2005 HONDA PILOT Power Train Problems

WHILE DRIVING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, MY 2005 HONDA PILOT SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR MULTIPLE TIMES AND FINALLY WOULD NOT DRIVE AT ALL. I PULLED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SHIFTED IT INTO PARK. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND TRIED TO SHIFT BACK INTO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE MORE THAN APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH. I DROVE THE VEHICLE IN THIS MANNER FOR APPROXIMATE HALF A MILE TO MY DESTINATION. FROM THERE I HAD THE HONDA PILOT TOWED TO AN REPAIR FACILITY. THE MECHANIC INSPECTED THE 2005 HONDA PILOT AND INFORMED ME THAT THE VEHICLE'S RADIATOR HAD FAILED INTERNALLY. THIS ALLOWED THE ENGINE COOLANT AND TRANSMISSION FLUID TO MIX. SUBSEQUENTLY THE COOLANT WAS CIRCULATED THROUGH THE TRANSMISSION AND HAD CAUSED DAMAGE TO IT. THIS IS WHAT HAD CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SLIP OUT OF GEAR AND ULTIMATELY RENDER IT UNABLE...

I HAD TO REPLACE MY RADIATOR AT 37228 MILEAGE AND 85031 ON 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE RADIATORS ARE FAILING AT THE TRANSMISSION FITTINGS ATTACHED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE RADIATORS. THERE ARE SEVERAL THOUSAND COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND HONDA IS DENYING THERE IS A PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THE TRANSMISSION COOLER IS BUILT INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE RADIATOR. THE COOLER SITS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE RADIATOR. THERE ARE TWO TRANSMISSION FITTINGS ON THE OUT SIDE OF THE RADIATOR THAT ATTACH TO THE TRANSMISSION. THIS BRINGS TRANSMISSION FLUID IN THE RADIATOR COOLER, COOLS THE FLUID AND RETURNS IT TO THE TRANSMISSION. NOW INSIDE THE BOTTOM RADIATOR SITS THE TRANSMISSION COOLER WHICH IS JUST A SMALL PIPE WITCH IS ATTACHED TO THE TRANSMISSION FITTINGS. WHEN THE FLUID ENTERS THE RADIATOR COOLER IT GETS INSTANTLY COOLED AND RETURNED TO TRANSMISSION BECAUSE THE COOLER IS SUBMERGED IN RADIATOR FLUID. THIS IS...

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACTED WAS DRIVING 30 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE STARTED SHAKING AS THE GEARS WERE SHIFTED INTO A HIGHER GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHO INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND ADVISED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TOA SECOND DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT YET BEEN REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 122,000.

TRAVELED ~15 MILES AT HIGHWAY SPEED. EXITED HIGHWAY ONTO SECONDARY ROADS THRU A BUSY TOWN. TRAVELING APPROX 30 MPH. CAR SHUDDERED AND SPEED DROPPED TO ABOUT 10 MPH. TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T SHIFT OUT OF LOW WITH RPM APPROACHING 4000 RPM. STOPPED AT LIGHT, CAR STALLED ALL SENSOR LIGHTS CAME ON AND FLASHED. GOT IT RESTARTED, HAD TO PUT IN LOW TO MOVE...GOT IT MOVING AT ~3500 RPM, WENT A BLOCK TO GET OFF THE MAIN ROAD INTO PARKING LOT. COOLING FAN RUNNING, BUT TEMP GAUGE SHOWED NO ISSUE. PUDDLE OF BROWN FLUID FORMED UNDER PASSENGER SIDE FRONT OF ENGINE. LOOKED LIKE FLUID SPRAYED THROUGH FRONT PASSENGER SIDE OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT NO INDICATION ON SENSOR LIGHTS OR TEMP GAUGE THAT ANYTHING WRONG PRIOR TO STALL AND ALL SENSOR LIGHTS CAME ON. HAD CAR TOWED TO HONDA...THEY DIAGNOSED AS 2 TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES BURST MIXING THE TRANSMISSION AND COOLING FLUID. FIX OPTIONS...1) FLUSH...

