Owner-reported complaints naming the seat belt system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2003 Honda Pilot submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 14 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
I NEVER GOT RECALLS FIXED AND DEALER SERVICE MARKED AS CHECKED BUT NOT REPLACED AND SRS LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE SERVICE AND I HAD TO PAY TO GET RECALLED DUE TO EMERGENCY INTERLOCK WAS DAMAGED
TRAVELING SOUTH BOUND ON NEVADA AVE IN COLORADO SPRINGS A CAR TURNED IN FRONT OF US. OUR FRONT RIGHT HIT HIS REAR PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE, HE WAS SPUN AROUND AND OUR AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. AFTER GETTING OUT OF VEHICLE TO CHECK ON OTHER DRIVER I CAME BACK AND HAD MY WIFE AND KID GET OUT OF VEHICLE. POLICE WERE ON SCENE VERY QUICKLY DUE TO ACCIDENT OCCURRING IN FRONT OF HOSPITAL, THE OFFICER NOTICED SMOKE IN CAR AND A COUPLE MINUTES LATER THERE WAS A FIRE ON PASSENGER SIDE OF VEHICLE BEHIND CENTER GARNISH PILLAR. I TRIED TO PUT IT OUT WHILE OFFICER WENT TO GET A FIRE EXTINGUISHER BURNT MY HAND DUE TO BURNING PLASTIC FROM LOWER CENTER PILLAR GARNISH MELTING. LOOKS LIKE FIRE WAS STARTED SOMEWHERE IN THE SEATBELT RETRACTION AREA. NO MEDICAL ATTENTION WAS NEEDED AND MY HAND WAS OK AFTER A FEW DAYS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A CHILD WAS SITTING IN THE MIDDLE SEAT NEXT TO THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW. THE CHILD WAS ABLE TO GRAB THE SHOULDER BELT OF THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT AND THE SEAT BELT BECAME WRAPPED AROUND THE CHILD. THE SEAT BELT THEN LOCKED AND BEGAN CHOKING THE CHILD. THE CONTACT HAD TO SEVER THE SEAT BELT IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE CHILD. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE SEAT BELT COULD NOT BE REPLACED BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN CUT. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNAVAILABLE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 165,000.
MY CONVERTIBLE CHILD RESTRAINT COMES EQUIPPED WITH A LATCH STRAP WITH A STATED LIMIT OF 80 LBS (SUPERLATCH). WHEN I INSTALL THE SEAT USING THE SUPERLATCH STRAP, I AM REPEATEDLY FINDING THAT WITHIN TWO DAYS OF NORMAL USE, THE INSTALLATION BECOMES SIGNIFICANTLY LOOSER-SOMETIMES AS MUCH AS 2-3 INCHES OF MOVEMENT. AS A CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY TECHNICIAN, I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE SEAT IS INSTALLED CORRECTLY AND TIGHTLY TO BEGIN WITH. I KNOW THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY PERSON REPORTING THIS FOR THIS SEAT. I HAVE ALSO HAD THE SUPERLATCH CLIP/HOOK MECHANISM COME DETACHED FROM MY VEHICLE'S LATCH ANCHOR BARS SEVERAL TIMES, DESPITE HEARING AN AUDIBLE CLICK WHEN INSTALLING THE SEAT AND PULLING ON THE STRAP TO ENSURE PROPER ATTACHMENT AT THE TIME ON INSTALLATION. THE SUPERLATCH STRAP ADJUSTER IS FAILING TO MAINTAIN TIGHTNESS AND THE CONNECTORS ARE NOT REMAINING SECURELY ATTACHED TO THE LATCH BARS, BOTH OF WHICH ARE UNACCEPTABLE. THE MANUFACTURER'S "SOLUTION" IS TO INSTALL WITH THE VEHICLE BELT AND/OR REPLACE THE ORIGINAL SUPERLATCH STRAP WITH A STANDARD 40-48 LB LATCH STRAP. (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=2010, MAKE=NISSAN, MODEL=SENTRA). *TR
SRS LIGHT CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND STAYS ON. *TR
WE BOUGHT OUR 2003 HONDA PILOT ASSUMING THAT IT WOULD BE A GREAT FAMILY VEHICLE. WE HAVE THREE SMALL CHILDREN AND ANOTHER ON THE WAY SO OUR CAR IS FULL OF CAR SEATS. WE HAVE A BACKLESS BOASTER SEAT IN THE THIRD ROW ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE, A BOASTER SEAT IN THE THIRD ROW ON THE PASSENGER SIDE, AND A FORWARD FACING CAR SEAT IN THE SECOND ROW DRIVER'S SIDE. IT IS INCREDIBLE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET THE CHILDREN IN THE THIRD ROW BUCKLED BECAUSE THE SEAT BELTS ARE CONSTANTLY GETTING "STUCK" AND HAVE TO BE RETHREAD ALL THE WAY BACK. THIS IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY GET CAUGHT ON THE BOASTER SEATS THAT THEN HAVE TO BE PICKED UP AND MOVED AROUND TO GET THE SEAT BELT OFF. ALSO, THE SEAT ON THE SEAT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE IS TOO NARROW AND THE SEAT BELT BUCKLES VERY LOW, CLOSE TO THE SEAT AND IT ENDS UP UNDERNEATH THE BOASTER SEAT. THESE DIFFICULTIES MAKE IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE FOR MY PRESCHOOLERS TO BUCKLE BY THEMSELVES AND FORCES ME TO CLIMB BACK IN THEIR SEAT TO FIX THE SEAT BELTS AND MOVE THE BOOSTER SEAT FORWARD TO BUCKLE THEM IN. IT IS INCREDIBLE DIFFICULT AND UNCOMFORTABLE FOR AN ADULT TO CLIMB INTO THE THIRD ROW SEAT, ESPECIALLY ONE THAT IS SEVEN MONTHS PREGNANT. WE HAVE TRIED MOVING THE SEATS AROUND AND CAN NOT FIND ANY BETTER POSITIONS FOR THE CAR SEATS. *TR
