Honda Pilot Maintenance and Repair

sandcountry

Hey all,
We've had our '06 Pilot EX-L 2WD since late December, and it had several problems right from the start. The first time I filled it up, the pump shut off, and then gas flooded out onto the ground, but it hasn't done it since so I'm not worried. Also, I've always had trouble filling up Honda's for some reason, both a '94 and '01 Accord 4's never wanted to take the nozzle, so for me it's just "part of the deal".
It also has the extremely annoying "Check Fuel Cap" message that won't go away no matter what, but it's mostly an annoyance. A couple of posts up, someone mentioned that the engine vibrated a lot when the VCM kicked in. Ours does this too, and my (admittedly un-educated) opinion is that, being a naturally un-balanced Inline 3, the engine barely meets Honda NVH standards. I've driven Chevy's new V8's, which are a lot smoother, and they will shut off cylinders pretty much from 1 mph on up, but the Honda has to wait until 30 mph so that some road noise/vib covers up the engine. Mine does it worst going uphill at about 45 mph.
I do have one complaint that hasn't really been brought up before. The car occasionally makes a really loud "Thud" when going over a bump, and when it was new, I had two friends with me (one in front, one in the middle of the 2nd row) and we decided to test the brakes. When we finally came to a stop, it sounded like we had been rear-ended. But other than that, it only happens when going over bumps and stuff.
Thanks for listening, I wanted to say some of that to let people know that some of their problems are not one-offs, but after reading through the last 10 pages, I'm extremelly happy to report that our Pilot has no steering vibration problems, though it's still fairly young at 5,000 miles.

markjenn

Sounds like you have some issue with the fuel tank venting. I'd let the dealer take a run at that.

Hard to advise on the VCM vibration. It shouldn't be pronouced, but a little is probably normal. All depends.

Sure sounds like you have something loose causing the thudding. I'd first check the jack and spare or anything else that might be loose in the back. Do you have the towing kit? Might be a loose hitch or just the receiver rattling around - if I leave the receiver in mine, it thuds a little over bumps. If you can't find the problem, I'd bet on something loose in the suspension - if you can duplicate it on test drive, I'm sure the dealer can find and fix it.

Good luck,

- Mark

rockfan

All,

The dealership had the Pilot 2WD LX for 2 weeks but were unable to repair yet even after calling the Honda Techline several times. I met the General Manager and complained about the failure to fix the vehicle and them putting over 300 miles trying to test & repair the vehicle. He mentioned that he will compensate for the miles (probably extended warranty) and is asking the Service Manager to open up a case with American Honda. An engineer is flying in next week and will evaluate the car and attempt to fix it and if not, buyback the vehicle. I am told by the GM that Honda has stated that this is a new known condition regarding the VCM noise. So this may be a Lemon Law deal or it will be fixed. I'll keep everyone updated.

pilotowner3

We own a 2004 Pilot with 20,000 miles. We chose leather seats because they are suppose to be more durable. Two of the seats have "cracks" and the leather is starting to peel off in those areas so that you can see white underneath. It is only happening on the back of the drivers seat on the outside panel and the outside panel of the seat of the rear passenger seat. Both panels seem to have different feel to the leather, as if it is thinner and weaker. We took the Pilot into the dealer and they claim that the leather must have got wet and that caused it. The only way it got wet would have been from rain. Nobody sits in the back seat, other than to put my toddler in the middle car seat, so it shouldn't be from wear and tear. We also own a 2000 Grand Prix with leather and have never had any problems. The dealer did "fix" the leather under warranty, but did not replace the leather panels. 3 questions: 1) Has anyone else had this problem with their Pilot? 2) If you have had this type of work done before, will the "fix" last or is it just a temporary fix? 3) What do you think really caused the peeling to happen, water, weak leather, etc?

Thanks for any feedback!

schulhof

The leather in my '03 EX-L DVD just plain sucks. The hairline cracks, the "hairs" sticking up, the dirt I can't get out of the cracks, etc. I have learned to live with it. FWIW, that is really the only weakness of the vehicle, it is really quite competent in all areas.

Mine is coming up on 60k miles.

Fine vehicle crappy leather. I expect no such problems with my C230's interior and it too is a $34k car. I have $600 aftermarket leather seats on my Miata and they wear like iron and look flawless with reasonable maintenance...

