I had a problem with my factory radio. About two days after I bought my 2006 Honda Pilot (Dec. 9th), my speakers went out. I could see that it was getting a strong signal and that the volume was turned up. After about 20 minutes it made a loud pop and the radio suddenly came on. I have not had trouble since. However, I took it to my dealer and they said they could not simulate the problem. They checked the connections and told me to come back if it happens again. I have read of similar problems in the Pilot '06 Forums. Does Honda have a problem with their radio? (It is a Honda EX with six disc changer.) Did anyone get their speaker problem resolved? I would like to hear about any similar problems. At times, I also seem to get distortion and/or rattle from the sub-woofer. When I took it to the dealer I noticed they turned down the bass setting. This kind of defeats the purpose of the sub woofer. We love the SUV and had no other problems. I am slightly disappointed with the Pilot's sound system.
I agree, the stock Honda Pilot stereo system sucks.
You have two issues. The odd failure you had was obviously some kind of loose connection, probably in the head unit since all the speakers went out and returned simultaneously. It might have even been some kind of software glitch - radios these days have a lot of software in them. In any event, I don't think you're going to have much luck getting them to replace the unit if they can't find anything now wrong with it. I'd get it documented on a work order so that if it fails in the future, even after the warranty has expired, you can pressure them to take care of it.
The distortion with high bass is probably normal for this system - most factory OEM stereo system can't play high volumes of music with the bass turned up without distortion, although the Pilot's is particularly bad. I think you're probably simply asking more than the system has to offer. You may have to put in an aftermarket system to get the sound you want.
You might have a defective speaker. Comparing with a car on the dealer's lot would shed some light on this. Unless your car has a defect, you can't get Honda to replace a stereo because it doesn't sound as good as you think it should.
I may try and replace the speakers and see if that improves things. I don't want to get into a new head unit.
It has been very disappointing readying about many mechanical, electrical, structural problems on the 06 pilot. I wonder if this is specific to only on the models build in the US. I think they build them in Canada as well. Does anyone have any input on this? Like other cars I have witnessed, once a car proves to be popular the company gets greedy and pump too many out and totally sacrifices quality as a result. Too bad for Honda !!! They have had good reputation til now for reliability !!!
Actually, you have to consider this is a small sampling of people who actually own a Pilot, and of course people who post are willing to post problems. In reality, most people who own these do just fine. No matter who makes the car, there will be some people who have problems, its just that with Japanese cars your odds are better of having a reliable car.
What "many mechanical, electrical, structural problems" are you talking about? Sure, there are a few reports of issues here and on other forums, but it's hardly epidemic. And characterizing a squeak or rattle as a "structural problem" seems a little dramatic. In fact, given the number of Pilot owners here and on other Pilot boards, the number of reported issues seems low to me. Log on to a Jeep Cherokee or Ford Explorer board if you want to see literally thousands of posts about problems. And there are quite a few instances of 2003 Pilot owners with 100K+ miles and only routine maintenance.
The only good objective reliability data we have (Consumer Reports) indicates that Pilots are among the most reliable of all the mid-size SUVs. The Toyotas may be slightly better but the difference is small.
There have been several studies that have compared the quality of the same car designs built in different countries and there has never been any correlation between the country of manufacture and the quality of the product. Japanese nameplate vehicles tend to have higher quality no matter where they are built - Japan, Canada, or Alabama. There are some noteable exceptions, but they tend to be associated with joint-ventures such as Ford building Mazdas. Ford-built Mazdas have not matched the reliability of the Mazda-built Mazdas in Japan. But the Honda plants in Canada and Alabama are run by Honda and build only Hondas.
Your right, the Explorer and Cherokee sites beat the heck out of the Pilot's problem postings, for sheer volume, but nowhere does "hos" describe "squeaks and rattles" as being structural problems, so I don't see where he/she is being "dramatic".
I'm guessing he/she is probably referring to issues which have multiple postings here, with many owners making multiple, unsuccessful trips to dealer service bays. There are a few re-occuring themes here (unresolved steering wheel/tire shaking, and excessive wind noise, to name 2 examples) that may or may not fall into the "structural problem" category, but that doesn't make them any less annoying to the owners experiencing them or make potential owners any less wary.
Your posting said...My wife has noticed the audio (both nav and stereo) has gone off. This lasted for about 20 minutes, with no apparent cause. There was a loud "popping" sound, and the audio mysteriously returned. Sounds like some sort of electrical gremlin.
