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Honda Pilot 2003 through 2005

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Comments

  • ralphucoralphuco Member Posts: 13
    I own this vehicle and we have driven about 24000 miles. I note that seven owners have listed this potentionally life-threatening malfunction. Does anyone have any ideas about identifying a commonality of the vehicles? Perhaps the plant of assembly combined with the month could be a starting point. Will the seven people with this problem please list this information.
    If anyone has any other suggestions for getting common information please also post that suggestion. I have just gone from believing that I own a safe reliable vehicle to an owner with worries about my wife's and my safety.
    Thanks. Ralph
  • ralphucoralphuco Member Posts: 13
    As an additional couple of ideas, what was the odometer reading at the time of the first occurrence and what difference in the braking system or other associated system in the "05 model from the '04. Ralph
  • rodutrodut Member Posts: 343
    Complaints about the brakes should be filled with NHTSA, not with Honda !
    NHTSA can force Honda to recall / fix / redesign the VSA.
  • ralphucoralphuco Member Posts: 13
    I hope that's what the owners who had this problem have done. There are seven who indicated the problem in this discussion. It does seem to be a safety issue which warrents the attention of NHTSA. Ralph
  • mercaramercara Member Posts: 291
    I don't think NHTSA would issue a recall because of 7 complaints. It will be hard to convince them that it is an inherent defect with the vehicle given that 7 vehicles are not even an atom in the bucket compared to the number of Honda Pilots sold.

    Worth a try, but you are better of trying to work things out with Honda in this case.
  • rodutrodut Member Posts: 343
    There are only 7 vehicles probably because the problem just started to show up. 2005 was the 1st year when VSA was installed on Pilots, so 2005 Pilots have the oldest VSAs, so the most likely to fail.

    Years ago I predicted that VSAs will kill people. I even had lots of posts removed from this web site (Edmunds accused me of SPAM, because I posted my post on about 50 discussion groups, if I remember correctly). Also the local newspaper accepted to publish my article about the dangers of a malfunctioning Stability System (January 2006). I also sent my article to NHTSA (January 2007).

    At that time I was predicting that when malfunctioning VSA will steer the cars randomly all over the place because of applying the brakes on one side of the vehicle (to correct for an imaginary skid, when the computer would receive a wrong information from a bad sensor). Well ... it seems that these days it applies the brakes on all wheels, not just on one side as I was predicting.

    ###############################################################
    The following is the letter I had sent to NHTSA (in January 2007), and their confirmation of receipt:

    Thank you for contacting the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Vehicle Safety Hotline Information Center.

    We appreciate the time you have taken to contact us and value your opinion. Your comments have been forwarded to the appropriate NHTSA personnel.

    However, if you need additional information on our services please feel free to contact us at 1-888-327-4236.

    Thank you,

    NHTSA.dot.gov Response Team

    Disclaimer: "This response is for information purposes only and does not constitute an official communication of the U.S. Department of Transportation. For an official response, please write U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400 7th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590.

