RoadVitals

2006 Honda Pilot Powertrain (other) Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Powertrain (other) reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
10
Latest Jan 12, 2023
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
4%
of 266 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2006 Honda Pilot submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 10 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.

Owner reports naming powertrain

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Body & structurePowertrain (other)Suspension
Filed Jan 12, 2023

The left rear frame of the vehicle is rusted out where the rear drive line bolts to the body or frame. Causing the rear drive line to have the ability of failing to stay attached to the vehicle. The rear suspension also connects at the same area. Just a huge rotted out hole at the moment.

NHTSA ID
11501383
Incident
Dec 17, 2022
Body & structurePowertrain (other)Suspension
Filed Oct 8, 2018

WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING LOT A LOUD BANG HAPPEND IN OUR 2006 HONDA PILOT. WE THOUGHT WE HAD BOTTOMED OUT. IT TURNS OUT THAT THE REAR SUBFRAME, SUSPENSION, AND DRIVE TRAIN HAD FALLEN OUT OF THE REAR CROSSMEMBER. THIS IS DUE TO PREMATURE RUST AND INADEQUATE METAL USED IN THE REAR SUBFRAME. THE REAR SUBFRAME AND SUSPENSION IS ONLY BEING HELD IN WITH 2 MORE RUSTY BOLTS. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT RUSTY ANYWHERE ELSE AND IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. IT DOES HAVE 165,000 MILES ON IT. THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE . I HATE TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED AT 70 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY FAMILY. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. THE CERTIFIED HONDA DEALER THAT I TOOK IT TOO SAYS THEY CAN'T FIX IT, AND THE VEHICLE IS JUNK. THE VEHICLE IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION IN EVERY OTHER ASPECT. THE FAILURE IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURE DEFECT. I HAVE E-MAILED HONDA, BUT THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO ME EXCEPT FOR A AUTO RESPONSE E-MAIL. THIS VEHICLE IS WORTH ABOUT $6000 BEFORE THIS HAPPENED.

NHTSA ID
11138967
Incident
Sep 29, 2018
Mileage
165,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Nov 15, 2016

WHEN DRIVING ON HWY THERE IS SOMETIMES A SHUDDER AT SPEEDS BET 55-65MPH.AFTER CHECKING THE INTERNET FOR SIMILAR PROBLEMS IT APPEARS IT MIGHT BE THE TORQUE CONVERTER. HONDA RECALLED THE ACURA WITH THE SAME PROBLEM BUT NOT THE PILOT.

NHTSA ID
10926065
Incident
Sep 1, 2015
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 14, 2014

TRANSCOOLER FAILURE HAS FLOODED RADIATOR WITH TRANSMISSION FLUID & TRANSMISSION WITH COOLANT RUINING BOTH MAJOR COMPONENTS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10610511
Incident
Jul 12, 2014
Mileage
125,865 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jun 17, 2014
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT APPROXIMATELY 55-60 MPH, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY DECELERATED TO 5 MPH. THE CONTACT BECAME INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THERE WAS ONE INJURY REPORTED. THE DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AN ADVISED THE CONTACT TO STOP DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000.

NHTSA ID
10598949
Incident
Jun 2, 2014
Mileage
133,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 20, 2014

WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 HONDA PILOT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. FORTUNATELY IT WAS A SECONDARY ROAD WITH LOW SPEED LIMIT. AFTER HAVING MY VEHICLE TOWED TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP, THE MANAGER CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THE REASON MY TRANSMISSION FAILED WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT ALL MY TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD RUN OUT DUE TO A DEFECTIVE (TRANS COOLER CONNECTION). AFTER BEING TOLD THIS I RESEARCHED THIS ISSUE ONLINE AND FOUND THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH HONDA RADIATORS. THE TRANS COOLER CONNECTION JUST BLOWS OUT OF THE RADIATOR AND IF YOU ARE DRIVING ANY DISTANCE YOU WILL NOT HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT IS HAPPENING TO YOUR VEHICLE UNTIL IT IS TOO LATE. IN MY CASE I HAD TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY REBUILT AND A NEW RADIATOR PUT IN, BUT MY CONCERN IS THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. I CONTACTED HONDA MINUTES BEFORE WRITING THIS AND THEY DON'T APPEAR TO BE WILLING TO ASSIST ME FINANCIALLY AT THIS POINT AND I WILL BE WRITING AND ESCALATING THIS AS FAR AS I POSSIBLY CAN. I HOPE YOU CAN SHED SOME LIGHT ON THIS ISSUE AND HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON. ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN MAINTAINED FROM DAY ONE WITH HONDA AND ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE HAS BEEN DONE ACCORDING TO HONDA MOTOR'S. *TR

