006 Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2013
    Hello everyone,

    Recently, my 2009 Honda Pilot (that has less than 71,000 miles) transmission light went on with the "D". I'm getting it check this coming Thursday at Firestone but just wanted to see what the issues can range from. I've noticed it takes the pilot a little more power just to increase the mph when getting on the expressway than usual. Not sure if that can be due to the transmission fluid, or the transmission itself. Thanks for all the help :cry:
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    The hose is on the drivers side top of the trans, it has an obvious kink. The shape of the hose is caused from a design flaw, should have had a 90 degree elbow. the kink prevents/lessens oil from lubricating the trans areas as per design. If your vehicle is still under warranty GO TO A HONDA dealer for any service.
  • johnnyfiveojohnnyfiveo Member Posts: 1
    My Honda fans unfortunately this is a huge problem. I just bought a 2013 Pilot Touring big money. Annoying constant shutter and vibrations, I was hoping this was part of the break-in process, negative. This is a Honda defect! The fact is the variable cylinder management "ECO" is a portion of the problem. The fuel mapping and changing between 3 and 4 cylinders. Honda has made valid attempts to correct this with an electronically controlled engine mounts to absorb vibrations. Major design changes in the rear differential, chassis stiffness all play an additional part in this problem. I've confirmed with the dealership and they agree. Dealer logged with Honda and they recommend calling Honda directly to force a recall to fix. So my Honda fans please reach out to Honda to report the issue at 800-999-1009. Hopefully they will react soon before I give up and leave for another auto maker. Regards - JohnnyFive0
  • chris_hornechris_horne Member Posts: 10
    I see the hose you are referring to. It doesn't look closed off on mine, but I can imagine as the rubber ages, the hose could collapse , resulting in reduced fluid flow. When the weather warms up, I'll replace the hose as a precaution. Thank you for mentioning this. I did have my radiator replaced as a precaution.
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    Please have all aspects of drive chain checked including: bent rims, tires, out of balance rims, wheel bearings, and drive axels. Any of these can cause a huge noise and make driving the Pilot painful. Dirty rims full of mud or ice are also in the group of possible problems. After you have these prelims checked, go to trans and engine.
  • drkay1drkay1 Member Posts: 1
    edited July 2013
    Ugh, I replaced the radiator a little over a year ago. It was broken and fluids mixed with transmission fluids. Now I am having transmission problems. I have had cheaper cars that have lasted longer than this pilot. I'm wondering if anyone called Honda and got any good answers. It seems to me that this faulty radiator should have been a recall. drkay
  • ron261ron261 Member Posts: 1
    Transmission failed on 2004 Honda Pilot at 70,000 miles. Like a dummy I took it to Honda dealer in El Cajon, Ca. and had to pay $6,600 to retrieve my car. Since the design of 2003 and 2004 Pilot transmissions was defective, I appealed to America Honda Corp. but they blew me off indicating I was a fool for buying the car. Their attitude is "buyer beware" as Honda takes no responsibility for their defective transmissions. I've learned my lesson and will never again purchase a Honda vehicle.
  • chris_hornechris_horne Member Posts: 10
    Sorry to hear about your transmission failure. Had the transmission been serviced according to the maintenance schedule? Very few manufacturers are going to pay to replace a transmission in a 9-10 year old car, especially if you are not the original owner.
  • jw0407jw0407 Member Posts: 1
    I'm on my 4th Honda and have had my first major problem. At 107k miles, my torque converter went at a cost of $1750. Hate to bad mouth Honda as I've been a loyal owner, but after seeing all the posts, I'm rethinking my next purchase. Maintenance was done on time so it appears to be a design problem. Anyone run into this problem? If so, was there subsequent transmission failures? I'd like to keep the car but don't want to spend this kind of money again.
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    My trans blew up because it was not getting any oil from oil supply to the extreme left side and rear of trans on top side. Read previous posts.
  • kadeykadey Member Posts: 1
    We recently purchased a 2011 EXL with AT. There's a D3 indicator next to the D in the instrument cluster that occasionally lights up. There's no D3 on the shifter, nor is there anything in the owner's manual about this indicator. What is it?

