ssminton: Two weeks and 400 miles after taking delivery, wife punctured both drivers side tires "avoiding" road-hazard. First thing AAA guy says is "Oh. car tires on an SUV...."
I was skeptical of Goodyear passenger car tire (tirerack shows less than mediocre reviews) and the punctures were the clincher. Replaced with Michellin Cross-Terrains in same size. Michellins are nearly as quiet (reason for selection as OEM tire) handle better (stiffer side walls) and confidence inspiring in wet. This is Michellin's best tire for luxury SUV application, and likely best tire made for this purpose. Snow rating is good but this is not a snow tire. Good luck.
On all but the most smooth roads, I am plagued by vibration noise coming from the front door pillars on both the driver and passenger sides.
Beaudry Honda has tried three times to fix this problem. The noise is very frustrating, making me wonder what recourse I have. Any thoughts?
Does anyone else experience this vibration noise?
Other than the noise my Pilot is an excellent car. But that incessant noise is spoiling my every drive. I'm not sure what to do next. I'll probably have to take a big depreciation hit and trade it in on a Toyota. If that happens I will be finished forever with Honda.
I have experienced the same noise since taking delivery of my Pilot back in early June. One day while riding down the freeway, the noise was driving me crazy. When I reached up to the door pillar and put pressure on the weather stripping, the noise subsided. My temporary fix turned out to be using a couple folded business cards stuck between the door frame and weather stripping to keep the noise down. Eventually, the dealer replaced the weather stripping. The noise is now lower in the door and much less noticeable. Also, when I do not drive the car for a week or so, the noise seems to subside when I return for several weeks. I know how annoying it is, but I have not found a permanent and true solution.
Please read #3969 by fengliu63 I marked this one a while back. I hope I will not have the same problem when I take deliver. Good luck.
3969 of 4209 The once and for all solution for door noise. by fengliu63 Sep 06, 2002 (03:09 pm) I posed a message a while ago complaining about the constant creaking noise from the driver's door. It looks like that it is a rather frequent problem with these first Pilots, and it may come from any doors. Well mine was solved with the replacement of the door chanel, whatever that is. My dealer was smart enough to call Honda engineers, and was told the soloution and was supplied with the part. The door was difficult to close after the part replacement. But the dealer later twick something, and now it closes with ease. Other than the unfixable gas tand tidal noise, my Pilot is now a rather appealing driving machine. So if any of you still suffer from the crikets in the doors, ask your dealer to call Honda and do not allow them to fool around. Good luck.
I am considering the pilot, they look good and have good reviews but am somewhat bothered by some of the door post noise etc. I drive about 24 miles round trip to work. I am wondering if I should just get another accord or maybe a crv instead. I am also considering the passat. With the price of gas these days and who knows down the road, I wonder how much it will cost in gas alone over the course of my owning this vehicle considering his has a v6 compared to my accords's still peppy 4? I still have times when I need more space than an accord can provide so the extra space with the pilot would be welcomed. I wonder how much space the cr-v has when the seats are down? ski
I would suggest looking at the true cost to own (TCO) section here at Edmunds for each vehicle you are considering to get an idea of what each one would cost. I find the Pilot much roomier and powerful than the CRV it replaced, but it is definetly a more thirsty and expensive vehicle. If an Accord gives you enough room most of the time, a CRV may be enough more room for you.
Along with the CR-V, I'd add the Forester, Outback, and (if you can get past the styling), the Element. Actually, the Vibe or Matrix might be frugal and functional enough for you.
I have read previous posts about pulsing wind noise with the windows down (described as a flag flapping in a stiff breeze). I think it sounds lower frequency than that. It's oppressive. I find it to be a serious deficiency. I have heard similar noise from late model GM rental cars. I thought it was typical GM oversight. Disappointed to hear it in my new Pilot. It gets worse at higher speeds. Anyone have the fix?
You might open another window, if you experience this with only one window open. Sometimes just opening another window an inch or two will alleviate it. I've had this problem on almost every Honda I've owned, but have always been able to make adjustments to keep if from resonating.
This effect is really pronounced in some vehicles with a sunroof open and all windows closed. Again, you can just vent a back window to clear it up. Usually, creating a path for the airflow will keep it from hitting it's resonate frequency and deafening the occupants. Sometimes, I've noticed, it's the crosswind that causes more problems than the headwind.
