Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Honda Pilot submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 42 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.
The 25 most recent of 42, in the owner's own words
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO RESPOND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE RADIATOR AND THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137000.
MY HUSBAND AND I NOTICE A SHUDDER WHEN YOU REACH A SPEED OF 35-40 MPH. WE IN TURN TOOK IT INTO HONDA TO HAVE IT CHECKED SEVERAL TIMES AND TO TEST DRIVE, I EVEN DROVE THE HONDA WHILE THE SERVICE MAN WAS IN THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT SHUDDER. IT IS STILL HAVING THE SHUDDER PROBLEMS, I AM TAKING IT IN FOR THE 4TH TIME FOR SERVICE AND OIL CHANGE AND MAYBE THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CAN TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG AND WHY IT SHUDDERS. FROM RESEARCH WE HAVE FOUND OUT THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY HONDA PILOT OWNERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM. THERE ARE 98 TOTAL DISCUSSIONS ON THIS WEBSITE ( HTTP://WWW.EDMUNDS.COM/HONDA/PILOT/2005/CONSUMER-DISCUSSIONS.HTML) DISCUSSING THE SAME PROBLEMS WE ARE HAVING, I TRULY HOPE THAT HONDA IS GOING TO STAND GOOD ON TAKING CARE OF THIS PROBLEM OR WE WILL NO LONGER PURCHASE ANOTHER HONDA. WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT IT IS THE TORQUE CONVERTER. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE FROM STOPS WITH AN ABNORMAL INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS. THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY STOPPED ACCELERATING COMPLETELY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE RADIATOR AND TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 112,776. UPDATED 02/03/12*LJ UPDATED 03/21/12
I HAVE A SHUTTERING NOISE WHEN I ACCELERATE BETWEEN 30-40 MPH. I COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS TO THE DEALER PRIOR TO EXPIRATION OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY, WHEN I TOOK IT IN FOR A WINDOW SWITCH PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THEY DID NOT HEAR ANY NOISE. TO MY DISMAY, THE PROBLEM PROGRESSED AND BECAME WORSE, SO NOW AFTER THE EXPIRATION OF THE EXTENDED WARRANTY (8/8/11), TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND SAID IT WAS THE TORQUE CONVERTER ON THE TRANSMISSION. THEY STATED THEY CAN FIX IT FOR OVER $5000.00 EVEN THOUGH I COMPLAINED ABOUT IT PREVIOUSLY. THEIR ARE MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ONLINE, I HAVE SINCE FOUND OVER 300 COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE WITH THE HONDA PILOTS AND HONDA IS AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT DOES NOT WANT TO HELP FIX THIS PROBLEM. APPARENTLY, HONDA TRIED TO CUT COSTS AND PUT A TRANSMISSION IN THAT COULD NOT ACCOMMODATE THE WEIGHT AND SIZE OF THE VEHICLE - THIS IS COMING FROM 3 DIFFERENT MECHANICS AND A JUNK YARD OWNER. ALSO THE PARTS ARE SO HARD TO COME BY IF YOU TRY TO GET DONE CHEAPER BY AN OUTSIDE MECHANIC. THE HONDA DEALERS ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO ARE ABLE TO GET THE PARTS FASTER. THUS CREATING A MONOPOLY. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS THOROUGHLY AND YOU TOO CAN FIND A LOT OF DISSATISFIED OWNERS THAT HAD OR HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUE WITH HONDA. PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM WITH SO MANY PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THANK YOU. *TT
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. WHILE STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC STOP, THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ENGINE EXHIBITED AN ABNORMAL INCREASE IN RPMS. THE FAILURE WAS SPORADIC AND WOULD ALSO OCCUR WHEN IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATION ATTEMPTS. AFTER SEVERAL MOMENTS, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTICS. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.
