2005 HONDA PILOT Electronic Stability Control Esc Problems

VSA ENGAGED WHILE DRIVING XWAY, PULLED VEHICLE TO RIGHT, INTO OTHER LANE. THIS WAS REPAIRED PER PREVIOUS RECALL, BUT CONTINUED TO ENGAGE PERIODICALLY WITHIN 3 DAYS. ADDITIONALLY, I AM ON LIST FOR AIRBAG RECALL, BUT NOT YET RECALLED IN KY. WE ARE IN OHIO VALLEY, WITH HIGHER HUMIDITY THAN FLORIDA. I HAVE DRIVEN TO FLORIDA MULTIPLE TIMES. WE SHOULD BE ADDED TO RECALL LIST. *TR

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS DURING THE OWNERSHIP OF THE CAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT IS RAINING, DAMP, OR SNOWING WHILE DRIVING THE CAR FOR NO REASON IT LOSES POWER. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS, AND THE CAR ACTS AS IF THE BATTERY HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED. THIS HAS HAPPENED MORE THAN 20 TIMES. THIS IS A DEFECT. I AM REPORTING, BECAUSE I REALIZE THIS NEEDED TO BE REPORTED. IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THIS LOSS OF ELECTRICAL POWER HAS OCCURRED WITH THE ORIGINAL BATTERY, AS WELL AS TWO OTHER BATTERIES OVER THE LIFE OF THE CAR. IT APPEARS TO BE ELECTRICALLY RELATED. THE LOSS OF POWER RESULTS IN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKING AND NO POWER. LUCKILY, EACH TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, I WAS DRIVING AT 30 MILES PER HOUR. IF THIS EVER OCCURRED ON THE HIGHWAY, IT COULD RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE VSA LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HARD TO MANEUVER AND IT FELT AS IF THE BRAKE WERE ENGAGING. THE VEHICLE WAS MERGED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHERE IT WAS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THE FAILURE RECURRED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE YAW RATE SENSOR HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.

THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE TURNING, CAR CAME TO A STOP, JERKED THE WHEEL ALMOST HITTING ANOTHER CAR; ALL WITHOUT WARNING. A CHILD PASSENGER WAS IN THE BACK SEAT AND WAS THROWN FORWARD HITTING HER HEAD ON THE PASSENGER FRONT SEAT AND SEAT BELT LOCKED CAUSING HER TO HAVE A SEAT BELT BRUISE. VSA (LIGHT), THE VSA ACTIVATION LIGHT (TRIANGLE WITH EXCLAMATION INSIDE) WERE BOTH ILLUMINATED. SUV WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP TO PERFORM THE RECALL WORK. TWO WEEKS LATER, SAME THING BUT THIS TIME I WAS GOING ABOUT 55MPH ON HIGHWAY, SUV CAME TO ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP WITHIN A SHORT DISTANCE. GRINDING FEELING AND WITH THE VSA INDICATOR LIGHTS ON. ALMOST HIT SOMEONE WHEN THE WHEEL JERKED AND CAUSED ME TO GO INTO THE RIGHT LANE AND ALMOST HITTING SOMEONE, KIDS WERE IN THE SUV ONE IN THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AND THE OTHER IN BACK SAME SIDE....

I WENT TO HONDA DEALERSHIP ON MAY 30, 2014 IN FREMONT CALIFORNIA FOR THE SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN - INSTALLING SUBHARNESS. AFTER THE DEALERSHIP INSTALLED NEW HARNESS FOR THE SAFETY OF VSA (VEHICLE STABILITY ASSISTANCE) ON THE 30TH OF MAY 2014, VSA LIGHT IS ON WHEN I PICKUP THE CAR AND THE SERVICE ADVISOR AT THE DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS YAW RATE SENSOR FAILURE ACCORDING TO THE CODE SCANNED. BEFORE THE RECALL, THE CAR WAS OK, WITHOUT THE VSA LIGHT ON. BASICALLY I AM DRIVING THE WITHOUT VSA AFTER THE RECALL FROM HONDA. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AROUND A BEND TOWARDS A RED LIGHT, WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL MY CAR MADE A WEIRD SHUTTER OR BRAKE PULSING, I THOUGHT I HAD GONE OVER SOME RIPPLE STRIPS. WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED, I PROCEEDED TO MAKE A RIGHT TURN IN A BUSY INTERSECTION, WHEN GOING ALMOST 30 & OUT OF THE TURN, MY PILOT CAME TO AN UNASSISTED ABRUPT STOP! IM SO LUCKY THE PERSON BEHIND ME DIDN'T REAR END ME! IT SOUNDED LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS GRINDING & THE TIRES WERE LOCKED. I WAITED A FEW SECONDS LET GO OF BRAKES & THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MOVE BUT IN 5 FT IT DID IT AGAIN. TOWED TO DEALER WHO CANT SEEM TO FIND OR RECREATE THE PROBLEM. MULTIPLE BRAKE, ABS, VSC & ELECTRICAL ALARMS WERE REPORTED BY DEALER BUT STILL NO SOLUTION. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND BY MULTIPLE REPORTS THIS IS...

