NHTSA Complaint #10416954 — 2003 HONDA PILOT

2003 HONDA PILOT STARTED TO SOMETIMES DROP OUT OF GEAR. FEELS LIKE CAR IS IN NEUTRAL. I STEP ON GAS, CAN HEAR ENGINE REV, BUT FEELS LIKE TRANSMISSION HAS DISENGAGED. I HAVE TO COAST OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD, PLACE CAR IN PARK AND THEN IN DRIVE AGAIN TO CORRECT PROBLEM. WHEN TRANNY IS NOT ACTING UP, I ALSO HAVE NOTICED THE CAR SHAKES AROUND 50-60MPH. D WAS FLASHING AND ENGINE LIGHT ON FIRST TIME TRANNY DISENGAGED, SO I TOOK CAR TO ME MECHANIC, WHO TOLD ME DIAGNOSTICS WERE TELLING HIM CAR NEEDED NEW SENSORS, WHICH HE REPLACED. WENT UPSTATE, THINKING PROB SOLVED, WELL, I ALMOST CAUSED A PILE UP ON GWB IN NEW YORK WITH CAR DROPPING OUT OF DRIVE AGAIN AT ABOUT 45MPH, NOWHERE THERE TO PULL OVER, SO I HAD TO STOP CAR IN MIDDLE OF ROAD, DROP IT INTO PARK, THEN MOVE IT INTO DRIVE. THIS TIME NO FLASHING D OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON.I BROUGHT IT TO HONDA. THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD CHECK THE TRANNY. THE ONLY THING THEY FOUND WRONG WAS TRANNY FLUID WAS SLIGHTLY OVERFILLED, SO THEY DRAINED SOME FLUID. THEY DID TELL ME IF PROBLEM PERSISTED I WOULD NEED A NEW TRANNY AND ALSO NEEDED NEW ENGINE MOUNTS ON MY 8 YEAR OLD CAR WITH 103,000MILES. NEXT DAY PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE! MEANWHILE I HAD DEALER CHECK ON THE PRICE OF NEW TRANNY..4,700.00! WAS VERY UPSET TO FIND ALL OF THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS AND MANY WEBSITES. I CALLED HONDA DEALER, TOLD THEM I FELT HONDA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL ON THIS ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THE 2003 PILOTS, AND OTHER MODELS. THEY ASKED ME WHAT I WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS.I TOLD THE MAN, IF THEY ARE NEGOTIATING A PRICE ON A NEW TRANNY, THEN HONDA KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THESE CARS.I EXPLAINED TO HIM I'VE ALREADY SPENT 700.00 ON SENSORS AT MY MECHANIC, AND ANOTHER 250.00 WITH HIS SERVICE STATION ON THIS TRANNY, AND WOULD NOT PAY ANY MORE THAN 500.00. NEXT DAY GOT CALL TELLING ME THEY WOULDN'T GIVE ME ANYTHING TOWARD NEW TRANNY.VERY UNHAPPY HONDA NOT MAKING GOOD ON AN OBVIOUS DEFECT IN THESE TRANNYS! NO MORE HONDAS FOR ME.*KB