MY 2005 HONDA PILOT EXPERIENCES A SHUDDER WHEN APPLYING LIGHT ACCELERATION BETWEEN 35-40 MPH, I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND HAVE FOUND MANY MORE CONSUMERS THAT HAVE REPORTED THE SAME PROBLEM AND HAVE FOUND THAT HONDA IS TO BLAME FOR INSTALLING FAULTY TORQUE CONVERTERS. *TR
2005 HONDA PILOT. SHUDDERED & VIBRATED AT 40 MPH STARTING AT AROUND 70-75K MILES. DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A DEFECTIVE TORQUE CONVERTER KNOWN TO HONDA BUT NO RECALL. ISSUE LED TO COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE ON HIGHWAY AND REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE TRANSMISSION, TORQUE CONVERTER . *TR
ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. DEALER DETERMINED THAT TRANSMISSION IS BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. HONDA OFFERED A DISCOUNT, BUT NOT A FREE REPLACEMENT AS IN THE PREVIOUS MODEL YEAR FOR OVER ONE MILLION VEHICLES, EVEN THOUGH IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME UNIT.
I HAVE A 2005 HONDA PILOT WITH 57,000 MILES ON IT THAT I JUST RECENTLY BOUGHT. I AM HAVING CONCERNS ABOUT THE TORQUE CONVERTER I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING ABOUT. MY CAR WILL ACCELERATE IN THE 32-45 MPH WINDOW AND THEN THE RPM NEEDLE WILL JUMP BACK DOWN TO A LOWER RPM. ALOT OF THE JUMPING NEEDLE IS HAPPENING. THE CAR WILL SHUDDER AT THESE SPEEDS AND WILL FEEL AS IF THE TRANSMISSION IS LETTING UP WHEN I GET TO THESE SPEEDS, HENCE THE RPM NEEDLE COMING BACK DOWN. THE CAR HAS ALREADY GONE IN FOR WORK ON THE RELAY SWITCH WHICH WAS SHORTING THE CAR OUT BRIEFLY WHEN I WAS DRIVING. *TR
THIS VEHICLE SPUTTERS WHEN THE SPEED IS BETWEEN 35-40 MPH. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND SHUDDER. ONCE THE CONSUMER ACCELERATED UP TO APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH THE FAILURE STOPPED. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE VEHICLE TRAVELED AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE TORQUE CONVERTER. THE CONTACT WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE SOFTWARE FOR THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 125,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 159,000. UPDATED 03/08/11 *BF UPDATED 03/09/11
SHUDDER IN TRANSMISSION; TORQUE CONVERTER PROBLEM. THIS OCCURS AT 1500 TO 2000 RPM AND AROUND 35 TO 40 MPH. HONDA DEALER WANTED $4500 TO REPLACE BOTH THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND TRANSMISSION. *TR
TRANSMISSION SHUDDERING BETWEEN 35 MPH - 40 MPH ON LEVEL GRADE ROADS. NOT APPARENT UNDER MODERATE OR HEAVY ACCELERATION OR ON UPHILL GRADES. TRANSMISSION MECHANIC CONFIRMS TORQUE CONVERTER FAILING - TYPICAL HONDA SUV & VAN PROBLEM HE SEES ALL THE TIME. NO RECALL FROM HONDA, VEHICLE MILEAGE IS 85,000. *TR
2005 HONDA PILOT - TRANSMISSION VIBRATION HONDA PILOT HAS ONLY 55,000 MILES AND THE TRANSMISSION VIBRATES AT ABOUT 25 TO 35 MPH WITH A KIND OF PUFFING SOUND. AT 50 TO 60 MPH IT IS A MUCH HARDER VIBRATION. *TR
2005 HONDA PILOT STUTTERS, VIBRATIONS, AND HAS FLASHING "D" (DRIVE) LIGHT ON. POSSIBLE TORQUE CONVERTER AND/OR TRANSMISSION ISSUES. *TR
OUR 2005 HONDA PILOT SHUDDERS! IT HAS GOTTEN WORSE OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS AND WE ARE EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT OUR SAFETY WHILE DRIVING. WE HAVE TAKEN THE PILOT TO THE HONDA DEALER AND ALSO TO OUR OWN PRIVATE MECHANIC AND NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO HELP US. *TR
MY 2005 HONDA PILOT BEGAN SHUDDERING ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AGO. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE TORCH CONVERTER. THEY SAID IT WAS AN INTERNAL MALFUNCTION AND THE WHOLE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION WILL NEED TO BE REPLACED. MY PILOT HAS 122,000 MILES. I HAVE RESEARCHED THE ISSUE AND I SEE IT IS A COMMON PROBLEM IN 2005 HONDA PILOTS. MY MECHANIC IS REBUILDING MY TRANSMISSION FOR $2900. I FEEL THAT HONDA SHOULD CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE FAULTY TRANSMISSION. *TR