My 2006 Honda Pilot EXL with NAV exhibited the exact same situation. The audio was dead for about 20 minutes after starting the car and then came back with a loud popping sound. This happened only once and we were up in the mountains where the temperature was below freezing. We are normally not in such cold weather (we live near San Francisco) and assumed it was related to the cold and came back after the car warmed up.
Did your audio problem occur under similar weather conditions?
there are a whole lot more jeeps and explorers for someone post about than pilots. not only that, they have been around for 15 and more years. plenty of time for anyone to post a problem.
2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
I have an '06 AWD and have a question on the AWD system. I probably haven't read enough in the manual, but am sure one of you can give me a quick answer. Is the AWD engaged at all times and will operate at any speed, as long as the system detects that it is needed? Also for anyone looking at mileage estimates. I am in a cold weather area (MA/NH border) and do warm the vehicle up for about 5 minutes in the morning. I have a commute to work each way of 3.5 miles, with some stop and go. I am getting about 12 mpg under these conditions. Obviously with a 7 mile round trip each day this is not a major factor for me as far as fuel cost. I have taken one long highway trip and did get the 21 mpg as advertised.
My wife thought I was nuts....we arranged a purchase via the internet and when we showed up to drive the specific vehicle, I heard that window noise. Drove me nuts. We drove 4 others at the dealer until we found one that it was absent or at least minimal......we bought that one as we still liked the pilot compared to the others vehicles we looked at. But I must say, on a couple, it was downright loud and then the wife beleived me. Dealer told me they never had any complaints..even took me in to the service guy who said no complaints. So let us know what your dealer says. We have had ours about a month and I dont drive more than once a week, but I've only noticed it with the radio off...test driving I leave everything off, so slightest noise was noticeable.
I am a noise freek and did have a problem of a side window vibration/noise in a couple Pilots we test drove. I put anohter post on my experience with that. But this was irregardless of speed, just with bumps. I think wind noise is minimal compared to my 96 T-100 and vs the 97 Explorer we sold for the Pilot. Overall, I think it is a pretty quiet ride.........not as quiet as the Volvo XC 90 (and I thought it was more a difference in road noise vs wind), but that was like the only thing we like about the Vovlo more than the pilot and figured I'd keep the 10k in my pocket. But it would be interesting if anyone with those wind deflectors could add any commets.
The AWD system in the Pilot is always 'ready' but in normal situations is front wheel drive. When it detects slippage of the front wheels it automatically sends power to the rear wheels. So, it's not like 4WD trucks where you have to engage 4WD, it's all seamlessly automatic. Just drive.
If you get stuck in mud and snow, you can engage the VTM lock which is a pseudo 4WD mode. But since more SUVs never leave the asphalt, I doubt you'll ever need this.
AWD and 4WD is always ambiguous to me and often the sales people don't even know! Is one tire normally spinning up front and if it loses traction, only one rear tire in the back starts spinning? I limited slip or positraction an option? And just exactly how is the VTM work? How many wheels spinning? I remember seeing a Mercedes 430 with one wheel up in the air spinning and the others doing nothing. And all he was trying to do was drive up on a friends lawn-- which by the way, there was already and Accord, Outback, and 323 on the lawn; it was rather embarrassing for him.
There are lots of AWD systems out there. Honda's VTM (Variable Torque Management) normally runs in FWD. When the sensors detect imminent wheel slippage, it transfers power to the rear limited slip differential which sends power to each wheel as needed. I don't know if the traction control will intervene at this time to stop the free spinning wheel so that power transfers to the wheels with traction- I would guess this is the case. VTM4-lock can be used at low speeds. It locks the rear differential to split power to each wheel equivalently- to help in very low traction conditions. Kind of a pseudo-4WD. But if one front wheel is spinning your only traction is the 2 rear wheels.
It's in this situation where AWD is inferior to 4WD with locking differentials so that all 4 wheels are powered at the same time regardless of traction. Each wheel spins at exactly the same speed. This is what is needed for hard core off roading, but not for most of us who almost never go off road.
Hope this explains things some. I doubt you'll ever get stuck on a lawn in your Pilot (unless it's covered with ice)
Thanks, that helps. We currently have an Outback and limited slip was an option at the time and I definitely went for it. Only a few hundred bucks more. My only "off-roading" would be snow and sand on the beach.