THERE IS AN OBVIOUS SHUDDER WHEN MY HONDA PILOT REACHES 35-40 MPH, I HAVE 107,000 MILES ON THE PILOT. WE JUST STARTED FEELING THE SHUDDER SO I DECIDED TO GO ONLINE TO SEE WHAT COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE THIS BEFORE I SHELL OUT TONS OF CASH ON A BUNCH OF "WELL THIS SHOULD FIX IT" AND IT DOESN'T. I BINGED "MY 2005 HONDA PILOT IS SHAKING WHEN I DRIVE" AND ABOUT THE 5TH SITE DOWN I FOUND A SITE THAT CONTAINED COMPLAINTS ABOUT MY ISSUE ONLY THEY CALLED IT A SHUDDER, NOW I'M TERRIFIED BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUALS ON THIS SITE HAVE HAD COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND I NOW KNOW THAT THE LITTLE SHUDDER THAT I FEEL IS THE ONLY WARNING AND I STILL DON'T KNOW HOW LONG I HAVE AND I CAN GET A REBUILT TRANSMISSION BUT THAT IS DOOMED TO FAIL ALSO. HONDA IS IN DENIAL ABOUT THE SITUATION EVEN...

THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE CAR VIOLENTLY JERKED FORWARD 3 TIMES AND CAME TO A COMPLETE SUDDEN STOP ON THE INTERSTATE. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS FOLLOWING TOO CLOSE OR WE WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED. MY FOOT WAS ON THE ACCELERATOR MAINTAINING A STEADY SPEED, AND IT WAS LIKE I STOMPED ON THE BREAK RAPIDLY THREE TIMES AND THEN THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. WE TOOK THE CAR TO THE HONDA DEALERSHIP AND THEY COULD NOT REPEAT THE ISSUE BUT SAID THAT THE BATTERY WASN'T PUTTING OUT THE PROPER AMOUNT OF AMPS AND WAS LIKELY RESULTING IN THE COMPUTER SENDING FAULTY MESSAGES. THEY REPLACED THE BATTERY. THE CAR SEEMED TO BE FIXED WHEN THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED, BUT THEN THE ISSUE RECURRED ABOUT TWO MONTHS LATER AT THE END OF FEBRUARY 2012. WHILE ACCELERATING AT ABOUT 30 MPH, THE CAR VIOLENTLY CAME TO...

DRIVING ALONG AND CLOSE TO HOME FELT A POP AND NOTED THE TEMP GAUGE IN HOT RANGE OF MY 2005 HONDA PILOT. I HAVE 77,565 MILES ON IT. IN MY DRIVEWAY NOTED A GRAY LIQUID UNDER FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF VEHICLE. ON INSPECTING IN ENGINE AREA NOTED THE GRAY LIQUID OVERFLOWING FROM RAD OVERFLOW CONTAINER. OIL LEVEL OK BUT NOTED NO TRANNY FLUID IN IT. TOWED TO SERVICE STATION. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LOCATED IN THE RADIATOR HAD FAILED, MIXING UP THE FLUIDS. TOTAL COST $1900 WITH MULTI FLUSH. I HAD COVERAGE OF TRANSMISSION IN EFFECT BUT HONDA SAID NOT PART OF TRANSMISSION. I HAVE ATTORNEY NOW WORKING ON THIS CASE FOR ME. THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SHIFTING POORLY BEFORE AND NOW WORSE. TOOK TO HONDA DEALER TO CHECK OUT. THEY SAID NO PROBLEM THAT THEY NOTICED. WITH ONLY A FEW WEEKS LEFT ON THE WARRANTY I...