Oh well.

georgec1

I have an 05 odyssey and the sound is terrific. Just leased an 06 Pilot EXL and the sound feels like I'm listening to AM radio all the time. I've played with the basic sound controls, but the sound in general is very "warbled." XM especially sounds bad. Is this just the Pilot? Or is there a subwoofer or something not firing? It's a real disappointment. I prefer the odyssey.

matt41

I leased an EX-L late March, and had the issue with my entire radio/CD; just would not work at all in any mode intermittenly. My dealer replaced the entire unit under warranty (of course), and no problems since ! My speedo is working fine; it actually corresponds exactly with the "radar" signs that are posted on various roads in my area (that warn you to slow down by work areas, etc.)

bennfine

new 06 pilot owner (2WD EX).

just noticed when I brought it home tonight....

looking at the back of the pilot to the upper right of the
middle brake light, there is a round hole with what looks like a bolt with a hex head in it

top of pilot
==============break light=============
^
hole with bolt

I will look at pilots in the parking lot tomorrow,
but should this hole be plugged-kinda stands out.

Thanks!

seaspotsranch

and got the color i wanted out the door for 31K in california. I did notice that compared to my 2004 explorer 4WD the pilot 2WD has a lot of road noise in the cabin and I hear the window seal making a funny sound. I also notice that if I am playing music that is a bit bassey that the back speaker sounds muffled. I will have it looked at when i take it in for service.

We traded in my explorer as it needed a new transmission that would have cost 50% of the value of the exploder. Compared to my explorer the pilot is much more sophisicated electronically, drives more like a car however overall my explorer had a couple features i miss such as the headlights turned on automatically, the rear window opened and the in dash CD changer would shuffle between CDs not just on one CD.
Overall, I can see how the honda is a better quality of workmanship and that it will likely go more than 75K without any engine malfunctions so it;s a trade off for me.

01mdx

Have you checked the pressure in all of the tires for consistency and proper inflation? I run mine a bit firmer than spec (32psi I believe).

jeg72

I have filled this car up 5 times and currently I am getting between 15-16 MPG. This is pretty much exclusively city driving. Is this inline with what others are seeing?

I am really enjoying the ride!

fskinner3

Let me know what you find out. I feel the exact same. We have an 05 Odyssey EXL - paid to get the subwoofer from Honda and I am very pleased with the sound. I am also leasing an 06 Pilot EXL and agree the stereo just doesn't sound right. Warbled is a good word and sometimes it sounds like there is very little mid range sound. I get vocals and bass. Have not had a chance to check with dealer but something is not quite right. I would be surprised if the stereos are that different.

One other weird issue - is anyone else uncomfortable with the placement of the dead pedal (for your left foot?). If just seems oddly placed to me. Don't know when this got changed but looked inside an older pilot the other day and it did not have the dead pedal.

fskinner3

I have an 06 Pilot 4WD so I don't have the VCM. I also have an 05 Odyssey with the VCM and it has seemed to be flawless. I would not even know it was in the ECO mode if the light did not come on so I would think that something else is happening because I would be surprised if there was that much difference in the Pilot and the Odyssey on how this works. I think it is the same engine and both vehicles are front wheel drive. Good Luck.

jjjr

Our 2004 EXL after 15K miles still gets 17 mpg on regular here in the city (DFW area of Texas). Hwy is about 24 mpg.

suemac51

I have an '05 EXL and have been happy with it. Concerning the lights, you might want to check the handbook. I leave my lights on all the time. After you turn the car off, the lights go off after a minute.

drjlbphd

I have the same problem and it was convirmed by the dealer. They are proposing to replace the fuel tank.

mgdvlt

Can anyone tell me what the mirror-to-mirror width is on the 2006 Pilot? The only information in the specs that are available on-line are for the body width. Our garage doors are narrow, so the mirror width is important. I wonder why manufacturers don't include this. I can't be the only person in the world with narrow garage doors!
mgdvlt

master1

So use the width of the car dimension. It may or may not include the mirrors with it. See how much space is left.

markjenn

I measure 7'-1". Could be off by maybe an inch or so either way since I had just eyeballed from the tape measure across the windshield base back to the mirrors.

- Mark

connorbmx

I had noticed a coolant smell for a few weeks, but haven't seen any drips or puddles. I took it to Honda and they pressure tested it and couldn't find anything, so I told them keep looking until they do. They called back a few hours later and said that they had replaced some o'ring gaskets. Since that time, it has been about 4 weeks and the smell has been continous, I had to add a whole gallon of antifreeze, much more than I ever had to add before they "fixed" the problem. It is going in again tonight for a followup. Has anyone else had this problem?

seaspotsranch

When I had the check engine light go on in my past vehicles it meant I needed to change the oxygen sensor (smog). I sometimes wonder if they don't make extra $$ at the shop by "trying" this and that when they reallyknow what is wrong all along.