Great long term test of the Pilot. I would like to point out that the average fuel economy is higher then the maximum fuel economy. Might want to fix that.
While deflectors may change the airflow characteristics of an open window/sunroof, they will almost certainly do so at some cost in increased drag/reduced MPG...
Daveghh, these are long term road tests reports and I linked to the second one. I'm pretty sure the best fuel economy number was just for the previous month, and the average is since delivery day.
But it is rather odd that this new vehicle got better mpg the first month than the second. My experience is that mpg gets better every month until 10 or 20 thousand miles.
It's probably related to the winter fuel mix, and more daily commuting by the editors and fewer road trips or something.
Good eye and it'll be interesting to see how the mpg numbers "develop."
Steve, That's exactly what happened to me, the first 1500 miles I was getting 16 and 22 and now it's 13 and 20. Someone suggested tire pressure which I will check. This is my first SUV and I live in Chicago which obviously is going to get cold, what should the pressure be for the front and back tires? Has anyone done any experiments with premium versus standard fuel?
My guess is that your Pilot is still breaking in and it'll improve again in a few more tanks. You are probably running winter formulated gas now and that often whacks the mpg a mile or two.
I wouldn't panic yet and I'd use the octane recommended in the owner's manual. Ditto for the tire pressures.
as a recent ex-chicagoian They change the fuel mixtures with the seasons. It is why gas is so hi there during the summer and lower in the winter. Add in the tempature change and that could easily have a 2 mpg effect on your mileage. Give it a couple more months and see how it does.
We really love the Pilot and after a shaky start with a clogged fuel injector on the way home from buying the car (another story), we have had a blast driving it. However, last night, my husband and I were on the highway and it was very windy. During a particularly large gust of wind that was hitting the left side of the Pilot, my husband said he could hear a flapping sound and the side airbag light came on. It only lasted a few seconds and then faded out as the wind died down. Do you think this has anything to do with the pillar vibrations and chanel replacement from a few posts ago? Could wind actually reach the airbag and cause the light to come on or worse... deploy?!? I will call the dealer on Monday to talk with them about it, but I was wondering what other Pilot owners think.
We are looking to buy an EX. Local "one simple price" dealer is asking $700 below MSRP. We are considering adding the rear sensor, running boards, cross bars, cargo cover, splash guards, and all season mats.
We are wondering if the running boards are useful or do they just get your pants dirty every time you get in and out of the vehicle?
Also wondering about installing splash guards myself. I looked at collegehillshonda.com and they are much cheaper ($31 vs $89 at dealer). The installation instructions look easy. Has anyone installed splash guards themselves? Is it really just turning 3 screws or is there more to it? We are not really do-it-yourselfers. Anything that involves drilling holes in the vehicle, we will leave for the dealer to do.
Didn't see the cargo cover on collegehillshonda.com. Anyone know where you can get it for less than the dealer? Is there any installation involved or does it just snap in place? Thanks.
Picked up my Sagebrush EX-L on Saturday - love it! But I can't seem to get my garage door opener programmed into the Homelink transmitter. I don't have a "rolling code" garage door opener, so it should be straight forward. I successfully trained the opener for our neighborhood's front gate into button #2 on the first try, so I know I'm doing it right.
Anyone else have this problem? Anything else that can be done?
Are you certain you do not have a rolling code, try programming button #2 with your garage door opener to determine it is working correctly and that it is not a faulty button #1. Good luck
The Honda Homelink seems to require a longer transmitter signal than other vehicles I have owned. I recommend you depress your garage door opener repeatedly while depressing the Homelink button. The unit should respond.
With previous Honda's I have owned, mileage improved with age. My Pilot mileage has been consistent. With 15,000 miles, I am seeing 18-22 mpg in mixed driving (mostly hwy @ 70-75mph) but of course still lots of local errand running. One thing I have noticed is that mileage uphill is very poor, much worse than my previous V8 SUV. As a result if you have a lot of climbing, even short duration, it may be affecting your mileage performance.
After 3-days of skiing in Mammoth, I have some good feedback with regard to the Pilot's AWD winter driving performance. First off, let me say... I am pleasantly surprised by the experience.
