2003 Honda Pilot Power Train

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH SOLENOID VALVE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000.

TRANSMISSION WAS INCLUDED IN RECALL BUT WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED. EXPERIENCED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE AT 168,000 MILES. LOST POWER ON THE FREEWAY GOING 65 MPH WITH NO WARNING. HONDA REFUSING TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION BECAUSE OF THE AGE AND MILEAGE OF MY CAR, DESPITE THE KNOWN DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER IN 2004 FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN). THE DEALER REPAIRED THE OIL COOLER, BUT DID NOT REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED TO REPLACE IT. THE VEHICLE WAS NEVER FULLY REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 185,000.

WHILE ACCELERATING ON THE GAS TO PICK UP SPEED THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED AND HESITATED TO SHIFT TO A HIGHER GEAR, ONCE IT DID ENGAGE IT THEN SLIPPED AND DOWN SHIFTED CAUSING SPEED TO DECELERATE WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 40-55 MPH. LATER THE D LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH AND THE TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO SLIP AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND AT TIMES DOWN SHIFT. HAD TRANSMISSION SERVICED AND THE TECHNICIAN RESET THE D DASH LIGHT AFTER DRIVING IT 3 DAYS PROBLEM HAS NOW STARTED TO OCCUR AGAIN AND LIGHT HAS AGAIN COME ON ON DASH. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED AN ABNORMAL GRINDING NOISE AND A TRANSMISSION LEAK. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE VEHICLE WAS INOPERABLE FOR 20 MINUTES. THE CONTACT RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION AND SEAL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

VEHICLE BEGAN MAKING A FLUTTERING NOISE UNDERNEATH AND HAS CONTINUED TO BE PROBLEMATIC WHEN DRIVING FROM 35-50 MPH. TORQUE CONVERTER/TRANSMISSION ISSUE. MECHANIC SAYS CAR UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE TRANSMISSION MAY LOCK UP, CAUSING POSSIBLE LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. *TR

THIS IS A 2003 HONDA PILOT THAT I HAD NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS UNTIL I HAD TO TRAVEL ALMOST 2 HOURS--ONE WAY--FOR MY JOB. ON THE WAY HOME OF MY 4 HOUR TRIP MY PILOT LIKE GOT HOT AND THEN JUST STOPPED PULLING. HONDA OF RICHMOND KENTUCKY PUT ONE TRANSMISSION IN ALREADY, BUY THE 2ND OR 3RD OIL CHANGE AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, WE HAD TO HAVE IT REPLACED AGAIN. NOT ITS ABOUT 1 THOUSAND MILES FROM ANOTHER OIL CHANGE AND THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AGAIN. HELP WHAT DO I DO?? *TR

MY HONDA PILOT SHUTTERS AT 25-50 MPH I HAD IT CHECK WITH MY LOCAL DEALER HONDA AND IT SEEMS LIKE ITS COMING FROM TRANSMISSION ISSUE'S. *TR

ANYWHERE BETWEEN 35-50 MPH I GET A SHUDDER THAT SOUNDS LIKE DRIVING OVER A RUMBLE STRIP ON THE FREEWAY. THE PROBLEM STARTED OUT TO WHERE IT SOUNDED LIKE A GUSH OF AIR WAS FLOWING UNDERNEATH THE CAR FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS, THEN PROGRESSED TO A RUMBLE STRIP NOISE. AT THAT POINT, I HAD IT LOOKED AT. MECHANIC SAYS FAILED TORQUE CONVERTER AND WILL HAVE TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION. I HAVE 132,000 MILES ON THE CAR. HAVEN'T CONTACTED HONDA AS I'M THE SECOND OWNER AND HAVE READ IN MANY DIFFERENT PLACES ON THE INTERNET THAT HONDA WON'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. MECHANIC WARNED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WILL GO AT ANY TIME NOW AND THE CAR ISN'T SAFE TO DRIVE. I'VE DECIDED IF THE TRANSMISSION IS GOING TO FAIL AT 132,000 MILES, I'M NOT TAKING THE CHANCE OF PUTTING MORE MONEY INTO IT, ONLY TO FAIL AGAIN (SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT PEOPLE ENDING UP WITH SEVERAL TRANSMISSIONS INSTALLED BY HONDA WITH SUBSEQUENT FAILURES). I'VE OWNED THREE HONDAS. THE LACK OF RESPONSE FROM HONDA ON THIS ISSUE ACROSS THE BOARD MEANS THEY LOST ME AS A CUSTOMER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE CONTACT DOWNSHIFTED AND THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY SHIFTED BACK INTO GEAR. THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 142,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DECELERATED FROM 65 MPH TO 30 MPH WITHOUT WARNING. AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC LOCATED A FAILURE CODE AT THE TRANSMISSION SPEED SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION SUDDENLY SLIPPED BETWEEN GEARS. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 160,000.