    > Dear NHTSA,
    >
    > In my opinion you expose yourself to huge lawsuits by making the ESC mandatory (49 CFR Parts 571 and 585 - Electronic Stability Control Systems; Proposed Rule). Please, in the name of mankind, read carefully my letter. I am a 42 years old Electronics Test Engineer, so I know a lot about electronic systems. I understand that you have good intentions and want to protect us. But you don't see the whole picture. By only looking at the technical performance of new VSC systems you miss some major points:
    > 1) You miss the fact that these systems will kill people when they will become defective (because of age, vibrations, thermal cycles over many years, hardware bugs, software bugs, etc). You authorize a computer to steer a car ... well it will do it when needed, or when not needed (if defective). So some family somewhere in America will drive in straight line, on a sunny summer day, on dry pavement, and suddenly the old and defective steering sensor will send to the computer the wrong information (let's say "steering wheel turned max to the left"). The computer, thinking that the driver turned the steering wheel to the left, will apply the left side brakes to abruptly steer the car to the left (let's say in the path of an incoming 18 wheeler). Fortunately for you all of them will die, so it will be nobody to sue you. BUT after many people will be killed, some other family, another sunny day, could escape alive. And those people will sue you.
    > 2) The 2nd fact you miss is the impact of such systems on people's health. For instance my heart skips a beat (or a couple of beats) when the ESC system activates. Do you think that is "safe" for me ?!? It's because I don't expect somebody else to steer and brake my car. I never had any health problems when skidding on ice !
    > 3) The 3rd fact you miss is that you create dumber drivers. Overconfident too. For 10 years I drove a rear wheel Volvo 240 wagon. It was skidding on snow all the time, but that was never a problem, because by instinct I was turning the steering wheel to the right position. New drivers, driving these ESC cars, will never have that instinct. So they will become dumber drivers. But they will be overconfident too, because they will trust the damn computer, which will let them down when they will try to break the physics laws (so they will go into the ditch). Do you think that the dumb&overconfident combination is safe ?
    > 4) In 10 years these 2007 cars will be owned by modest-income people, so it's likely they won't spend thousands of dollars to fix fancy electronic systems. Nobody will care about warning lights ! They will keep driving them and put all of us (your children too) at risk.
    > 5) Very limited testing. Testing of such a complex system (supposed in good health) cannot be done for an infinity of scenarios. Testing will be limited to a small number of road scenarios, and will also be done on young, properly functioning systems. No test engineer or designer will be able to know with 100% certitude that those systems will be safe. BUT I can tell you with 100% certitude that those systems will become older, and will malfunction, at a certain point in time. Isn't that obvious ? Do not believe that the diagnostic system will pick up any malfunctions. I spent my whole life debugging electronic systems, and I can tell you that there is an infinite number of possible malfunctions in such a complex electronic system (sensors, modules, wiring, connections, rusty grounds etc). A designer can't imagine and predict an infinite number of problems and scenarios.
    >
    > Solution:
    > In my opinion your ESC regulation should either disappear from the face of the Earth, or it should require manufacturers to install a separate fuse for the ESC system. With such a fuse available, any car owner would be able to PERMANENTLY disable a system authorized to kill him and his family (if defective), without disabling any other car electronic system (ABS, braking etc). Also if in 10 years a certain manufacturer realizes that it manufactured a million of dangerous cars, that manufacturer could issue a cheap recall (to remove that fuse), so cheaply convert a million of dangerous cars into a million of safe cars (ESC free).
    >
    > Final comments:
    > What nobody at NHTSA seems to notice is that for the 1st time in automotive history, the computer has been given the right to kill. And you want to make it a mandatory feature!
    > Can't you see the lawsuits against you ? Can't you see our lives at the mercy of a damn aging computer ?!
  • ralphucoralphuco Member Posts: 13
    Since this subject is of great interest to you, have you done a study across all manufacturers to see how many of these stabity systems are malfuntioning? Have most manufacturers installed these systems for more than 3 years? It might be an interesting study which could support your belief that the system is inherently subject to malfunctioning after a period of time. Ralph
  • rodutrodut Member Posts: 343
    No I didn't do any study. Actually I would say that no study is needed to state that any kind of electrical device will break sooner or later, especially fancy computer chips. If you add huge thermal cycles, humidity cycles, vibrations, shocks, etc etc etc ... the picture is grim.

    I remember some Toyota Sequoia owners complaining that they had landed in the ditch immediately after hitting a big snow bank with the right side wheels. They said that the Stability System sensed the sudden variation of the right side wheels speed, thought that the SUV was skidding, applied the brakes on one side, and that sent the SUV in the ditch. That triggered my idea about a bad wheel sensor sending the wrong information to the computer and triggering the computer decision to steer the car even if actually no skidding had happened.

    I was pretty passionate about this subject in 2006 after these systems were installed on the Pilots because I was planning to buy one, and was hoping to be able to have one without the electronic marvel on it. But now the cause is lost, I own a 2008 Pilot with the crap on it, so emotionally I am next to you and will follow what will happen in the future.