On the 06 Pilot it differentiates between the new 2WD version and the 4WD version with a badge (or whatever you call it) on the rear of the car. Is the "4WD" badge referring to the VTM system? Sounds like it should say "AWD" instead.
Hello to all, I just registered here and this is my first post. I'm picking up a brand new 06 Pilot on Wed. of this week. AWD, EX-L in Sage Brush Pearl, sans RES and NAV. My kids are grown and married and I thought the price was too high on the NAV. I might buy an after market one down the road. I'm getting it with the roof rack cross bars, splash guards, chrome side steps and roof top bike attachments. My price was $300 over dealer invoice, but that was before the extras. Over the last 10 years between myself, my wife, my daughter and her husband we have purchased 3 Accords and a Civic from this dealer and we also have all our cars serviced there. I'm currently driving the first Accord we bought there (1995 EX) which has 183K on it and still runs like it's new. I'm giving that one to my 2nd newly married daughter once I get my new Pilot. I'm sure she'll get another 100K or so out of it. Gotta love those Hondas!!!
Congrats on your new ride. I'm sure you'll be happy.
As for the roof rack and bike attatchments, you are probably better off getting aftermarket stuff. It's more solid and you have more of a variety of bike mounts available.
I have had my '06 Pilot for 1 month and I am experiencing the very same fluttering/ vibration sound in my drivers window. The noise is subtle but it is in my left ear and is very annoying. I brought this to the attention of my service department and they said that the gasket may have been dry so the sprayed it with silicone or something like that. What a joke, I drove away in the car in the same month it was built and the gaskets are dry?? I am confident that they will fix it and other than that I could not be more pleased with my Pilot.
I bought a 2006 4WD EXL for $29000 plus TTL with 2.9% APR !! It is such a bummer that even the 2006 model doesnt come with a MP3 player ..the CD changer with only ordinary CDS is the only joke in this vehicle ..hope that changes in the next year model!
What other options are the folks exercising ? The below are the three that I can think of: -------- 1. Go for the Honda MP3 player - Does anyone know if this is compatible with the 2006 PILOT-EXL ? The quote that I got for this was 489$ for the accessory and 94$ for the installaiton.
2. If I bought my own after-market MP3 player (like the Dual XDM-6820 200 Watt In-Dash AM/FM/MP3/CD Receiver with iPlug, which is really cool as I can also plug in my iPod), the honda dealers are refusing to install it. Where should I be going to get this installed? Is this suggested at all?
3. The Honda iPod link - part costs $199 per a quote I got but this dealer is unable to give me the installation costs quote at this point, but another dealer says neither the iPod link nor the Honda MP3 player are compatible with the 2006 PILOT, which I refuse to believe.
PRIMARY question: If i get a after-market MP3 player/ or a non-honda iPod link, will that affect the Original or Honda Care warranty in any way?
I have a new Pilot '06 w/ Nav that I love... The XM trial is not going so well... The audio on XM sounds pretty bad... like tinny and compressed... The voices on talk shows sound almost robotic...
Anyone having the same issues? I there a setting that I need to change on the factory radio to inprove sound quality or is this just how sattelite radio sounds for everyone? Thanks!
My wife and I are expecting a child (baby due this summer) and we want a more kid-friendly car than the Saturn coupe we have now. I have a few questions about the '06 Pilot and child safety seats.
1. Are there LATCH child seat anchors and tethers available for the second row middleseat?
2. Is anyone aware of any safety issues with the side curtain airbags when there is a child seat located behind the front passenger seat?
3. Can anyone recommend a particular brand/model of safety seat that works especially well with the Pilot? Any models we should avoid?
1. I believe the Pilot is just outboard LATCH links. The Ridgeline does have a middle seat LATCH set. You could always use the safety belts to belt the seat to the Middle.
2. Not sure.
3. My wife and I have two Brittax Marathons - one in each car. They work very well and are consistently rated the best from Consumer Reports. Just be sure to get a seat protector for any car seat to be sure it does not damage the interior. Leather seats are especially susceptible.
LATCH is just a convenience feature. The car seat will be just as safe, if not more so in some cases, if installed properly in the center seat via the seat belt. And DO NOT use a seat protector. Your leather interior will be just fine even after a car seat has been installed for a long time, and a seat protector is not something car seats are tested with and are not proven to be safe. In fact, there are cases out there where a car seat's safety has been compromised and the car seat has gone out of position due to the use of a seat protector. Any knowledgable car seat tech will advise you to never use a seat protector. Your leather or cloth interior will be just fine without it.
