Owner-reported complaints naming the suspension system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2012 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
Unusual amount of oil consumption. Faulty cylinder 3. Gaskets cause the oil to leak into the spark plugs causing the engine light to come on with loss of power. Changed cylinder 3 spark plug at least 10 times or more since purchasing the vehicle in 2021. Oil also drips onto the alternator, replaced it twice in 9 months. Wheels and steering wheel shake when hitting the brakes. Replaced brakes and rotors twice as well.
I was driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the left-hand lane alongside the concrete barrier. The road curved to the right and when I tried to gently steer to the right the steering wheel got stuck and locked. I wasn’t able to steer to the right and so the car hit the barrier. The steering then unlocked. Since I was trying to originally steer to the right, the car moved to the right and hit the guard rail along the right-hand side of the highway where the car finally came to a stop. It was fortunate that there were no other cars close to my car when this happened. I don’t know what caused the steering wheel to lock up. The car was very badly damaged and eventually determined to be a total loss. I suffered a concussion and need ongoing PT and OT. Also, I am limited to only working part-time until my concussion symptoms improve. The car was well maintained and had passed the state inspections a couple of weeks before. The issue could have been caused by a front suspension assembly error.
FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHING FAILED AND STARTED LEAKING. HONDA NOTIFIED THE DEALERS BUT NOT THE OWNERS LIKE ME SEE HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2015/MC-10107367-9340.PDF THE WARRANTY EXTENSION NEED TO BE 10 YEARS NOT 7 YEARS SINCE 1) THIS WAS NOT COMMUNICATED TO OWNER 2) THIS IS A QUALITY ISSUE THAT SHOWS UP EVEN BEFORE 100K MILES 3) WARRANTY EXTENSION GAVE HONDA THE BENEFIT OF 7 YEARS OR 100K MILES WHICHEVER IS LESS WHEN IT SHOULD BE WHICHEVER IS MORE SINCE ISSUE HAPPENS MAINLY AFTER YEAR 7 AND OVER 100K MILES (PUBLIC SHOULD BE PROTECTED FROM THIS QUALITY ISSUE AND NOT THE MANUFACTURER). THIS WILL COST THE PUBLIC ABOUT 1,200 DOLLARS TO REPAIR THIS DEFECT FOR SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED. HONDA EVEN ISSUED SERVICE BULLETIN 15-045 HTTPS://STATIC.NHTSA.GOV/ODI/TSBS/2015/SB-10107448-9340.PDF ABOUT THIS ISSUE BUT NEVER NOTIFIED OWNERS AND THE DEALER TELLS ME THIS NOW THAT THE PERIOD HAS EXPIRED. SEE COMPLAINS UNDER NHTSA ID NUMBER: 11319104, 11220490, 11218517, 11155894, 11105327, 11035765. OTHER HONDA PILOTS HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND EVEN MY HONDA DEALER HAS TOLD ME THAT HE HAS REPAIRED MANY OF THESE AND SAID HONDA SHOULD RECALL THEM. PLEASE MAKE HONDA EXTEND THE WARRANTY TO 10 YEARS AND/OR FIX THIS QUALITY ISSUE ON THEIR PRODUCTS. *TR
I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR REGULAR MAINTENANCE. I WAS NOTIFIED THAT BOTH FRONT LOWER COMPLIANCE BUSHINGS WERE EXCESSIVELY WORN AND NEEDED REPLACING SOON. I RESEARCHED AND FOUND THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM HOWEVER I'M PAST THE 100,000 MILE WARRANTY. MY MILEAGE 136,648. I NEVER RECEIVED ANY WARNING ABOUT THIS SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN FROM ANYONE INCLUDING MY DEALERSHIP. THIS IS VERY COSTLY AND I'M HOPING I CAN GET SOME HELP IN GETTING THIS REPAIR DONE ASAP SINCE IT SUCH A SAFETY ISSUE.
I BROUGHT MY RAIN BECAUSE OF A WOO KING SOUND IN 2014, 2015 HONDAREPAIRED PARTIALLY UNDER WARRANTY COMPLIANCE BUSHINGS. WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY THE CAR NEEDED TIE RODS REPLACED/TIGHTENED I PAID FOR THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS POSING A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ME AND MY CHILDREN. I'VE RECENTLY EMAILED AND CALLED HONDA THEY ARE REFUSING TO COVER THIS BECAUSE OF THE MILEAGE DEAPITWTHIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM SINCE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. THE FRONT END IS STILL WOBBLY AFTER REPAIRS WHICH I BELIEVE IS A DEFECT IN THIS MODEL.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE FRONT TIRES TURNED TOWARDS THE RIGHT ON THEIR OWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO CONICELLI HONDA (LOCATED AT 1100 RIDGE PIKE, CONSHOHOCKEN, PA 19428, (484) 533-2352) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CONTROL ARMS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 176,065. THE VIN WAS INVALID.
FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHING FAILED AND STARTED LEAKING.
FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARM BUSHING FAILED AND STARTED LEAKING. I HAVE HEARD THAT MANY OTHER HONDA PILOTS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND EVEN MY HONDA MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THAT HE HAS REPAIRED MANY OF THESE AND SAID HONDA SHOULD RECALL THEM.
HUMMING/WHINING NOISE AND STEERING VIBRATION COMING FROM FRONT WHEELS WHILE DRIVING AT ALL SPEEDS.
TOOK CAR INTO DEALERSHIP FOR AIRBAG RECALL, WAS TOLD LOWER BUSHINGS LEAKING AND LOWER CONTROL ARM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DECLINED REPAIRS TO RESEARCH FURTHER. CAR SHAKES AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH. I HAVE SEEN SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL. HONDA NEEDS TO STEP UP AND REPLACE THEIR FAULTY PARTS!
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SIERRA HONDA OF SYLACAUGA (40941 US-280, SYLACAUGA, AL 35150 (256) 245-5000) REGARDING NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V03000 (AIR BAGS). THE MECHANIC NOTICED THAT THE LEFT BUSHINGS LEAKED FLUID. IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LEFT COMPLIANCE BUSHING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.
BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS FAILED, CREATED A DRONING AND RUMBLING NOISE WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS ALSO VIBRATION THROUGH THE CAR. IT WAS FELT AT ALL SPEEDS. THE DEALER REPLACED BOTH BEARINGS TO REPLACE FIX THE ISSUE AND APPEARS TO BE RESOLVED, BUT UNKNOWN IF THIS ISSUE WILL RETURN. SPOKE WITH A FRIEND THAT WITH A PILOT AND THIS ALSO HAPPENED TO HIS VEHICLE.
VEHICLE PULL TO ONE SIDE ON FLAT SURFACE. HONDA DEALER CLAIM THAT IT IS DUE TO ROAD CURVE. THEY PERFORM THE FOLLOWING: WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND TIRE ROTATION. DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. WHEN DRIVING AND HIT A BUMP, VEHICLE SHIFT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT OR RIGHT TO LEFT. THE BLAME THE TIRE IS BAD BUT THE VEHICLE IS LESS THEN 1.5 YEARS OLD. THEY PERFORM THE FOLLOWING: WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND TIRE ROTATION. DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. STEERING WHEEL IS LOOSE. I CAN TURN THE WHEEL MORE THAN 3 INCHES BEFORE THE WHEEL TURN. THEY PERFORM THE FOLLOWING: WHEEL ALIGNMENT AND TIRE ROTATION. DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. KNOCKING NOISE IN FRONT OF VEHICLE WHEN ROCKING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT AND RIGHT. DEALER APPLY GREASE. VEHICLE VIBRATION AT AROUND 40-45 MPH AND 20-25 MPH. FEEL LIKE SOMETHING WITH THE DRIVE TRAIN. THEY STATED IT WAS A COMMON PILOT ALL OF THESE ISSUE THE DEALER DISMISS BECAUSE THEY STATED IT WAS ALL IN HONDA SPECIFIC. I BELIEVE THAT FOR A VEHICLE THAT IS LESS THAN 1.5 YEARS OLD, THIS IS JUST [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
DRIVING BACK FROM ILLINOIS TO TEXAS AND STARTED TO FEEL VIBRATION WHEN THE ENGINE'S VCM WOULD ACTIVATE. I WAS GOING ABOUT 65MPH AND SLOWLY EASED OFF OF THE GAS, WHEN I SLOWLY PUSHED ON THE GAS TO SPEED UP AGAIN I FELT A VIBRATION ON THE FLOOR BOARD THAT WOULD NOT STOP UNTIL I GAVE IT MORE GAS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON EVER SINCE. EVEN YESTERDAY WHEN I DROVE TO SAN ANTONIO AND TODAY WHEN I DROVE BACK TO HOUSTON, I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP 4 TIMES IN 2013.IT HAS NOT BEEN FIXED EVEN THOUGH THE HEAD MECHANIC DID A RIDE ALONG AND AGREED THERE WAS VIBRATION. THE DEALERSHIP STATES THEY CANNOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY SAY THEY ARE WAITING ON HONDA TO GIVE THEM INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FIX IT. *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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