    My hope is that the VSA OFF switch (at the left side of the dash) can be wired such as it permanently disables the VSA. Now it always defaults to ON when you start the car, so you have to push it each time you start the car to turn VSA OFF. If you can't sleep because of it, just push the button each time you start the car. Or wait for the system to malfunction for the 1st time. If you are alive after that, you will find a way to wire OFF that switch !

    The trouble with this technological marvels is not that we have to pay for them. I would gladly pay for these marvels if I could kindly put them in garbage immediately after buying them. The real trouble is that often after we buy them, we are stuck with them !!!

    Cheers
  • alexp79alexp79 Member Posts: 1
    Hello everyone, please read my case, posted under Honda Accord forum:

    Just wonder if any body has experienced any issues with VSA system. Yesterday, while driving on an interstate my car increased my normal braking so bad that the car completely stopped on a winter road, causing the cars behind me to almost hit me. I wasn't able to accelerate right away so I shut the engine off and back on, then I could release the brakes. It happened a second time 2 miles ahead. This was pretty annoying, scary and dangerous!. The car is now at the shop, I'm waiting for the dealer's call to see what they found..

    Honda's website (http://corporate.honda.com/press/article.aspx?id=4110 ) reads:

    "Another key VSA function is recognizing emergency braking situations and almost instantly applying added braking force. This brake assist feature is controlled by a special logic in the system that determines when the pedal stroke and speed exceed a typical range - as they would in a panic stop...VSA is calibrated to function in a near-transparent manner, and in many cases a driver will not even be aware of its operation."

    Well, these were not "panic stops" at all! and I was very aware of its operation so was the people driving behind me.

    Any thoughts?

    Honda Accord Coupe 2008-V6 AT5
  • masoudmmasoudm Member Posts: 2
    I just purchased Honda Pilot 09 Grand Touring,and the salesman insisted to buy the ARMORALL paint and leather protection for $444.00,and then he handed me few packages of the product also.Now they are applying it to the car,and he said i never need to do any waxing ever again,and the paint is protected from acid rain,bird droppings,etc.
    This morning i left him a msg.to hold off,and the purchase happened at late hours of last night.In addition they are trying to sell me extended warranty for 7 years or 100k.miles whichever comes first,and if i don't use the warranty then they pay me back in full it is $1600.00
    What do you think?
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    You can buy online at much cheaper price re Honda Care Extended Warranty, except you're in a couple states (CA is one) that prohibit it.

    All those undercoat, alarm, paint sealants are money making machines for dealers.
  • kipkkipk Member Posts: 1,576
    I believe in extended warranties for modern cars. There are just too many things that can go wrong, and expensive to fix. We have used the EW on both our Pilot and CR-V.

    However I agree with bigdadi. All the add on items are money makers for dealers.

    $1600 seems way too high for an Extended warranty. That price can be negotiated to something less than $1000. If not find another dealer.

    Mequires [SP] products are used by "Classic Car" people on their show cars. They make a real good leather cleaner/protector, and it can be purchased at Walmart and auto stores for less than $10. Meguires also makes real good cleaners,Waxes, polishes,and other compounds to protect the paint and can be purchased for less than 10 bucks.

    Another product that works good for us is "Nu Finish". Goes on and off easy and last (beads water) a long time. Again, Walmart or most any auto store.

    Car sales are in a slump right now. That dealer should be more than happy to negotiate the EW with you. If not, find another dealer.

    Best deals on cars are generally found by negotiating thru the dealer's internet sales.

    You can use Edmunds for that. They will tell you the dealers nearest you that have internet capabilities and an internet manager. Get their prices and buy from the lowest bidder. You can get it serviced at any Honda dealer.

    Kip
  • kgrealishkgrealish Member Posts: 1
    I just bought a 2009 Pilot and love it. Over the years, I've formed the habit of keeping a spare key in my wallet (having been trained by my own forgetfulness ...). Just stopped by home depot and was informed that they couldn't make a spare because they didn't have any blanks and they suggested that I'd have to go to the dealer. My question is whether anyone knows if I can get a spare key for the Pilot that doesn't have the "plastic head" so that it would sit nice a flat in my wallet.

