Honda Pilot Maintenance and Repair

07pilot4me

hi all,

just bought our pilot EX AWD this weekend. other than the dealer we bought it at, is there another way to get into a mailing list for Service dept coupons (i.e. oil changes, 15 k service etc....) i know the dealership we bought at said they will send us coupons, but is there a general mail list for these (i believe the dealers will honor others' coupons). writing from zip 95867

Thanks

rpowers

Did you find anything, or identify the problem with the squeaking? Mine stopped after the dealer lubricated the bushings, but now it's back and I can't seem to lubricate the right spot. It sure is annoying.

cwoody

Hey All,

I have a '04 Pilot and am going to replace the front brake pads soon. Is there anything special I need such as a special tool or certain way something needs to be done? I have replaced pads before on other cars so I should be able to figure it out easy enough.

Thanks!
Woody

ayalakay

Hi gang, I am wondering where to find a replacement part for my 2005 EX (without resorting to a trip to the dealer) - it's the plastic piece covering the assembly that attaches the rear wiper arm to the car. It's black plastic, probably 2-3 inches long. Right now the base of the arm and the screw are exposed. Probably got knocked off during the winter (yes I'm just noticing it now). Besides not looking so great, I'm concerned about rust. I have checked various online parts suppliers but can't seem to find anything.

Is this a junkyard type part? :confuse:

Thanks!

Mr_Shiftright

You might find it at a wrecking yard if you're lucky, but this type of obscure trim piece is a dealer item only. Did you price it? Is it that expensive?

MrShiftright
Visiting Host

ayalakay

No, I didn't price it... I kind of wanted to avoid hassling with the dealer. But if I bite the bullet and order it, then maybe when I return the car in January they'll overlook the tires that didn't wear right...

(Can't wait to get my new one!)

Thanks.

melvs2004

Hi Guys, I have this honda pilot 2006 EXL with 4000+ miles purchased 7 months ago. I noticed this period of time that while driving and pressing the gas to speed up I'm hearing a sound like humming or whistling in my engine, but when I released the gas pedal its gone and it will come back again when I start to press again the gas pedal. I have this VCM that shuts down the three valve when is not needed for gas consumption. I dont know if is normal or do I need to take it to the mechanic for check up. Please help...

user777

This is a cheap part.

Look at this illustration:
http://www.hondaautomotiveparts.com/auto/jsp/mws/prddisplay.jsp?inputstate=5&catcgry1=Pilot&catcgry2=2005&catcgry3=5DR+EXL&catcgry4=KA5AT&catcgry5=REAR+WIPER

Mr_Shiftright

Looks like he needs #9, right?

user777

yup. aren't these exploded views great? i wish edmunds had URLs to every make and model vehicle for people to research stuff.

hint hint. :shades:

stever

Keep helping us out and maybe we'll get there one day.

Online Repair Manuals

Feel free to write a guide like Doohickie's.

baron64

I have an '06 Pilot EX-L 4WD I bought in September '06 and now have just over 17K miles on it. A while back I noticed that my windshield is fairly well covered with very tiny chips or pits. It's almost as if a sandblaster was taken to it. In fact, it looked like my 13 year old Jeep Cherokee's window. I wouldn't think the windshield should be in that bad of shape after this short of period. Is this something I should ask the service department about? Thoughts?

chrylsersrt8

I would think with the traction control and f/r weight dist the front drive pilot would be more than adequate for most inclement situations
Anyone had any problems with the FWD?

I would like to get the FWD for the cyl deactv as well as no vibration issue.

kipk

A while back some folks were discussing a problem with some type of noise coming from the rear speakes even though the radio was not on. 2WD Models.

Seems it is/was traced to some type of built in Noise Canceling device to do with the cylinder de activation feature.

Maybe somebody can jump in here and clarify what it is and if it has been fixed.

Is there some kind of vibration issue with the 4WD?

Kip

thebigalabama

I'm not sure if this is the appropriate forum for this, but I recently went over 130,000 miles on my 2003 Pilot and thought the following facts and figures my be useful for somebody:

2003 Honda Pilot LX (Starlight Silver)

PURCHASED: Oct., 2002

PURCHASE PRICE: $29,500 out the door (at the time I purchased this car, there were waiting lists and no discounts.)

ADD-ON: Keyless remote

MILEAGE: Currently 130,875.

GAS MILEAGE: 18.8 mpg for the life of the car, and it has been pretty steady from 0-130,000. I drive approximately 50 percent highway miles, 50 percent city driving, mostly in the Chicago area.