    Thanks.

    Ken....
  • cakestercakester Member Posts: 1
    Did you end up getting yours fixed? If so, have you had anymore problems? I just received the same diagnosis with the same cost. I'm trying to decide if I should keep it or not.
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    I purchased a used trans from a wrecker, and my grandson installed it still cost $2000. if you buy used make sure to drain oil from trans and converter before installation (not possible after), and get extra warranty. My old trans was not repairable, bottom of case was fragmented.
  • maybaby538maybaby538 Member Posts: 1
    Our Honda has never missed a service in it's life, however the last 2 visits to the local Honda service center has left me suspicious, 36,000 miles on the car and on the previous visit they told us our battery was bad. We had it tested by another source and it was good but they had failed to tighten the negative terminal and the honda suddenly died on us. Sabotage was suspected by the Honda service tech. We risk it and and just took it in for it's needed oil change. we had them check the alignment as well, they charged us 79.99 for an alignment they said did not need to be done. Why no phone call telling us that?? They performed the service and billed for it. Have not driven it over 7 miles and suddenly I have a blinking D light and a check engine light. The D stopped blinking after turning the car off and back on however the engine light is still on. I checked the fluid levels and they remembered to add oil back in. I can't help but suspect they again messed with it to cause this new issue. We have never had any problems with this rig. I hesitate to take it in to them for diagnosis. :( any ideas?
  • northwayjohnnorthwayjohn Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2005 Pilot I purchased new. It has 87,000 miles. I was a few miles outside of Saranac Lake, NY on a rural 2 lane road traveling around 55 mph when the engine revved and the transmission felt like it was "slipping" for a few seconds. After a few seconds it stopped and appeared to drive normal again. A few minutes later when I stopped at the first light I came to in Saranac Lake, the engine shutdown. I popped the hood and my wife noticed a liquid that looked like chocolate milk leaking from underneath the car. I knew that couldn't be good. The Pilot would not start. Nothing. We did get to meet a very nice policewoman and some great people at the tow truck company before I had it towed on a flatbed 125 miles or so to a Honda dealer near my home.

    The dealer charged $96 for 1 hour just to diagnose the problem after I already told them what happened. They said I needed a new radiator. They installed that for $375 and 4 hours labor. Of course, that didn't fix the no starting problem. They wanted to charge me more to take out the spark plugs and see if they could turn over the engine. They told me if it needed an engine and a transmission it wouldn't be worth it to fix.

    I called Honda National Customer Relations in California and after they spoke with the dealer, said there was nothing they could do. The vehicle was out of warranty. I talked to them about the 2003 and 2004 Pilots being recalled for the same problem that I was having, but that didn't make any difference. ( I found out about the 2003 and 2004 problems in this forum. Thank you.)

    I was stunned to find out that a problem with the radiator could allow antifreeze to mix with the transmission fluid and ruin the engine and transmission.

