The drivers seat has been so hot that it feels like it can burn your skin. Today on the way to work my daughter said she smelled something burning. She looked down on her seat and it was smoking and burned the leather. The seat was actually catching on fire. I have looked this up and see numerous complaints on this and people have reported this to you. I don't see what you are reporting no complaints or recalls. We were on the highway when the incident happened.
2004 Honda Pilot: fire, smoke or burning smell
13 of the 544 complaints about the 2004 Honda Pilot describe fire, smoke or burning smell.
- owner complaints
- 13
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 109,810
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 32 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year
What owners say
While driving to work this morning (cold morning, on city street) I turned my driver seat heater on high. The driver side seat heater was on for about 20 minutes when suddenly the back became very hot. It started to smell and my back was slightly scalded before I realized what was happening. I quickly turned my seat heater off and soon after turned my car off to investigate. The back portion of the seat (middle spot) was still very hot to touch and remained that way for at least 15 minutes in 35 degree weather! My car and especially the driver side seat has a burnt rubber odor. I truly feel that if I had not turned my seat heater off when I did, that it would have caught fire with me driving! No I'm afraid to utilize the seat heater. Honda needs to do something about this via replacement of faulty wiring or element before something more serious happens to someone!
I was driving in the highway then my car wouldn't go fast when I stop to se what happen there was smoke coming out of my engine took it to mechanic he told me it was a transmission problem we goggle around before trying to fix it and it says thus type of situation is been recall already.
Driver's side seat has felt extremely hot in the last few times that I used seat heater. Pulled into work and as I started to exit smoke was coming out of the seat. Never caught fire as I immediately turned off the switch and pounded the seat cushion.
The right side of the driver's seat suddenly became very hot when the seat heater was turned on. It got so hot that I could feel it burning my skin through my jeans. After I turned it off there was a slightly acrid burning smell in the car.
While warming up car in driveway, I had turned on the seat heaters to both front seats and went inside. When I came out to leave about 5 minutes later, the drivers seat was smoking and melting the top of the seat cushion. It was on fire. I quickly shut off the heat to the seat and smothered the smoking/melting seat.
My wife and I were driving on christmas eve (december 24, 2012) to a destination about 65 miles away. I had the driver's seat heater on the high position, as it is quite cold in this part of the country. Along the way, I noticed that my right buttocks was getting extremely hot, almost to the point of burning, before I turned off the seat heater. It was dark when we reached our destination, and it wasn't until two days later when we returned home, that I saw a scorched hole about 1.5 inches long and 0.5 inches wide in the leather driver's seat. Reaching my finger down into the hole revealed a lot of crumbling black ashes. Although we didn't experience an actual fire, it's quite apparent that there is a fire safety problem with the 2004 honda pilot driver's heated seat. If we had left the car running and unattended with no one sitting on the seat (allowing oxygen into the seat), I suspect the seat would have eventually erupted in flames. It was very, very hot.
The driver's heated seat got so hot it melted the foam backing causing a horrible smell. The heated seat was turned off or it is possible it would have caught on fire. The seat heated still works but gets much too hot.
Drivers heated seat caught the seat on fire.
2004 honda pilot; drivers side seat heater catches on fire; fuse never blown.
The heated seat in my 2004 honda pilot became uncomfortably hot whenever I used it for about one week. Eventually it came to a point where the seat became so hot that I could not use the heated seat anymore. At this point the seat now refuses to turn on, most likely because of a blown fuse from the problem. My biggest concern is that the seat felt like it could catch on fire.
Seat heater in the driver's seat of my 2004 honda pilot gets very hot and I can smell something burning when turned on.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Servicenews article
- Tech line summary article
- Tech line summary article
- Honda service campaign: warranty extension: opds unit or opds sensor triggers SRS
- Honda: warranty extension-vehicle warranty mileage
- SRS light & diagnostic trouble code 81-64
- Speedometer shops CAN transfer odometer mileage
- Alternator condition ( no or low output)
Related recalls
Electrical system: ignition: switch
- What is wrong
- Honda is recalling certain model year 2003 and 2004 Pilot and Odyssey and 2003 through 2006 Acura MDX passenger vehicles manufactured from November 26, 2001, through August 30, 2006. The interlock lever of the ignition switch may deform, which can allow the interlock function of a vehicle with an automatic transmission to be defeated.
- Risk
- Removal of the ignition key when the gear selector of a vehicle with an automatic transmission has not been shifted to the park position can allow the vehicle to roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda or Acura dealer. The dealer will install an updated shift interlock lever and, if necessary, replace any necessary part of the ignition switch, free of charge. The recall began on February 22, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1‑800‑999‑1009.
Recall number 12V573000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2004 Honda Pilot fire or smoke
Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 2004 Honda Pilot?
13 of 544 owner complaints about the 2004 Honda Pilot (2%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 2016.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 Honda Pilot?
There is 1 recall and 32 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2004 Honda Pilot
Shudder 41Airbag light 27Transmission failure 24Check engine light 14Slipping 12Grinding brakes 10Headlights 10Door locks 9Jerking 9Harsh shifting 8Stalling 8Water leak 7No deployment 5Seat belt 5Sudden acceleration 5Won't start 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2004 Honda Pilot?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history