NHTSA Complaint #10129822 — 2005 HONDA PILOT

MAKE: HONDA PILOT 2005 PLEASE ALSO REVIEW: HTTP://WWW.HONDAPILOT.ORG/FORUMS/SHOWTHREAD.PHP?S=&THREADID=4117&PERPAGE=15&PAGENUMBER=27 WHICH HAS 27 PAGES OF SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. I JUST BOUGHT A 2005 PILOT. I HAD THE HITCH INSTALLED BY HONDA. I NOTICED SOME VIBRATION LOWER THAN 70 MPH BUT ASSUMED THAT I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE CAR. LO AND BEHOLD, WHEN I DROVE THE CAR HOME I NOTICED A SIGNIFICANT VIBRATION IN THE STEERING STARTING AROUND 69MPH, PEAKING AT AROUND 76 MPH AND FADING TO "NORMAL" AT AROUND 80 MPH. THE VIBRATION FEELS LIKE A WHEEL BALANCE PROBLEM. CURRENTLY THE DEALER IS TRYING TO HELP, HOWEVER THEY ARE NOT CONFIDENT THAT THEY CAN FIX THE PROBLEM. THINGS WE HAVE TRIED: A. MAY 30 PROBLEM NOTED ON TEST DRIVE BEFORE PURCHASE BUT IGNORED AS A NEW VEHICLE/DRIVER INTERPRETATION PROBLEM. PROBLEM WAS NOTED DAYS LATER THOUGH. B. JUNE 4 CAR TAKEN IN FOR INSPECTION 1) TEST DRIVE SHOULD MINIMAL PROBLEM NOT DRIVEN AT 76 MPH THOUGH 2) DEALER (RICHARD/BRETT) ALIGNED WHEELS 3) SHORT TEST DRIVE (BELOW 76 MPH) INDICATES FIXED 4) LONGER DRIVE AT 69 THROUGH 80 MPH INDICATES PROBLEM STILL EXISTS 5) SUGGESTED TO BRING THE CAR IN FOR A ''FORD'' HIGH-TECH REBALANCE C. JUNE 6 I AM NOT REALLY INTERESTED IN A FORD HIGH-TECH REBALANCE, BECAUSE THAT WOULD SIGN ME UP FOR EXPENSIVE REBALANCES FOR THE REST OF THE LIFE OF THE CAR. THE FRONT SUSPENSION SYSTEM SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE A NORMALLY BALANCED WHEEL. TALKED TO RICHARD ABOUT SWAPPING TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TIRES IN FOR THE FRONT TIRES. HE WILL DISCUSS WITH THE SALES MANAGER. D. JUNE 7 I ROTATED THE BACK WHEELS TO THE FRONT TO DISQUALIFY THE WHEELS FROM THE EQUATION. CONSIDER DRIVING ANOTHER SIMILAR, NEW VEHICLE. F. JUNE 9 RICHARD DUDLEY CALLED BACK. TALKED TO HIM AND HE INDICATED THAT HE STILL NEEDS TO DO A FORCE ALIGN TO DISQUALIFY THE WHEELS. G. DEALER SWAPPED OUT TIRES FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE. H. DEALER RADIAL FORCE BALANCED THE FRONT WHEELS.