2009 Honda Pilot

bbent

I just purchased a 2009 Pilot and after driving for a short distance noticed a vibration starting around 35 mph. The dealer has said that it is flat spots that developed on the tires because the car had set on the lot for a few months over the winter (I live in Michigan). Their recommendation is that if a drive the car the flat spots will go away. The car has Goodyear tires, has anyone else had this issue and if so, did the vibration go away. I am a little skeptical.

shift

I had an 09 Pilot I purchased last Nov 08 (east coast) and did not have that kind of problem. Did they rebalance/ check tire pressures?

thegraduate

I've known this to happen for cars that are not driven for even a short time-span, much less a few months.

poodog13

In my opinion, that's BS. It's the dealer's responsibility to ensure that the vehicles receive proper care while on their lot. I'd insist on new tires.

ed111

My 2009 Pilot was delivered new (15 miles on odometer) with one wheel balancing weight showing on the visible side of each wheel. It is not very sightly on the nice looking alloy wheels that come standard with the Pilot Touring.

Is this normal, or does it indicate that the wheels were rebalanced at the dealer just prior to delivery? I thought it was possible to install these weights on the inside of the wheel so as not to be visible.

poodog13

It's definitely possible to install them on the inside. Not sure if you can conclude that the dealer did it.

nucargurl

Is it worth the extra money to get the Touring? Is the Navigation system worth it? I'm afraid that I will hate that it doesn't have touch screen.
.

citivas

It’s really up to the individual. For us it was a no brainer this time. We had the same debate with our last car and skipped the factory nav version and bought a high end portable and have regretted it ever since. The portable units are as rich or even better in features at the high end but we found the positioning in the vehicle more awkward and the need to remove it every time we parked in public, etc. such a pain that most fo the time you never bothered pulling it out.

By comparison, the built-in nav in the Honda/Acura is one of the best. The Honda is missing real-time traffic re-routing but otherwise is great. We love the interface and the accuracy way more than our Garmin. At first I was worried about the joystick instead of the touch screen but after a couple weeks I became a convert and now like it actually more than a touch screen. When driving you can control the joystick effortlessly without the distraction of looking closely at the screen to see where you need to type. Even better is all the voice control, which allows hands free use of not just the phone but all the nav functions, the radio, ipod and even the temperature settings, etc. We also love how the Touring has true iPod integration, not just an audio-in port. You can view and navigate playlists, albums, etc. from the nav screen or voice control while the ipod charges quietly in the center console. And the large screen for the backup camera has also been a hit.

I would say if you plan to use the nav a lot or plan to use your ipod a lot, the Touring is a no-brainer over the EX-L. If not to both, probably not…

nucargurl

Thanks. My husband has a Commander (company car) and the navi on it is useless. It has the toggle too and it's only good for a map. It is a pain to look up addresses. I definitely want a navi - I was convincing my self that I would just be better off with a portable. I didn't really think about the i pod integration - which I would LOVE. Thanks.

poodog13

As far as the Nav goes, first thing I would say is that I'll NEVER have a touch-screen Nav without a voice capability because the fingerprints would drive me NUTS. In this case, the voice capability works nicely AND you have the joystick to fall back on. Both are easy to use and the voice commands are fairly intuitive. My Touring is primarily my wife's car, yet I am able to program routes by voice having never read the manual.

majortric

Just accepted delivery of our 2009 Pilot - wow - what a sharp vehicle. Price $27590 + TTL. We compared the GMC Arcadia, Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX9, Ford Explorer, and Chevy Tahoe - hands down the pilot came out on top based on $, interior space, reliability and standard features (not overloaded with "bells and whistles"). Don't beleive all you read about hideous looks - it looks much better in person.
Something to consider - not sure why anyone would buy 4WD unless you live in a climate where snow is on the ground/streets 8 months out of the year. We live in Buffalo, NY and for the 15 or so days out of 365 where the streets may be near impassable - it's not worth having 4WD and giving up the better gas mileage with the 2WD. Pilot has traction control to help with those challenging driving conditions.
Bottom line: do your comparison shopping and if what you're looking for in a vehicle is functionality vs looks - then the Pilot is worth strong consideration.

shodanusmc

I disagree. I live in Chicago, and although we do not get as much total snow as Buffalo, we get a lot of Sleet, Freezing rain, and around 50" of snow. It also rains, a lot. I love knowing I have AWD for rain, snow, gravel, etc. To me, it is well worth the small extra cost. Even if it snowed one day out of the year, and my family was out in it, it would be worth it.

