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Honda Pilot Maintenance and Repair

3426 messages,  Last post on Apr 20, 2013 at 5:53 PM

You are in the Honda Pilot Forum.

What is this discussion about? Honda Pilot, Electrical, Engine, Steering, SUV

    
 
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Messages Page 339 of 343

#3379 of 3426 Re: Bumpy Ride on 2007 Honda Pilot [danfortune] - REPLY by walk_the_walk2

Dec 26, 2011 (6:53 pm)

Replying to: danfortune (Dec 26, 2011 2:52 pm)
I can't see how it could be just the tires... I have a 2011 Honda Pilot AWD with 26K miles on it and drive it a lot on steep gravel roads in the Smoky Mtns. My vehicle came with Goodyear Integra HLs on it... but regardless, I have not experienced this, and this sounds more like a shock absorber issue to me.
 
Previous to the Pilot purchase, I suffered with ride issues for years with an Isuzu Axiom SUV, and the entire problem boiled down to the OEM shock absorbers and the Intelligent control system attached to them. I ended up ripping all that crap out and putting in some Monroe Sensatracs and was happy, after years of having a crappy ride, no matter what kind of tire was installed on the SUV. Other Axiom owners used Biltsteins or other high end shock absorbers for the same reason, and there are many postings about this on the Edmunds Axiom forum...
 
The bottom line is it's all about the shock absorbers IMHO, unless there is some mechanical problem with your vehicle.

#3380 of 3426 Lights by odie6l

Dec 28, 2011 (5:21 pm)

I was toying with the idea of upgrading my pilots ("The Beast") low beams to HID's after one of the standard bulbs finally blew I ended up going with a higher power (6000k) Silverstar Ultra's over the Standard Halogens (3100k). I didn't want to go the HID route after a friend warned me I wouldn't be able to submerge with them in due to the power module. The new lights are out of this world better. Anyone looking for alot better vision at night check them out.
 
Odie

#3381 of 3426 Re: Spark Plugs [jak9] by obrien040362

Feb 01, 2012 (11:00 am)

Replying to: jak9 (Oct 26, 2011 11:56 am)
Had same problem on my 05 Pilot with 86,000. Repair was $6500

#3382 of 3426 Car doesn't always start.... by jeng3

Apr 13, 2012 (12:28 pm)

I have 2001 Pilot and ever since we bought it we have had issues with the car not starting...sometimes. I have taken it in numerous times, but they can't recreate the issue. I have noticed that the green key light comes on when it won't start so I think it doesn't recognize the keys. One time I tried all three keys and none of them worked. If you wait a few minutes (one time 20 minutes) it eventually started. Any ideas on how to tell the dealership what is wrong? or how to recreate it?

#3383 of 3426 Re: Car doesn't always start.... [jeng3] by jeng3

Apr 13, 2012 (12:34 pm)

Replying to: jeng3 (Apr 13, 2012 12:28 pm)
Sorry that should have said 2011 Honda Pilot

#3384 of 3426 Re: No "beep" when locking doors... [dad23] by matt151

May 10, 2012 (2:29 am)

Replying to: dad23 (Oct 31, 2011 6:19 pm)
make sure the back window is shut all the way. I had the same problem, and when I checked out the hinge the previous guys were talking about, and re-shut the window, the beep came back.

#3385 of 3426 What repairs do I expect at 40k? by verybeeg

Jun 29, 2012 (11:04 am)

I own a 2009 Honda Pilot EXL. The car has 40,000 miles. I purchased the extended warranty that'll cover me for another 3 years. I am debating whether to trade it in or keep the car. Can anyone tell me what I should expect to replace, out-of-pocket, in the next 3 years?
 
So far, I already replaced all 4 tires (at $800, ouch). The front rotors and brake pads have to be replaced, but I haven't done that yet, and was quoted $450-$550. I probably need to replace the rear ones soon too. Besides these, what else do I expect that are not covered under warranty?
 
By my calculation, the difference between keeping this 2009 vs. purchasing a new 2012 Pilot is $7,000. This means, if I don't spend another dime on repairing the 2009, I'm $7,000 better off with my old car. But if the total repair cost in the next 3 years exceeds $7000, then I'm better of buying a new car (of course, factoring in my time at the shop.)

#3386 of 3426 Re: What repairs do I expect at 40k? [verybeeg] by caycec

Jun 29, 2012 (11:25 am)

Replying to: verybeeg (Jun 29, 2012 11:04 am)
You never come out better buying new. At 40K miles, you are just now overcoming all the fee's the dealer charged you to purchase this one new. So you spend a $800 on brakes? That 1.3 car payments on a new pilot. You most likely will not have to spend another dime Till 100k Miles if you bought good tires. At that point you might look at the timing belt. Then your good for another 100K. I have an 05 Pilot with 167 K. I spend almost 0 a year on repairs. And I have a Element with 196K. Same there.