My previous winter driving experiences are with both traditional 4WD SUV (Explorer) and full-time AWD SUV (Mountaineer). I had been worried when I switched from the 4WD Explorer to the AWD Mountaineer, but found that the Mountaineer actually performed better in most winter driving scenarios. Based on my positive AWD experience, I figured I would try the Pilot. My apprehensions, prior to the past weekend, was with regards to the sensed AWD (not full-time) of the Pilot and the Goodyear "car" tires. After 3 days of rain, slush, snow, ice, and blizzard conditions... the Pilot performed as well, if not better, than my Mountaineer. Even in treacherous conditions, it was not necessary to use the VTM-4 lock. Downshifting was all that was needed for steady control. The only thing I noticed with the Pilot was a steering vibration when on primarily ice covered surfaces; however, the driving performance was still very good. The vibration subsided when VTM-4 was engaged.
Overall, I have loved my Pilot (minus the creaks and rattles) since I took delivery last June. My only hesitation was with the winter driving performance of the VTM-4 system? My hesitations are now gone! The Pilot is a skiing machine!
My wife drives 90% local (non-highway) miles to and from schools, basketball games etc...
She is getting 16.5 MPG.
We asked the Dealer service rep if this was common. He said yes this is what he has been hearing. We have 4000 miles on this vehicle. Dopes this sound right to you folks?
I had no luck with trying to press the opener button repeatedly while holding down ANY of the Homelink buttons. My opener's owners manual doesn't mention anything about rolling codes and I can't find a "training" button anywhere on the opener.
I took delivery of my Pilot EX a couple of days ago, and I am very pleased with it. Before I made the purchase I test drove several from different dealers in my area and they all had Goodyear Integrity tires. My Pilot was delivered with Bridgestone Duelers. Does anyone know why this switch was made, are the tires equal?
I believe the tire selection is based on where in the country you live. Similar to what I saw with the Toyota Highlander, the Pilot was delivered to northern and mountain states with a more aggressive tread tire (more of an SUV tire vs. standard passenger tire). This was one of my worries here in Southern California, since I really wanted a more rugged tire for mountain driving not a car tire. I imagine it is also possible for the dealers to have input to this tire decision. Perhaps you live in one of the "border" states where dealers or Honda opted for a mix? Just a thought.
I am considering a Pilot EX but I want to be sure that the VTM-4 system can handle sand/beach driving. According to the specs, you can lock it into 4WD up to about 18 mph, which should be sufficient, but I would be interested to hear from anyone who has actually tried it, or if anyone knows of any reports that specifically address this question. The dealers I have spoken to don't seem to be prepared for this question, plus Honda doesn't even give you a full-size spare, both of which cause me to wonder whether the Pilot is really up to it.
After further inspection, I DO have a rolling code garage door opener. But the Pilot's Homelink system still won't work with it. According to the Pilot Owners Manual, training the Homelink for a rolling code garage door opener is a two-step process:
1. Train the Homelink button from the garage door's remote, and
2. Synchronize the Homelink button with the rolling codes of the opener.
My problem is with step 1. The Homelink button won't recognize the signal from the garage door remote. I've tried every angle and distance, pushing the remote button repeatedly, etc. The Homelink button just won't acknowledge the signal from my garage door remote.
Oh well, nothing's perfect. I'll just have to keep my garae door remote in the Pilot. Kinda bugs me though. I mean, what's the point of the Homelink system if it won't work???
I put a deposit on a Pilot Oct 7. I'm assuming that there is a slowdown from the dock strike. I know the cars are assembled in North America, but aren't a lot of the parts made in Japan?
If I'm right - does anyone know how far back production is set back. ( if I'm wrong....nevermind)
I, too, thought I was having a problem with the Homelink buttons. But I've found that you have to hold the button in for 2 or 3 seconds before the opener starts. I have one button set on a rolling code opener and two on regular openers. It took a while to figure out the instructions for the rolling code, but it worked.
In five months of mostly driving around town we have logged 5,199 miles using 326.6 gallons of regular gas resulting in an overall average of 15.9 miles per gallon. Where we live, regular costs $1.859 per gallon. Total fuel cost = about $610. Resultant fuel cost is therefore about 11.7 cents per mile. No problems. We love the vehicle. Leather is the way to go. Given the strong power and heavy weight of the Pilot, I think this is relatively good fuel economy.
Have you ever driven on the beach? Over 18 MPH...while destroying the national seashore you also don't need 4wd, 2wd will keep you moving along. It is under 18 MPH where you really need it. I have seen some Acura MDX's on the beach, but only in the light stuff, I think it can handle the terrain. However, my biggest concern would be that if you have to trudge through really deep stuff for 1/2 hour or so the system may not be able to handle the constant engagement? It probably can...but I don't know of real world experience.