TRANSMISSION SLIPS WHEN GOING AROUND 30 MILES. I HAVE CHANGED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID MULTIPLE TIMES. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS YEAR HONDA PILOT HAS A LOT OF TRANSMISSION ISSUES LIKE THIS. *TR

TRANSMISSION SLIPPING, NOT SHIFTING AS IT SHOULD. *JB

LOUD SCRAPING NOISE COMES FROM CAR DURING CRUISING AT AROUND 35-40MPH AROUND 2000RPM. CAR SEEMS TO STUTTER AT THESE SPEEDS CAUSING ABRUPT VIBRATIONS. OTHER DRIVERS HAVE REPORTED THE SAME OCCURRENCE, MANY REPORT IT IS FROM A BAD TORQUE CONVERTER. *TR

1. FALL OF 2011, WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PICK UP SPEED CAR WOULD BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND SHAKE. FOR SAFETY, I WOULDN'T DRIVE FASTER THAN APPROX. 35 MPH. ARRIVING AT MY DESTINATION, I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE. THE ENGINE REVVED AND SURGED FORWARD SEVERAL TIMES. FUEL INJECTION CLEANER REMEDIED THIS. 2. 2012, WHEN INITIALLY ACCELERATING, GEARS WOULD ROUGHLY CHANGE WITH A THUMPING SOUND. WHILE DRIVING AND PICKING UP SPEED, CAR WOULD REV LOUDLY. BRAKES WERE APPLIED TO KEEP IT FROM LUNGING FORWARD. (VERY SCARY), BUT MAINTAINED CONTROL. CHECKED TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL, ADDED 1/4 QT OF TRANSMISSION FLUID. PROBLEM PERSISTED. ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. DROVE IT TO THE HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT. MECHANIC CHECKED AND TEST DROVE CAR. ADVISED ABOUT LIGHT FLASHING WHEN IN DRIVE-(THIS HAD NOT OCCURRED).THEY COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. ENGINE WARNING LIGHT RESET. RETURNED TO SERVICE DEPARTMENT ONE WEEK LATER WHEN ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. MECHANIC TEST DROVE AND AGAIN COULDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. WARNING LIGHT RESET. APPROX. 3 WEEKS LATER, WARNING LIGHT RETURNED. CONTINUED TO DRIVE CAUTIOUSLY. ON AUG 20, 2013 (DRIVING APPROX 20 MPH) THREE HOUSES FROM MY HOME, MY CAR CHANGED GEARS WITH A LOUD CLUNK (SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING BROKE). I TURNED INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND HAVEN'T MOVED OR DRIVEN IT SINCE. MY HONDA PILOT HAS APPROX. 65,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I BELIEVE HONDA MOTORS AND DEALERSHIPS ARE AWARE OF THIS RECURRING DEFECT WITH THE HONDA PILOT MODELS AND IS DELIBERATELY IGNORING THE CONSUMERS OF THEIR PRODUCT. I'VE RECEIVED SEVERAL NOTICES FROM HONDA DEALERS STATING MY 2003 PILOT IS IN HIGH DEMAND. I AM ANGRY THAT I'M STUCK WITH THIS WRECK, BUT GLAD THIS JUNK WAS NOT PASSED ON TO SOMEONE ELSE. IN THE MEANTIME I'M WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION AND MAYBE FORCED TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE. VERY DEPRESSED. *TR

2003 HONDA PILOT TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING IN LOW GEAR AFTER ENGINE WARMED UP. WHENEVER VEHICLE IS GOING FROM A STOP TO MOVEMENT, SUCH AS RED LIGHTS, STOP SIGNS AND TRAFFIC, VEHICLE DOE NOT CLICK INTO GEAR RIGHT AWAY. TOOK VEHICLE TO HONDA DEALER WHO STATED TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $4100 + 12 HRS LABOR FOR INSTALLATION. VEHICLE ONLY HAS @78,00 MILES ON IT. LUCKILY MY TRANSMISSION HAS NOT SEIZED AS MANY OTHERS HAVE ON THE HIGHWAY CAUSING GRAVE SAFETY CONCERN. *TR

WE PURCHASED OUR 2003 HONDA PILOT EX-L NEW AT DANBURY HONDA ON FEBRUARY 20, 2003. WE HAVE HAD ONGOING ISSUES WITH THE "D" OR DRIVE LIGHT FLASHING INTERMITTENTLY SINCE THE CAR WAS NEW AND HAD IT CHECKED AT THE DEALER EACH TIME, WITH A REPORT BACK THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG AND IT WOULD GO AWAY. THE DEALER HAS DONE ALMOST ALL OF THE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE TO OUR VEHICLE AND WE ALSO DO PROACTIVE CARE TO OUR VEHICLE. MOST RECENTLY WE SPENT A GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY ON REPAIRS TO THE TRANSMISSION THROUGH HONDA DEALERSHIPS IN DELRAY BEACH, FLORIDA (DISASTER THERE) AND DANBURY, CT. WE ARE NOW BEING TOLD WE NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION, ONLY MONTHS AFTER PUTTING A LOT OF MONEY INTO THE CAR. HAD WE KNOWN WE WOULD BE SPENDING THIS KIND OF MONEY (ABOUT $5K), WE WOULD HAVE TRADED THE CAR IN. HOWEVER, WE ARE NOW CAUGHT IN A FINANCIAL BURDEN WITH HAVING TO PUT A NEW TRANSMISSION IN THE 2003 PILOT, WHICH WE THINK SHOULD BE PART OF A RECALL BASED UPON ALL THE ON-LINE RESEARCH WE'VE DONE. CAN ANYONE PLEASE ASSIST? *TR