I just got a AWD 09 Touring in Billet Silver. Love it! Out the door for 33.5+TTY.

majortric

You may be right - I'll let you all know after next winter - I may be recommending the 4WD.
My reasoning was based on past Honda vehicles - Odyssey(s), Accord(s), etc... and rarely , if ever, did we have a close call re: winter driving.
I hope you're wrong - you did bring up some good points however (rain, "black ice", etc...).

daffsters

We just purchased the 2009 Honda Pilot EX and noticed that there is a plastic device with 3 holes/vents under both the driver and passenger seats. Any idea what these are and/or used for? Also, I will talk to the dealer about this, but the carpet under the driver seat has been cut in the shape of a large flap. I'm not sure what would have been installed under there, but I assume the dealer should have repaired the cut which is noticeable by anyone sitting the 2nd row behind the driver?

breena16

I have a 2006 Pilot EXL with dealer installed remote start to sell/trade - $19K. Vehicle has 43K. Fully maintained by dealership. Looking to get a 2009 Honda Pilot Touring 4WD. Want to be at $26,500. Any dealer incentives coming around?? Let's make a deal!

markbres

Just curious, but has anyone noticed that the life of the master key battery is short? We bought our pilot last summer, and the replacement battery I put in the key a few months ago already seems to be running down.

sonnyd

Hello everyone, I just purchased 2009 Pilot EX-L RES. A week old. I need to know how to turn off seat belt indicator. It chimes every 20 seconds when your seat belt isn't buckled. I know it's for a safety reason to remind you to buckle up. But still it's very annoying. Any suggestions!!!!!!

poodog13

Suggestion would be to wear your seat belt!!!! As far as I know, this can't be turned off.

bigdadi118

Buy an extra spare seatbelt buckle from dealer or junkyard.
Seatbelt on or not can determine dead or alive ... I do hope you have long time to enjoy the Pilot.

thegraduate

Just wear the thing. There's no logical reason not to do so!

nucargurl

From Edmunds test drive "Most distressing, however, are the braking distances exhibited by our Pilot at the test track. The Pilot came to a halt from 60 mph in 149 feet — that's 15-20 feet longer than most competitors. There's strike three, and we simply cannot recommend a vehicle that stops in such a distressing distance (other than a heavy-duty pickup). In regular driving, the brakes actually feel good, with a firm, reassuring pedal, but it's a false sense of security."

Anyone have any thoughts on this? :confuse:

citivas

I can only speak specifically to the second half of the quote. In normal use, the Honda braking is my favorite of any of the vehicles I have owned in the last 10 years. It is more nature feeeling and responsive than our Toyota Sienna, our previous Lexus RX300 or Camry or my old Explorer. Every time I have to drive the Sienna now I really feel the difference -- the Pilot is a much nicer drive. My wife usually drive's the Sienna and says the same thing when she drives the Pilot.