NHTSA ID
10560661
Incident
Jan 8, 2014
Mileage
93,974 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 19, 2013

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO VIBRATE AND SHUDDER AND ACTS LIKE IT DOESN'T WANT TO SHIFT GEARS. I HAVE READ NUMEROUS COMPLAINT'S IN REGARDS TO THIS BEING A MALFUNCTION WITH HONDA TRANSMISSIONS. I GUESS THE MAIN SAFETY ISSUE WOULD BE WHAT WE HAD TODAY. DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND NOT BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE AND ALMOST BEING REAR ENDED BY A SEMI! SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO FORCE RECALLS BY HONDA ON THEIR TRANSMISSIONS! *TR....UPDATED 08/12/14 *BF

NHTSA ID
10548557
Incident
Oct 19, 2013
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jan 17, 2013

ON 01//10/13 I WAS DRIVING MY 2006 HONDA PILOT, AND HEARD REALLY BAD NOISE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. MY CAR SLOWED DOWN AND I BARELY MADE IT HOME. UPON ARRIVAL HOME, WE CHECKED TRANSMISSION FLUID AND FOUND IT TO BE NONEXISTENT. IN THE MORNING WE ADDED SOME TRANSMISSION FLUID AND WITH GREAT DIFFICULTIES I TOOK MY CAR TO A DEALERSHIP. SERVICE DEPARTMENT GOT BACK TO ME WITH THE RESULTS OF TESTING TELLING THAT THEY GOT TWO READINGS ON THE COMPUTER: INTERNAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE. I TOOK IT TO ANOTHER TRANSMISSION SHOP. THEY HAVE TAKEN TRANSMISSION APART AND DECLARED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. ?INITIAL INSPECTION OF VEHICLES TRANSMISSION FOUND EXTREMELY AUDIBLE ?GRINDING? NOISES FROM VEHICLES TRANSMISSION IN PARK & NEUTRAL POSITIONS. ALSO, DELAYED ENGAGEMENT IN DRIVE & REVERSE POSITIONS. VEHICLES TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVEL WAS GOOD BUT FLUID CONDITION WAS EXTREMELY OVERHEATED AND VERY DARK IN COLOR. (THIS IS AN ADDED FLUID ON THE DAY I TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP ) UPON TRANSMISSION REMOVAL, DISASSEMBLY & INTERNAL INSPECTION, ABC FOUND TRANSMISSIONS MAIN INPUT SHAFT BEARING FAILED CATASTROPHICALLY AND SPREAD BALL BEARINGS AND METAL DEBRIS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION CAUSING DAMAGE TO MANY INTERNAL COMPONENTS INCLUDING THE TRANSMISSIONS CASE(S), TORQUE CONVERTER & COOLING SYSTEM. THIS TRANSMISSION IS NOT ABLE TO BE ECONOMICALLY REBUILT DUE TO THE SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE CASE(S) AND MAJOR INTERNAL COMPONENTS. I DON?T KNOW IF TRANSMISSION HAD SOME INTERNAL DEFECT FROM THE BEGINNING OR FAILURE HAPPENED LATER ON, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT SUCH A MASSIVE DAMAGE TO MY TRANSMISSION PARTS COULD?VE BEEN AVOIDED OR MINIMIZE SHOULD SERVICE DEPARTMENT BEEN MORE DILIGENT IN THEIR MAINTENANCE PROCESS AND SHOULD HONDA BE MORE UPFRONT ABOUT CONTINUES PROBLEMS THEIR TRANSMISSIONS EXHIBIT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10493330
Incident
Jan 10, 2013
Mileage
160,467 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed May 31, 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS AN INTERNAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD FURTHER INVESTIGATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 117,000.

NHTSA ID
10460163
Incident
May 25, 2012
Mileage
117,000 mi
EnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Mar 1, 2011

MY 2006 HONDA PILOT EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION THIS MORNING WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 25 MPH. THE ENGINE SUDDENLY REVVED UP AND THE AUTO LUNGED FORWARD. I APPLIED THE BRAKE BUT THIS DID NOT SLOW ME DOWN QUICKLY ENOUGH. I THEN MANAGED TO GET THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TAPPED THE GAS PEDAL UNTIL THE HIGH REVVING STOPPED. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 11:00AM EASTERN MARCH 01, 2011, THE PILOT HAD 57789 MILES AT TIME OF INCIDENT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10386024
Incident
Mar 1, 2011
Mileage
57,789 mi

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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .