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2005 Honda Pilot Shudders

68 messages,  Last post on Apr 26, 2013 at 6:02 AM

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What is this discussion about? Honda Pilot, SUV

Messages Page 1 of 7

#1 of 68 2005 Honda Pilot Shudders by rusty4532

May 09, 2008 (6:11 am)

My 2005 Pilot Shudders in the speed range of about 35-40 mph, with light pressure on the gas peddle. I seem to feel a Shiver at higher speeds but this may be from tire balance. The dealer said the Shudder was due to the EGR valve being carboned up. I replaced with a honda part however it's still happening. Anyone experienced this problem and what did you do to fix it?

#2 of 68 Re: 2005 Honda Pilot Shudders [rusty4532] by narek

May 09, 2008 (9:01 am)

Replying to: rusty4532 (May 09, 2008 6:11 am)
I had the same problem in my '04 Pilot after a crappy tire rotation and balance job at my Honda dealer. On the way home at 50-55mph it shuddered so hard the steering wheel literally shook my arms.
 
I took it right back. They told me their tire balancer was not calibrated properly and they attempted to fix it. Once back on the highway it was improved, but not gone. I drove it that way until I replaced the tires. Shudder is gone completely now.
 
Never did go back to that dealer again.

#3 of 68 Re: 2005 Honda Pilot Shudders [rusty4532] by tobren

Jul 28, 2008 (6:49 am)

Replying to: rusty4532 (May 09, 2008 6:11 am)
The exact same thing happens to us with out 2005 Honda Pilot, light pressure on the gas peddle and a noticeable shudder in the 35-45 mph range. Took the vehicle in for its regular maintenance this morning and got the same response from the tech, "clean the fuel injectors and may be the EGR valve." The problem is definitely not a tire, brake rotor, brake caliper, etc. issue, but is in the drive train in one fashion or another.
 
Any luck since your post?

#4 of 68 Re: 2005 Honda Pilot Shudders [rusty4532] by tobren

Jul 31, 2008 (9:53 am)

Replying to: rusty4532 (May 09, 2008 6:11 am)
Got the word from the dealer this morning as to what was causing the shuddering in our vehicle. After ruling out the EGR valve (4 technicians swore that was the problem) the California tech center had them look at the transmission. Could have been either the tranny or a solenoid valve that works with an internal clutch unit. After checking the solenoid valve carefully they have determined it is the transmission. New unit is supposed to be installed most likely next week. Glad we have the extended warranty. The vehicle is only 3 years old with 76k miles. Funny thing it have been doing this since we bought the car new.
 
The other funny thing is that we bought the car new from a fairly large dealer in our town, financed it through them and bought the extended warranty at the same time. Come to find out the warranty is maintained through a third party. Honda says the vehicle needs a new transmission, but the third party warranty group is sending out an inspector tomorrow to verify everything. I don't remember hearing about this when we bought the vehicle. Thought anyone reading this might like to know.

#5 of 68 Re: 2005 Honda Pilot Shudders [tobren] by schann5

Jan 05, 2010 (11:35 am)

Replying to: tobren (Jul 31, 2008 9:53 am)
sounds like i am having the same symptoms.
what was the final outcome of this situation? did you replace the transmission? did is solve the problem? how much did this cost you...the dealer?
 
i have over 125k miles and not sure what options i have... any recommendations?
 
thanks.

#6 of 68 Re: 2005 Honda Pilot Shudders [schann5] by tobren

Jan 05, 2010 (1:37 pm)

Replying to: schann5 (Jan 05, 2010 11:35 am)
schann,
 
I my case it was the transmission. Fortunately we had an exteneded warranty and it was covered. Problem was completely corrected after the new tranny was put in. It seems I started hearing about other folks have transmission problems with their Pilots. I don't recall teh exact cost, but I believe it was in the $3K or $3.5K range from the dealer.
 
Wish I had better news.

#7 of 68 Vibration/Griding @ 35 to 40 mph by kpsmith999

Jun 26, 2010 (8:05 am)

Pilot and MDX are basically the same car. Apparently this problem occurs with both vehicles. Starting around 30,000 miles, I began to notice a vibration/grinding noise while accelerating through 35 to 40 mph. The noise would last for 10 to 15 seconds and then stop. I took my MDX into my Acura dealer at 35,000 miles while it was under warranty and they said they could not reproduce the problem. The problem continued to worsen however I was now out of warranty. I did some research on the internet and found 14 reports of the exact same problem on the NHTSA (www.hntsa.gov). Out of 30 total complaints, 14 were this specific transmission problem. I also found a 2004 MDX service bulletin (#6003; NHTSA # 10022468) that states "Torque converter shudder or vibration between 35 and 40 mph". I presented this info to the Acura dealer and they acknowledged the problem and agreed to pay for 75% of the torque converter replacement (the care is 6 years old and has 45,000 miles). Why hasn't someone started a class action law suit regarding this problem given the significant amount of data pointing to a general problem?

#8 of 68 2005 pilot by hww007

Jun 30, 2010 (1:12 pm)

What is a 4th pressure switch on the outside of the trans.

#9 of 68 Update - Vibration/Griding @ 35-40 mph by kpsmith999

Jul 13, 2010 (9:16 am)

Just picked up my 2005 MDX (same transmission as Honda Pilot) from dealer after replacing the torque converter. It appears that the vibration/grinding between 35-40 mph has now been eliminated. For background, I reported this problem in March 2009, a couple of months prior to the expiration of my warranty. The service tech stated that he/she could not reproduce the noise I was hearing. Over a year later, the noise was now continuous. I took the vehicle in and this time the service tech could hear the noise. I was told that the vehicle was out of warranty (45,000 miles, but over 60 months) and that it would cost $2,000 to $3,000 to fix the problem. I opened up a case file with Honda America. After several calls, I was offered a repair for $500. I continued to complain and mentioned that I had uncovered over 100 complaints for the exact same issue. The Honda rep. still would not budge on the $500 cost to me. Finally, I mentioned that I might pursue a "class action suit". He said he would speak to the district supervisor. Miraculously, he came back and said that Honda America could cover 100% of the repair. I would suggest that anyone battling this issue out with Honda America mention "class action suit". There attitude seems to change quite significantly! Good luck!

#10 of 68 Re: Vibration/Griding @ 35 to 40 mph [kpsmith999] by jtray

Jul 13, 2010 (2:45 pm)

Replying to: kpsmith999 (Jun 26, 2010 8:05 am)
Thanks for sharing your experience! My 2003 Pilot has exhibited the same symptoms for months and finally I may be able to afford having the problem resolved.

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