    Thanks, Kevin
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    Call around the locksmiths in your area. I know I can make one without the plastic which can only open the lockdoors but not starting the car.

    Besides without the plastic head thus less bulky to stay in the wallet.
  • fred25fred25 Member Posts: 92
    Please keep in mind that you may need the large headed key because it contains a chip that prevents someone from copying your key and driving off with your vehicle.
  • rossdrossd Member Posts: 5
    Have a 2003 Honda Pilot EX. Recently, the A/C stopped workinjg. The front and the rear blowers only blow ambient air. No cooling.The compressor (clutch) does not make a clicking sound when I turn on A/C. All other controls work fine. Have checked most fuses, They tested ok. Tried swapping some relays (under hood), but did not help. Any pointers will be appreciated.
  • deviedevie Member Posts: 1
    hi guys.,i got a 2003 honda pilot,mileage now is about 67,000.i noticed recently that my "malfunction indicator lamp" light was on.i did not notice anything wrong in the car.i dont want to go to the dealership right away because aside from being afraid to be charged big time,i dont have any warranty anymore. i tried to checked the fuel cap,tighten it ,but still the warning sign was still on.
    i hope somebody can give me an advice regarding this problem.tahnks and more power.
  • mes2mes2 Member Posts: 3
    Not a very technical answer, but the technician at the dealership told me (after I paid $75 for them to tell me my gas cap wasn't on tight enough!) that once that light is tripped for that reason, it sometimes takes two fill ups for it to go out. That doesn't help much if there's something really wrong with the car though.
  • rossdrossd Member Posts: 5
    I had a similar problem a few weeks ago. Mine went away after driving for a couple of hundred miles, so the dealer could not diagnose (read the code) the problem.
    If the light is still showing up, I suggest you find a local mechanic who might
    read the code free for you. The 2003 Pilots have "ERG valve" problems, and the factory has extended the warranty to, I believe, 8 years or 80,000 miles. Good luck!!
  • main7main7 Member Posts: 8
    This just happened to my wife in Nov. so we have a car in the driveway that is useless to us. Honda has "never heard" of this problem and doesn't know what to do. I have since found this to have happened with several people. It seems that Honda USA has also investigated the problem in the past yet, they have never heard of it.

    Fortunately no one has been killed (that we know of) due to this problem so, Honda is unwilling to do anything about it. Our dealer found brake system failures on the car's computer but it seems to have repaired itself as everything was working with no repair.
  • safetymatterssafetymatters Member Posts: 29
    Honda says my Pilot "appears fine" too! I would recommend taking this type of a malfunction to another mechanic other than Honda.
  • boneman72boneman72 Member Posts: 2
    My 2003 Pilot with 110k miles died suddenly while I was driving on the highway last week. There was no advance warning that anything was wrong. All of the electrical systems still functioned and the engine was still running but pressing the accelerator did nothing. Had to coast to the shoulder and have it towed to the dealer who initially said the timing belt went. After further investigation they said a cam had frozen which ruined a head and caused the timing belt to break. They said to replace the head and damaged valves would cost $3500, and it was cheaper to replace the engine which is costing me $2900. If the timing belt failure was not to blame is this a repair that could have been avoided? Does what the dealer say about this issue sound reasonable?
  • safetymatterssafetymatters Member Posts: 29
    Sorry to hear that! I am not sure if that is the same thing or not. Just off the bat I would find the most reputable independent mechanic and have them run a diagnostic on the computer. Shouldn't cost you more than $50 to do that. A worthwhile investment when you are looking at the other option. I know from experience that dealerships don't look hard enough sometimes. This is a simple way to find out your options. Best of luck!
  • boneman72boneman72 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for responding....the car was undriveable so it didn't seem feasible to me to try to get it anywhere else for another estimate, especially since I suspected it was a catastrophic breakdown and I didn't know any mechanics in the area. The dealer just finished replacing the engine today. I just paid the car off a few months ago and since it is a Honda I was hoping to drive to at least 200k without major problems, but if I replaced the timing belt I could've avoided this $3000 mess..live and learn I suppose.
  • safetymatterssafetymatters Member Posts: 29
    Of those who have had the problem with their Pilot braking sudenly without pushing the pedal, have you had repairs and if so did they work?