AS I WAS APPROACHING A LEFT TURN LANE I APPLIED THE BRAKES GENTLY AND THE LEFT FRONT BRAKE MOMENTARILY GRABBED CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SWERVE INTO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND THE VSA LIGHTS ACTIVATED. THIS HAS OCCURRED 9 TIMES IN THE LAST 300 MILES. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER IMMEDIATELY AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THEY FOUND NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. NEVER HAD A PROBLEM UNTIL THE "RECALLED" VSA MODULE WAS REPLACED LESS THAN 6000 MILES AGO. THE DEALER TELLS ME THAT THE VSA MODULE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. *TR

WHEN DRIVING ON STRAIGHT, LEVEL PAVEMENT, VSA LIGHT ILLUMINATES AND CAR SUDDENLY SHUDDERS AND CHANGES DIRECTION. UNEVEN BRAKES ARE BEING APPLIED BY THE VSA SYSTEM IN ORDER TO CORRECT A PROBLEM THAT IS NOT PRESENT. MEANWHILE, THE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE IS DANGEROUS. THE PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE AND AFTER THE RECALL TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS. THE RECALL SERVICE DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM OR MAKE IT HAPPEN LESS FREQUENTLY. MY CAR SEEMS TO ONLY HAVE THE PROBLEM IN SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES. DEALER DIAGNOSIS SAYS THAT YAW SENSOR IS SENDING A BAD SIGNAL TO VSA SYSTEM. A NEW YAW SENSOR IS CURRENTLY ON BACK-ORDER, SO IT SEEMS THAT I AM NOT ALONE IN HAVING PROBLEMS. *TR

AFTER THE RECALL OF VSA IT HAPPENS THAT THE SUV EXPERIENCING THE SYMPTOM OF EXCESSIVE BRAKING AND VSA LIGHT COMES OUT... BEFORE THE RECALL WE HAVEN'T EXPERIENCING THIS VSA PROBLEM.. I DON'T KNOW IN SOME REASON WHY IT COMES OUT AFTER THE RECALL HAD BEEN MADE..FIRST OCCURRENCE I BRING IT TO THE DEALER AND ADVISE THAT THEY BEEN CHECK , FIXED AND INFORM IT WON'T COME OUT ANY MORE .. AFTER TWO WEEKS IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND MY SUV WILL BRING AGAIN TO THE DEALER FOR THE SECOND TIME... I FEEL THEY MAKE ME FEEL WORSE THIS RECALL THAT BEEN MADE ... IS THERE ANY ADVICE ???? *TR

THE VEHICLE WOULD APPLY ADDITIONAL BRAKE FORCE ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL WHILE THE DRIVER USE THE BRAKE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE ON A DOWNHILL ROAD. THE EXTRA BRAKE FORCE ONLY LAST 1 SECOND OR 2 BUT IT CAUSED THE VEHICLE STEER TO THE LEFT AND THE VSA COME ON. IN SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE CROSSED THE LANE TO THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE VSA LIGHT WILL COME ON UNTIL I TURN OFF THE IGNITION. THE HONDA DEALER INITIALLY SUGGEST IT WAS RELATED TO THE VSA RECALL BUT AFTER PERFORMING THE RECALL WORK 4 TIMES, THE ISSUE STILL EXIST. THEY FINALLY DETERMINED THE YAW SENSOR WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND REPLACE IT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST ENGAGED INDEPENDENTLY, CAUSING THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE TIRE TO SEIZE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST MODULE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 195,000.

I'VE JUST BROUGHT MY 2005 HONDA PILOT IN TO THE HONDA DEALER TO HAVE THE RECALL FIXED BUT NOW IT SEEMS LIKE THE RANDOM BREAKING WITH THE VSA ON IS MORE FREQUENT AFTER THE FIXED. THE RECALL FOR THE HONDA PILOT 2005 WITH THE VSA DID NOT FIX MY VSA TROUBLE. THE TROUBLE I GETTING IS STILL THE SAME AFTER THE FIXED. "IF THE CONTROL UNIT WAS DAMAGED, THE VSA SYSTEM MAY APPLY A SMALL AMOUNT OF BREAKING FORCE EVEN IF THE DRIVER HAS NOT PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL." *TR

THE BRAKES SUDDENLY APPLIED WHILE CRUISING ALONG THE INTERSTATE AT 75MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE DIRECTED OFF THE ROAD THEN THE BRAKES LOCKED UP AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO FORWARD. VSA LIGHT CAME ON. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES LATER AT LOWER SPEEDS AND THE BRAKES WOULD LOCK UP AND VSA LIGHT WOULD COME ON. MECHANICS COULD NOT DETERMINE THE PROBLEM, SINCE IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. HONDA DEALER TOLD ME THAT NO RECALLS OR ALERTS WERE ON VEHICLE. THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE MACHINED IN FEB 2012 BECAUSE THEY WERE "WARPED" AND THEN HAD TO BE REPLACED A YEAR LATER BECAUSE THE BRAKES WERE PULSATING. SINCE NOV. 2009 I HAVE HAD TO MACHINE THE REAR BRAKE ROTORS THAT WERE "WARPED" TWICE. I AM NOW USING THE VEHICLE WITH THE VSA OFF. *TR