I HAVE A 2005 PILOT HONDA WITH ONGOING SHUDDERING BETWEEN 30-40 MPH. AT FIRST I THOUGH IT WAS THE AIR FLOW UNDER THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE PVC MOLDING. AFTER CHECKING I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS IS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM (TORQUE CONVERTER) THE SHUDDER BEGAN AT 75,000 AND THE VEHICLE NOW HAS125,000 MILES. TO MAKE THE SHUDDER STOP I PRESS OR RELEASE THE ACCELERATOR BRIEFLY. THE TRANSMISSION IS NOW STARTING TO SHIFT HARD INTO SECOND GEAR. I WILL CONTACT HONDA OF NORTH AMERICA NEXT TO DISCUSS THEIR FINDINGS WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR
2005 HONDA PILOT SHUDDERS WHEN ACCELERATING BETWEEN 20 AND 50 MPH. PROBLEM CEASES IF ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED OR RELEASED. *TR
MY 2005 HONDA PILOT SHUDDERS/VIBRATES BETWEEN 30/40 MPH. I HAVE BEEN BRINGING IT INTO THE HONDA DEALER SINCE OCT 2009. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS BOTH MY DRIVE SHAFTS AND REPLACED THEM. THE SAME DAY MY CAR WAS RETURNED TO ME THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THEY THEN TOLD ME THE DRIVE SHAFTS WERE DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED THEM AGAIN. THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THEY LOOKED FOR TROUBLE COMPUTER CODES BUT COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM OR GET A SNAP SHOT WITH THE HDS. IT STILL SHUDDERED. NOW THE GREEN D (DRIVE) LIGHT FLASHES IN DRIVE AND IN PARK INDICATING A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM PER THE OWNERS MANUAL. *TR
MY 2005 HONDA PILOT SHUDDERS/VIBRATES (FEELS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION IS HAVING PROBLEMS) BETWEEN 25-55 MPHS WHILE ACCELERATING. THIS PROBLEM BEGAN AROUND 90,000 MILES AND HAS GOTTEN WORSE SINCE REACHING 112,000 MILES. *TR
THERE IS A SHUDDER WHEN THE CAR IS TRAVELING BETWEEN 30 AND 45 MPH. THE SHUDDER SELF CORRECTS OR WILL CEASE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS DEPRESSED TO WITHDRAWN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY WHEN DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. THE VIBRATION WOULD CEASE ONCE THE VEHICLE WOULD REACH 50 MPH. ONCE THE CONTACT SLOWED DOWN AND PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE, THE VIBRATION WOULD RETURN. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED BY HIS PERSONAL MECHANIC THAT THE TIRES WERE POSSIBLY THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE TIRES WERE REPLACED YET THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MECHANIC THEN ADVISED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE TORQUE CONVERTER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,445.
THERE HAS BEEN A DEFINITE SHUDDER IN THE CAR BETWEEN THE SPEEDS OF 20 -40MPH. IF YOU ACCELERATE - THE SHUDDER GOES AWAY - IF YOU DON'T - IT BECOMES MORE AGGRESSIVE. BECAUSE OF THIS SHUDDER - I NOW HEAR SOME SORT OF KNOCKING IN THE CAR AT THE SAME SPEEDS - WHICH ALSO GOES AWAY ONCE YOU ACCELERATE. THIS IS ALSO NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR A NOTICEABLE IMBALANCE OF THE STEERING WHEEL BETWEEN THOSE SPEEDS. I HAVE A HONDA PILOT EX 2005. HONDA DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL / SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS. *TR
MY 2005 HONDA PILOT SHUDDERS AND VIBRATES WHEN ACCELERATING AROUND 35-40. ONCE I GET SLIGHTLY PAST THIS SPEED RANGE THE VIBRATION STOPS. *TR
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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