    Honda is saying that (based on their inspection at my house) the ABS/VCS/TZS modulator and the brake switch should be replaced on my Pilot and in doing so the repair should correct my concerns with the vehicle. Anyone have any or all of these repairs done and if so, did it work?

    If anyone has had the sudden braking again after "repair", please please post. I do not want to get into this vehicle with my family ever again if this repair doesn't work.
  • mweaver2mweaver2 Member Posts: 1
    I found your post after I arrived at the Honda Dealership this morning. A violent stop on the interstate accompanied by a sound similar to driving on chip and seal asphalt. No engine lights or warnings, no smoke, nothing. Just a dead stop. I was carrying 5 other people in my 2005 Honda Pilot and the vehicle made a forceful/abrupt stop (as if I had applied the brakes hastily). Drove it less than 2 miles to a dealership for dx. Rode with the mechanic for 10 minutes (about 5 miles) and he could not reproduce the issue. I'm awaiting dx now. Will post outcomes later. Wish me luck.
  • safetymatterssafetymatters Member Posts: 29
    I am sorry to hear you are having the same problem. If I can be of any help, please let me know. If you feel so inclined, retrieve my email from my profile. I would be happy to send you more details. I can't post everything here but need to keep the forum running for everyone trying to figure this problem out. I had family in the vehicle as well. It was a very scary event. Thank you for posting. Please file a report with the National Highway Transportation Safety Board (NHTSA). It doesn't hurt you in any way, it will actually help add cases for their current investigation into this problem.
  • safetymatterssafetymatters Member Posts: 29
    Of those who have had the problem with their Pilot braking sudenly without pushing the pedal, have you had repairs and if so did they work?

    Honda is saying that (based on their inspection at my house) the ABS/VCS/TZS modulator and the brake switch should be replaced on my Pilot and in doing so the repair "should" correct my "concerns" with the vehicle. Anyone have any or all of these repairs done and if so, did it work? They also said this problem did not exist before. How do I know if it is a tried and true repair?

    If anyone has had the sudden braking again after "repair", please please post.
  • christie9christie9 Member Posts: 2
    edited August 2011
    On my 170K mileage 2004 Honda Pilot, it stalled on idle (doesn't matter what temperature) and if the A/C was on, it was worse. The dealler said that after a $150 diagnostic check, there is no guarantee that they would find anything wrong or be able to pinpoint the problem. I had read somewhere that when a Honda stalls on idle, it could be either IAC valve or injector. Common sense told me it would most likely be the IAC valve, so I insisted the dealer replaced the IAC Valve and fortunately, it worked! The Pilot has not stalled since.
  • lampar71lampar71 Member Posts: 1
    I have Honda Pilot 2004. Yesterday the radio resets/ reboots itself few times. Few hours after the malfunction indicator get ON. On top then I start car The temperature indicator switch itself to Trip A. What could be wrong?
  • bjaderbjader Member Posts: 10
    Let your mechanic check your brake booster and adjust it correctly. I'm not sure but maybe it is the problem. Or maybe your brake booster is already defective.
  • tinkerbell2524tinkerbell2524 Member Posts: 1
    My husband and I bought a 2005 Pilot last September. It Started doing the sudden stop at Christmas. It has done it 5 or so times total. The first time was the worst and I took it in to the dealership using back roads and turning off and on the car again 10+ times. They replaced the original battery. The next time I pulled out of my driveway and stopped at the stop sign at the end of my street. The dealership replaced the brake switch. It has done it again on the highway, and we pulled off safely, again when I left work and again at the stop sign on my street. So far, with my car, it happens within minutes of me starting it, so we have been on side streets most the time; and the VSA indicator light comes on. There is a VSA turn off switch that I will try the next time it happens. Please let me know if you still have your Pilot and if you were able to find a fix!
  • safetymatterssafetymatters Member Posts: 29
    edited January 2012
    Hi Tinkerbell,

    I actually have made some advances and was wondering if you could email me via my profile. Honda is paying attention to this dangerous problem.

