The contact owns a 2004 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the transmission was shifted into drive(D) and the vehicle shuddered. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 04V176000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the transmission fluid was flushed 3 times; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the failure recurred while the vehicle is shifted into drive(D) and D3. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
2004 Honda Pilot: shudder or vibration when accelerating
41 of the 544 complaints about the 2004 Honda Pilot describe shudder or vibration when accelerating.
- owner complaints
- 41
- of this car's complaints
- 8%
- typical repair cost reported
- $4,000
- typical mileage
- 105,922
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 29 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Shudder or vibration when accelerating by model year
What owners say
Seems to shudder .. Light acceleration shudders, leaves then comes back again .
Intense shudder emanating from underneath the car causing the whole car to shake. Typically occurs between 20-30 MPH during slight acceleration. Abates somewhat if take foot off of accelerator. From my reading, this appears to be a very common issue involving the torque converter.
Torque converters get stuck and causes vehicle to "shudder" or vibrate quite badly in the 40-50 MPH range.
At approximately 146,000 miles light in the 'd' drive gear on the dash board began flashing. Took it in for repairs and was told the transmission was shuddering 35 MPH - 40 MPH when it was test driven. Looked into the issue and was told the the transmission would need to be replaced (faulty), immediately.
I have a 2004 honda pilot with roughly 174,000 miles on it. It has been well cared for and the engine seems to run great. I acquired the car about a month ago and upon driving it I noticed a faint shuddering between gears upon acceleration from 2-50 MPH. The weeks went on and it is now very scary to drive it shudders terribly while accelerating and decelerating from 2-50 MPH. It feels as if the vehicle is going to just stall or possibly lock up and crash off the road I have an infant son and im afraid to have him in the vehicle. The car was bought outright from a certified honda dealership for over 10,000 $ a few years back,. And like I said the car is barely drivable the steering is very unpredictable and wild it is unresponsive at times when im turning the steering wheel the car continues to go straight. The noise from the front differential area along with the brakes are so loud when going down hill that they can be heard over the radio on level 24-27. I can feel the constant vibration and upset in the front end so bad while driving that I have to mute the radio at times to make sure the vehicle isn't scraping and sparking along due to a transmission lock up cause it just feels like something is terribly wrong. I m too afraid to even go on the freeway unless absolutely necessary because im afraid of being injured or killed by this all too common problem I've been reading about. This fact is very troublesome because I live where the only way to get anywhere is to go on the freeway so I don't know what im going to do. With the amount of complaints on this exact issue im surprised there is no law suit... I am going to try to see what I can do to get one started... If your product has been proven defective like this obviously has then honda really needs to own up its not fair how much money we all lose by purchasing this pos for the high resale prices we pay!!!
Intermittent, audible vibration/shudder between 35-50 MPH while accelerating. Dealer inspection believes it's the torque converter.
While driving around 30-50 miles an hour my vehicle has been making a shuddering noise with a vibration and while this is happening the rpms with move up and down with as the shuddering progresses. It seems as though this is a common problem with the year and make of the vehicle. I have taken it to the dealership to verify that I need to have my torch converter replaced and it will cost around $1700.00 to fix it. I'm concerned for the safety of my vehicle as it could cause the whole transmission to go out.
Yesterday my honda pilot started acting irregular as I was pulling into a controlled intersection turning left. My pilot would not accelerate as normal and left me stranded in middle of intersection as oncoming traffic approached. Traffic did slow down and I shifted into 2nd gear, and that allowed my to move through safely through the intersection. No accident, just a angry young man shaking his hand and screaming through his windshield. I called honda and open a case # this morning. Interestingly, I call honda and opened up a case in 2010, with shuddering and vibration problems at 50-55 MPH. I bought new tires (only 34k on bridgestones), changed differential fluid ,vtm-4, egr value, even had drive shaft inspected for vibration, anything that was suggested to me. Nothing fixed issue, spoke with several other pilot owner (2003-2004) and they suggested it was normal operation and theirs does that too. Only item left in my mind was torque converter. Ask honda for help. Gave me the 3yrs/36,000 mile speech. Now the "d" indication light flashes green. Indicating a transmission problem. Taking to dealer this morning to inspect. Being very careful at stop and go lights.
Vehicle shudders at 45 MPH, making a "whoosh' sound and slowing abruptly, if briefly.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 honda pilot. The contact stated that while driving 20 to 40 MPH the front of the vehicle shudders violently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer multiple times but they were not able to diagnose the problem. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty and advised the contact to take the vehicle back to the dealer. The failure mileage was 125,000.
I have noticed when my pilot gets below 50 MPH it gets a shuddering to it (not always but most times driving in the city), almost like its driving over a washboard. During a visit to the dealership I talked to another honda pilot owner who was experiencing the same thing but the dealership could not tell her what the issue was. So after more investigating she took it to a non-honda repair person who told her the problem lies with the torque converter and to use a product called shudder fix. My question is if honda is having these complaints why are they not fixing this issue and still selling these vehicles with this problem? I love my honda other than that, but feel this is a defect in the workmanship.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Case v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Case No. BC 424169 (Third Clutch Transmission Settlement
- Noise and judder from the rear when turning
- Pilot- knowngood PCM swap with sidewinder key
- Replacing a canon A75 digital camera to take inspection photos for s/b 04-021, safety recall: a/t 2ND gear...
- Automatic transmission fluid (ATF) leaks
- Hissing between 30 and 50 mph
- Safety recall: automatic transmission second gear inspection
- Buzzing or clicking noise on hard acceleration
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- 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.
Recall number 04V176000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2004 Honda Pilot shudder
Is shudder or vibration when accelerating a common problem on the 2004 Honda Pilot?
41 of 544 owner complaints about the 2004 Honda Pilot (8%) mention shudder or vibration when accelerating. The model year with the most reports is 2005.
How much does it cost to fix shudder or vibration when accelerating on the 2004 Honda Pilot?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,000 (median of 8 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2004 Honda Pilot?
There is 1 recall and 29 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2004 Honda Pilot
Airbag light 27Transmission failure 24Check engine light 14Fire or smoke 13Slipping 12Grinding brakes 10Headlights 10Door locks 9Jerking 9Harsh shifting 8Stalling 8Water leak 7No deployment 5Seat belt 5Sudden acceleration 5Won't start 5
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