OUR 2005 HONDA PILOT HAS BEEN PRETTY GOOD FOR LAST SEVEN YEARS AND 132,000 MILES, ALTHOUGH WE WANTED TO KEEP IT TO 200,000 MILES. LAST SATURDAY, OUT OF NOWHERE, IT STARTED TO LEAK THICK, PINK LIQUID ON OUR DRIVEWAY. IT APPEARED TO ME, AND AFTER LOOKING AT THE OWNER'S MANUAL, THAT THE ISSUE WAS THE RADIATOR. IT WAS A COLD DAY SO I STARTED TO DRIVE TO THE DEALER, WATCHING THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE LIGHT ON THE WAY. THE CAR ONLY WENT TWO MILES BEFORE TRANSMISSION STOPPED WORKING. THE CAR HAS NOW BEEN AT A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOR A WEEK AND THREE DAYS WHILE I RENT ANOTHER VEHICLE. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE IN PILOT'S AFTER GOING OVER 100,000 MILES (CATASTROPHIC RADIATOR FAILURE THAT LEADS TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE). HONDA SHOULD MAKE CERTAIN THAT OWNERS REPLACE THE RADIATOR COMPONENTS THAT LEAD TO THIS CATASTROPHIC FAILURE BEFORE...

I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A SLIGHT SHUDDER WHEN VEHICLE SPEED REACHED 35 MPH. NOT SURE CAUSE AT THE TIME SO HAD TIRES AND WHEELS CHECKED AND HAD MECHANIC TRY AND REPLICATE. NO INDICATION OF A PROBLEM WAS NOTED AND FREQUENCY AT FIRST WAS OCCASIONAL BUT BEGAN TO INCREASE IN FREQUENCY AND DURATION. PROBLEM HAS BECOME WORSE BUT ALWAYS BETWEEN 35-45 MPH AND DISAPPEARS AS SPEED INCREASES. I HAVE CONTACTED DEALER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY UNUSUAL INCREASE IN PROBLEMS LIKE THIS AND WOULD HAVE TO CHECK IT OUT. ALSO INFORMED NO EXISTING RECALLS OR NOTICES WERE ON FILE. CONTACTED MY TRANSMISSION SERVICE REP. AND WAS INFORMED THE TRANSMISSION WAS VERY LIKELY FAILING AND WOULD PROBABLY NEED TO BE REPLACED. HIS ESTIMATE TO REPLACE $4000-$4500 ! 55,000 MILES ON VEHICLE?????? *TR

INTERMITTENT VIBRATION IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEN ACCELERATING, AT ABOUT 30-35 MPH. SOMETIMES JUST SLIGHTLY NOTICEABLE AND SOMETIMES SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH SO THAT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE VIBRATES FOR A FEW SECONDS. WE JUST PURCHASED IT USED YESTERDAY AND DID NOT NOTICE THE VIBRATIONS WHILE TEST DRIVING IT. *TR

BOUGHT A 2005 HONDA PILOT BASED ON PAST HISTORICAL HIGH RELIABILITY REVIEWS OF HONDA VEHICLES. VERY DISAPPOINTED. AROUND 75000 MILES, VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHUDDER LIKE DRIVING OVER A WASHBOARD ROAD WHEN LIGHTLY ACCELERATING 30-40 MPH. FIRST THOUGHT OUT OF BALANCE TIRE, REBALANCED TIRES. STILL DIDN'T SOLVE PROBLEM, BOUGHT NEW TIRES, REBALANCED AND ALIGNED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. BEGAN TO RESEARCH ONLINE AND VERY DISAPPOINTED TO FIND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE TRANNY, TORQUE CONVERTER, AND/OR TRANSMISSION COOLANT FAILURE. TOOK TO DEALER, DIAGNOSED AS BAD TORQUE CONVERTER, $2000. DEALER DOES NOT PLAN TO COVER, I PLAN ON TAKING UP WITH NHTSA AND HONDA AMERICA. *TT