WHILE EXITING A DRIVEWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 5 MILES PER HOUR THE BRAKES LOCKED WITHOUT THE DRIVER APPLYING PRESSURE. THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO THE CENTER PAINTED MEDIAN WITH EXTRA GAS AND STILL UNDER UNWANTED BRAKING. ONCE THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP FOR 30 SECONDS OR SO THE BRAKES RELEASED. THE DRIVER THEN DROVE THE VEHICLE AT A SLOW SPEED ALONG THE CURB TO OUR HOUSE WITHIN 2 MILES. IT'S NOW PARKED AS WE ARE AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. A CALL TO METRO HONDA IN MONTCLAIR WAS OF NO ASSISTANCE. THEY SAID MY VEHICLE WAS NOT EFFECTED BY THE RECENT HONDA RECALL ON THE ISSUE. THE VSA LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED AS WELL AS THE SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING I WENT TO APPLY MY BRAKES TO BEGIN SLOWING DOWN, I ONLY APPLIED A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF PRESSURE WHEN A GRINDING NOISE STARTED AND LASTED ONLY A FEW SECONDS THEN A SLIGHT JERK AS IF MY CAR WAS BRAKING ON ITS OWN AND THEN A WARNING LIGHT TURNED ON (EXCLAMATION INSIDE A TRIANGLE AND THE VSA LETTERS APPEARED) THIS STAYED ON UNTIL I TURNED OFF THE CAR. THIS HAS OCCURRED NOW 4 TIMES. FORTUNATELY I ONLY HAVE TO DRIVE 5 MILES TO WORK. FIRSTLY, I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE ANY DISTANCE ESPECIALLY ON THE HIGHWAY SHOULD THIS GET WORSE AND SECONDLY I HAVE GRANDKIDS THAT I TRANSPORT AND AM CONCERNED THAT I COULD POSSIBLY BE PUTTING THEIR LIVES IN JEOPARDY!! I DO HOPE THAT SOMETHING IS DONE OR A RECALL IS MADE SO THAT THIS CAN BE FIXED. *TR

LONG STORY BUT I BELIEVE IT IS ALL RELATED. BASED ON MY UNDERSTANDING THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM AND VSA ARE ALL PART OF THE SAME SYSTEM IN A 2005 HONDA PILOT. WE WERE HAVING A "NOISE" THAT WAS BELIEVED TO BE CAUSED BY A RANDOM ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM SELF CHECK. THIS WOULD HAPPEN AT ANY SPEED AND APPEARED TO BE ACTIVATED BY ANY SMALL BUMP IN THE ROAD. THIS WAS MORE OF A NUISANCE THAN ANYTHING BUT WE THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE THE DEALERSHIP LOOK INTO IT. MORE ON THIS LATER. IN ADDITION WE ALSO HAD THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST (VSA) ENGAGE ONCE AND THE RESULTS WERE A LITTLE SCARY OR VIOLENT AT BEST. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH UNDER WINDY CONDITIONS. THE VSA SYSTEM ENGAGED, THE BRAKES WERE HEAVILY APPLIED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO A CONTROL MODE THAT PULLED THE VEHICLE LEFT AND...

FIRST INCIDENT, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH WHEN 2005 HONDA PILOT BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND MAKE A "GROANING" NOISE OR A NOISE ALMOST LIKE WHEN YOU DRIVE ON A GRAVEL ROAD. 2005 HONDA PILOT WAS ALSO (WHILE VIBRATING AND MAKING NOISE) ABRUPTLY SLOWING DOWN/ STOPPING WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. IT WOULD ALSO DO THIS WHILE APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR. SECOND INCIDENT WAS LATER THAT SAME DAY. I PICKED THE 2005 HONDA PILOT UP FROM MY WIFE AS SHE WAS NOW TO AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS OF DRIVING, I WAS DOING ABOUT 55 MPH AND THE 2005 HONDA PILOT MADE THE SAME NOISE AND VIBRATION AS DESCRIBED ABOVE AND ALSO SLOWED DOWN ABRUPTLY AS IF I HIT THE BRAKES(WHICH I DIDN'T). ABOUT ANOTHER HALF MILE WAS A TRAFFIC LIGHT AS I BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN FOR LIGHT I APPLIED THE BRAKES GENTLY AND AS I...