Here is the MPG breakdown for the life of the car:

0-10K: 18.4
10K-20K: 19.5
20K-30K: 19.1
30K-40K: 18.2
40K-50K: 19.9
50K-60K: 19.1
60K-70K: 17.8
70K-80K: 18.1
80K-90K: 18.5
90K-100K: 18.6
100K-110K: 19.3
110K-120K: 18.5
120K-130K: 18.4

My cumulative gas mileage is down from a high of 19.3 (52,000 miles) to the current 18.8 (130,000 miles). When I tried to max out MPG on a highway trip a few years ago, I got 25-27 MPG. When I did the same about six months ago, I only got 20-22 MPG.

MAINTENANCE

I usually drive my cars into the ground, but have taken a little better care with this one, though I'm probably still below the average car-buyer when it comes to maintenance.

I have had oil changes every 7,500 miles (per Honda manual specifications). Besides oil/air filters and rear differential fluid (about every 40K), other maintenance done on the car:


New tires -- 41,000

Front/rear brakes -- 65,000

Coolant flush/transmission flush/
power-steering flush -- 98,000

New battery -- 110,000

Front/rear brakes
transmission flush/coolant flush -- 120,000

New tires -- 123,000

Timing belt/water pump -- 130,000

Maintenance costs -- $4,492
Gas -- $14,959 (Chicago has the highest gas prices in the country)
Insurance -- $700/year

Avg. cost of gas: $2.15/gal.
Low: $1.29 (Dec., 2002)
High: $3.66 (May, 2007).

My review: This is the best car I've owned since my '86 Maxima (which I drove into the ground at 120,000), a perfect car for a parent with four school-age kids. I usually buy a new car after five years, but the Pilot has performed so well that I recently invested $2,000 in maintenance to see if I can get it to 200,000. I plan to keep it as long as I can stay above 17.0 MPG.

The good:

1) Lots of room for passengers (seven) and storage. Second and third-row seats fold down easily to maximize storage.

2) Still pretty good acceleration after 130,000 miles.

3) Gas mileage has held steady through 130,000 (knock on wood).

4) Handles like a car.

THE BAD:

1) Rear door windshield fluid streams instead of sprays.

2) If anything falls between the front seats and the console in the middle, I've had to channel Houdini to recover it.

3) Coin holders (in the front of the console on this model) could be in a better spot, where more than a few coins DO NOT spill into the console bucket thing (a minor complaint).

I hope this helps some prospective SUV buyer. If not, sorry for wasting your time. This site was a big help when I purchased this car. I was hoping to return the favor.

kipk

That was an excellent post. Very comprehensive!

Is your Pilot 2WD or 4WD?

What speed do you drive on the Highway?

Thanks,
Kip

thebigalabama

Kip:

Thanks. It is 4WD -- I'm pretty sure, anyway.

I drive around 70 mph on the highway, almost always in the 65-75 range. When I tried to max out gas mileage, it was around 55-60 mph.

bamacar

All Pilots were 4wd until 2006.

stever

Nice to see you guys with the Bama handles supporting the local Honda factory down there! I guess your other car is an Odyssey.

mercara

Fantastic post mate. Gives a very good review of long term ownership which you can't really get from any road test. I plan to do atleast 250K miles on 07 pilot. Will probably stick to 5k mile oil change intervals.

sassymolassie

I have a couple of chips on the hood of my 2007 Pilot from normal driving presumably from pebbles or rocks flying up from the road. Those spots have rusted. Initially, I thought something was stuck on my hood from a tree, but when I tried to scrub it off I realized that it was rust. I couldn't believe it.

Since I have been driving, I have owned a Chevy Malibu, an Oldsmobile Intrigue, a Chevy S-10 and a Jeep Liberty -- all of them new. All of them had paint chips from normal driving, but none of them rusted because there was another layer (white colored) undered the paint that kept the bare metal from being exposed.

Is this rust common with Hondas? Overall, I am happy with the car, but am very disappointed at the rust. I know there is a rust-through warranty, but I don't think it applies in this case. Any insight as to what I should do would be greatly appreciated.

cwoody

I have seen this on my '04 Pilot. I have not done anything with them but like you, I'm not happy about it. Seems like the paint should not have chipped down to the bare metal.

justaveragejoe

I just caught a stone from an oncoming truck on my 2007 (only 4500 miles!) that hit my windshield on the passenger's side edge and cracked it

Anyone ever replaced a windshield???? Anything special that I should know about when fixing it???

Joe

Mr_Shiftright

I think I'd let a professional do it for you. It's tricky.

justaveragejoe

Do I need to have a Honda windshield or will an aftermarket be okay?

Mr_Shiftright

Aftermarket is fine unless say there's a recall on factory windshields for stress cracks or something...you couldn't bring an aftermarket windshield in for a factory recall. Some shops will install a factory windshield however. I just replaced the windshield on my 2006 Scion with an aftermarket and I was very pleased all around, and it was cheaper than the factory glass.

kipk

Looked into replacing our Pilot windshield. The service writer at local Honda dealer said that OEM glass is just too expensive. He recommended an Auto Glass company.

