124 complaints reported

2004 Honda Pilot Power Train

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
124
Crashes
2
Fires
1
Injuries
1

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Aug 2023

Transmission locks up when vehicle has been driven for a short time

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Apr 2023
Mar 2023

The contact owns a 2004 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the transmission was shifted into drive(D) and the vehicle shuddered. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V176000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the transmission fluid was flushed 3 times; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure recurred while the vehicle is shifted into drive(D) and D3. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2023
Mar 2022

I was approaching a stop sign and slowing down to < 10 miles and the engine continued to slow down and the car started to push forward while I was totally pressing on the brake - it did not want to stop and kept pushing forward. I wasn't sure what was happening and quickly put it in neutral. My daughter who drives the car to school was sitting in the passenger seat and was completely shocked. I have been driving for 30+ years and at that moment felt things were totally out of my control. Extremely off to see a car keep going when you are trying to stop. I could 100% have hit someone if there was a car in front of me as I went two car lengths before realizing what was happening. I turned the car off. Started again and it was fine. This happened on Saturday, March 26th, 2022. I have not taken the car to the dealer. There were no lights or anything indicating any warning.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Mar 2022
Aug 2021

Transmission locked up while driving and wont drive after I stored the vehicle Iam glad no one was behind me on the freeway there is a extremely huge problem with this transmissions the government needs to get this kind of vehicles checked out at Honda before someone loses his life

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Aug 2021
Dec 2020

WAS ON HIGHWAY AND STARTED JERKING REAL HARD WHERE I ALMOST HIT A CAR HEAD ON WAS GOING 55 FOR SURE SCARED ME TO DEAD AND PULLED OVER AND CALLED MY BOYFRIEND HE CAME TO ME AND GOT IN IT AND IT WOULDN'T GO FORWARDS BACKWARDS NOTHING SO HE WENT AND GOT TRAILER AND HAULED TO HIS HOUSE COULD OF BEEN MY LIFE ALONG WITH MY KIDS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Oct 2020
Jan 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45MPH THE VEHICLE MADE A GRINDING SOUND AND THE RPM'S FELL WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. UPON INVESTIGATION THE CONTACT HAD ASSOCIATED RECALL NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V176000(POWER TRAIN) WITH THE VEHICLE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 203,300.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2020
Oct 2019

CAR WOULD NOT. MOVE IN ANY GEAR, LET SIT OVER NITE STARTED CAR AND MADE IT HOME WITH NO PROBLEM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Oct 2019
Aug 2019

SEEMS TO SHUDDER .. LIGHT ACCELERATION SHUDDERS, LEAVES THEN COMES BACK AGAIN .

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Aug 2019
Aug 2019

TORQUE CONVERTERS GET STUCK AND CAUSES VEHICLE TO "SHUDDER" OR VIBRATE QUITE BADLY IN THE 40-50 MPH RANGE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Aug 2018
Jul 2019

PURCHASED A 2004 HONDA PILOT USED AT 136K MILES. WITHIN A WEEK OF DRIVING THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ENGINE CODES P0700, P0705, P0740 WERE ALL PRESENT, WHICH ARE ALL IN RELATION TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSMISSION SHOP CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE ACROSS HONDA & ACURA VEHICLES IN THE '03-'04 RANGE (SEE 2003-2004 ACURA MDX SERVICE BULLETIN 06-003). A DESIGN FLAW IN THE TORQUE CONVERTER CAUSES IT TO BREAK DOWN & SHED METAL FRAGMENTS, WHICH COMPROMISES THE REST OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE ONLY REAL FIX IS TO REBUILD OR REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. HONDA AMERICAS CUSTOMER SERVICE REFUSED TO REVIEW MY CASE ANY FURTHER, EVEN UNDER GOODWILL CONSIDERATION.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jul 2019
May 2019

INTENSE SHUDDER EMANATING FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR CAUSING THE WHOLE CAR TO SHAKE. TYPICALLY OCCURS BETWEEN 20-30 MPH DURING SLIGHT ACCELERATION. ABATES SOMEWHAT IF TAKE FOOT OFF OF ACCELERATOR. FROM MY READING, THIS APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE INVOLVING THE TORQUE CONVERTER.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2017
May 2019

I WAS DRIVING WIT MY FAMILY IN THE CAR POOL LANE WHEN WITHOUT WARNING MY VEHICLE STARTED BRAKING HARD AND ACCELERATING, BACK AND FORTH, LUCKILY THERE WASN'T TOO MUCH TRAFFIC OR MOST LIKELY THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE CREATED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT . I GOT OFF THE FREEWAY AND NOTICE THE TRANSMISSION MUST BE STUCK IN 2ND OR 3RD GEAR. I DOUBT MY HONDA PILOT IS AN ANOMALY, SINCE THERE'RE LOT OF VIDEOS ONLINE ABOUT THIS VEHICLES TRANSMISSION ISSUES.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2019
May 2019