I guess it comes down to what you are interested in? Going to the beach once a year and plopping down a beach umbrella or hunting out the best fishing spots in remote areas? I would opt for something with solid axles and 4 low if your use will be extreme.
I have seen some Acura MDX's on the beach, but only in the light stuff, I think it can handle the terrain. However, my biggest concern would be that if you have to trudge through really deep stuff for 1/2 hour or so the system may not be able to handle the constant engagement?
I've seen some MDX owners post of overheating when VTM-4 was engaged too long. They had to stop and let the engine idle so that the system would eventually cool down. VTM-4 just isn't targetted for constant engagement.
Probably, but I don't know if it'll add a huge amount of time before overheating. It's not just the transmission, but also the rear "differential" (which is actually two electromagnetic clutch packs). A lot of heat can build up back there, hence the famous VTM-4 fluid change.
Thanks for the feedback. I didn't mean to suggest that I expected to drive >18 mph on the beach. Rather, that since I would not be driving anywhere near 18 mph, the system would not cut out prematurely. I'm looking for a vehicle that can get me and my family out a few miles to some fishing spots through some areas of fairly soft sand. Last summer I saw a Highlander out there (to my surprise) so I figured the Pilot would be even better. Maybe not. BTW, what is "the famous VTM-4 fluid change"?
My 16 MPG over 5,200 miles of mostly city driving seems low to you. You wonder if we do a lot of hill driving. Well, we do live on top of a hill. The small town we live in is a bit hilly. To be more precise, I find that around town we get 14 to 15 MPG. On a highway trip it was in the 21 to 23 MPG range. Hope this is more informative. My wife who was a Volvo loyalist, really likes the Pilot. She thinks the new Volvo SUV which is coming out looks like a possible winner, but does not regret getting the Pilot because of the less than stellar local Volvo service.
The pilot should be as good if not better than the highlander. If you are only looking for an occasional jaunt you should be fine, and probably pleasantly surprised. I just would venture too far off the beaten beach path...but that doesn't sound like what you are up to anyway.
Comments
Two weeks and 400 miles after taking delivery, wife punctured both drivers side tires "avoiding" road-hazard. First thing AAA guy says is "Oh. car tires on an SUV...."
I was skeptical of Goodyear passenger car tire (tirerack shows less than mediocre reviews) and the punctures were the clincher. Replaced with Michellin Cross-Terrains in same size. Michellins are nearly as quiet (reason for selection as OEM tire) handle better (stiffer side walls) and confidence inspiring in wet. This is Michellin's best tire for luxury SUV application, and likely best tire made for this purpose. Snow rating is good but this is not a snow tire. Good luck.
Beaudry Honda has tried three times to fix this problem. The noise is very frustrating, making me wonder what recourse I have. Any thoughts?
Does anyone else experience this vibration noise?
Other than the noise my Pilot is an excellent car. But that incessant noise is spoiling my every drive. I'm not sure what to do next. I'll probably have to take a big depreciation hit and trade it in on a Toyota. If that happens I will be finished forever with Honda.
I marked this one a while back. I hope I will not have the same problem when I take deliver. Good luck.
3969 of 4209 The once and for all solution for door noise. by fengliu63 Sep 06, 2002 (03:09 pm)
I posed a message a while ago complaining about the constant creaking noise from the driver's door. It looks like that it is a rather frequent problem with these first Pilots, and it may come from any doors. Well mine was solved with the replacement of the door chanel, whatever that is. My dealer was smart enough to call Honda engineers, and was told the soloution and was supplied with the part. The door was difficult to close after the part replacement. But the dealer later twick something, and now it closes with ease. Other than the unfixable gas tand tidal noise, my Pilot is now a rather appealing driving machine. So if any of you still suffer from the crikets in the doors, ask your dealer to call Honda and do not allow them to fool around. Good luck.
I drive about 24 miles round trip to work. I am wondering if I should just get another accord or maybe a crv instead. I am also considering the passat.
With the price of gas these days and who knows down the road, I wonder how much it will cost in gas alone over the course of my owning this vehicle considering his has a v6 compared to my accords's still peppy 4?