    Thanks,
    safetymatters
  • gregmuzakgregmuzak Member Posts: 1
    Hi there,

    My 2005 Honda Pilot started doing this 1 week ago. It has 109k miles on it and a google search led me to this forum. Let me describe it an you guys tell me if this is consistent with what you are experiencing:

    While driving the car, every now and then I would hear a short pop and the brake / ABS lights on the dash would momentarily come on. Sometimes the radio will cut off for a second. This happens at least 2 or 3 times in the first 10 minutes of driving. Sometimes (not everytime but some of the time) it feels like the brakes actually engage and the car jerks forward. Never to a complete stop... it just lasts for a second but it's enough to scare the crap out of me and I won't drive my children in the car any longer.

    I haven't had it looked at by Honda yet. I cleaned battery connections and I replaced all brake pads but this did not help.

    Safteymatters, I would LOVE to hear what you have found out but I can't figure out how to email you here. Email me at gadkins AT gmail DOT com

    Thanks.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Please don't offer or ask for "personal" help via email. We all benefit when a problem is discussed on the open forum. Thanks.
  • pappyvan53pappyvan53 Member Posts: 1
    Having same exact issues as this "gregmuzak"--has anyone gotten any feedback concerning this?thx
  • safetymatterssafetymatters Member Posts: 29
    Yes I have. Unfortunately it takes some time. If your car brakes suddenly by itself then first you must report this to the NHTSA at safercar.gov. You can call them on the number there or report online. It is really and I stress really important you do this.

    Secondly take the vehicle to an independent mechanic and have them photograph the computer's steering angle and see if the angle for straight changes. If they can reproduce the braking great, if not at least you will have these pics and have them write a short report regarding what they saw.

    I know the forum doesn't like having private discussions outside of the forum. However I would like to also have you email me (you can find this in my profile) since there are some things I will share on an individual basis that are too private to broadcast. I hope the forum can appreciate this use of discretion. At least Edmunds led you to someone who is doing something about this, right?!
  • safetymatterssafetymatters Member Posts: 29
    I have emailed you. Not sure how things are going. Besides filing a complaint at the NHTSA you can also go to the Center for Auto Safety at:

    http://www.autosafety.org/honda-acura

    They are a good resource and you should file a complaint with them as they are a consumer group funded by the government and CAS members. Their job is to help get attention on vehicle defect issues where there are several cases such as with our sudden braking on the 05 Pilot. I am pushing on so please keep in touch.

    The same with anyone else. Please post your issues and make contact with others so we can get all of the complaints in the right place.
  • redneckpapamanredneckpapaman Member Posts: 1
    About a year ago I began refueling at a gas station and had problems getting the fuel to dispense into the gas tank. The tank was low but the nozzle kept clicking off because the fuel was not going into the tank but was backing up and causing the nozzle to cut off. I "baby fed" until I was able to get about 10 gallons into the tank. After that episode everything worked as normal. However, this morning the same thing again! Same station but different location. Is it the vehicle or the gas pump? Has anyone else had this problem?
  • manusrfmanusrf Member Posts: 6
    I recently bought a used 2004 honda pilot with 59000 miles from a private owner. She mentioned that at some point she had trouble with the car because it would stall at stops once in a while. It looks like her mechanic replaced the idle valve and I though the problem had been fixed.

    About a month after I bought the car the engine would rev up and down at idle and sometimes stall. this problem continued intermittently. Then the car started to hesitate or studder at low and then higher speeds. I brought it to my mechanic and he cleaned the idle valve. Unfortunately at that time I did not look through the the old records which show that the idle valve was already replaced. Anyway after I picked the car up it continued to do the same thing.