ACCELERATING AT RELATIVELY LOW SPEED, USUALLY JUST AFTER STOPPING, HEARD AUDIBLE "POP" THROUGH CAR RADIO, ABS AND EMERGENCY BRAKE LIGHTS CAME ON. CAR BRAKED RAPIDLY, EVEN THOUGH FOOT WAS ON ACCELERATOR AND NOT TOUCHING THE BRAKE PEDAL. FORCED CAR TO ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP. THIS SAME SEQUENCE OF EVENTS HAPPENED THREE TIMES WITHIN 30 MINUTES. PULLED CAR INTO PARKING LOT AND CALLED HONDA SERVICE DEPT. THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING AND CAR WAS TOWED IN TO RUN DIAGNOSTICS. SERVICE DEPT DROVE CAR AROUND FOR OVER THREE DAYS AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE ISSUE. THEY HAD SOME IDEAS TO CAUSE, BUT SINCE THEY COULDN'T GET IT TO REPEAT, COULD NOT FIX ANYTHING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VSA WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE BRAKES BEGAN TO LOCK WITHOUT APPLYING ANY PRESSURE TO THE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE PULLED TO THE LEFT ON ITS OWN AND WAS THEN MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND UPON RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO STATED THAT A VSA TROUBLE CODE WAS DETECTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE A TROUBLE CODE WAS NOT DETECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THERE WAS AN OPEN AND CLOSED INVESTIGATION UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER DP12002 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL). A PRELIMINARY EVALUATION PE12-028 WAS OPENED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000

WHILE DRIVING, AIRBAG, (!), VSA, VTC AND BRAKE LIGHTS ALL LIT UP. HORN STOPPED WORKING AS DID ALL CONTROLS FROM STEERING WHEEL (CRUISE, RADIO AIRBAG LIGHT). I PULLED OVER, EVERYTHING SEEMED TO WORK BUT LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF. WENT TO HONDA IN FT PIERCE, FL. WAS TOLD IT'S PROBABLY A LOW BATTERY. REPLACED BATTERY, LIGHTS ALL STAYED ON. CONTACTED JOHNSTON HONDA IN STUART, FL. HEAD MECHANIC TOLD ME HE HAD NO IDEA WHAT WOULD CAUSE THIS AND IF HE RAN IT ON DIAGNOSTICS, IT COULD TAKE 8 HOURS AT $80 AN HOUR AND HE STILL MAY NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. BROUGHT THIS LEMON TO LOCAL MECHANIC WHO RAN ON DIAGNOSTICS FOR 2 HOURS. COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM SO HE DID NOT CHARGE. AS ALMOST ALL OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOVE, WHILE DRIVING AT 35 TO 40 THE CAR STARTS TO SHUDDER AS THOUGH IT WILL TURN OFF. WAS TOLD IT'S POSSIBLY...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED WHEN THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY BEGAN TO PULL TO THE LEFT BEFORE CRASHING INTO AN ONCOMING VEHICLE. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER WERE KILLED AS A RESULT OF THE IMPACT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED TO A SAVAGE FACILITY. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT ENGINEER AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS POSSIBLY RELATED TO A FAULTY ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL. A DEFECT PETITION WAS OPENED AND CLOSED UNDER NHTSA ACTION NUMBER DP12002 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL). THERE WAS A CONCURRENT INVESTIGATION ASSOCIATED WITH NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE12-028 (ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL) THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE INCIDENT OR THE DEFECT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE. ..UPDATED 02/25/13 *BF

I WAS DRIVING UNDER SLIGHTLY WET CONDITIONS AT A FAIRLY LOW SPEED (APPROX. 25 - 30 MPH) AND THE CAR SEEMED, MOMENTARILY, AS IF THE LEFT FRONT TIRE HAD GONE FLAT AND AN INDICATOR LIGHT WITH A TRIANGLE AND AN EXCLAMATION POINT AND THE VSA LIGHT SIMULTANEOUSLY CAME ON. I PULLED OVER, CHECKED THE TIRE, TURNED THE CAR OFF, RESTARTED IT AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE FOR THE REST OF THAT DAY. THE NEXT MORNING, I EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING AFTER THE CAR HAD SAT ALL NIGHT. AFTER TURNING IT OFF AND BACK ON, THE INDICATOR AND VSA LIGHTS WERE OUT, BUT THEN CAME BACK ON LESS THAN 30 MINUTES LATER WHILE IDLING. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS THIS DAY WERE COLD, BUT DRY. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT AND TOOK THE CAR TO LEITH HONDA. I EXPERIENCED THE SAME CONDITION WHILE DRIVING IT TO THE DEALER. THE SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME THAT THERE...

