Heated Steering Wheel Does Not Work - 2016 Honda Pilot Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,315
edited December 2015 in Honda
imageHeated Steering Wheel Does Not Work - 2016 Honda Pilot Long-Term Road Test

We've been banging around in our long-term 2016 Honda Pilot for a little more than a month now and we have our first mechanical issue.

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  • yellowbalyellowbal Member Posts: 234
    Depends on if the dealer will give out a loaner. If loaner, I'd drop it off right away.
  • ebeaudoinebeaudoin Member Posts: 509
    yellowbal said:

    Depends on if the dealer will give out a loaner. If loaner, I'd drop it off right away.

    Yep. Most Honda dealers where I live have complimentary loaners, so I'd just bring it in. Of course, I work at a Honda dealer, so I would just have them work on it while I was working one of my long shifts.
  • schen72schen72 Member Posts: 433
    I personally would have it fixed immediately. I've always insisted on having a loaner car for any warranty work. Since I used to own a VW, I've gotten used to being extremely rude and demanding to have my way as that was the only way to get any actual customer service there.
  • nate001nate001 Member Posts: 102
    It will be late spring or summer before the first service, so bring it in soon
  • daryleasondaryleason Member Posts: 501
    Okay, so my truck (a 2013 F-150 XLT SuperCrew) isn't as fancy with a heated steering wheel, but I'm having an almost similar issue with it that I need to get it looked at. The steering wheel controls are acting sort of "hinky" now. The radio controls don't work right. Volume will change the station, the phone won't answer. That sort of thing. Also, I've noticed that my Bluetooth on the head unit doesn't automatically connect to my phone. Also, I've noticed the head unit's display showing time, temp, bluetooth, etc., every now and then gets "muddled" and will over-lap each other or cross data.

    Luckily, the truck still has about 15k miles left on it's warranty. I just haven't had the time to get it in. Plus, I hate the $100.00 deductible.
  • 5vzfe5vzfe Member Posts: 161
    Take it in immediately! The longer you delay the repair, the longer you run the risk of losing your fingers to frostbite or even discomfortitis!
  • reminderreminder Member Posts: 383
    I get that technology has a way of making our lives a bit more pleasant, but when did we get so soft as to need a heated steering wheel?
    How about some gloves?
  • grijongrijon Member Posts: 147
    edited December 2015
    When I buy a vehicle new I take it in for repairs as soon as I notice a problem; if the dealership doesn't give loaners for new-car customers then I switch to one that does!
  • sockpuppet1969sockpuppet1969 Member Posts: 308
    Check the fuse?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited December 2015
    reminder said:

    I get that technology has a way of making our lives a bit more pleasant, but when did we get so soft as to need a heated steering wheel?
    How about some gloves?

    Gloves would work so long as you got the touchpad kind of gloves that'll let you fuss with your touchscreen navigation system. Those white fingertip pads on mine will let you use an iPad or similar device.

    Notice I said nothing about driving and texting. :D

    I occasionally get stiff fingers and if they get bad, I'll sleep with compression gloves for a week or two. I think I'd really enjoy a heated steering wheel.
  • longtimelurkerlongtimelurker Member Posts: 455
    "What would you do?" I would check to make sure it wasn't just one side of the steering wheel that doesn't heat...it may just be a design flaw.
  • kamakurakid_kamakurakid_ Member Posts: 6
    You're in Cali? How heated do you need the steering wheel to be? I'm writing from the Great White North, it is -12C, "feels like" -15C. The USA was supposed to go metric in the 80's, so just accept it is freakin' cold here and I've no need for a heated steering wheel. Get it repaired on the next service call and grow a pair in the meantime.
  • tlangnesstlangness Member Posts: 123
    We're testing the car in all climates. It doesn't stay within 5 miles of our office. And whether or not you think we "need" the tech, we're still going to test it.
  • carboy21carboy21 Member Posts: 760
    If it is winter go ASAP to the dealer :)
  • carboy21carboy21 Member Posts: 760
    kamakurakid_ said:

    You're in Cali? How heated do you need the steering wheel to be? I'm writing from the Great White North, it is -12C, "feels like" -15C. The USA was supposed to go metric in the 80's, so just accept it is freakin' cold here and I've no need for a heated steering wheel. Get it repaired on the next service call and grow a pair in the meantime.

    LOL

    or just blow hot air from the vents directed at the steering wheel :)
  • s197gts197gt Member Posts: 486
    because it is a seasonal feature and you are in that season (cali or not) i would take it in right away. they will probably need to replace the whole steering wheel and it will be on back order.
  • allthingshondaallthingshonda Member Posts: 878
    I would probably wait to take it in when it needed regular maintenance so I didn't have to a day off from work just for that. I bet it probably never worked from the factory, fuse is probably missing.
  • jlaszlojlaszlo Member Posts: 60
    Imagine the hand wringing if this was a domestic make with a broken feature so early in ownership.
  • allthingshondaallthingshonda Member Posts: 878
    edited December 2015
    jlaszlo said:

    Imagine the hand wringing if this was a domestic make with a broken feature so early in ownership.

    Maybe it's because domestic makes (Ford maybe the exception) have a known history of building undependable vehicles. The same for VW. There are far more people with domestic horror stories than those with Japanese products. Personally I remember breaking down on side of the road with a 2 day old Oldsmobile with 300 miles on it. That kind of stuff you don't forget. If this post was about the Pilot having fuel injection failure and needing new pistons (basically rebuilding a engine with 300 miles on it) like that Oldsmobile I'm sure we would all bash it; I know I would.

    A non-functioning heated steering wheel is not a big deal compared the Ram needing the entire fuel injection system replaced. Even the F-150 having an oil leak and a broken cooled seat is not really that concerning on a first model year truck with an all new engine.
  • jlaszlojlaszlo Member Posts: 60
    That falls under the "truthiness" category. It feels right that the Hondas and Toyotas of the world are more reliable than their domestic counterparts. But you have to ignore all contemporary subjective measurements to accept it.

    Let's also note Oldsmobile has been gone for more than 10 years and I doubt you bought the last Alero off the line.
  • milt721milt721 Member Posts: 83
    sockpuppet1969 said:

    Check the fuse?

    I second this. It's a 10A fuse (#27) located under the hood on fuse block "A." (Passenger side.)
  • gslippygslippy Member Posts: 514
    Take it in immediately. My 05 Odyssey broke the morning after I bought it; within 24 hours it had 7 things wrong with it - several of them serious.

    The initial fault - the power siding door - became the subject of a lemon lawsuit that I won. I hated that car every day for the 20 months I had it, and I learned how nasty American Honda can be toward its customers.

    As for debugging it - gloves and fuses are not the answer. If the fuse blew, it shouldn't have, unless the heater has a short. If the fuse is missing, what else could be wrong with the car?

    You have a defective $47k car. Since it's a loaner, maybe you don't care so much, but I would. I certainly hope this vehicle doesn't get a pass like the free Dart did after its plethora of issues.
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