NHTSA Complaint #10523166 — 2005 HONDA PILOT

I BOUGHT THE 2005 PILOT EX IN 2009. BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER AFTER 1 MONTH OF DRIVING FOR HESITATION IN THE TRANSMISSION. DEALER COULDN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THOUGHT THIS MUST BE HOW IT SHIFTS. HAVE ALWAYS NOTICED A SLIGHT RADIATOR FLUID SMELL. NO ONE COULD FIND ANY LEAK. ABOUT 3 YEARS LATER AT 110,000 MILES, TRANSMISSION FLUID AND RADIATOR FLUID MIXED WHEN THE RADIATOR GAVE OUT. WE WERE OUT OF TOWN AND ON OUR WAY HOME LEAVING US ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO BE TOWED BACK INTO TOWN (APPROX 30 MILES) AND HAD TO SPEND AN EXTRA NIGHT UNTIL THE REPAIRS WERE FINISHED. $637.00 REPAIR FOR THE RADIATOR. 2 MONTHS LATER NOTICED THE AIR CONDITIONER NOT WORKING. TOOK IT TO OUR LOCAL GUY WHO SAID IT WASN'T HOOKED UP RIGHT WHEN THEY REPLACED THE RADIATOR. CORRECT HOOKUP, PRESSURE TEST AND RECHARGE AIR SYSTEM WAS $186.00. A WEEK LATER AFTER EXPLAINING THE RADIATOR PROBLEM TO MY LOCAL REPAIR GUY WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED TWICE TO TRY TO SAVE US FROM FUTURE TRANSMISSION TROUBLE. $292.00 FOR THE TRANSMISSION FLUSH RELATED TO THE RADIATOR FAILURE. NOW A MONTH AND A HALF LATER WE HAVE A SHUDDER BETWEEN 35 AND 45 MPH AND A NOISE AT ABOUT 55 MPH THAT SOUND LIKE A PIECE OF METAL DROPPING OFF THE CAR. ASKED THE LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP AND THEY BOTH SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. WENT WITH THE TRANSMISSION PLACE, AFTER READING ALL THE SIMILAR STORIES OF OTHER 2005 HONDA PILOTS, THE DEALERS WILL OVER CHARGE AND NOT EVEN ADMIT TO THIS KNOWN ISSUE. THE STORIES OF THE SAME PROBLEM HAPPENING AGAIN MADE US GO WITH THE MOST COMPETENT REPAIR SHOP WHO DOES THIS EVERY DAY. SO IT'S THE FOURTH OF JULY AND WE ARE WITHOUT THE FAMILY CAR TODAY. SHOULD BE ABLE TO PICK IT UP TOMORROW WITH THE REBUILT TRANSMISSION FOR $3,915.00. TOTAL BILL; $5,031.00 FOR A FAILED RADIATOR. THIS IS WRONG. HONDA SHOULD ACKNOWLEDGE THIS ISSUE AND BE MADE TO RECALL IT. *TR