I took delivery of my new 06 Pilot EX-L last Thursday and all I can say is WOW!!! We just returned from a trip (New Haven CT to Philadelphia PA) and back. I clocked the gas mileage on the way down only. 204.3 mi. on 8.95 gal. of 87 octane, which works out to 22.8 mpg. This was approx. 98% highway cruising miles with the cruise control set for 65 mph with sporadic speed ups and slow downs according to the traffic patterns. The other 2% being stop and go to get to and from the highway. All this on a brand new engine that had only 7 miles on it when I picked it up and approx. 40 miles when I started the trip. I had zero issues with wind noise at highway speed as others have reported here. The ride was nice and smooth and handling was very nice for an SUV, much better than a Chevy Tahoe or S10 Blazer of which I have many miles logged on each in the past. After a very thourough and close examination in bright daylight the fit and finish is flawless as far as I can tell. My only complaint is with the quality of the sound system which should be much better at this price point IMO, to the point of wanting to change out the speakers. I don't understand what Honda was thinking about here? This is the 6th Honda in our family, I don't think you can beat the value. Highly reccomended!
I have 3 kids in car seats in a 06 Pilot. If you want to place a child seat in the middle position of the second row, using LATCH, it can be done. If you only have one seat in that row, you can LATCH your seat to the inside LATCH post of the two outboard positions. The drawbacks are that only one seat can be installed this way, and you will not be able to access the third row from the side door when your car seat is installed. There are no dedicated middle LATCH points.
I also have a Britax Marathon for my youngest child. It is a great car seat. It is fairly expensive and a bit larger than most seats, but it works great. I have found that the less expensive seats I have owned typically get their harness belts all twisted. Britax seems to use a thicker fabric for those belts that does not twist easily. Also, the Britax seats seem to do less damage to my seats than some others I have owned.
Well, I just turned my leased 2003 Pilot EX for a 2006 EXL (bought it this time). I'm noticing that the Honda IPod connector says not for the EXL...I've also noted comments here about no available AUX connector on the back of the radio. Is this the problem? I didn't get the NAV or RES, so it's just the regular CD changer setup. Is the AUX port taken up by the XM radio? If so, can it be disconnected? Any solutions, besides FM transmitters which don't work well in the Bay Area where the FM band is so crowded.
Did the silicone fix work? We are 3 hours from the nearest Honda dealer, so I do not want to run down for this. But as you stated, it is subtle and my wife still insists she can't hear it. But it annoys me. Otherwise it has been great. Mileage on first 4 tanks has been 19,20,21,19.(4wd)
In between the map lights, just forward of the home link buttons is a small area with a bunch of tiny holes and just to the left of the holes is a very small light that glows amber when the headlights are turned on. Can anyone tell me what the holes and light are for? I can't find any reference to them in my owners manual.
Using the outside seat LATCH connectors to secure a middle seat with LATCH is NOT safe at all. Please use the seat belt to secure the seat in the center. It isn't safe, isn't designed to be used that way and could result in injury to your child. Carseats are only as effective as their installation and use. It also results in a great argument against any liability someone may have against Honda or Britax in the event of an injury inducing accident. Keep you kids safe and don't use the wrong LATCH connectors. A seat belt works great for install.
Looking into gettting a 2006 Pilot EXL and wondering what opinions are on the backup sensors (optional). For those who have it, is it worth it? Reliable or Fragile? Useful or annoying? Consistent or not at all?
I have an '06 EXL and had the backup sensors installed. I have had them on all my SUVs and minivans over the past 6 years and find them invaluable, but you still have to pay attention when you back up and you can't backup quickly!
The Honda system is well done and well made. I has a 2 tone system, low tones for the 2 inner sensors, high tones for the 2 outer sensors on the corners. The beeping gets progressively faster as you approach an object until you are about 16" away when the beeping is continuous.
When you shift in 'R' you hear one beep to know the system is working, and there is a switch on the rear hatch pillar (to turn the system off in case you are towing something) with a small green light which also turns on.
The system has been very reliable with no false alarms (unlike the system in my Nissan) and allows you to parallel park much easier. Also, unlike the backup camera, it allows you to look back while you are backing up (backup cameras are neat, but it's a little disconcerting to be staring at your center console while backing up)
The system is well integrated into the bumper with body colored sensors. No problems with dirt or rain as of yet.