VSA WARNING LIGHT AND ! LIGHT COME ON AT THE SAME TIME WHEN VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. LIGHTS COME ON AFTER APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AND STAY ON UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED. THIS PROBLEM BEGAN ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO AND HAPPENS ALMOST EVERY DAY. THE WARNING LIGHTS SEEM SENSITIVE TO THE COLD AS WELL. THE ON BOARD DIAGNOSTIC COMPUTER HAS NO REGISTERED ANY MALFUNCTION CODES. FORTUNATELY HAVE NOT YET EXPERIENCED THE INTENSE BRAKING OF OTHER OWNERS BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM WITH THE VSA SYSTEM ON 2005 HONDA PILOTS. *TR

WE RECENTLY PURCHASED THIS CAR USED FROM ANDERSON HONDA OF PALO ALTO. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE VSA HAS ENGAGED FOR NO APPARENT REASON AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 10-35 MPH. THE VSA ENGAGED AT SLOW SPEEDS WHEN TURNING AND AT THE FASTER SPEEDS ON THE STRAIGHT-A-WAY. WHEN THE VSA ENGAGES THE VSA LIGHT AND WARNING LIGHT TURN ON. THE LIGHTS DO GO OFF AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN TURNED OFF AND AT REST FOR A FEW MINUTES. MOST OFTEN WHEN THE VSA ENGAGES THE CAR SHUDDERS SLIGHTLY, BOTH THE BRAKE AND THE GAS PEDAL SHUDDER AND VIBRATE. THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS SLOWING MOMENTARILY. IN THE MOST RECENT EPISODE ON NOV. 27. THE CAR WAS TRAVELING 35 MPH DOWN HILL AND THE STEERING PULLED SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT. *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE BRAKES SUDDENLY ACTIVATED AND THE VEHICLE RAPIDLY DECELERATED. TIRES ACTUALLY SCREECHED DUE TO THE RAPID DECELERATION. THE BRAKES PULSED OFF AND ON UNTIL THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. PRESSING AND RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL HAD NO EFFECT. I TURNED OFF THE CAR THEN RE-STARTED IT AND CONTINUED ON WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEM. IF A CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN BEHIND ME IT CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT AS MY VEHICLE STOPPED SO ABRUPTLY I SURELY WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED. I HAVE OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 5 YRS AND THIS HAS HAPPENED 5-6 TIMES, THE FIRST TIME ABOUT 6 MOS AFTER I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. THE DATE HERE IS THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT. IT HAS OCCURRED AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND HAPPENS WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL HAS NOT BEEN TOUCHED. IT IS RANDOM AND I HAVE GONE AS LONG AS...

WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKING SYSTEM SUDDENLY STARTED TO ACTIVATE THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM, VIOLENTLY APPLYING THE BRAKES REGARDLESS OF HOW HARD OR SOFTLY I TOUCHED THE BRAKE PEDAL. THIS ANOMALY HAS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES WITHOUT WARNING AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I COULD NOT ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS UNPREDICTABLE AND WENT AWAY WHEN I WOULD GET THE CAR TO A SAFE PLACE AND TURN OFF THE KEY. IT WOULD NO LONGER BE HAPPENING, SIMILAR TO REBOOTING A COMPUTER. NO DASH SYMPTOM LIGHTS WOULD APPEAR DURING THESE INCIDENTS. PLEASE ADVISE IF I HAVE ANY RECOURSE WITH HONDA SINCE THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. REFERENCE NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE12028. *TR

THIS PROBLEM BEGAN EARLIER IN 2012 AND WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE DEALER IN JUNE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS (45-75MPH), THE VSA SYSTEM ENGAGES, LOCKING ONE WHEEL FOR A SECOND OR TWO, AND PULLING THE STEERING WHEEL AS IF IN A SKID. WHEN THIS STOPS, THE VSA LIGHT IS ON AS WELL AS A YELLOW TRIANGLE WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT. WHEN THE DEALER 'FIXED' THIS IN JUNE, THEY REPAIRED A TPMS SENSOR. THEY ALSO FOUND A BRAKE CALIPER STUCK AND FIXED THAT AS WELL AS REPLACED THE BRAKE PADS. SINCE JUNE THE ISSUE HAS NOT OCCURRED UNTIL YESTERDAY. IT HAS HAPPENED AT 3 TIMES IN THE PAST 2 DAYS, ALL AT @ 45 MPH. THIS SEEMS TO BE A WIDELY REPORTED ISSUE AND IS CERTAINLY A SAFETY CONCERN. WHEN THIS HAPPENED IN JUNE ON THE INTERSTATE, TRAFFIC ON BOTH SIDES OF ME DROPPED BACK BECAUSE THEY COULD TELL I LOST...

APPROXIMATE DATE I PUT WAS TODAY, BUT THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES TO MY SPOUSE WITHIN THE LAST FEW YEARS. TODAY IS THE FIRST TIME I HAD BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE IT. I JUST STARTED THE CAR, PULLED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY ON MY WAY TO WORK. ABOUT 300 YARDS DOWN THE ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES PER HOUR THE CAR BRAKED ON ITS OWN TWICE AND STOPPED THE CAR. I HAD TO GET TO WORK SO I CONTINUED ON. IT OCCURRED TWO MORE TIMES ON MY WAY TO WORK. I WAS NEVER GOING FASTER THAN 40 MILES PER HOUR. IT HAPPENED ONCE WHILE I WAS BRAKING AND TWO TIMES WHILE I WAS AT A COAST. MY WIFE JUST TOLD ME THAT IT HAPPENED AGAIN TO HER AS RECENTLY AS 3 DAYS AGO. I AM CONCERNED OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE OF THE SAFETY ASPECT OF THIS. I HAVE 3 CHILDREN AND GOD...