I DROVE UP A STEEP DRIVE WAY, I HEARD A GRINDING NOISE AND MY CAR STOPPED WITHOUT ME TOUCHING THE BRAKES. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON, SO I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUT IT BACK INTO DRIVE AND IT SEEMED TO BE OK FOR THE MOMENT. I DROPPED MY DAUGHTER OFF AT A CLASS AND I PROCEEDED TO RUN A COUPLE OF ERRANDS. ABOUT ONE MILE FROM WHERE THE STOPPING STARTED THE CAR DID IT AGAIN. IT IS LIKE I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES BUT, I WAS NOT EVEN TOUCHING THE BRAKES AT ALL. IT PROCEEDED TO GET WORSE AND WORSE. THE SLAMMING ON THE BRAKES WOULD HAPPEN EVERY FEW FEET. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE SLOWLY TO A NEARBY GARAGE. THE SAID I HAD A REAR AXEL BROKEN. WE HAD THE REPAIRS DONE AND THE CAR SEEMED OK FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. YESTERDAY, 1-10-12...

I WOULD BE DRIVING IN THE 30 MPH RANGE AND THE VEHICLE WOULD START TO SHUDDER WHEN CHANGING GEARS. THE DISTRACTION CAUSES ME TO STOP IN TRAFFIC AND SUDDENLY PULL OVER. POHANKA HONDA IN SALISBURY, MD STATES IT IS A BAD TORQUE CONVERTER. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINT ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THE 2005 HONDA PILOT, BUT COMPLAINTS REFLECT THERE WAS NO RECALL. NOW I AM OUT OF WARRANTY. IF I AM NOT CONTACTING THE CORRECT ENTITY, PLEASE REFER ME. THANK YOU. *TR

CAR STARTED TO SLIP OUT OF GEAR WITH NO WARNING AT ALL ON THE HIGHWAY AND STARTED TO SHUDDER. GOT OFF THE HIGHWAY AND SUDDENLY CAR WOULDN'T MOVE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION...JUST STARTED OVERHEATING AND THEN THERE WAS A HUGE PUDDLE OF ON THE GROUND. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE HONDA DEALER WHERE WE WERE TOLD THE HOSES HAD FAILED AND WE NEEDED NEW HOSES AND RADIATOR AFTER THAT IS REPLACED WE WILL FIND OUT IF WE NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. TOTAL COST WILL BE APPROX: $6,000. LOOKED ON HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F1155F7/299!KEYWORDS=#MSG299 AND SEE THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE HAPPENING. APPARENTLY THIS IS THE SAME TRANS THAT IS IN THE 2003 WHICH WAS RECALLED. *TR

2005 HONDA PILOT WITH 58,000 MILES HAS TRANSMISSION SHUTTER AT 25 TO 40 MPH UNDER LIGHT THROTTLE. HAS HAD ALL SERVICES DONE WITH FACTORY FLUIDS AND FILTERS SINCE I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW. LOOKING AT THE SEARCHES SOME SAY IT'S TORQUE CONVERTER AND OTHER HAVE REPLACED COMPLETE TRANSMISSION. DEALER TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY PILOTS DON'T HAVE THESE PROBLEMS BUT THE ODYSSEY HAVE THE ISSUE. SO I ASKED HOW MUCH TO FIX THE PROBLEM AND HE SAID $ 2000.00 . WELL I AM GLAD THAT I BOUGHT THE FACTORY EXTENDED WARRANTY AND HAVE A YEAR LEFT OF WARRANTY AN I AM MAKING A APPT, TO HAVE IT REPAIRED BEFORE THE WARRANTY RUNS OUT. HONDA SHOULD RECALL THE TRANSMISSIONS LIKE THEY DID ON THE ACURA MDX SINCE THEY BOTH HAVE THE SAME POWER TRAIN. *TR

SHUDDERING OF VEHICLE WHEN ACCELERATING. TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. *TR