It's not cheap, but if it saves you from hitting one object (especially another car or a small child) it is well worth it.
I recently purchased a 2006 Honda Pilot EXL with Navi. The truck has been in the shop twice since I bought it for underbody noises. The noise is coming from the passenger side of the car and sounds like I ran over a large pothole even though no pothole exists. When this happens the passenger can feel a thump on the passenger floor board as if something has hit underneath them. The noise is an intermittent problem that occurs daily under different driving conditions. The only consistent element is the trucks speed is between 40-50 mph. Has anyone else encountered this issue?
I do not have my seat installed that way. However, there are two latch points for each of the outside seat positions of the middle row, one near the door and one near the middle of the seat. I haven't read the manual, but what is there to suggest that one child seat placed in the middle could not use the INNER most Latch points from the two outside seats? I don't understand how this isn't safe. The latch anchors are still secured to the car, the latch belt on the seat can be tightened and (in this scenario) the seat latch belt isn't stretched out or angled oddly at all. The only issue I could see is that one anchor is on the driver's side part of the seat, while the other is on the passenger's side. Would the seats move during an accident? What other factors are there that I should be aware of?
For the record, I have the toddler seat anchored (using LATCH) behind the driver with my other two kids occupying the middle and passenger side seat positions of the second row in Booster seats.
I just picked up (two days ago) a Black '06 EXL w/Navi. It took around 6 weeks to order it (seems 4WD plus Navi plus Black is hard to get). It is a beautiful vehicle.
"Pop"-type noise question: I sometimes hear a "pop" from the rear of the vehicle when I start it. Seems to be coming from the right-rear, which is where the sub woofer appears to be. I do hear sound coming from the speaker. I have had no issues with any electronics/radio/navi etc., and no additional "pops" while driving. I agree that the radio quality is not that great. I would like a recommendation on how to proceed - determine exactly which speaker is popping? should this speaker be replaced or could this be coming from the radio itself?
Also, would I notice better sound from the factory radio (XM plus 6-disc) by replacing all of the speakers?
Thanks to everyone who replied to my questions about LATCH and child-seats. After I posted my questions here, I found this FAQ, which answered my question about side curtain airbags:
Q61 states: "Currently, side airbags are generally not considered a risk to children in correctly used child restraints. In fact, children in properly installed and used child restraints should gain a safety benefit from side impact airbags unless otherwise indicated in an owner's manual."
As for the lack of LATCH anchors and tethers in the middle seat position, that's something of a bummer. According to the FAQ, "the center of the rear seat is usually safest since it is farthest from a possible side impact" (Q40). I realize that it's still possible to get a safe installation without LATCH, but it sounds like LATCH makes it easier.
Honda to scale back production of Pilots Reduction aimed at adjusting inventory Wednesday, February 01, 2006 MICHAEL TOMBERLIN News staff writer
Honda said Tuesday it is scaling back SUV production at its Alabama assembly plant by 27,000 vehicles this year in a move that is not expected to affect the plant's 4,500 employees.
Starting in April and continuing through December, Honda plans to reduce the number of vehicles it makes each day in Lincoln to 1,150 from 1,300 - the first time the automaker has significantly scaled back production at its $1.2 billion Talladega County factory.
Honda will reduce only production of the Pilot sport utility as it attempts to adjust inventories on dealer lots and reduce the need for incentives to tempt buyers. Beginning in April, the Lincoln plant will make 350 Pilots and 800 Odyssey minivans per day.
"A key strategy behind Honda's business success has been to match vehicle production to customer demand," said Mark Morrison, spokesman for Honda in Alabama. "At this time, although our overall sales outlook is positive, inventory levels for some models must be adjusted to more closely match current and projected customer demand."
Reversing gears:
Morrison said the cutback amounts to a slowdown on one of the plant's two assembly lines. Without lower production levels, inventories of Pilot SUVs could move to between 60 to 80 days - too high for Honda's liking.
"Typically, Honda prefers to keep dealer inventory supplies between a 45-day to 60-day supply," Morrison said. "When inventories begin to rise, Honda's flexible manufacturing system allows the company to adjust production to keep the right flow of products to the market."
Honda last year made 204,897 Odysseys and 87,792 Pilots in Alabama, for a total of 292,689 vehicles.
Changes in production levels at the Alabama plant have been common since Honda opened it in 2001, but most adjustments have been upward. Such changes are usually not reported to the public.
