- #61 of 130
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honda pilot transmission
by keithmusik
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Apr 17, 2009 (12:37 pm)
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hi all, my pilot has about 74,000 and i am trying to decide what to do with it i have changed the transmission fluid twice now and each time there was metal on the drain plug magnet. Question is exactly what is causing the transmissions to fail? can someone tell me exactly what is happenning? thanks!!
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- #62 of 130
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Re: Dead Transmission on 2003 Pilot [transprob]
by aatlant
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Apr 24, 2009 (11:36 am)
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Replying to: transprob (Apr 16, 2009 9:32 am)
My 2003 Honda Pilot needs a new transmission too. When my "D" light started flashing about 5,000 miles ago the service manager at my dealer said he had no idea what it was .. okay to ignore it. Can only wonder if I had done something sooner perhaps it was not need to be totally replaced.
If anyone gets a classaction suit going count me in!
In the mean time, I have a complaint in with Honda (800 number) because I feel the dealer was negligent in diagnosing the problem. What are the key words to use that might get them to start taking all of these transmission failures seriously?
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- #63 of 130
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Re: Dead Transmission on 2003 Pilot [aatlant]
by tutemac
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Apr 26, 2009 (4:47 am)
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Replying to: aatlant (Apr 24, 2009 11:36 am)
I also have a 2003 Honda Pilot - bought new. It has always given me problems with harsh shifting between first and second – but, have been told this is normal. Two weeks ago while driving the transmission starting slipping – the “D” light is blinking and the engine light is on. The codes were pulled and it showed #P0470. I’ve always serviced my vehicle in hopes that I would get at least 200,000+ miles. We did a transmission flush and it was reported that the oil smelled like it was burned. All codes were reset and it was fine for another 25 miles, when it slipped again and set off the blinking lights. I have been told that my only option is to replace the transmission - that these models have a history of problems. I have 157,000 miles on the Pilot – all highway. Since I am the original owner and have serviced my vehicle from day one, I’m unsure as to whether I should invest $3000 and have the transmission replaced with a rebuilt one or should I just trade it in for another vehicle and take my losses? Any suggestions would be appreciated. In the meantime, I will contact Honda next week and file a complaint as well.
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- #64 of 130
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Re: Dead Transmission on 2003 Pilot [tutemac]
by baltovet
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Apr 26, 2009 (6:13 am)
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Replying to: tutemac (Apr 26, 2009 4:47 am)
My 2003 Pilot transmission went up at 138,000 miles. The dealer at the time quoted me clost to 6K to replace it. I went to an Aamco dealer instead, which was just short of 5K. However, that was a big mistake because within 15,000 miles I was back there with a bad torque converter.......went up with no warning stranding me late at night. Since then, I've had another torque converter go, and then Aamco had to replace most of the internal parts again. They finally fixed it, but it cost me anonther $1100.00. If they can replace your transmission at the dealer for 3K, that's a decent deal. I now have 209,000 miles on my Pilot. I'm aiming for 350,000 so I can save up for that Maserati Gran Turismo in a few years when the kids are done college.
If someone does get the ball rolling as far as a class action suit, I'm ready to jump on the bandwagon. I think Honda has a much larger problem with these transmissions than they want to admit to.
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- #65 of 130
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Re: Transmission problems '03 Pilot [baltovet]
by hondagirl60
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Apr 27, 2009 (9:21 am)
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Replying to: baltovet (Jan 28, 2007 9:37 pm)
I only hope you're wrong. I am new to the board and had my first problem this past weekend. My Pilot is an '04 and has about 72K miles on it. Yesterday afternoon, the D light was flashing no matter what gear I was in. I took it into the dealer this morning and they said it's a switch on the 3rd. gear......I don't know what that means, but I'm going to find out. I was also told mine was not part of the recall and I'm a little anxious now. I'm expecting this car to get at least 250 -300k miles and last at least 10 years. I have followed the maintenance schedule, only had it serviced by Honda and will be extremely dissapointed if this is the begining of a problem. My Ford Explorer didn't have any transmission issues until 135k miles. Does this sound familiar to anyone else?
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- #66 of 130
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Re: Transmission problems '03 Pilot [hondagirl60]
by aatlant
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Apr 27, 2009 (9:35 am)
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Replying to: hondagirl60 (Apr 27, 2009 9:21 am)
My Pilot is an '03 and it has been well serived by me at the Honda dealer. They also initially told me it was the 3rd switch ... changed it out about a month ago (about $300) but it continued to drive poorly ... now they say it needs an entire new transmission. I have a complaint in with the Honda 800 number ... please post what you find out and I will do the same. I had a second opionion at Aamco ... I know people don't always think they do a good job but I think the mechanic there was very honest with me. He said the swich went out because of the problem with the gear ... it was a secondary event. He said 9 out of 10 Pilots he sees have this exact problem.
