Honda Pilot Maintenance and Repair

qbrozen

in addition to the post about escalating the problem, I suggest going to a different dealer since you are unhappy with the service you are receiving from a particular dealer.

What have they done to the car so far to try to fix the problem?

qbrozen

hmmmmm... well, i'm stumped. Let me know what the dealer says about it.

toca

I have a 2003 with 61k miles. Just like the other posters, I had the vibration that could be felt in the steering wheel when I first bought the car at speeds over 70mph. Dealercouldn't find any problem. The vibration seemed to diminish over time and after a few thousand miles, went away for good. I suspect the vibration was caused by the oem tires which goes away after the tread wears down somewhat. My OE tires were Goodyear Integrity, which I believe they are still using today.

fordloser

I know that this forum is about problems, but for what its worth I have a 2006 and it rides beautifully, with no abnormal noise at 80 m.p.h. on the highway.

oxford311

Has anyone out there installed the in-channel autovent shades in the Pilot windows. I prefer these over the exterior mount that Honda sells. But it looks like to me that with the tight fit between the window and it's molding this could cause wind leaks. Can anyone help me on this?

cwoody

I put the in-channel vent shades on my 2004 Pilot. It is a tight fit, but it did not cause any wind leaks. I (& my wife, who drives it the most) am pleased with them.

My brother-in-law who has a 2003 Pilot has the vent shdes that are out of channel. He (or I should say his wife) has been pleased with them as well. So i think either would be fine.

Woody

oxford311

Thanks for the info. I will take your advise and get the in-channel.

master1

All Pilots are built in Canada, but they have parts from other places.

pilot3rd

Not so.
From the VIN #'s I was watching for several months, all AWD were built in Canada. All 2WD were being built in Alabama. I'm talking about '06 Pilots.

oxford311

I have two questions for you Pilot owners out there. I have a 2005 Pilot with 4000 miles on it. I can't get used to the throttle-by-wire setup. It seems I have to push on the accelerator pedal a way before it does anything. I never feel in control. I guess what I am saying is that it is very vague. I am used to the mechanical linkage of all the cars I have owned in the past. When I go around a corner in town and push on the accelerator it lurches. Is this normal, and will I get used to it? Also the steering has very little on-center feeling to it. When I am up to highway speeds I am constantly correcting to stay in my lane. I tell you between the throttle-by-wire and the steering I don't feel in contact with what is going on. What say you? Thanks.

master1

It doesn't matter if it's 06 or 05 for this, it's still the same basic Pilot except for some changes but same chasis, same engine from the 05. I don't know why Honda would assemble the Pilot in Alabama instead of Canada since the Odyssey is from Canada. The Alabama plant is for transmissions - I think. To get the most accurate info on this, find a 2WD pilot in the dealership and it will tell you the information on the window.
(I know this really didn't answer your question, but I think that they are all from Canada, but have some things from Alabama.

bamacar

Wrong. The Alabama plant builds both Pilots and Odysseys.

master1

Hi again! Just talked to you in the Honda Pilot 2006 chat! Sorry, my error.

pilot3rd

Of course it matters, if you are tying to track down a trend in a quality control issue, and you have 2 build facilites.
And why would you have to go to a dealer to determine build location. Look at the VIN. If it starts with 2HK, it was built in Canada. If it starts with 5FN, it was built in Alabama. I just went online and checked my local dealers inventory and it still holds true - all 2WD are built in Alabama and all AWD are built in Canada.
Not sure where you got your transmission info. My Canada built Pilot has a transmission built in Japan.

markjenn

I have no issues with a touchy throttle or a lack of straight-ahead stability in my '06. I'd visit the dealer and schedule a back-to-back ride in a demo or used car to see if it's you or the car, but it doesn't sound normal.