I haven't seen the glass yet, but I'm told they have all the mask and dots of the original, but without the Honda logo. Also the glass and installation is guaranteed against flaws and leaks for as long as I own the car. Seems the installed price was $225-$250 range.

Kip

justaveragejoe

Thanks, guys. I'll start calling around.

Joe

cwoody

Check with your insurance co. Some states (KY) require insurance co's to cover a cracked windsheilds at NO cost to the owner. Most of the time it is covered under Comprehensive Coverage and may not have a deductable.

Woody

tsf7

I am hoping that someone has owned or regularly driven both a Pilot and a full size GM SUV (Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon w/ 5.3L engine) and can give a direct comparison. Given that mileage varies on driving style, it is difficult to review posts here and on the Chevy board and attempt to estimate what the same driver would get in each vehicle. So those of you that have had/driven both, did you notice a big difference in gas use in the Pilot?

My main goal in buying the Pilot would be to gain a worthwhile increase gas mileage over the Tahoe. However, the Pilot would force us to compromise on the other 10% of the time where we tow, go off-road (our SUV has actually been in 4-lo!), carry lots of people and/or cargo, or do all three at the same time. So, I want to see if the mileage improvement is worth it. I will post this same message in the Chevy forum; it will be interesting to see the different responses!

kipk

You might get better results on the MILEAGE forum.

If you tow heavy loads, carry heavy loads, and need a low range for off road work, the Pilot may not be for you.

Our '03 pilot averages 17-19 mpg daily driving and 25-27 on the road at 65-70 mph. Other owners are reporting about what me get, but MOST are reporting much worse. However at 80+ with 4 aboard ours has gotten as low as 18+ mpg on the road.

I believe that REAL WORLD mileage will be about the same with the Tahoe and the Pilot if you choose that same seat of the pants feel from both vehicles. Expect the same feel from the Pilot as from the V8 Tahoe and mileage will be about the same.

They are two different vehicles aimed at two different markets!

Kip

davidd3

I would think that a comparison of EPA ratings would give you a good idea, not of what mileage YOU will get from either vehicle, but at least how the two vehicles compare by one consistent means of testing mileage. You will be nothing but confused if you go by gas mileage posts in Pilot and Tahoe forums, unless, as you are looking for, you happen to find a person who has owned both vehicles. If you to pursue this further, the best place would be the real world gas mileage forums rather than the maintenance and repairs forums.

However, it sounds to me as though you are a person who really needs a Tahoe-like SUV rather than a Pilot-like SUV. You may have to just accept the somewhat worse gas mileage that goes along with a more rugged V-8 SUV.

jay_24

For the most part I'll agree with Kipk.
Keep in mind if you get slightly below NEW EPA numbers for the Tahoe (say 18mpg) and you get NEW EPA numbers for the Pilot (20mpg), is the 2 mpg really worth it? Your saving maybe $150 or so for a year.

Your buying a $30k or more SUV. Is a compromise for 10% of the time worth the little savings in gas?

Side note: there is a hyrid Tahoe coming out around the end of the year. I'd guess towing capacity might be slightly lower, but the Tahoe might have the higher EPA mileage estimates then.

stakeout

my wife has an '06 Pilot 18K miles on it.. I noticed the same pitting on the windshield more so than most of the new cars/trucks we've owned.. almost like it's a subpar glass they used for the windshield..

tsf7

Thanks for the earlier suggestions. We are looking at vehicles in the 04-06 range. In my experience, it just seems that certain vehicles can achieve or surpass their epa ratings, while others will never make it for some reason or another.

For example, I have averaged 32.5 mpg in my VW Passat w/ 1.8L turbo engine over the past 3 years (my 80 mile commute is about 85% freeway), well above the epa rating of 22/31 or something like that. When we owned a Tahoe (15/19 epa), we averaged 17 mpg combined, and regularly got 20mpg on long highway trips. However, our Durango is hopelessly below its epa ratings of 13/18 -- its combined mpg is about 13, and it has never gotten 18 on the highway. So I am hoping for an opinion of someone who owned both a full size GM and a Pilot (or similar) and can tell me that they were happy they switched, or found that the trade-off wasnt worth the gas savings.

We drive the SUV about 20k miles a year, so picking up 3-4 mpg combined could result in $600-800 per year. My best-case scenario is to cut down on the family mover's gas bill and buy a full-size truck for the other duties (I know, the gas savings wouldn't pay for the truck, but it would help justifiy it in my head! :P ).

justaveragejoe

Thanks and Yeah, I checked with my insurance and being the frugal type, I have a high comprehensive deductible and they don't give a break for windshields (no pun intended). I'll get around to fixing it soon as the crack has grown from 8 inches to 14 inches.