ON THREE HOT AFTERNOONS (AROUND 75 DEGREES) THE CAR REPEATEDLY HAD PROBLEMS - MOSTLY WHEN TURNING. IT FELT LIKE THE ANTILOCK BRAKES WENT ON BY THEMSELVES EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS NOT ON THE BRAKE. THE CAR QUICKLY SLOWED AND MADE GRINDING NOISES. MOST OF THE TIMES THAT IT HAPPENED, THE STABILITY CONTROL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. IT FELT AND SOUNDED SIMILAR TO THE WAY IT STOPS ON ICY ROADS IN THE WINTER, BUT THE SLOWDOWN WAS MORE SEVERE. THE CAR SEEMED FINE DURING THE COOLER MORNING HOURS AND THE PROBLEM WORSENED AS THE TEMPERATURE ROSE. IT IS CURRENTLY SITTING AT THE HONDA DEALERSHIP WHILE THE PROBLEM IS BEING DIAGNOSED. *TT

IT WAS NIGHT, AND MY GIRLFRIEND AND I JUST EXITED THE FREEWAY, WE JUST TURNED ONTO A SIDE STREET AND MADE IT 100 YARDS WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN IT FELT LIKE MY LEFT FRONT TIRE WENT FLAT OR I HIT SOMETHING AND IT DRAGGED, I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO INSPECT, AND FOUND NOTHING. I DID NOTICE THE VSA AND VSA ACTIVATION INDICATORS ON, TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN RESET THE INDICATORS. ODDLY CONCERNED WE CIRCLED BACK TO CHECK FOR ANYTHING IN THE ROAD, THERE WAS NOTHING. IT HAPPENED AGAIN JUST A FEW MINUTES LATER, AND THE INDICATORS CAME BACK ON. IT REPEATED ITSELF A THIRD TIME, AND I DROVE HOME VERY WORRIED IT WOULD HAPPEN ON THE FREEWAY. EACH INSTANCE WAS MOMENTARY AND IT PULLED HARD LEFT EACH TIME WITH A LOAD ANTILOCK BRAKE TYPE JARRING VIBRATION. FROM READING OTHER STORIES I CAN SEE THAT THIS...

WHILE MAKING 2 TURNS IN A PARKING LOT AT 10 MPH, THE VSA (VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST) ENGAGED, CAUSING THE BRAKES TO SUDDENLY GRIND THE VEHICLE TO A JARRING HALT---STOPPED ON A DIME! A MOMENT LATER, WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT AHEAD AT ABOUT 20 MPH, THE VSA ENGAGED AGAIN, CAUSING ANOTHER SUDDEN GRINDING BRAKING TO A FULL STOP. HONDA SAYS THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS ANOMALY---DESPITE EASILY FINDING NUMEROUS BLOGS ON THE INTERNET OF PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM ---UP TO OCCURRING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. HONDA DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT DID NOT IDENTIFY THAT THIS OCCURRED NOR TELL THEM THAT THERE IS ANY PROBLEM. I DO NOT CONSIDER THIS VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE! *TR

AFTER PULLING OUT OF A PARKING GARAGE AND DRIVING ABOUT 4 CITY BLOCKS, OUR 2005 HONDA PILOT MADE A LOUD GROANING SOUND AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN AN INTERSECTION WHILE TURNING LEFT. FROM THAT POINT, FOR THE NEXT HALF MILE, THE CAR SCREECHED TO A COMPLETE STOP EVERY 15 TO 20 SECONDS, EVEN WHILE ONLY PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR GOING SPEEDS UP TO 20 MPH. I INSTRUCTED MY WIFE TO PULL INTO THE FIRST AVAILABLE PARKING LOT, AT WHICH POINT WE SAW THAT THE VSA CAUTION AND OFF LIGHTS WERE ON. I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF, PULLED THE KEY OUT, PUT IT BACK IN AND STARTED THE CAR BACK UP. THE VSA LIGHTS DID NOT COME BACK ON. I PRESSED THE VSA OFF BUTTON IN ORDER TO AVOID THIS MALFUNCTION ON THE WAY HOME. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY SCARY DEFECT. I HAVE READ OTHER OWNERS' EXPERIENCES OF THIS SAME...

I OWN A 2005 HONDA PILOT SINCE 2008 AND THIS CAR HAS 95,000 + MILEAGE. RECENTLY THE VSA LIGHT STARTED COMING ON. I HAVE TAKEN THIS CAR TO SEVERAL SHOP FOR DIAGNOSTICS AND THE CODES COMING UP IS NOT READABLE. I WENT ONLINE TO RESEARCH ON THIS AND DISCOVERED THAT SO MANY PEOPLE DO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. CAN YOU COMPEL HONDA TO DO SOMETHING BEFORE THE PROBLEMS GET OUT OF HANDS PLS? *TR