OK THE VEHICLE STALLS ON HILLS, BECOMING NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PROCEED, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY EMITS A GRINDING-SCRAPING SOUND SEEMING TO COME FROM THE FRONT-END PORTION OF THE UNDERCARRIAGE. SO, FAR IT HAS ALWAYS MANAGED TO CONTINUE RUNNING/MOVING FORWARD DURING AND AFTER. IT JUST FEELS LIKE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS BADLY, AND NEAR THE END OF SLIPPING/FAILING. I LOOKED UP IT'S VALUE ON A WEBSITE, AND A WARNING BOX POPPED UP NOTIFYING ME THAT MY PILOT'S YEAR MAKE & MODEL HAS 6 SEPARATE MANUFACTURER'S RECALLS. UPON LOOKING FURTHER, I SEE THAT-INDEED-ONE RECALL IS FOR THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS! THEN, WHEN I DID ANOTHER SEARCH, SPECIFIC TO MY VIN #, I SAW THAT MY PARTICULAR PILOT DOES NOT HAVE ANY RECALL ON IT. YET, NOW, THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING, AND I ONLY JUST PURCHASED MY CAR AT THE END OF JANUARY, 2019....I WANT TO AT LEAST MAKE MY BEST EFFORT TO COMPLETE THE PROCESS OF ATTEMPTING TO GET A TRANSMISSION RECALL ON MY CAR-SINCE I NOW THAT OTHER 2004 HONDA PILOTS HAVE GOTTEN ONE. I AM FILING MY COMPLAINT TODAY BASED UPON THAT KNOWLEDGE, DESPITE THE HIGH MILAGE ACCUMULATED ON MY SPECIFIC PILOT. THERE'VE BEEN ABOUT 10 SEPARATE OCCURANCES OF THE STALLING-GRINDING TRANSMISSION "DEATH THROES" SINCE I ACQUIRED IT, ALL TOOK PLACE AT LOW SPEEDS ON URBAN STREETS, AND HALF *5 OR 6 TIMES) HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING UP A LARGE HILL, THE REST ON FLAT CITY STREETS. I HOPE THIS IS SUFFICIENT INFO FOR THIS COMPLAINT TO BE PROCESSED. THANKS

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2019
Jun 2018

TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING JERKING IN AND OUT OF GEAR. CAN'T CHANGE INTO ANY OTHER GEAR BUT DRIVE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2018
Jun 2018

AT APPROXIMATELY 146,000 MILES LIGHT IN THE 'D' DRIVE GEAR ON THE DASH BOARD BEGAN FLASHING. TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIRS AND WAS TOLD THE TRANSMISSION WAS SHUDDERING 35 MPH - 40 MPH WHEN IT WAS TEST DRIVEN. LOOKED INTO THE ISSUE AND WAS TOLD THE THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED (FAULTY), IMMEDIATELY.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: May 2018
Oct 2017 Crash Injury

MY WIFE WAS SMASHED BETWEEN AN OPENED DRIVER'S DOOR AND A POLE BECAUSE THE THE CAR ROLLED BACKWARD. THE SAFETY'S PROBLEM IN THIS CAR IS: THAT YOU CAN REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION WHILE THE CAR'S ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING, REMOVE THE KEYS FROM THE IGNITION WHEN THE GEAR IN OTHER THAN PARK GEAR, OR ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND VEHICLE NOT IN PARK. MY WIFE WAS INJURED YESTERDAY BECAUSE THE CAR WAS NOT IN PARK AND THE VEHICLE SQUEEZED HER BETWEEN AN OPEN DOOR AND A POLE OUTSIDE. THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE IN THIS CAR THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND SHE WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM IGNITION WHILE THE CAR IN NEUTRAL... THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WHEN THE KEY CAN BE REMOVED WHILE THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING OR IN ANY OTHER GEAR OTHER THAN THE PARK STATUS..... THIS IS ALL HAPPENED IN A PARKING LOT. STATIONARY AND RIGHT AFTER SHE PARKED THE CAR .

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Sep 2017
Jun 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. WHEN THE GEAR WAS SHIFTED INTO PARK, WHILE RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WOULD ATTEMPT TO ROLL BACKWARDS. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS OR FORWARD REGARDLESS IF IT WERE UPHILL OR DOWNHILL. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES AND EACH TIME THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS BEING RELEASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GENESIS HONDA (LOCATED ON 8931 HIGHWAY 92 WOODSTOCK, GA 30189) WHERE A PRELIMINARY DIAGNOSTIC TEST WAS PERFORMED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE ISSUE COULD BE THE SHIFTER, AND THAT FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WAS NEEDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE DIAGNOSTIC FEES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL DEALER. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 188,523.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: May 2017
Jun 2017

HEAT BUILD-UP BETWEEN THE COUNTERSHAFT AND SECONDARY SHAFT SECOND GEARS IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO GEAR TOOTH CHIPPING OR GEAR BREAKAGE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2017
Feb 2017

MY TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING, TOOK IT TO A HONDA SPECIALIST. WHILE DRIVINF THIS IS HOW I NOTICED SOMETHING WAS WRONG.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jul 2017
Feb 2017

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND SHUTTERED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS WORN OUT. THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, BUT TO BE PREPARED TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION WHEN A WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL. THE FAILURE WAS NOT REMEDIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 132,500.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Dec 2016
Jun 2016

TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON THE HIGHWAY. ENGINE BEGAN TO REV TO HIGH RPMS WITH NO POWER

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2016
Dec 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO GEARS INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 201,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: May 2015
Jul 2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING AT 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO VIBRATE AND THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2015
Aug 2014

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR FAILED TO ENGAGE WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK INTO DRIVE POSITION. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO HESITATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT HAD TO RESTART THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES TO STOP THE FAILURE FROM RECURRING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jan 2011
Aug 2014

I WAS DRIVING IN THE HIGHWAY THEN MY CAR WOULDN'T GO FAST WHEN I STOP TO SE WHAT HAPPEN THERE WAS SMOKE COMING OUT OF MY ENGINE TOOK IT TO MECHANIC HE TOLD ME IT WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM WE GOGGLE AROUND BEFORE TRYING TO FIX IT AND IT SAYS THUS TYPE OF SITUATION IS BEEN RECALL ALREADY. *TR

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2004 HONDA PILOT, Manufacturer: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
Incident: Jun 2013

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2004 Honda Pilot has 124 Power Train complaints on file. 2 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.