    My 2005 Honda Pilot was probably worth about $10K when I started it that morning and it is now a worthless piece of junk.
  • sthorhauersthorhauer Member Posts: 4
    I just noticed that your post is from almost a year ago but I will give you my two cents worth anyway. When my (former) 2005 Honda Pilot was about a year old my "brake assist booster" or some such thing failed and I completely shot through an intersection. After composing myself, I took the vehicle directly to my dealership and they couldn't find a problem and if it happened again I should bring it back. Well-I just about lost all bodily control on the tech and asked to speak to the service manager to whom I told in no uncertain terms that there would not be a next time because I was lucky to be alive this time and my car would be staying there until they came up with something. I was given a loaner car rather quickly and the next day received a rather contrite call from aforementioned service manager letting me know that, indeed they had found a defect in my brakes. I had several more incidents with my Pilot to which I was always made to feel like a complete moron by the service department. My Pilot eventually had the full blown catastrophic engine/transmission failure a few years ago to which the repair quote was over $6000. I left the vehicle at the dealership that day and have since filed a complaint with Honda corporation and also with the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration. I sincerely hope you solve your problem and if you continue to have issues please do us all a favor and file a complaint.
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    check for a rubber hose bent to 90 degrees above trans near the brake booster that was the problem with my tranny. The hose will be bent so far that little or no oil can get through to feed the trans bearings in that area. if you look with a flash light the problem can be viewed easily. Hose is about .8 inch in diameter. nr
  • lserlohnlserlohn Member Posts: 10
    Hello all, I just purchased a new 2013 pilot. After one month uses, I found the transmission fluid is leaking. I brought it to dealer, and dealer said it requires 8 hours to repair it.

    I feel it is not just that simple. Reseal a transmission may only cost 1-2 hours. Since they spent 8 hours on it, I think they were probably replacing some internal components.

    I asked them for a repair report, they said they will mail it to me. I am not sure if there is some secret that they don't want me to know.

    Would you help me to diagnose that? Thanks.
  • obrien040362obrien040362 Member Posts: 134
    edited December 2013
    If you had you transmission fixed could you provide a cost breakdown of the major parts. My estimate is $1500 plus parts and I wanted to see what the major parts would cost.

    e.g. torque converter, rebuild kit, solenoid valves, filters, fluids, etc
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    Get the garage to give you a breakdown of major parts cost, after they have a look at it. check the price on the internet. I had to purchase a transmission from a wrecker because my case was broken.Do not proceed until you have a cost breakdown. Shops are not the most trustworthy group. Nick
  • walk_the_walk2walk_the_walk2 Member Posts: 140
    edited December 2013
    I'm still having a problem, reported previously, where if I accidentally shift from Park to D2 in my 4WD Pilot, the vehicle barely wants to move. Took it to the dealership a while ago, right after it first started and they said something about "grade logic", which sounds like baloney to me. I was also told this was normal behavior specific to 4WD Pilots, but again, I don't remember it behaving this way before 40K miles. Instead, I recall that before the problem started, if I did this, if I shifted into D2 instead of D, it would drop into low gear and then upshift automatically into D2. But I can't prove it.... So, what I am suspecting is a problem with D2 on my 4WD.

    Here's where you can help: If someone would just go start up their 2011 4WD Pilot, and in their driveway, shift from Park to D2 and let me know if it autoshifts to D1 (low) first, with lots of traction as would be expected, OR...if you feel like you have very little traction and are locked in D2 mode and almost need to "double-clutch it" (if you know what that means) to get traction/acceleration.

    It's a quick and easy thing to test and would be a great help to me.
  • nickr1948nickr1948 Member Posts: 20
    I am not an expert on Honda transmissions. That said, I suggest when you put the pilot into D2 you may be starting out in 2nd gear therefore slow to move, made for slippery conditions (Canadian design). I think anytime there is a transmission shifting problem, an oil change is in order. this removes grit and dirt from the trans. Hope that helps.
  • walk_the_walk2walk_the_walk2 Member Posts: 140
    edited December 2013
    Hi Nicr1948. Thanks for your comment, but I guess my description was not clear. My question is whether when I do shift to D2, if it should, as most trannys do, downshift to D1 automatically, instead of starting off really slow and sluggish in D2, where you feel like you have to double clutch to get it up to full speed at that gear.

    I think it used to down shift and no longer does. The dealership says it is not supposed to, but at first postulated there was a "grade logic" problem.

    Anyway, the very first thing I did, at 39K miles when I first noticed this, was to change the tranny fluid to full synthetic. No change there.

    I am asking if any owners of American 4WD 2011 Pilots could check theirs to see if the dealer is right or if it auto-downshifts into low on startup from D2.
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