I still have times when I need more space than an accord can provide so the extra space with the pilot would be welcomed. I wonder how much space the cr-v has when the seats are down?
ski
Which you can find here: Edmunds True Cost to Own
tidester, host
Ski
This effect is really pronounced in some vehicles with a sunroof open and all windows closed. Again, you can just vent a back window to clear it up. Usually, creating a path for the airflow will keep it from hitting it's resonate frequency and deafening the occupants. Sometimes, I've noticed, it's the crosswind that causes more problems than the headwind.
Does anyone think that wind/rain deflectors for the doors would help?
Steve, Host
Great long term test of the Pilot. I would like to point out that the average fuel economy is higher then the maximum fuel economy. Might want to fix that.
Check your tire pressure
Volume & acoustic resonance
While deflectors may change the airflow characteristics of an open window/sunroof, they will almost certainly do so at some cost in increased drag/reduced MPG...
But it is rather odd that this new vehicle got better mpg the first month than the second. My experience is that mpg gets better every month until 10 or 20 thousand miles.
It's probably related to the winter fuel mix, and more daily commuting by the editors and fewer road trips or something.
Good eye and it'll be interesting to see how the mpg numbers "develop."
Steve, Host
That's exactly what happened to me, the first 1500 miles I was getting 16 and 22 and now it's 13 and 20. Someone suggested tire pressure which I will check. This is my first SUV and I live in Chicago which obviously is going to get cold, what should the pressure be for the front and back tires? Has anyone done any experiments with premium versus standard fuel?
Thanks.
I wouldn't panic yet and I'd use the octane recommended in the owner's manual. Ditto for the tire pressures.
Steve, Host
Thank you
We are wondering if the running boards are useful or do they just get your pants dirty every time you get in and out of the vehicle?
Also wondering about installing splash guards myself. I looked at collegehillshonda.com and they are much cheaper ($31 vs $89 at dealer). The installation instructions look easy. Has anyone installed splash guards themselves? Is it really just turning 3 screws or is there more to it? We are not really do-it-yourselfers. Anything that involves drilling holes in the vehicle, we will leave for the dealer to do.
Didn't see the cargo cover on collegehillshonda.com. Anyone know where you can get it for less than the dealer? Is there any installation involved or does it just snap in place?
Thanks.
Anyone else have this problem? Anything else that can be done?
My previous winter driving experiences are with both traditional 4WD SUV (Explorer) and full-time AWD SUV (Mountaineer). I had been worried when I switched from the 4WD Explorer to the AWD Mountaineer, but found that the Mountaineer actually performed better in most winter driving scenarios. Based on my positive AWD experience, I figured I would try the Pilot. My apprehensions, prior to the past weekend, was with regards to the sensed AWD (not full-time) of the Pilot and the Goodyear "car" tires. After 3 days of rain, slush, snow, ice, and blizzard conditions... the Pilot performed as well, if not better, than my Mountaineer. Even in treacherous conditions, it was not necessary to use the VTM-4 lock. Downshifting was all that was needed for steady control. The only thing I noticed with the Pilot was a steering vibration when on primarily ice covered surfaces; however, the driving performance was still very good. The vibration subsided when VTM-4 was engaged.
Overall, I have loved my Pilot (minus the creaks and rattles) since I took delivery last June. My only hesitation was with the winter driving performance of the VTM-4 system? My hesitations are now gone! The Pilot is a skiing machine!
She is getting 16.5 MPG.
We asked the Dealer service rep if this was common. He said yes this is what he has been hearing. We have 4000 miles on this vehicle.
Dopes this sound right to you folks?
Guess I'm SOL...
1. Train the Homelink button from the garage door's remote, and
2. Synchronize the Homelink button with the rolling codes of the opener.
My problem is with step 1. The Homelink button won't recognize the signal from the garage door remote. I've tried every angle and distance, pushing the remote button repeatedly, etc. The Homelink button just won't acknowledge the signal from my garage door remote.
Oh well, nothing's perfect. I'll just have to keep my garae door remote in the Pilot. Kinda bugs me though. I mean, what's the point of the Homelink system if it won't work???
If I'm right - does anyone know how far back production is set back. ( if I'm wrong....nevermind)
Barry
I guess it comes down to what you are interested in? Going to the beach once a year and plopping down a beach umbrella or hunting out the best fishing spots in remote areas? I would opt for something with solid axles and 4 low if your use will be extreme.
I've seen some MDX owners post of overheating when VTM-4 was engaged too long. They had to stop and let the engine idle so that the system would eventually cool down. VTM-4 just isn't targetted for constant engagement.