2011 Honda Pilot Steering

TEERING COLUMN MAKES A KNOCKING NOISE WHEN TURNING. DEALERSHIP REPLACED POWER STERRING THREE TIMES AND RACK AND PINION ALONG WITH OTHER PARTS OF POWER STEERING. DEALERSHIP ALSO INDICATED THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR PILOTS AND SUGGESTED I TRADE IN MY VEHICLE. CAR HAS 100,000K BUT ONLY IS DRIVEN IN TOWN 90% AND 10% HWY; ORIGINAL OWNER AND OTHERWISE IN GOOD CONDITION.). OTHERS HAVE POSTED SAME COMPLAINT WITH PILOT ONLINE. THIS CAN'T BE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR! TO REPLACE A STEERING COLUMN SHOULD NOT BE A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. SAFETY IS A CONCERN BUT DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT IT SHOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE IF REPAIRS ARE NOT DONE BUT THE NOISE WILL GET LOUDER. SEEMS TO ME THAT DEALERSHIP IS DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM QUIET OFTEN. CONTACTED AM. HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REPORTED THIS ISSUE. THEY INDICATED THAT THERE ARE NOT SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRY WILL BE CLOSED. NOT SURE IF HONDA IS LOOKING INTO WHETHER THERE IS A MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT. FORD HAD SIMILAR ISSUES AND IT TOOK STEPS TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER.

I WAS EXPERIENCING SOME CLUNKING AND POPPING NOISES AS I TURNED MY STEERING WHEEL RIGHT OR LEFT, AS I TURNED ONTO CITY STREET; PRIVATE PARKING LOTS, U-TURNS AND SUCH. I HAD MY FATHER TEST DRIVE IT AND HE THOUGHT IT MAY BE THE CV AXLES AND HAD IT CHECKED AT AUTO AIR & AXLE, SAN ANTONIO, TX. THEY FOUND IT WAS NOT THE CV AXLES, BUT A STEERING COLUMN PROBLEM AND AS IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE, WE SHOULD CHECK INTO ANY RECALLS. WE FOUND NHTSA ASSIGNED RECALL ID# 10V640000 ON MY MAKE AND MODEL, FRONT SUSPENSION DAMPER BOLTS AND SPINDLE NUTS - MAKING THE CLUNKING AND POPPING NOISE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT STEERING FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ADDED STEERING FLUID TO THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER (HONDA OF SUMNER, 16302 AUTO LN, SUMNER, WA 98390, (253) 826-6800) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN RACK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 97,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

WHILE LEAVING A PARKING RAMP AT A SLOW WALKING PACE HEARD A LOUD BANG, FOLLOWED BY THE STEERING WHEEL SPINNING RAPIDLY TO THE RIGHT FOLLOWED BY THE VEHICLE TURNING INTO THE EXIT DOOR FRAME. I BACKED UP, TRYING TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE LOUD BANG. NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY WAS OBSERVED. UPON DRIVING FORWARD AGAIN, NOTICED THE POWER STEERING HAD FAILED. I BROUGHT IT INTO THE HONDA DEALER WHO HAD NEVER SEEN A POWER STEERING FAIL LIKE THAT. THEY REPLACED THE PUMP, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE ISSUE. THEY ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING THE RACK AND PINION UNIT. THERE WAS SOME SIDEWALL SCUFFING ON THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE, WHICH INDICATED THAT I MAY HAVE BEEN RUBBING ON THE EXIT CURB, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO TURN THE WHEEL TO THE RIGHT. BY HOLDING THE WHEEL STRAIGHT, THE POWER STEERING WAS PROBABLY TRYING TO PULL THE WHEEL LEFT, SO WHEN THE POWER STEERING FAILED, THE WHEEL SPUN RAPIDLY RIGHT, ACTUALLY SPRAINING MY RIGHT THUMB WHICH WAS UNDER THE STEERING WHEEL CROSS MEMBER. KIND OF A FREAK ACCIDENT, BUT THE POWER STEERING SHOULDN'T FAIL IN THIS WAY. COULD HAVE BEEN DANGEROUS IN A TURN ON A ENTRY OR EXIT RAMP WHERE THE FORCES WOULD HAVE BEEN SIMILAR TO THIS PARKING RAMP INCIDENT.