    Next the check engine light and the VTM light came on. The VTM light eventually turned off but the engine light stayed on. Brought it to the dealer who said the car was fine and the previous mechanic did not reset something afte the idle valve was cleaned. Picked up the car and the check engine light was on. Drove fine for about 10 minutes then it started hesitating again on the freeway.

    Brought it back to the dealer and they said the honda techline reccomended a valve adjustment. The wanted 380 and my mechanic would do it for 250 so I took my car to my mechanic. When I picked up my car from the dealer the check engine light was on again. They said it was because it needed a valve adjustment. My mechanic talked me into getting a new thermostat, coolant and spark plugs before getting a vlave adjustment. I guess the spark plugs looked pretty bad. He drove it after the repair and said it was doing the same thing. So he reccomended a valve adjustment and said he would do it for 150. The codes he pulled up when I brought it to him had to do with the engine running too rich but Im not sure of the exact codes., I guess I could get those and post them.

    If looked at a number of forums and it seems like other owners have had similar problems. At first I thought it was the tranny because of the studdering but there is no associated noise and the dealer said its not the tranny. My model was recalled because of the tranny and they put in the oil heat shield at 2200 miles.

    If anyone can shed some light on this problem I would greatly appreciate it. Right now I have a car that I bought for about 12000 dollars and it doesn't work right. And the mechanics don't seem to know what it is.

    Thanks!
  • manusrfmanusrf Member Posts: 6
    I recently bought a used 2004 honda pilot with 59000 miles from a private owner. She mentioned that at some point she had trouble with the car because it would stall at stops once in a while. It looks like her mechanic replaced the idle valve and I though the problem had been fixed.

    About a month after I bought the car the engine would rev up and down at idle and sometimes stall. this problem continued intermittently. Then the car started to hesitate or studder at low and then higher speeds. I brought it to my mechanic and he cleaned the idle valve. Unfortunately at that time I did not look through the the old records which show that the idle valve was already replaced. Anyway after I picked the car up it continued to do the same thing.

    Next the check engine light and the VTM light came on. The VTM light eventually turned off but the engine light stayed on. Brought it to the dealer who said the car was fine and the previous mechanic did not reset something afte the idle valve was cleaned. Picked up the car and the check engine light was on. Drove fine for about 10 minutes then it started hesitating again on the freeway.

    Brought it back to the dealer and they said the honda techline reccomended a valve adjustment. The wanted 380 and my mechanic would do it for 250 so I took my car to my mechanic. When I picked up my car from the dealer the check engine light was on again. They said it was because it needed a valve adjustment. My mechanic talked me into getting a new thermostat, coolant and spark plugs before getting a vlave adjustment. I guess the spark plugs looked pretty bad. He drove it after the repair and said it was doing the same thing. So he reccomended a valve adjustment and said he would do it for 150. The codes he pulled up when I brought it to him had to do with the engine running too rich but Im not sure of the exact codes., I guess I could get those and post them.

    If looked at a number of forums and it seems like other owners have had similar problems. At first I thought it was the tranny because of the studdering but there is no associated noise and the dealer said its not the tranny. My model was recalled because of the tranny and they put in the oil heat shield at 2200 miles.

    If anyone can shed some light on this problem I would greatly appreciate it. Right now I have a car that I bought for about 12000 dollars and it doesn't work right. And the mechanics don't seem to know what it is.

    Thanks!
  • slr29slr29 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 Honda Pilot EX-L and recently thought about the auto lock where it automatically locks itself when the car is in drive. Does this car have this feature and if so, how to I enable it?
  • pilotproblempilotproblem Member Posts: 1
    My 2005 Honda Pilot brakes have automatically seized up a total of 5 times in the last year but 4 times in the last 3 weeks. All 4 times it has happened have been at low speeds (10-20 mph, thankfully!!!) and within 5 minutes of starting up after it has sat for an extended period of time.
    I have taken it into the Honda Dealer twice in the past three weeks the day after it occurred and both times they could not duplicate or find a problem. The first three times the VSA light came on but no code tripped in the computer system. The last two times it happened no dashboard indication occurred. It occurred 3 weeks ago, 1 week ago and yesterday back to back so the problem seems to be intensifying.