I have had to do sudden braking a couple times since we bought it and it responded very well both times -- absolutely no complaints. I did not get on a test track and formally accelerate to 60 then slam the brakes and count feet.

thegraduate

Remember, one of the biggest parts of braking is actually the tires, and Honda tends to use low-rolling resistance (read: low grip) tires for better fuel economy.

nucargurl

I'm a girl. What does that mean?? Should I change out the tires? To what?

thegraduate

I wouldnt go so far as to go ahead and replace them, just know that your Pilot doesn't stop on a dime. It still will stop better than many of the several-year old vehicles out there, and do so in a much more stable fashion.

fastpitch_mom

We took delivery of our 4WD 09 Touring w/Res last Saturday. We love it! On Wednesday I took it to a local carwash (I have taken all my vehicles here) to remove salt/sand from the late season snow we just received. It was raining yesterday and I went to turn on my rear wipers and I heard this grinding noise. I looked back and the window was still wet. I tried again and saw that the wiper blade was gone and now have a half circle scratch on my rear window where the wiper blade should be. I was sick, this car was only 5 days old. We called our salesperson and he told us that this was the 5th one that he has replaced and that Honda was aware of the problem. He ordered us a new blade and would look at my rear window on Monday when they install the blade. I think they should have to replace the rear glass as well, since this is clearly a manufacture defect with the broken blade. Has anyone else had this problem?

Kirstie_H

A reporter wants to interview someone who drives a 3-row crossover, has kids and plans to drive the vehicle to a vacation destination instead of taking an airplane.
If this describes you, please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com by Monday, April 6, 2009 and indicate your vehicle's make and model.
Thanks,
Jeannine Fallon
Coporate Communications
Edmunds.com

cwsdad

I have an 09 Pilot exl and have 10,000 miles on it andd the tire and road noise is getting louder . I took it to the dealership and they said that the tires were wearing correctly and the noise was what was expected from the pilot. The noise did not there when I purchased the pilot or I would not have purchased it.

Any thoughts?

bigdadi118

The noise maybe not from the tire. Maybe a bad wheel bearing.

cwsdad

I'm going to take it back another time to the dealer but it certainly makes me regret that I traded my 4 runner with 100,000 miles for this which is my 1st new honda.

poodog13

Have you verified that the tire air pressure is correct?

pilotmike

Getting close to purchasing a new 09 Pilot and can't decide between 2wd and 4wd. I live in the south so not much snow, but I was still leaning 4wd. I thought 4wd would handle better on wet roads and I don't want any 2nd guessing, but still wonder if it is really worth the extra cash. Thanks for the help.

poodog13

I think 2WD would be fine. The Pilot is primary front wheel drive under either drivetrain, while the AWD system is an computer controlled, on-demand system. If wet roads is your primary concern, it doesn't seem that the AWD would kick in all that often and that your 2WD would do fine for the most part.

thegraduate

I think the VSA system will do you more good than AWD ever will, living in the south. I'm in Birmingham, AL so I understand!

cwsdad

Yes, Went back to dealer and they said all was normal, Drove another 1000 miles and put a set of Michelin's on and it took care of the issue but my local dealer was no help.

bbent

I have a 2009 Pilot that has a noticeable vibration staring around 30 mph. You can feel it through the seats as if you are sitting in a vibrating chair. Initially the dealership attributed it to the tires, but the tires have been replaced with a new set of Michelins. Although the new tires reduced tire noise and improved handling, they did not eliminate the vibration. Now I am being told this is a characteristic of the car, but I am having a hard time believing that this is the case. Is anyone else experiencing anything like this?

citivas

I haven't noticed any vibration at any speed in my 2009 Pilot Touring. It sounds like the typical thing a dealer would say when they can't figure it out. Did they change the type/brand of tires? And did they check your alignment?

shift

I have an 09 Pilot EX 4wd with about 5050 miles on it and NEVER had a vibration either low or high speeds.

Ask the dealer who is the Honda Service Rep for your area and discuss your issue.

kel8

I am going to pick up my new 09 pilot. What is the acceptable odometer reading on the new vehicle? My is 28km.