STEERING COLUMN MAKES A KNOCKING NOISE WHEN TURNING. DEALERSHIP GIVES 2 OPTIONS--GREASE THE COLUMN ($305) AND IF THAT DOES NOT WORK THEN REPLACE STEERING COLUMN AND RACK AND PINION ($3415). DEALERSHIP ALSO INDICATED THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR PILOTS AND SOME OTHER CARS["RACK AND PINION AND STEERING COLUMN ARE BINDING'" IS WRITTEN ON THE ESTIMATE] OF WHICH THEY ARE AWARE AND FOR MOST CARS GREASE IS NOT GOING TO WORK. DEALERSHIP ALSO INDICATED THAT THIS IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. CAR HAS 97K BUT ONLY IS DRIVEN IN TOWN 90% AND 10% HWY; ORIGINAL OWNER AND OTHERWISE IN GOOD CONDITION.). OTHERS HAVE POSTED SAME COMPLAINT WITH PILOT ONLINE. THIS CAN'T BE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR! TO REPLACE A STEERING COLUMN SHOULD NOT BE A ROUTINE MAINTENANCE. SAFETY IS A CONCERN BUT DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT IT SHOULD BE SAFE TO DRIVE IF REPAIRS ARE NOT DONE BUT THE NOISE WILL GET LOUDER. SEEMS TO ME THAT DEALERSHIP IS DEALING WITH THIS PROBLEM QUIET OFTEN. CONTACTED AM. HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REPORTED THIS ISSUE. THEY INDICATED THAT THERE ARE NOT SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRY WILL BE CLOSED. NOT SURE IF HONDA IS LOOKING INTO WHETHER THERE IS A MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN DEFECT. FORD HAD SIMILAR ISSUES AND IT TOOK STEPS TO REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER.

WHEN VEHICLE CROSSING THROUGH A FEW INCHES DEPTH OF WATER PUDDLE, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS SUDDENLY LOCKED WITH ODD NOISE AND FLASHING BATTERY WARNING. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND COULD CAUSE FATAL ACCIDENT. THE STEERING WHEEL RESUMED OPERATION AFTER TURNING OFF ENGINE AND RE-START.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HONDA PILOT. WHILE REVERSING, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE STEERING WHEEL. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE RACK AND PINION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 84,361.

BACK TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. THERE IS A POP OR CLICKING SOUND FROM THE STEERING WELL WITH LEFT TURNS. TECHNICIAN VERIFIED NOISE AND FELT A CLUNKING NOISE WITH TURNS LEFT - COST TO RUN FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WAS UPWARDS OF $500. DECIDED TO WAIT ON REPAIR SINCE DEALER SAID SAFETY WAS NOT AN ISSUE. *JS

WE NEED A RECALL. SOME ONE PAY ATTENTION AND CARE ABOUT THIS BEFORE LIVES ARE LOST. STEERING VIBRATES VIOLENTLY AND SHAKES WHEN COMING TO A STOP. ALSO TURNING LEFT OR RIGHT RESULTS IN A POP/CLICK SOUND AND YOU CAN FEEL IN THE STEERING WHEEL. *TR

I WAS TOWING A TRAILER WITH A MOTORCYCLE IN IT. I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 60 MPH AND THE FRONT END STARTED TO VIBRATE REALLY BAD. I DROVE TO A FRIENDS HOUSE AND LEFT MY TRAILER THERE BECAUSE I WAS ON MY WAY OUT OF TOWN. I DIDN'T NOTICE THE VIBRATION ONCE THE TRAILER WAS REMOVED. I NOW HAVE ABOUT 54,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND THE VIBRATION CAN BE PRETTY BAD WHEN I'M STOPPING AND ALSO SOMETIMES WHEN I'M DRIVING. I'VE HAD THE TIRES CHANGED AND ROTATED SO I KNOW IT'S NOT THE TIRES. *TR

STEERING WHEEL SHAKES WHEN I BRAKE. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE IT HAD 25K MILES ON IT. I TOOK TO DEALER AND SAID STEERING COLUMN NEEDS TO REPLACE AT $400 DOLLARS OR WAIT FOR RECALL. THEY THINK. RESEARCHING THIS ON LINE SEEING ALL THE OTHER PILOTS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WHY ARE THEY NOT RECALLING THE PILOT FOR THIS ISSUE??? PLEASE HELP. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD VEER TO ONE SIDE WITHOUT EXPLANATION. IN ADDITION, WHEN DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR AND STEERING TO THE LEFT HE WOULD MOMENTARILY LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED AN ALIGNMENT BUT IT FAILED TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,000. UPDATED 5/2/11 *CN UPDATED 06/06/11