HONDA PILOT 2005 VSA ISSUE AND MALFUNCTIONS: SOMETIMES THE LIGHT CAME UP EVEN I DROVE ON A FLAT ROAD WITH LOW SPEED. THERE IS A LOUD CLUNK NOISE AND THE BRAKE AND STEERING FOR A FRACTION OF A SECOND LOCKS. ONE TIME IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS IN A TURN AND ALMOST HIT A WALL. I AM CONCERNED THAT THE VEHICLE STABILIZATION SYSTEM IS NOT SAFE IF I HAD TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY TURN AND THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD ROLL. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH THE BRAKES DECELERATED ON THEIR OWN. THE VEHICLE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55,000. UPDATED 12/23/11... UPDATED 02/17/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL SYSTEM WAS DEFECTIVE, WHICH CAUSED THE STEERING TO FAIL AND THE BRAKES TO APPLY INVOLUNTARILY. UPDATED 04/2412 UPDATED 05/03/12

BEGINNING IN SEPTEMBER OF 2010, MY 2005 HONDA PILOT MADE A GROANING NOISE AROUND THE DRIVER SIDE AREA, SWERVED ABRUPTLY TO THE LEFT ON ITS OWN, WHILE THE CRUISE WAS SET AT 56MPH. FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT THE VSA WARNING LIGHT AND THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AFTER FIRST INCIDENT, IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY FOUND DIAGNOSTIC CODES FOR YAW RATE SENSOR FAILURE AND BATTERY VOLTAGE FAILURE. THEY FOUND THE BATTERY NEGATIVE TERMINAL TO BE VERY LOOSE AND THEY TIGHTENED IT. TECH'S COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THIS OCCURRED 7 MORE TIMES OVER THE FOLLOWING 3 WEEKS. WHEN RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP, THEY WERE ADVISED BY HONDA TECH'S TO CLEAN THE CONNECTORS ON THE YAW RATE SENSOR. CODES WENT AWAY AND THE CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME. THE FOLLOWING DAY THE SYMPTOMS RETURNED. HONDA DEALERSHIP SAYS THEY MUST NOW REPLACE THE YAW RATE SENSOR. WE ARE WAITING FOR OUR APPOINTMENT FOR...

WHILE DRIVING ON A FLAT SURFACE ALONG I95 IN GOOD WEATHER, I LOST CONTROL OF MY STEERING/BRAKES FOR A SECOND. THE VSA LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL MECHANIC WHO RAN SEVERAL TESTS ONLY RESULTING IN AN ERROR CODE WITH THE YAW RATE SENSOR. THE LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN BEFORE I LEFT THE PARKING LOT. HE THEN RAN MORE TEST, FOUND THE SENSOR "LOST IT'S MEMORY" AND RESET IT. THE NEXT DAY IT HAPPENED AGAIN, MY MECHANIC THEN PERFORMED AN ALIGNMENT. THROUGH THIS HE ONLY CHARGED ME A MINIMAL FEE FOR ONE OF THE VISITS. HE STATED THAT THE SENSOR MAY HAVE GONE BAD. THIS HAPPENS DAILY AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, CONDITIONS ETC. A FEW TIMES I TURNED THE CAR ON AND BEFORE I LEFT MY DRIVEWAY THE LIGHT WAS ON, OTHER TIMES, DROVE OVER AN HR AND IT DID NOT COME ON. I CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP...

VSA LIGHT AND SRS LIGHT 2005 HONDA PILOT. *TR

TRAFFIC LIGHT TURNED GREEN I PROCEEDED THROUGH AN INTERSECTION GOING STRAIGHT BETWEEN 10-15MPH MY BRAKES SUDDENLY STARTED PUMPING HARD I TRIED TO APPLY A LITTLE MORE GAS THE BRAKES STARTED AGAIN , I HIT THE HAZARD LIGHT AND MANAGED TO GET OUT OF THE RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC INTO A PARKING LOT , READ MY MANUAL THE VSA LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH AND THE TRIANGLE BELOW IT CAME ON AS WELL. I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN RESTARTED THE 2005 HONDA PILOT EXL THE DASH INDICATERS DID NOT LIGHT UP I DROVE THE TWENTY OR SO MILES HOME TRYING TO STAY IN THE SHOULDER LANE JUST IN CASE THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED AGAIN. I DID A LTTLE RESEARCHING ON THE NET THERE ARE A FEW OTHER PILOT OWNERS THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM WITH NO DEFINITIVE SOLUTION.