jimpghpa

I have a brand new Pilot with heated seats.I also have a 5 year old Jetta with heated seats. When you turn the jetta seats on high they get really nice and hot, The Pilot seats on high don't really seem all that warm. Kind of a subtle warmth. :confuse: Is this how it is supposed to be? Or might there be something wrong with mine?

karlzuni

Do all Pilots (RES or not) have aux input in the center console facing the rear seats? Thinking about buying and I would like to plug in an MP3 player.

master1

Normal

franella

I noticed the same problem the very first night I had my car. Fortunately, I live in a very flat state and only occasionally go to more hilly area. My son says that's the reason they came out with those headlights that move. Any idea what we should do about this problem, except flash brights on everyone?

feet2fire

Your question made me curious since we have to be careful on the clearance on our garage door too. So I measured the width of the gar door (105.5 inches) then parked the Pilot with the mirrors even with the door opening. Carefully got out of the car w/o bashing the car door on the gar door frame. Measured a total of 20.75 inches clearance on both sides of the car mirrors, so that gives a mirror-to-mirror width of about 84.75 inches....mighty close to Mark's answer which is already posted. (But like Mark, I don't claim micrometer-type accuracy either)! Good luck.

master1

The dealer can slightly change the position of your headlights - either more towards the ground or higher.

matt41

I've written about a similar problem I've experienced with my 06 EX-L. Changed to PIAA HID lights, had dealer adjust, and still feel the lights are not the greatest. I'd love to see that article in Popular Science......sounds like could be the root of the problem. The "visible line" while driving on a dark road is very difficult to deal with, as your eyes can't adjust to it (at least mine cant')....any other solutions out there?

dkillian

I bet the warbled stereo sound is a result of the active noise cancellation (in the 2WD) models. Does this only happen when the VCM kicks in (assuming you have a 2WD version)? I bet a lot of the "unexplained" noises can be traced back to Active Noise Cancellation / Active Control Mounts / Vehicle Cylinder Management systems since they work interdependantly to suppress cabin noise. The computer control system to coordinate all of this is quite complicated, and is not immune from "hiccups".

tekilaguy

We ignored that same problem for a year with our '03 Pilot because we noticed no difference in how the car was driving. We did not see that happen for a good 6 months but now we are now facing a $3k transmission rebuild and American Honda is trying to ignore the general problem they are experiencing with their transmission in Odysey's, Pilots, and Accords from '02-'04.

fskinner3

That is a good thought but mine is a 4WD thus it does not have the VCM or Active noise cancellation. I am beginning to think that there are just differences between the radio in the Odyssey and the Pilot and that the Odyssey's is better. I also think the Odyssey's seats are much more comfortable.

Anyone else have a problem getting real comfortable in the Pilot? Getting the seat right and the dead pedal just is not working for me well. Any thoughts?

master1

The 4wd's don't have the active noise cancelation because it has added insulation since it is 4wd. The 2wds have less insulation but the acn.

I think the Pilots are comfortable. Test drive it and just DRIVE and don't think about comfort in your head. You will know if you naturally sit and drive.

dtrus

Just bought an '06 Pilot..Was wondering if anyone feels the road noise is excessive? On certain road surfaces, the noise level in the cabin is, to me, pretty excessive. Wonder if the tires might affect this? Anyone with thoughts.....???

mountainman5

Sorry to tell you but I've been driving a Pilot since '02 and road noise is very noticable on worn roadways (I live in Lake Tahoe) but is very quiet on good pavement!! Don't believe the hype on the forums about different tires making any difference, I put 4 new Michelin Cross Terrains on and it made no difference at all, I've ridden in a GMV Envoy with them and it was a world of difference in quietness!! Do what I do, turn up the radio or CD!!

master1

The Pilot is a noisy car. Tires do affect it. The noise rating for the standard tire is 3 - 4. I just put Yokohama Tires on mine, and the car feels like it has NEW shocks, and is quieter.

My suggestion would to either add insulation from Jcwhitney, or Dynamat. And/or change the tires.

www.jcwhitney.com
www.dynamat.com

kskanna

Hi,
I have a 2003 Pilot, it has the 7yr extended warranty. Now the passenger side power doesnt respond. I can do some amount of repair work. My questions are:
1. Does the extended warranty cover something like this?
2. What should I do to repair this problem.
Any suggestion would be great. Thanks

franella

I have a new 06 Pilot. They want $280 to do a 3M paint protection film on just part of the front bumper! Another $40 for the side mirrors, and that's not even doing the hood or headlights! Is that stuff really hard to put on yourself? And do the bugs stick to it the same as to the paint? Do you wax the film? Also, headlights - how do I keep my headlights from looking all cloudy and scratched like all the ones I see on the road - I hate that.

stever

Check out Bug guards, protective bras & film.