Joe

justaveragejoe

Honestly, if it were me and I had to tow anything sizable, I would pick a truck-frame based vehicle that is designed to handle the wear and tear of towing. If it was not a sizable load or not lengthy and hilly terrain, then a Pilot might do okay. But it sounds like you load your SUV and when you need the capacity, well you just gotta have it. Get what you gotta get and remember why you picked your choice when gas is $5/gallon.

Joe

kipk

Joe,

Some of the auto glass companies can repair cracks and chips without replacing the glass. Would that be an option for you?

Kip

justaveragejoe

Kip,

No I don't think that will work in this case, I'll just get it replaced. I imagine the crack will continue to grow with the heat this summer. I have been too busy lately to get quotes but will keep you posted.




Joe

dougbryn

We drive a lot - my '06 Pilot has 60k in just a year and a half - but i have replaced the windshield 5 times now and I have never had a make or model with this repeated rock chip problem. Window glass guy says he replaces a LOT of pilot windows. Big Area and a stark angle. anyone else notice this as a design flaw or am i just snake bit?

justaveragejoe

Bummer, I have never had to replace a windshield due to a rock crack/chip. EVER. I have a crack in my old truck's windshield that has been there for twenty years, I just haven't replaced it.

How did the replacements go on the Pilot? Did you use aftermarket glass and rubbers or OEM?

Joe

tsf7

I was wondering if anyone has had problems with their Pilot transmission after having the recall service done. I think I'm talking about 03-04 models specifically. I have seen the recall bulletin, and I'm just hoping that that update provides a permanent, reliable fix for the problems. I am trying to decide whether 03's and 04's are viable years to focus on.

We had an '02 Acura TL that chewed through two transmissions in 57k miles. We bought it certified used in Jan. 2004 w/ 33k miles, and the tranny died about two months later. The second failed at 53k. Both were fixed by warranty, but both had undergone the update and should have been cured of any engineering defects. I hope they have worked out the problems, as I drove a couple Pilots last weekend and was impressed. But I don't want to go through the transmission ordeal again (especially if warranties wont be there to cover the cost!).

kipk

My 03 was recalled for an oil passage to be installed to lubricate 2nd gear, I think.

There was also an EGR valve that started sticking and causing what was thought to be a Torque Converter problems.
According to the Service Writer, a batch of faulty valves, from a vender, were placed in with the good valves and Honda had no way of knowing which cars they had been installed in. Didn't show up on mine until 20K plus miles.

Repaired under warranty and Honda paid for the over night rental car, as it seems that Particular Service Writer was the only person in the world to remember what was causing my symptoms. No problem with the tranny although it seemed like one.

There were problems with Odyssey transmissions from somewhere around 99-01 or so. Didn't show up for a bunch of miles. They were fixed and Honda extended the warranty on the trannies to 100K, as I remember!

FWIW my 78-79 year old mother (not a hot rodder) got to BUY a replacement tranny for her Ford Explorer at around 60K and another one at around 95K when she was 86. Ford could care less. The car was out of warranty. :mad:

Kip

gelfand

I also have a crack thru my window and When I brought it to Honda, they said that something must have hit the windshield. Yet I'm talking to a bunch of other Pilot ('07)owners and they're experiencing the same thing. Does anyone know if there's been a recall or a class action suit to force a recall ?

gelfand

Yes. I have. I also thought it was a desiogn flaw as many of our friends have experienced the same thing with their Pilot.

justaveragejoe

Have you heard of anything else regarding a design flaw or recall? Who else have you talked to? Anyone in this forum?

I think I would be hard-pressed to claim a defect, considering there is a large stone chip in it. Maybe I can claim that a normal windshield would have not chipped, cracked or been damaged at all.

Joe

kipk

Joe,

Even with the "Stone Chip", if your wind shield is "Pitting", Honda should replace it.

Kip

joe131

Pitting? Like when you drive in a sandstorm and get thousands of tiny chips in the glass?
Why should Honda pay for that?

kipk

Apparently these guys are getting the pitting without driving in a sand storm.

I still have a 78 Chevy van with near 300k miles on the clock. It's wind shield is not pitted. Neither is my wifes 03 CR-V or my 03 Pilot!

Do you think Honda should pay for glass that is being pitted in every day driving?

Kip

joe131

in some locations at the right time of the year there are trees that emit a very fine mist of sap which has the same appearance from the inside of the car that pitting from a sandstorm does. It does not come off in carwashes either. You can remove it from the glass with a razor blade or lacquer thinner. Clay bar would probably take it off your paint.