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- #67 of 130
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Re: Transmission problems '03 Pilot [aatlant]
by baltovet
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Apr 27, 2009 (11:19 am)
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Replying to: aatlant (Apr 27, 2009 9:35 am)
I think when it comes to Aamco, you need to do some research.......which I did NOT do prior to having them fix my Pilot. After my fifth time there for repairs, I actually took time to check out their reputation, and ........it was far from stellar based upon customer complaints. I just ASSumed that because they are a national chain and have been in the transmission business for many years, that I would be in good hands. Now I know better. If I need any more transmission work done on my Pilot, and don't use my dealer, I will make sure the first place I go to is the Better Business Bureau. It seems that the shops that belong to the BBB do so for a reason, and they generally provide their services on a level that you can trust. Before you just THINK the mechanic was honest with you, realize that he knows a lot more than you probably do about the transmission, and if he's honest he'll give you his honest opinion. If he's not, he'll give you his best sales pitch, and you will probably not know the difference. I learned the hard way. Take my advice and check out the particular Aamco shop before you commit to anything.
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- #68 of 130
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Re: Transmission problems '03 Pilot [aatlant]
by aatlant
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Apr 28, 2009 (9:01 am)
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Replying to: aatlant (Apr 27, 2009 9:35 am)
Honda is now saying it is my torque converter that is bad ... still means a new tranmisstion ... it just seems like the story keeps changing. Anyway, now they are saying that they'll take off 25% of materials cost so the transmission will be around $3,000. I did read an article that said to call the main 800 number for Honda and ask for a "goodwill repair". Anyone done this and know what the cost is for a "goodwill" transmission?
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- #69 of 130
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Re: Transmission problems '03 Pilot [aatlant]
by baltovet
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Apr 28, 2009 (12:42 pm)
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Replying to: aatlant (Apr 28, 2009 9:01 am)
It seems there has been a recent flurry of activity on this thread. I can only assume that there are a lot of '03 Pilots just coming of age, so to speak, and likely there will be many more to follow. I do a lot of driving, and therefore reached that questionable mileage for '03 Pilot transmission failure some time ago. Just think about the hoards of Pilot owners that don't post or don't think that 120-150K is highly questionable for a transmission these days. If Honda is not going to recognize and deal appropriately with the problem, then it may be time to contact the NHTSA and see if they can force Honda do a mandatory recall.
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- #70 of 130
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2003 Pilot recall re transmission
by bigdadi118
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Apr 29, 2009 (7:31 pm)
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NHTSA Recall Campaign Number: 04V176000
Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Details: ON SOME MINI VANS, SPORT UTILITY AND PASSENGER VEHICLES, CERTAIN OPERATING CONDITIONS CAN RESULT IN HEAT BUILD-UP BETWEEN THE COUNTERSHAFT AND SECONDARY SHAFT SECOND GEARS IN THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO GEAR TOOTH CHIPPING OR GEAR BREAKAGE.
Consequence: GEAR FAILURE COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION LOCKUP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
Corrective Action: ON VEHICLES WITH 15,000 MILES OR LESS, THE DEALER WILL UPDATE THE TRANSMISSION WITH A SIMPLE REVISION TO THE OIL COOLER RETURN LINE TO INCREASE LUBRICATION TO THE SECOND GEAR. ON VEHICLES WITH MORE THAN 15,000 MILES, THE DEALER WILL INSPECT THE TRANSMISSION TO IDENTIFY GEARS THAT HAVE ALREADY EXPERIENCED DISCOLORATION DUE TO OVERHEATING. IF DISCOLORATION EXISTS, THE TRANSMISSION WILL BE REPLACED IF DISCOLORATION IS NOT PRESENT, THE DEALER WILL PERFORM THE REVISION TO THE OIL COOLER RETURN LINE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 21, 2004, FOR PILOT, ODYSSEY, AND MDX OWNERS. OWNERS OF THE ACCORD VEHICLES WILL START RECEIVING LETTERS ON JUNE 28, 2004, AND ON JUNE 29, 2004, FOR OWNERS OF THE TL AND CL VEHICLES. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT HONDA AT 1-800-999-1009 OR ACURA AT 1-800-382-2238.
Units Potentially Affected: 1099796
Recall Initiated By: MFR
Date added to NHTSA datbase: 04/20/2004
File Your complain online -NHTSA
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/
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