Steve, Host

aleck828

I bought a 06 2WD EXL last month. The noise coming from the driver and front passenger side windows have been quite annoying. I am fine with the normal "road noise" when the road is rough, but this noise sounds like when the window is not completely closed. I took it back to the dealer couple weeks ago. After test driving with me, the technician said it's road noise and it's a characteristic of Pilot, and it has something to do with insulation on the door, and there is nothing much they could do about it. I didn't buy his theory at that time.

I had tried pushing my hand against the driver side window as someone suggested on this forum, and the noise was gone.

I plan to take it back to the dealer again and show them how I did to eliminate the noise. Hopefully they can fix it.

Any comments?

seaspotsranch

I too find that on some road surfaces I can't even hear myself think. Then on others it's quiet as a churchmouse. I can only assume it is the tires. I've never been a fan of Goodyear, loved my BFG's on my explorer - they were quiet even on a 4WD. You get used to the sound and turn up the music when it's too loud.

seaspotsranch

I'm taking mine back for the same window noise. depending on the wind i hear this sound and it makes me crazy. Still love it, just think that for 30K i should hear nothing but the marbles in my head rolling around.

franella

I read Consumer Reports before I bought my '06 Pilot and that was the one "Con" they listed (road noise). I decided that no vehicle is perfect and when I sat in it, it felt familiar and if it's as good as my '94 Civic, I'll be happy. I don't like the headlights and I wish the back door had a handle or a non-painted surface to push on when I shut it, but other than those few things, I love it.

kabill

My local Honda dealer has been offering outrageously great deals on PILOTS lately, so I HAD to see if they had a "quiet" one in the right color. Wind (not road) noise has always kept me from buying, though there are some quieter than others, and the quietest one I ever drove was simpIy not a color I want. I hope to find one that I can live with someday.

I had to do the EXACT same thing you describe (pushing on the window) to eliminate the driver's side wind noise on the one I test drove. I'd never heard that noise on the others I've driven. It's sad, because my '97 CRV is WAY quiter than any Pilot I've tried, but I need the Pilot's room. I'll keep hacking away because wind noise is the only "major" issue I have with an otherwise great vehicle.

rich357

I've had 4 Hondas (own a 2003 Pilot now) and they do not have quiet interiors. Road noise has always been a problem for me.

rich357

At first I thought I had a transmission problem when the "D" light was flashing. Turning the car off and on again cleared it but it keeps happening. Now, the "outside temperature" digital read out display doesn't work all the time, and it coincides with the D light flashing.

Do I have an electrical problem? Easy to fix or a spreading more severe problem?

Thanks-
R

master1

You can add the Dynamat to your car. There are also certified Dynamat insulation dealers that can do it for you. JcWhitney also has a bit more insulators, and they cost less money. But JcWhitney does not have dealers. Just type those two in your search.

Just add those in the door panels if you can afford it at the time.

aleck828

How much does it cost if I have a Dynamat dealer installed the insulation to one of the doors? Thanks.

stever

Don't know about the cost - here's a good shot of Chanthy's Dynamat install in his CarSpace album.

Steve, Host

raynal

Have anyone had any problem with Navi on 06 Pilot, My navi went out on a road trip, I took the pilot to the shop on tuesday Morning and got it back Thursday night, Honda replace the screen Assembly, I'm looking into Purching the extented warranty, is the Navi covered.

Thanks

silverpiloto5

I have just replaced my 03 pilot Ex with an 06 EXL. Both are AWD, but I would guess the 06 is a bit heavier with the added equipment (but probably not a few hundred pounds). I had Cross Terrains on the 03 and the factory junk Goodyear Integrity on the 06. It really feels like the 06 is much slower. The 03 would just fly going up the interstate ramp and pulled especially hard in the 40-60 MPH range. The 06 runs up to 4000 RPM just pulling away from a stop sign and does not seem to have the HP, despite an increase of 20 HP and 20 Ft-lbs of torque from 03 to 06.
I know there were some changes to 4th and 5th gear since the 03's hunted a bit despite Honda's Grade Logic, but that was in 04.
I am turning 2250 RPM at 70 in the 06 while the 03 turns 2000.
I will be changing out the Goodyears for Michelins, which will help rolling resistance, but I wondered what RPM everyone else runs at 70 and 75. Also, does the 06 really tach up to 4K under normal acceleration?
Thanks