- Mark

sms10k

I have a Pilot 03 with 46k miles on it. I hear the noise coming form the engine compartment. It starts at around 30 + mph and does not look like to be road noise, more consistent and grinding noise, like a plane flying. It increases with increase of speeds. What do you think coul dit be? thanks

master1

I understand what you are saying. By "it doens't matter," I meant that there aren't built differences in the 05 Pilot and 06 (Engine parts, transmission). The VIN is another way to figure out built location, you are right. But, the sticker on the door on the dealership tells you percentages of how many parts are American/Japanese etc.. I prefer the dealeship.

pilot3rd

Anyway, you digress.
Your complaint was a leak.
So, where was your built - Canada or Alabama?

master1

I didn't have a problem with the car - it was someone else

pilot3rd

Ooops. Sorry.

oxford311

Thanks for the reply. That might be a good idea to compare it to another. That way at least I will have a baseline to compare it with.

oxford311

I have the same rattle as you do. Did you ever solve the problem?

teaching

I purchased my '06 Pilot in Nov. Love it! But my Check Fuel Cap warning signal has been on for a couple of wks and it won't go off. I have filled it a couple of times since it first went on but it still won't go off. Dealer said it may stay on for several wks to several months! I know I can reset it to temp or milage every time I start it up but that's a pain. Flashing message is bugging me. Is the Dealer telling me the truth or do they just not want to deal with it? Anything I can do?

markjenn

The dealer is brushing you off. If the fault (e.g., not having the fuel cap on tight) is corrected, the system should reset and extinguish the message within a few start/stop cycles. If the message is persistent over a longer period, then you've got something that needs to be fixed. It's not terribly time critical, but you should get it fixed when it's convenient.

- Mark

bobl8

I have 2005 Pilot--if I lock car with my wife in it, then she unlocks from inside--alarm goes off-should it? If I shift into drive while the car is coasting forward even a little bit, there is a click from the front--any comments--does this pose a problem? Thanks

markjenn

On the locking issue, what you describe is typical behaviour for most cars with remote locking systems.

On the shifting issue, if the car is coasting in neutral and you put it in drive, there should be no unusual noises.

If you're talking about shifting into *park* while moving, then you will get a loud "click" noise. Doing this is VERY hard on your tranny and sooner or later will break the parking gear pawl which is expensive to fix. Driver's Ed 101: Always be completely and totally stationary when moving between P, R, and D.

- Mark

hkeiner

That was the reason I couldn't shift down below Drive and yes, it is not intuitive. The lever must NOT be pulled towards you when down-shifting below Drive. I wonder if most novice Pilot drivers have this same problem or if I am just a dummy.

oldthree

try take out the 3d row seat head from cargo storage under the back floor, if works try to buy this item:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Deluxe-Pad-Package-for-the-Honda-Pilot_W0QQcmdZVi- ewItemQQcategoryZ33700QQitemZ8040864397QQrdZ1

markjenn

Hmmmm... I pull mine towards me when downshifting from D to D3/D2/D1. Not all the way to the stop, but enough to ride over the first detent.

I think this is one of those things where you just fiddle with it and figure out how it works for you - harder to explain than to do. Once you get the feel for it, it's definitely no big deal.

- Mark

troman

i just got 06 pilot ex.it has xmsatellite ready stereo. what do i need to get apart from subscription? connector,reciever?

glassbreak

I was at a stoplight with 20+ other cars. A storm comes in and four of my windows shatter. Honda dealer says it was small pebbles because they found 5 tiny nicks in the paint on passanger door. Why didn't the windows shatter in all the other cars? Has anyone heard about this?

vks

I called American Honda and reported the knocking sound. They said they have not heard about this compaint. Can you please call them and report it too at(800) 999-1009. They said they will definitely try to resolve this problem.
I actually heard the sound again but this time when i just turned the ignition key once(didnot start the engine)

jam8

What state are you in? I have a close friend who does water leak repairs for quite a few dealers in Central Florida. He told me he has seen a lot of issues with the Renegade but not the Pilot.

J

patpend

My 2006 Pilot is about 2 months old with under 2k miles on it. Whenever any door is closed it causes a "clunk" in the left rear of the vehicle. The sound comes from within the body panels near the fuel filler door. It's loudest when standing outside & closing the left passenger door, but it's clearly audible inside the vehicle too. I thought perhaps the tire jack kit was the cause, or loose items in the stowage area, but no.