I have been waiting for my vehicle to arrive for almost 2 months but on the day of picking up my car, the voice of the navi system was not function. I have to wait a couple for the new part. Is it normal? I am concerned.

thegraduate

28km (or about 17 miles) is more than acceptable. My new Accord had over 120 miles on it when I bought it.

bigdadi118

My Pilot had 120 miles on it also when it was delivered. I questioned the dealer why and they said it is because of a swap from another dealer to storage lot, then to dealer lot.

eteled

Just want share some helpful information I didn’t find anywhere. I measured current drawing from the battery when car is parked. In my case it was new 2009 EX Pilot, 2WD, 1800 miles on the odometer. The data taken would also be useful for the future; if possible problems with the battery rose.

Test1. The ignition switch is in LOCK (0) position, the key is in the ignition switch – 156mA
Test2. The ignition switch is in LOCK (0) position, the key is removed – 45mA

What does it mean for the owner? If you leave your car in the garage with the key in the ignition switch (which most of us do), the 100% charged 60Ah battery will lost 80% of its capacity within 13 days (or within 45 days without the key). That was theoretical calculation. In addition to that, flooded lead-acid batteries have relatively high self-discharge rate even without any external circuits. It could be 8-40% per month (2-10% per week) depends on how old the battery is.

One note for those, who will replicate this test on your car. Right after connecting MM, the current jumps up to 2-3 Amps, then gradually gets down within 10-15 seconds. So, set your MM properly or it could be damaged.

elbeto77

I have received several quotes from the internet departments and most of them have come back with about $29,500 for this model with side steps. Has anyone bought a 2009 Honda Pilot EX-L or EX-L w/RES (rear entertainment system), if so what was the final selling price the dealership sold it for? If anyone has the actual invoice for this vehicle please let me know.

bigdadi118

Incl Dest Chg

09 EXL 4WD 29,500
09 EXL w/RES 4WD 30,800

tina1976

I'm interested in purchasing the EX-L 2wd, but was told that they are scarce in my area (DC/MD/VA) or even surrounding areas. Has anyone else been told this? It didn't sound to much off base because when I do searches only the EX-L 4wd comes up.

I received an e-quote for the EX-L 4wd yesterday and the price was $29,870, excluding destination. I think this is still kinda high and I wanted to get them down. The quote also said that the price already includes factory incentives. I'm wondering if the dealer would be willing to come down on this price. It seems like dealers are pretty firm on their e-quote prices. Anyone have experience with equote/internet pricing?

bigdadi118

Yes I think there are lots more AWD EXL than other trims as they get extra incentives to meet sales figures
Try to email the 10 MD dealers below
A. O'Donnell Honda
B. College Park Honda
C. Herson's Honda
D. Odonnell Honda Service Center
E. Ourisman Honda Inc
F. Honda of Annapolis
G. Norris Honda
H. Sport Honda
I. Honda City-Honda
J. Pohanka Automotive Group: Pohanka Honda

tina1976

Thanks for the list. I have an appointment with Pohanka tomorrow. I've already been to College Park and I believe they have the same problem (no 2wd).

bigdadi118

Your advantage is time to research and look into everything ... try to email ALL 10 of them and find the lowest price. Use a form letter that make sure you ask the same car among them.
Make sure the price is including dest charge + dealer fee (ask how much) + TT&L. Reply to them the trade-in is optional depending the offer.
When you pinpoint the best deal, ask them to email the breakdown of all figures, MSRP with stock #, VIN #, thus no excuses, no surpirse fees. Over the phone, let them charge you $100 on credit card (refundable) to hold the car for your arrival. Best yet is got car loan pre-approved in best % rate you can find (AAA) and dealer needs to match yours in order to use them to finance. They sure makes profit on that.

nucargurl

In my search for a white with blue interior this morning, I have come across a white with black interior and silver with black. Is this just a typo or has someone ordered these cars and didn't go through with the deal? One is in California & the other in Vegas. I really don't like the look of blue interior, however it is the only one that will hide my 10 year olds dirt!

bigdadi118

You can get any seat color you want as long as buy this and put the 10 year olds in 2nd row.

http://www.bernardiparts.com/Honda-2nd-Row-Seat-Cover-Pilot__08P32-SZA-100.aspx