    So far, for a temporary fix, I have turned off the car and restarted it and the problem seems to stop for a while. As mentioned previously, yesterday the brakes seized up as I was driving but no dash indication came on. Because I was in the middle of an intersection, once the brakes released, I a decided to drive forward to try and get it out of the intersection only to have them seize up again about 100 meters later. I quickly turned off the car and restarted it and was able to safely return home where it currently sits.

    Has anyone found a solution to this problem? Thanks!
  • jrl7jrl7 Member Posts: 4
    We are having the same issue with our 05 Pilot. The brakes have locked up 5 times since 2008. Each time the car was taken into the dealership. The last lock up was May 15, 2012. The dealership can not find any issues. We have and suggest you, file a safety complaint with Honda America telephone number 1-800-999-1009. They will give you a case number but will claim no knowledge of this issue. You should also file on line with the NHTSA - you will get a complaint number. You will see other filings registered on this site (our complaint number 10248833). We are currently in discussion with our dealership (Danbury Honda - Connecticut) on the issue. Additionally the NHTSA has been in contact with us.

    Also refer our Edmonds discussion number #6799 under brake issues.
  • safetymatterssafetymatters Member Posts: 29
    Hi. I have been fighting this with Honda and am getting results. The first thing you need to do us file a complaint with the NHTSA...you can do this online at www.safercar.gov or call them at the number on that site. For legal purposes I cannot go into too much detail on this thread, but if you email me (just click on my profile) I can let you know more. There are well over 30 complaints with NHTSA about this very problem. Honda will pay attention if you take the vehicle to a non-Honda mechanic who can repeatedly check the steering angle on the after driving the vehicle and then turning it on and off while taking pictures of the computer to see if the malfunction shows up there. It will only cost you around $50 to do this and gives you documentation of defect. Please email me and please please file with NHTSA. This will also give you documentation.
  • safetymatterssafetymatters Member Posts: 29
    There are well over 30 complaints for this same problem
    including my Pilot which Honda wants us to keep quiet about. NHTSA is paying attention!
  • jrl7jrl7 Member Posts: 4
    How do we contact you on this issue?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Please don't ask for "personal" help via email. We all benefit when a problem is discussed on the open forum. Thanks.
  • safetymatterssafetymatters Member Posts: 29
    Please look under my profile with Edmunds and use the email address.

    NHTSA had granted my Petition for a Recall Investigation on 2005 Honda Pilots for involuntarily braking and steering failures. They have posted documents on safercar.gov under Vehicle Owners. Choose tab Defect Investigations. Then type in the NHTSA action number DP12002 and press the orange "Doument Search" tab to follow the investigation.

    If anyone else has experienced this with a 2005 Honda Pilot and have not filed a complaint with the National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration, now is the time to do so. They need as much information as possible. Complaints can be filed by phone at 888-327-4236 or online at https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/

    It is also good to post a complaint with North American Honda Corp. at 800-999-1009 or by mail to:

    American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
    Honda Automobile Customer Service
    1919 Torrance Boulevard
    Mail Stop: 500 - 2N - 7A
    Torrance, CA 90501-2746

    Please continue to post your experiences with Honda here.
  • gill6398gill6398 Member Posts: 12
    Hello,

    I am having this same issue with my 2005 honda pilot. Mine has about 158,000 miles on it. However, my wife has told me it has been doing this for a few years, but I guess I thought she was crazy because I could never duplicate the problem. Finally it happened to me. Scary! I did what you said and filed a complaint with NHTSA. I also got some video on my iphone of it happening today. I had the camera focused on the brake pedal. You can here the grinding of the brakes when it brakes on its own. You can also here my keys moving all over the place because of the abrupt jerking stop. Do we have a recall coming soon?
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