A reduction of 150 vehicles per day, however, is unprecedented at the plant, which reached full production level on its two lines late last year.
"We are looking to manage our inventories by balancing supply and demand," said Sage Marie, manager of Honda public relations in the U.S. "Fundamentally, we don't want to play the incentives game."
Marie said sales of the Pilot were up in December and Honda will announce today an increase in January. He said the reduction is a matter of controlling inventory levels.
Still, the news comes as a surprise considering Honda officials were publicly talking about expanding production at the Alabama plant as recently as September, when its North American manager, Koichi Kondo, said Honda could build an additional 100,000 vehicles annually there with a minimum investment.
Last year, Honda cut production at its Ontario plant by 3,000 vehicles per day for three months to adjust supply. In addition to the Pilot, the Canada plant produces the Ridgeline truck, which had reached inventory levels of 100 days.
Just had our new 06 EX AWD out for its first snow test in 8" of lake effect blowing around with 30mph winds. My initial impression is that this is one nicely engineered snow machine. Handled the roads effortlessly. Sliced cleanly through small drifts without getting pulled around. Braking was excellent. Added visibility of the fog lights was a plus. This car has a real nice glued to the road feel with good balance and stability. I also like having the option to lock the VTM into 4x4 if you've got some extreme conditions.
I have 3 kids and was wondering how pratical it is to put the oldest kid who is 5 in the back seat everyday? I am not sure if the second row can adjust since I will have two kids in the 2nd row using the outside shoulder belts. Was wondering if this would make it difficult to get to the 3rd row without unlatching the convertable car seats in the 2nd row.
We're buying an '06 Pilot FWD EX-L. Please settle a family discussion: how necessary are side steps/running boards? Seems to me (Yukon owner) that my wife's Pilot is more like a car and the steps/boards are not necessary. Kids are 7, 9 and 11, so they can climb in (says Dad). Help.
Comments
You have two issues. The odd failure you had was obviously some kind of loose connection, probably in the head unit since all the speakers went out and returned simultaneously. It might have even been some kind of software glitch - radios these days have a lot of software in them. In any event, I don't think you're going to have much luck getting them to replace the unit if they can't find anything now wrong with it. I'd get it documented on a work order so that if it fails in the future, even after the warranty has expired, you can pressure them to take care of it.
The distortion with high bass is probably normal for this system - most factory OEM stereo system can't play high volumes of music with the bass turned up without distortion, although the Pilot's is particularly bad. I think you're probably simply asking more than the system has to offer. You may have to put in an aftermarket system to get the sound you want.
You might have a defective speaker. Comparing with a car on the dealer's lot would shed some light on this. Unless your car has a defect, you can't get Honda to replace a stereo because it doesn't sound as good as you think it should.
I may try and replace the speakers and see if that improves things. I don't want to get into a new head unit.
Good luck,
- Mark
tom
The only good objective reliability data we have (Consumer Reports) indicates that Pilots are among the most reliable of all the mid-size SUVs. The Toyotas may be slightly better but the difference is small.
There have been several studies that have compared the quality of the same car designs built in different countries and there has never been any correlation between the country of manufacture and the quality of the product. Japanese nameplate vehicles tend to have higher quality no matter where they are built - Japan, Canada, or Alabama. There are some noteable exceptions, but they tend to be associated with joint-ventures such as Ford building Mazdas. Ford-built Mazdas have not matched the reliability of the Mazda-built Mazdas in Japan. But the Honda plants in Canada and Alabama are run by Honda and build only Hondas.
- Mark
I'm guessing he/she is probably referring to issues which have multiple postings here, with many owners making multiple, unsuccessful trips to dealer service bays. There are a few re-occuring themes here (unresolved steering wheel/tire shaking, and excessive wind noise, to name 2 examples) that may or may not fall into the "structural problem" category, but that doesn't make them any less annoying to the owners experiencing them or make potential owners any less wary.
My 2006 Honda Pilot EXL with NAV exhibited the exact same situation. The audio was dead for about 20 minutes after starting the car and then came back with a loud popping sound. This happened only once and we were up in the mountains where the temperature was below freezing. We are normally not in such cold weather (we live near San Francisco) and assumed it was related to the cold and came back after the car warmed up.
Did your audio problem occur under similar weather conditions?
