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 2004 Honda Pilot submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 17 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
The contact owns a 2004 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact entered the vehicle and the front passenger attempted to secure the seat belt however, the seat belt failed to retract. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.
I heard a loud pop come from under my driver's seat and the seat started rocking backwards. I got out of my car and checked underneath the seat. The front-left bracket securing the seat to the seat frame had completely sheared in half and the seat was no longer securely attached to the seat frame. This is a significant safety issue. When the car accelerates the driver's seat rocks backwards by ~45 degrees, making it extremely difficult to stay in control of the vehicle and safely steer the vehicle. It is also extremely unsafe in the case of an accident because A) the seat would not hold the driver securely in place, B) the driver would not be properly in position and restrained for the air bags to deploy, C) the seat belt is attached to the seat base and would not be able to fully function properly, and D) any passengers sitting in the 2nd row behind the driver's seat would be in danger of having the full force of the driver and the driver's seat slamming back against them. This is a known issue widely reported in Honda Pilot owners' forums. Yet Honda has not issued a recall. I took the vehicle into a Honda dealership to inspect the issue. They said that Honda no longer makes the part that would be required to fix this safety issue. This issue affects all 2003-2008 model year Honda Pilots. There were over 800,000 2003-2008 model year pilots sold and because of Honda vehicle's longevity there is a massive number of these vehicles still on the roads.
Brakes seem to stop suddenly Must brake slowly to avoid a sudden stop Seatbelt locks up if I do not pull it forward and leave room in the belt so that it isn't completely holding me in Also the driver seat will only adjust sideways.
SEAT BELT SHOULDER RESTRAINT DID NOT ENGAGE ON FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEN OUR VEHICLE WAS REAR ENDED. . THIS RESULTED IN THE FRONT PASSENGER HITTING HER HEAD ON THE DASHBOARD. SHE SUSTAINED A CONTUSION AND CONCUSSION AND HAD TO RECEIVE TREATMENT AT A HOSPITAL FOR THE INJURIES. VEHICLE WAS STOPPED WHEN HIT FROM BEHIND.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
AIRBAG (SRS) LIGHT IS ON. DEALER INDICATES VEHICLE NEEDS COMPLETE SRS UNIT TOTAL COST OF $743.23 PLUS TAX. DEALER DID NOT INDICATE THAT PART WAS UNDER WARRANTY OR COVERED BY ANY RECALL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE THIRD ROW DRIVERS REAR SAFETY SEAT BELT FAILED TO UNLATCH AND RELEASE THE PASSENGER. THE SEAT BELT WAS CUT IN ORDER TO RELEASE THE PASSENGER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 166,000. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 175,000.
SRS LIGHT CAME ON. HONDA DEALER SAID OPDS UNIT NEED REPLACING. WAS REPLACED 5/6/09. DROVE ABOUT A MONTH AND SRS LIGHT COMES BACK ON. HONDA DEALER SAID UNIT MAY BE DEFECTIVE. UNIT REPLACED. DROVE ABOUT 2 WEEKS AND SRS LIGHT COMES BACK ON. HONDA DEALER STUMPED. THEY JUST KEEP RESETTING THE UNIT BUT SRS LIGHT JUST COMES BACK ON. IT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME NOW. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR MIDDLE SEAT BELT BECAME TANGLED AROUND A TWO YEAR OLD CHILD'S NECK WHILE SEATING IN A CHILD SEAT. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO REMOVE THE SEAT BELT AND HAD TO CUT IT WITH SCISSORS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 110,000.
SUPERLATCH LOOSENING IMMEDIATELY AFTER INSTALLATION, EVERY TIME. HARNESS STRAPS SLIPPING AND BECOMING LOOSE/ADJUSTER PLATE NOT LOCKING PROPERLY APPROXIMATELY 50% OF THE TIME. DISCONTINUED USE OF CAR SEAT DUE TO LACK OF SAFETY. (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=2004, MAKE=HONDA, MODEL=PILOT). *TR
ON SUNDAY NIGHT MY 9 YEAR OLD CHILD WAS SITTING IN THE BACK SEAT OF MY HONDA PILOT. WHEN SHE TRIED TO PUT HER SEAT BELT ON IT GOT CAUGHT AROUND HER NECK. SHE THEN TURNED TO TRY AND FIX IT AND IT GOT WRAPPED AGAIN. IT LOCKED AROUND HER NECK AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. EVEN AS I TRIED TO LIFT HER TO GET ROOM AROUND HER NECK THE BELT KEPT TAKING IN THE SLACK. SHE HAD TO BE CUT OUT OF THE SEAT BELT BY A ONLOOKER WHO HAD A KNIFE. BY THAT POINT SHE HAD QUIT BREATHING. SHE HAD TO BE HOSPITALIZED AND HAVE NUMEROUS TESTS RUN ON HER TO ACCESS HER CONDITION. SHE HAS MASSIVE SWELLING TO HER FACE AND HER RIGHT EYE WAS SWOLLEN COMPLETELY SHUT. SHE HAS BROKEN BLOOD VESSEL FROM HER NECK UP ALL OVER HER FACE AND EVEN IN THE BACK OF HER THROAT. SHE HAS SO MANY BROKEN BLOOD VESSEL IN HER EYES THAT YOU CANNOT EVEN SEE THE WHITES OF HER EYES. AT THE TIME ALL OF THIS HAPPENED THE TRUCK WAS AT A STAND STILL IN A FAST FOOD DRIVE THROUGH. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR DRIVER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE RETRACTABLE REAR SEAT DISLODGED AND SLASHED THE FACE OF THE REAR PASSENGER. THE REAR PASSENGER SUSTAINED A CONCUSSION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. AS OF OCTOBER 3, 2007, THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAD NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 72,000.
I BUCKLED MY 3 MONTH OLD SON INTO HIS BRITAX MARATHON CAR SEAT. I MADE A WIDE LEFT TURN AND ALL OF A SUDDEN HE STARTED TO SCREAM. I PULLED OVER AND PARKED MY CAR AND GOT OUT TO CHECK ON HIM. HE HAD SLID OUT FROM UNDER THE STRAP AND WAS LAYING PERPENDICULAR TO HIS SEAT. HE WAS UNINJURED, BUT WHEN I CALLED BRITAX TO TELL THEM, THEY WERE UNCONCERNED AND BLAMED ME. I KNOW HOW TO PUT HIM IN HIS CAR SEAT. I KNOW I TIGHTENED THE STRAPS, THEY SOMEHOW LOOSENED AND HE WAS ABLE TO SLIDE UNDER THEM. *JB
AS A CHILD PASSENGER SAFETY INSTRUCTOR I WANT TO INFORM YOU ABOUT THE SAFETY BELT SYSTEMS IN THE HONDA PILOT, ACURA MDX, TOYOTA SIENNA AND ANY OTHER VEHICLE WITH THE CENTER SEATING POSITION LAP/SHOULDER BELT EXTENDING FROM THE INTERIOR ROOF OF THE VEHICLE. ALTHOUGH LAP/SHOULDER BELTS PROVIDE UPPER BODY PROTECTION, THESE BELTS DO NOT FIT CHILDREN AND SOME ADULTS PROPERLY. EVEN CHILDREN USING BACKLESS BOOSTERS DO NOT FIT PROPERLY IN THE BELT SYSTEM. I DO NOT HAVE EVIDENCE OF ANY INJURIES OR DEATHS AT THIS TIME. IT IS MY OBSERVATION, BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY, THE MANUFACTURERS NEED TO REDESIGN THIS SEAT BELT SYSTEM. *NM
MY QUESTION IS " WHY WOULD A CAR MANUFACTURE INSTALL SEAT BEATS ANCHORS IN A OVER LAPPING FASHION?" I HAVE A 2004 HONDA PILOT AND I NOTICE THAT THE SEAT BELTS ANCHORS FOR THE THIRD ROW SEAT ( MIDDLE & DRIVER SEAT PASSENGER) OVER LAP EACH OTHER, BUT IN THE SECOND ROW SEATS THEY DON'T OVER LAP. I TOOK MY PILOT TO A HONDA SERVICE CENTER AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS DONE TO CREATE MORE SPACE FOR THE THIRD ROW PASSENGERS AND IT WAS NOT A FLAW DESIGN. THIS APPEARS TO BE OUT OF THE NORMAL INSTALLATION FOR SEAT BELT ANCHORS. *NM
COSCO MODEL # 22269CRK, DOM 02/11/2004. THE STRAP BETWEEN THE LEGS HOLD THE BUCKLE STRAP FROM UNRAVELING. CONSUMER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER FOR A REPLACEMENT PART. *AK
WHEN THE CONSUMER IS IN THE FRONT SEAT THE HEAD RESTRAINT TILTS FORWARD, CAUSING THE CONSUMER'S HEAD TO LEAN FORWARD. CONSUMER IS 5'3," AND SAYS HEAD RESTRAINT CANNOT BE ADJUSTED ANY LOWER. THE DEALER HAS NO REMEDY OR SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS PROBLEM. *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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