#3387 of 3426 Re: What repairs do I expect at 40k? [verybeeg] by walk_the_walk2

Jun 29, 2012 (11:42 am)

Replying to: verybeeg (Jun 29, 2012 11:04 am)
Hi verybeeg: I own an Honda Pilot 2011 4WD along with the 100,000 mile warranty. I have about 35K on mine so far, including some towing and steep mountainous gravel road travel, as well as lots of interstate travel.
 
As to your question, you did not say if you wanted to trade in on another Honda Pilot, or a different vehicle, which makes a big difference in the answer. I say that because Honda is offering 0.9% financing on the 2012 Honda Pilot for up to 60 months right now, which is a FANTASTIC deal if you can find a dealer that is offering a decent price on the new 2012 Pilots, as well as a good trade in, or if YOU are a great haggler. Anyway, as you no doubt realize, 0.9% is like getting a loan from the Federal Reserve! Also, they are offering 0.9%>1.9% on Ridgelines, which if I had to do over, I might have bought instead of my Pilot, since I treat mine like a pickup anyway.
 
While there are a lot of things about the Pilot that I really dislike, it does have a lot going for it: good mileage for its size (I get 18-21 mpg), roominess, safety, resale, appearance, sturdiness, and towing capacity, to name a few. If those matter to you, then you may want to stick with what you have and save the $7K
 
Back to your question: what repair costs to expect? If you have the same extended warranty that I do, then you should only be paying for wear and tear items, not warranty problems. I have had mine to the dealer for failure of the left front transaxle seal, which would have cost me $700, but cost me nothing! Also, a minor trim problem with the body that they took care of.
 
To save bucks, I learned how to do my own fluid changes. So, I do my own oil changes, differential fluid changes, transmission fluid changes and so on. For the last two you have to buy pricey Honda fluids only. But, it was not that hard to do, and there were video tutorials online. So, I have changed my tranny fluid and the differential fluid recently. Both had magnetic drain plugs and both had some tiny metal particles attached to them and both fluids needed to be changed. So, if you are not willing or able to do this yourself, you should pay someone to do it for you, probably the dealer, since the tranny and rear end differential REQUIRE Honda fluids. Put another way, don't go to Iffy Lube to get it done, or you will void your warranty by using non-Honda fluids.
 
If you had a mechanic buddy, with an air compressor and air ratchets, and the know how, you could change the front rotors and brake pads yourself, but it is a difficult repair if you have not done it before. I would also point out that you can get this done at any competent mechanic, not just the dealership, so a Firestone or reputable tire place could do this for you instead, perhaps at a lower price. You should shop this one around.
 
One odd thing is that it seems premature to be replacing rotors. Are they warped? If so, why didn't the Honda warranty cover that if it is premature? Your Honda rotors should not warp, and if they have - your dealer should be forwarding your request for assistance to the regional Honda office if your warranty doesn't cover this! IMHO the warranty should, because the rotors should NOT warp. If they are just worn and not warped, rotors can be turned and reinstalled, (as you may know) and you can get another 40K miles out of them. So, this task warrants a 2nd opinion IMO.
 
Last, but not least, i would say that just because you are replacing the front rotors, it doesnt mean you have to replace the rear ones. In fact the rear brakes get a lot less wear than the front. Quick stopping causes the problems with the front disc brakes, as the weight of the vehicle is transmitted to the front.
 
So, unless some mechanic has told you otherwise, (and I would question whether the dealership is setting you up if this IS the case), then you should not need rear disc rotors replaced. Pads at the most, and I am even dubious about that.
 
IMHO, it's too early to do the trade-in, because of the loss of value you mentioned. But, if you do, it's a great time to do it! Also, if you keep it, do the tranny fluid and diff. fluid changes, which are the two big ticket repair items, and are inexpensive maintenance tasks. Use synthetic oil in the engine at all changes and change it when prompted or on time, and you should not have that many problems. Or only minor ones that the warranty should cover anyway.
 
Hope that helps.

#3388 of 3426 2010 Honda Pilot FWD, EX-L Rattle by jamie1983

Jul 04, 2012 (6:58 am)

I have a 2010 honda pilot, I recently noticed some rattling/something loose in the left front. I saw there was a recall on the 2011 due to some issue with the front suspension, has anyone had this problem with a 2010? I am going to take it to get looked at on Thursday. I hope it's just something loose and can be tightened and nothing major.

Messages Page 339 of 343

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