NHTSA Complaint #10469454 — 2003 HONDA PILOT

2003 HONDA PILOT EXL TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT AT 101,950 MILES IN JUNE OF 2012. THE PROBLEM STARTED WITH A SINGLE TRANSMISSION SLIP AND SEVERE HARD (SHIFT) ENGAGEMENT WHILE ACCELERATING BETWEEN 40 AND 45 MPH. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS AND PROGRESSIVELY INCREASED IN OCCURRENCE. THEN REVERSE GEAR SELECTION STARTED SLIPPING AND FAILING TO ENGAGE. FROM THAT POINT ON, THE PILOT TRANSMISSION BEGAN CONSISTENTLY SLIPPING AND SLAMMING (HARD SHIFTING) ALL GEARS (INCLUDING WHILE IN D1,D2 AND D3) AND THE LONGER IT WAS DRIVEN, THE WORSE IT GOT, EVEN SLIPPING AND SLAMMING THE DOWNSHIFT GEAR CHANGES MAKING THE CAR UNSAFE TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC AND DRIVE ON THE ROAD. THE HARD SHIFTING WAS BECOMING SO SEVERE THAT IT FELT LIKE TRANSMISSION GEAR TOOTH FAILURE WAS EMINENT. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS, NO FLASHING 'D' OR TROUBLE CODES ON THE PCM WERE FOUND, EVEN WITH ALL OF PROBLEMS. THE HONDA DEALERSHIP WHERE THE CAR WAS REGULARLY SERVICED RECOMMENDED REPLACING THE TRANSMISSION WITH A 'REMANUFACTURED HONDA TRANSMISSION' AT A COST OF OVER $6400, WITH NO ASSISTANCE FROM HONDA CORPORATE. FILING A COMPLAINT WITH HONDA CORPORATE ONLY ADDED TO MY DISAPPOINTMENT, WHERE THE HONDA REPRESENTATIVES I DEALT WITH APPEARED TO BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT TRYING TO TURN A PROFIT ON REPLACING THE DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION RATHER THAN BEING CONCERNED ABOUT TREATING THEIR CUSTOMER FAIRLY AND OR LOSING CUSTOMER LOYALTY. NOTE, THIS PILOT HAD THE TRANSMISSION 2ND/3RD GEAR OIL-JET KIT RECALL PERFORMED IN 2004 AND APPARENTLY, IT ONLY POSTPONED FAILURE OF THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO, THIS PILOT WAS NEVER ABUSED, ALWAYS DRIVEN ON PAVED ROADS, NEVER TOWED ANYTHING AND NEVER HAD TO USE THE VTM-4 WHEEL DRIVE LOCKUP MODE. THE TRANSMISSION AND DIFFERENTIAL FLUIDS WERE REPLACED EVERY 30,000 MILES WITH HONDA FLUIDS PER THE RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE. *TR