WE BOUGHT A 2003 HONDA PILOT IN 2006. 3 MONTHS AGO WE FOUND OUT IT HAD BEEN RECALLED IN 2004 FOR THE POWERTRAIN. THAT APPARENTLY WAS FIXED AT THAT TIME. IN APRIL, WE HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE RPMS SHOWING 3000 WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ONLY 35 MPH. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER WHO INFORMED US THAT THE POWERTRAIN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS COST US OVER $6,000 TO REPLACE INCLUDING OVER $700 TO LEASE A CAR. AMERICAN HONDA SAID THAT THE WARRANTY HAD RUN OUT AND THAT IT WAS A HIGH MILEAGE VEHICLE AND THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR. OUR QUESTION IS WHY WOULD THE POWERTRAIN HAVE TO BE REPLACED A SECOND TIME WITHIN A 9 YEAR PERIOD. THE 109,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE IS WITHIN IF NOT LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. GRANTED, A 10 YEAR OLD VEHICLE WILL PROBABLY NOT STILL BE UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, IF THE POWERTRAIN WAS FIXED UNDER THE RECALL IN 2004, SHOULD IT NEED TO BE REPLACED AGAIN? *TR

TRANS. SHUDDERED AT 30-40 MPH. RECALL #04-021 DONE 8/23/04 (OIL JET KIT INSTALLED). DIDN'T SOLVE PROBLEM, WHICH HAS GOTTEN WORSE UNTIL NOW (06/13) AND HAPPENS AT ALL SPEEDS. VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH HONDAS OF THAT YEAR (2003). CAR NOW HAS 125K MILES, HONDA REFUSES TO FIX AS RECALL, WANTS TO REPLACE TRANS. AT MY EXPENSE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V176000 (POWER TRAIN) BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 113,805. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE PASSENGER SIDE RELAY SPEAKER CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS CONTAINED BY THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE WIRING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000. *TR

SUDDEN DOWNSHIFTING AND SHUDDERING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND DIFFICULTY IN SHIFTING. ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON AND OCCASIONAL SHIFTING PROBLEMS FOR A FEW WEEKS UNTIL CHECKED BY DEALER - PO740 AND PO730 NEEDS TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT AND ENGINE MOUNT. SAME PROBLEM AS A 100 OF OTHERS. ORIGINAL OWNER FULLY DEALER MAINTAINED FOR 10+ YEARS, EVEN WITH FAIRLY HIGH MILES WELL MAINTAINED TRANSMISSION SHOULD NOT FAIL. HONDA DEALER QUOTED $5500 FOR HONDA REBUILT TRANSMISSION WITH NO MENTION OF ANY ASSISTANCE OR OF THE WELL KNOWN AND FREQUENT OCCURRENCE OF THIS ISSUE. A DEFINITE SAFETY ISSUE AS SIMPLE LUCK THIS DIDN'T OCCUR ON THE HIGHWAY AT GREATER SPEED IN HIGH TRAFFIC I FREQUENTLY DRIVE. *TR

MY HONDA PILOT IS NOW AT 75,000 MILES. I OBVIOUSLY DON'T DRIVE IT A LOT. THANK GOODNESS BECAUSE IT HAS HAD SO MANY ISSUES. FOR THE LAST 25,000 MILES AND 3 YEARS, IT REVS UP AND DOWN WHEN STOPPED ANYWHERE LIKE A LIGHT OR STOP SIGN OR IN THE PICKUP LINE AT MY CHILD'S SCHOOL. I HAVE TO PUT IT INTO PARK AND PRESS THE BRAKE WHILE IN PARK TO BE SURE IT DOESN'T LEAP FORWARD INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE. I'VE HAD THIS LOOKED AT ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS AND THEY FIX IT FOR ABOUT A DAY. I'VE BEEN TOLD ITS AN ONGOING KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS CAR. SO, WHY HAS IT NOT BEEN ADDRESSED? *TR

CAR STARTS SHIMMERING AT 35 - 45 MPH. HAD MECHANIC CHECK CAR AND SAID NO MECHANICAL ISSUE. HAD NEW TIRES PUT ON CAR. STILL SHIMMERING. HAVE SIMILAR CHARACTERISTICS AS OTHERS ON THE HONDA WEB SITE THAT MENTIONED THAT THE DIAGNOSIS IS A BAD TORQUE CONVERTER. STRONG SHIMMER AT 35 - 45 MPH INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. *JB