If you have a moment, I'd be interested to know whether your Pilot does the same thing.

thanks,
Russ

commanders

I, too, am trying to replace the cabin air filter, but I can't even get the horizontal steel bracket loose. On the left side I have removed the 8mm screw, philips screw, and 8mm screw from bottom attaching cover hinge. On right side I have removed 8mm screw, philips screw, but 8mm screw attaching hinge seems impossible to reach. And with 5 of the 6 screws loose, the bracket doesn't budge an bit. Are there more screws? And how do I get to the right side hinge screw?
Thanks.

veeku

I was wondering if any one in this list had issue with glass shattering. I habe Pilot 03 and I haven't had any issues until last week when the rear glass shattered because of cold temperature. I live in Boston and this is the first time it happened to any of my cars. I examined the glass and it was not because of any impact. It looks liek it is a combination of the temparature, use of defogger and I am not sure if this is common. People posted such incidents about mini-cooper and I am not sure if this is common in New England area with other cars as well.

jam8

I meant Ridgeline in my last post. Sorry.

flyinggeordie

I have a 2003 pilot. It also makes a "clunk" when you close the door. I think it is related to some pressure relief valve "popping" open when you close the door. My thought is that the car is airtight and the doors would be hard to close if the pressure was not vented somehow. Try closing the left rear door with another door open. Does it still make the noise ?

master1

Attention: Pilot Owners with steering wheel vibrations

Hello. I have noticed the large amount of Honda Pilot owners that are unsatisfied with their Honda Pilot due to steering wheel vibrations. I have sent a letter to Honda Motor Company in Japan, letting them know of this problem. I also sent them seven pages of consumer complaints about the steering wheel vibrations from online. I recieved a response from Honda, and they said that they will contact American Honda to remedy the problem, and the appropiate party in Japan.

Please post if Honda contacts any of you about this problem, and if they fixed your car. My guess is that they will probably contact owners in about one month - two months. I feel that the Honda headquarters in Japan will try to resolve this issue. I hope that this simple letter that I sent will remedy the steering wheel vibrations.

ridehardgck

Hello I am not a pilot owner but am looking into it. I am a technician though and the vibration problem sounds like it is being caused by road force varaition. Which is basically a soft spot or flat spot in the tire, that can be caused by the car sitting on the lot and not moving or just from a tire defect. most tire dealer either have a road force balancing mahine or a new sonar balancing machine that can be used to test the tires. my suggestion is to take it to a Goodyear dealer since they are the ones that carry the warranty on the tires and should fix the problem.

vks

I am hearing knocking sound in my pilot when I start it, 2-3 times a week. Do you hear this kind of sound?

vks

Can anybody explain to me how the 4 WD system works in the new 2006 Honda Pilot? Is it any good ? Or Was the old AWD system better?

tsy

What do you mean by the 'old' AWD system? As far as I know, it hasn't changed. The Pilot is not truly '4WD'.

Read this and see if it helps

tsy, "Honda Pilot 2006+" #883, 22 Jan 2006 1:48 am

tom

bbug1

I also had an 03 Pilot.
Check the rear hatch interior. I always had an issue with the handle(inside)area being loose. If your rear panel is loose this could be the cause.

master1

I doubt it's the tires. It is probably only from the tires if they are really beaten up. The only reason the dealer does the tire rotation for people with this issue is because they don't know what else to do. I think that it's probably from a lack of re enforcements on the body of the car. I really don't think its from the tires. Some part is vibrating.

master1

Check www.honda.com for that.
In the future, please check the manufacturer website for information first. This way, you will get the real answer explained properly and you wont have to wait for others to respond.

ridehardgck

I am an infiniti technician and we have had the vibration problem with brand new vehicles with tires that were not beaten or even had 20 miles on them. the vibrations were always at highway speeds. We have fixed all of the problems by replacing the tires. the rotation is hoping that the rear tires do not have the road force variation. its not that the tire is beaten up it is a weak spot in the sidewall. I would recommend finding out if your dealer has a road force balance machine or a tire dealer that does. Because a vibrating part just does not make sense.

master1

I think it does make sense. Some parts vibrate at certain speeds - Renasonce. And those parts that are vibrating would need a re-enforcemts. Vibrating can also be from the sub-frame and somehow spread. There are many possibilities. I really don't think it's the tires. Many people who have this problem bought new tires of a different make and it didn't solve the problem. And Honda would have figured out it's the tire by now, or the tire manufacturer would have figured it out. I am 97% sure it's not the tire in this case.

tidester

I think you meant to say "resonance" - that's what the great and wonderful Ella Fitzgerald used to break that glass back in the 70's!

tidester, host

master1

Thanks