If you get stuck in mud and snow, you can engage the VTM lock which is a pseudo 4WD mode. But since more SUVs never leave the asphalt, I doubt you'll ever need this.
Hope this helps
tom
Is one tire normally spinning up front and if it loses traction, only one rear tire in the back starts spinning? I limited slip or positraction an option? And just exactly how is the VTM work? How many wheels spinning? I remember seeing a Mercedes 430 with one wheel up in the air spinning and the others doing nothing. And all he was trying to do was drive up on a friends lawn-- which by the way, there was already and Accord, Outback, and 323 on the lawn; it was rather embarrassing for him.
4WD & AWD systems explained
Steve, Host
VTM4-lock can be used at low speeds. It locks the rear differential to split power to each wheel equivalently- to help in very low traction conditions. Kind of a pseudo-4WD. But if one front wheel is spinning your only traction is the 2 rear wheels.
It's in this situation where AWD is inferior to 4WD with locking differentials so that all 4 wheels are powered at the same time regardless of traction. Each wheel spins at exactly the same speed. This is what is needed for hard core off roading, but not for most of us who almost never go off road.
Hope this explains things some. I doubt you'll ever get stuck on a lawn in your Pilot (unless it's covered with ice)
tom
Marketing, you know?
tom
As for the roof rack and bike attatchments, you are probably better off getting aftermarket stuff. It's more solid and you have more of a variety of bike mounts available.
Otherwise, good luck!
tom
It is such a bummer that even the 2006 model doesnt come with a MP3 player ..the CD changer with only ordinary CDS is the only joke in this vehicle ..hope that changes in the next year model!
What other options are the folks exercising ?
The below are the three that I can think of:
--------
1. Go for the Honda MP3 player - Does anyone know if this is compatible with the 2006 PILOT-EXL ? The quote that I got for this was 489$ for the accessory and 94$ for the installaiton.
2. If I bought my own after-market MP3 player (like the Dual XDM-6820 200 Watt In-Dash AM/FM/MP3/CD Receiver with iPlug, which is really cool as I can also plug in my iPod), the honda dealers are refusing to install it. Where should I be going to get this installed? Is this suggested at all?
3. The Honda iPod link - part costs $199 per a quote I got but this dealer is unable to give me the installation costs quote at this point, but another dealer says neither the iPod link nor the Honda MP3 player are compatible with the 2006 PILOT, which I refuse to believe.
PRIMARY question: If i get a after-market MP3 player/ or a non-honda iPod link, will that affect the Original or Honda Care warranty in any way?
What are folks doing in this space ?
Advice please!!
Anyone having the same issues? I there a setting that I need to change on the factory radio to inprove sound quality or is this just how sattelite radio sounds for everyone? Thanks!
1. Are there LATCH child seat anchors and tethers available for the second row middleseat?
2. Is anyone aware of any safety issues with the side curtain airbags when there is a child seat located behind the front passenger seat?
3. Can anyone recommend a particular brand/model of safety seat that works especially well with the Pilot? Any models we should avoid?
Thanks!
2. Not sure.
3. My wife and I have two Brittax Marathons - one in each car. They work very well and are consistently rated the best from Consumer Reports. Just be sure to get a seat protector for any car seat to be sure it does not damage the interior. Leather seats are especially susceptible.
Steve, Host
I also have a Britax Marathon for my youngest child. It is a great car seat. It is fairly expensive and a bit larger than most seats, but it works great. I have found that the less expensive seats I have owned typically get their harness belts all twisted. Britax seems to use a thicker fabric for those belts that does not twist easily. Also, the Britax seats seem to do less damage to my seats than some others I have owned.
Thanks in advance for any replys.
Looking into gettting a 2006 Pilot EXL and wondering what opinions are on the backup sensors (optional). For those who have it, is it worth it? Reliable or Fragile? Useful or annoying? Consistent or not at all?
Thanks.
http://hondapilot.org/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=13013&perpage=15&highlig- ht=ipod&pagenumber=2
I am very happy with it, no background noise at all. I have EXL with Navi, so there is no other solutions, as ipod cable will not work with EXL. Check it out.
The Honda system is well done and well made. I has a 2 tone system, low tones for the 2 inner sensors, high tones for the 2 outer sensors on the corners. The beeping gets progressively faster as you approach an object until you are about 16" away when the beeping is continuous.
When you shift in 'R' you hear one beep to know the system is working, and there is a switch on the rear hatch pillar (to turn the system off in case you are towing something) with a small green light which also turns on.