MY WIFE WAS CRUISING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 50 MPH A WEEK AGO, UNDER VERY GOOD ROAD CONDITION, WITH HER FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL, WHEN SHE TRIED TO DODGE THE PASSENGER CAR FROM THE NEXT LANE, HER BRAKE WASN'T WORKING PROPERLY, SUDDENLY HER CAR MADE LOUSY BANGING SOUND AND SLED 3 TIMES IN RAPID TOWARD LEFT AFTER TOWARD RIGHT, AND LEFT AGAIN. LUCKILY NO CONTACTS WAS MADE WHILE IN DEVASTATING MOMENT. BEFORE HEADING TO DEALER, TODAY SNOWY DAY, DRIVING 10 MPH TO MY DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL DROPPING, IT HAPPENED AGAIN AS SIMILAR BUT NOT SO PANORAMIC. BARELY AVOID TO COLLISION WITH POLICE PATROL CAR ON OPPOSITE LANE. *TR

OUR 2005 HONDA PILOT VEHICLE STATBILITY SYSTEM (VSA) MALFUNCTIONED. ON SIX SEPERATE OCCASIONS AND OVER THE COURSE OF 7 DAYS, STARTING JANUARY 10, 2010 THE VEHICLE WOULD BRAKE SPONTANEOUSLY AND ABRUPTLY AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. THIS OCCURRED AT SPEEDS FROM 10 MPH TO 60 MPH. AFTER EACH INCIDENT, THE VSA LIGHT WOULD COME ON. THE TEMPORARY REMEDY WAS TO TURN OFF THE VSA BEFORE BEFORE DRIVING THE PILOT. THE PILOT WAS REPAIRED AT OUR HONDA DEALER ON JANUARY 27, 2010. A YAW RATE SENSOR WAS REPLACED FOR $720 INCLUDING LABOR. *CN

2005 HONDA PILOT WENT INTO A FULL BRAKE MODE (SLAMMED) WITHOUT ANYONE TOUCHING THE BRAKES FROM 45 MPH. AFTER THE CAR STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WE LIMPED ONTO A SIDE STREET WITH THE BRAKES CONTINUING TO CATCH OFF AND ON. PARKED THE CAR AND RETURNED LATER TO GET IT TO THE DEALER. WE COULD NOT GET IT TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A DISASTER IF SOMEONE HAD BEEN FOLLOWING THE VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE SLAMMED INTO BRAKE MODE AND CAME TO A COMPLETE AND SUDDEN STOP. THE FAILURE CONTINUED FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, CAUSING ITEMS TO BE THROWN FROM THE SEAT ONTO THE FLOOR. DURING THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, WHICH PRODUCED A LOW BATTERY VOLTAGE CODE AND A BRAKE SENSOR CODE. THE DEALER TESTED AND REPLACED THE BATTERY. THEY ALSO NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND OPENED A CASE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 58,000.

YESTERDAY, MY DAUGHTER'S 2005 HONDA PILOT WITH 71K MILES SINCE NEW, WAS ROLLING ALONG AT 60 MPH ON INTERSTATE 66 WHEN BRAKES ENGAGED BRINGING CAR TO SUDDEN STOP. SEVERAL CARS BEHIND HER HAD TO TAKE DEFENSIVE ACTION TO PREVENT PILING UP. VSA LIGHT AND ABS LIGHTS WERE ON. THIS HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES TO A POINT WHERE CAR WAS UNDRIVEABLE AND HAD TO BE PULLED TO SIDE OF THE ROAD. CAR WAS TOWED TO HONDA BY AAA. SAME THING HAPPENED IN OCT 2008 (ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AGO) BUT OCCURRED ONLY INTERMITTENTLY AND CAR COULD BE DRIVEN TO DEALERSHIP. DIAGNOSIS FROM DEALER WAS NEED FOR NEW BATTERY. ORIGINAL BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND CAR WORKED FINE UNTIL YESTERDAY. IT APPEARS THAT THE HONDA DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM AT THE DEALERS CANNOT PROPERLY IDENTIFY THIS PROBLEM ALTHOUGH IT IS SURELY SERIOUS ENOUGH TO WARRANT A RECALL. ACCORDING TO MEMBERS POSTING AT HONDAPILOT.ORG FORUM, THIS HAS...

IN MAY 2008 WHILE APPROACHING A CURVE AT APPROX 30 MPH LIGHTLY APPLIED BRAKES. BRAKES LOCKED UP AND VSA LIGHT CAME ON. HAD THE CAR CHECKED BY DEALERSHIP AND NO ISSUES FOUND AND NO PARTS REPLACED. IN OCTOBER 2008, 5,000 MILES LATER, THE SAME ISSUE HAPPENED AT APPROX THE SAME SPEED - APPLYING THE BRAKES TO EXECUTE A TURN, NO VSA LIGHT INDICATOR CAME ON. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP A SECOND TIME AND FILED A SAFETY COMPLIANT WITH HONDA OF AMERICA (REF CASE # N012008-10-22-00221) AGAIN NO ISSUES WERE FOUND AND NO PARTS WERE REPLACED. HONDA WOULD NOT COMMIT TO THE SAFETY OF THE CAR. *TR

ON 10/30/2008 MY WIFE LEFT HOME AT APPROXIMATE 6:00 AM. AT ABOUT 6:05 AM THE BRAKES ON HER 2005 HONDA PILOT EX-L APPLIED THEMSELVES WITHOUT ANY PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. WHEN SHE DID PUSH ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THERE WAS NO EFFECT. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE VSA INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON AND A VSA ACTIVATION INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. THE VEHICLE BEHIND HER NEARLY REAR-ENDED HER. *TR