DRIVER'S SEAT BELT RESTRAINT ON 2003 HONDA PILOT CAME UNBUCKLED WHILE DRIVING. I THOUGHT THAT PERHAPS I HAD NOT BUCKED IT SUFFICIENTLY. WHEN TRIED TO PUT METAL PIECE ON BELT BACK INTO THE LOCKING DEVICE, IT WOULD NOT LOCK. CARRIED IT TO THE DEALER 7-7-08, AND HE HAD TO ORDER THE PART. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. HE CHECKED THE HEAD REST AND NOTICED THAT WHEN HE GOT INTO THE VEHICLE AGAIN, HE HIT HIS HEAD AT ONE SPOT ABOUT 1 INCH DOWN FROM THE TOP OF HIS HEAD. THE CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT HEAD RESTRAINTS CAN NOT BE ADJUSTED. THE SECOND AND THIRD ROW SEATS WERE FINE. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED HIM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE BECAUSE THE HEAD REST WAS DESIGNED IN THAT MANNER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 35,245. UPDATED 06/03/08. *LJ
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE SRS LIGHT ILLUMINATED INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE SEATBELTS OR THE AIRBAG SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE SERVICE DEALER. THE DIAGNOSTIC DID NOT IDENTIFY ANY PROBLEM SO THE WARNING LIGHT WAS RESET. AFTER THREE DAYS, THE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN. THE SERVICE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT.
CONSUMER CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSITION OF THE HEAD RESTRAINT ON THE FRONT SEAT. *NM THE BACK OF THE CONSUMER'S HEAD WOULD HIT THE LOWER EDGE OF THE TOP BAR OF THE HEAD RESTRAINT ABOUT AN INCH BELOW THE TOP OF THE CONSUMERS HEAD. *SC
FRONT SEAT HEAD RESTS DO NOT ADJUST UPWARD FOR TALL PEOPLE (5'-11') AND TALLER CAUSING HEAD RESTRAINT BAR TO REST ON TOP OF PERSONS HEAD. THIS POTENTIALLY WILL CAUSING NECK OR SPINAL INJURY INJURY IF VEHICLE IS HIT FROM THE REAR. THE TOP BAR ACTS AS A PIVOT POINT WITH NO REAR NECK SUPPORT.
WHILE TRAVELING 50 MPH ANOTHER DRIVER TURNED IN FRONT OF MY PILOT WITHOUT SIGNALING. THE WHOLE RIGHT FRONT OF MY VEHICLE WAS PUSHED IN. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THE AIR BAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY AND ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE SEAT BELT DIDN'T LOCK. AS A RESULT I BOUNCED OFF STEERING WHEEL TWICE. 2 DAYS LATER I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM HONDA SAYING THAT AIR BAGS ARE NOT DEPLOYING OR DEPLOYING LATE. I BELIEVE THAT MY INJURIES WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS SEVERE HAD THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED AND/OR THE SEAT BELT LOCKED. *LA
2003 HONDA PILOT CENTER SEATING POSITION 2ND & 3RD ROW. SEAT BELT SYSTEM DOES NOT FIT ADULT ( IN MY EXPERIENCE, 1 WOMAN 5'8" AND 1 WOMAN 5'10") OR CHILD IN A BOOSTER SEAT (BOTH HIGHBACK AND EVENFLO RIGHT FIT BOOSTER) PROPERLY. SHOULDER STRAPS CUT ACROSS NECK JUST UNDER JAW BONE. SHOULDER STRAP IS NOT ABLE TO BE POSITIONED AT CENTER OF COLLAR BONE AND IN SOME CASES DOES NOT EVEN MAKE CONTACT WITH COLLAR BONE (CHILD IN EVENFLO RIGHT FIT BOOSTER). MY CONCERN IS THAT IF THE SEAT BELT DOES NOT FIT PROPERLY OCCUPANTS WILL PUT SEAT BELT BEHIND BACK OR UNDER THE ARM. I AM A CPS TECHNICIAN AND PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE A FEW WEEKS AGO, NOT REALIZING THIS SITUATION. I HAD ONLY CHECKED THE INSTALLATION OF A BRITAX SUPER ELITE IN THE CENTER SEATING POSITION BEFORE BUYING THE VEHICLE. *JB
CANNOT RISE HEAD REST FOR A TALL PERSON. IT COULD CAUSE NECK INJURIES IF CONSUMER HIT BRAKES OR IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. DEALER WILL BE NOTIFIED.*AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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