The system has been very reliable with no false alarms (unlike the system in my Nissan) and allows you to parallel park much easier. Also, unlike the backup camera, it allows you to look back while you are backing up (backup cameras are neat, but it's a little disconcerting to be staring at your center console while backing up)
The system is well integrated into the bumper with body colored sensors. No problems with dirt or rain as of yet.
It's not cheap, but if it saves you from hitting one object (especially another car or a small child) it is well worth it.
Hope this helps
tom
For the record, I have the toddler seat anchored (using LATCH) behind the driver with my other two kids occupying the middle and passenger side seat positions of the second row in Booster seats.
"Pop"-type noise question: I sometimes hear a "pop" from the rear of the vehicle when I start it. Seems to be coming from the right-rear, which is where the sub woofer appears to be. I do hear sound coming from the speaker. I have had no issues with any electronics/radio/navi etc., and no additional "pops" while driving. I agree that the radio quality is not that great. I would like a recommendation on how to proceed - determine exactly which speaker is popping? should this speaker be replaced or could this be coming from the radio itself?
Also, would I notice better sound from the factory radio (XM plus 6-disc) by replacing all of the speakers?
Thanks.
http://www.car-safety.org/faq.html
Q61 states: "Currently, side airbags are generally not considered a risk to children in correctly used child restraints. In fact, children in properly installed and used child restraints should gain a safety benefit from side impact airbags unless otherwise indicated in an owner's manual."
As for the lack of LATCH anchors and tethers in the middle seat position, that's something of a bummer. According to the FAQ, "the center of the rear seat is usually safest since it is farthest from a possible side impact" (Q40). I realize that it's still possible to get a safe installation without LATCH, but it sounds like LATCH makes it easier.
Honda to scale back production of Pilots
Reduction aimed at adjusting inventory
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
MICHAEL TOMBERLIN
News staff writer
Honda said Tuesday it is scaling back SUV production at its Alabama assembly plant by 27,000 vehicles this year in a move that is not expected to affect the plant's 4,500 employees.
Starting in April and continuing through December, Honda plans to reduce the number of vehicles it makes each day in Lincoln to 1,150 from 1,300 - the first time the automaker has significantly scaled back production at its $1.2 billion Talladega County factory.
Honda will reduce only production of the Pilot sport utility as it attempts to adjust inventories on dealer lots and reduce the need for incentives to tempt buyers. Beginning in April, the Lincoln plant will make 350 Pilots and 800 Odyssey minivans per day.
"A key strategy behind Honda's business success has been to match vehicle production to customer demand," said Mark Morrison, spokesman for Honda in Alabama. "At this time, although our overall sales outlook is positive, inventory levels for some models must be adjusted to more closely match current and projected customer demand."
Reversing gears:
Morrison said the cutback amounts to a slowdown on one of the plant's two assembly lines. Without lower production levels, inventories of Pilot SUVs could move to between 60 to 80 days - too high for Honda's liking.
"Typically, Honda prefers to keep dealer inventory supplies between a 45-day to 60-day supply," Morrison said. "When inventories begin to rise, Honda's flexible manufacturing system allows the company to adjust production to keep the right flow of products to the market."
Honda last year made 204,897 Odysseys and 87,792 Pilots in Alabama, for a total of 292,689 vehicles.
Changes in production levels at the Alabama plant have been common since Honda opened it in 2001, but most adjustments have been upward. Such changes are usually not reported to the public.
A reduction of 150 vehicles per day, however, is unprecedented at the plant, which reached full production level on its two lines late last year.
"We are looking to manage our inventories by balancing supply and demand," said Sage Marie, manager of Honda public relations in the U.S. "Fundamentally, we don't want to play the incentives game."
Marie said sales of the Pilot were up in December and Honda will announce today an increase in January. He said the reduction is a matter of controlling inventory levels.
Still, the news comes as a surprise considering Honda officials were publicly talking about expanding production at the Alabama plant as recently as September, when its North American manager, Koichi Kondo, said Honda could build an additional 100,000 vehicles annually there with a minimum investment.
Last year, Honda cut production at its Ontario plant by 3,000 vehicles per day for three months to adjust supply. In addition to the Pilot, the Canada plant produces the Ridgeline truck, which had reached inventory levels of 100 days.
I think its impressive that Honda looks out for their dealers and current car owners like this.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
Thanks!