I had been driving for about 15 minutes when car suddenly failed to maintain speed and slowed from 45 MPH to 30-35 MPH. I could not get car to accelerate, engine was audibly strained and smoke was shortly evident from under hood. I put on my emergency flashers and pulled off the road as soon as it was safe to do so. No warning lights were illuminated. Smoke ceased when I turned the engine off. Upon exiting the car I observed a heavy stream of brown oily liquid draining from hood and additional blue oily fluid following shortly thereafter. I checked the fluid levels to find totally depleted transmission fluid and rapidly diminishing engine coolant. I called my honda dealer service dept. And was advised not to drive the car and to have it towed to the service dept. Which I did. It was determined that a hose had disconnected and the radiator would need replacement. He could offer no explanation as to what caused the problem stating it had not seen it before. Total cost: $825.00. Given the many internet complaints of this identical problem unreported to official agencies combined with those reported to honda corporate and the federal safety agency I am unconvinced that all honda dealerships are unaware of this issue. I am, however, totally convinced that serious injury or death would have resulted had I been driving on a crowded highway at 70 MPH when this hose disconnected causing an instantaneous loss of speed with impending engine failure. I am equally convinced that honda corp. Is negligent in not admitting this to be a manufacturing defect worthy of a voluntary recall and financial reimbursement to it's customers. The federal safety agency is negligent in it's lack of attention to the serious nature of this problem and failure to mandate a recall.
2005 Honda Pilot transmission complaints
Page 3 of 7: complaints 41 to 70 of 176, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I have been having problems with my transmission since I financed it in 2009. I was driving and the d would constantly flash. I took it back to the dealership and they informed me they put to much fluid in the transmission. A few months back I started hearing funny noises and when I go to make a u-turn the steering wheel will become locked and it will be hard to turn the wheel back. I thought I didn't have enough power steering fluid but once it was checked everything was full. Two days ago I am driving my car and go to turn and the car wouldn't move with the gear in drive. I had to cut it off and back on then it moved and kept stopping until I was able to park it. Once I went to go park it I put the gear in reverse and the car went forward now it don't move in any gear.
The d light is flash. So there are something warning my transmission I think my transmission is going to be fail. We know that honda, pilot 2004 had recall for this. Would you please have my 2005 recall transmission? I worry to drive it now, cause of safety reason and also the cost of repair. Since this car only 58,485 miles. It doesn't make sense the d light is flash with this miles. Please help! Thankyou
Transmission shudder between 35-40 MPH. This is a well known problem that is caused by a failing torque converter.
Tl* the contact owns 2005 honda pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle over heated and stalled without warning. The vehicle did not restart. The vehicle was towed to the contacts residence. An independent mechanic stated that the transmission pushed water into the radiator and the transmission needs to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 honda pilot. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle exhibited a reduction in power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the radiator and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.updated 06/10/14 ma 07/24/17
Transmission shudders at 35-40 MPH apparently due to faulty torque converters and transmissions installed in these vehicles. There are numerous instances of premature transmission failures documented on this vehicle. It can cause the vehicle to stop suddenly, and is a hazard. These torque converters and transmissions should be recalled.
Transmission cooler line inside radiator failed combining fluids and causing the transmission to malfunction. Loss of ability to drive/move vehicle with family in the vehicle. This is a common failure and requires a new radiator and replace / rebuild the transmission. A recommendation from honda to replace the radiator every 100,000 miles would have prevented having to replace / rebuild the transmission. Subsequent to repair, oil remains in the coolant system and has caused failure of a coolant line due to over-pressurization. The vehicle, with multiple children in it, has been stranded two more times due to coolant system failure.
Like so very many other honda pilot owners of the timeframe, I have experienced a transmission leak and failure from a radiator failure - and though honda had settled a class-action suit about these problems with a minor warranty extension... My failure, of course, happened shortly after that extension. I am out nearly $5,000 and nearly got killed when my car died because honda has failed to properly recall these transmissions. Shame on honda - and shame on you for not holding them to task even after they settled a lawsuit (with such a lame and still unsafe response).
Makes loud noise and rattling while accelerating.
Radiator failed causing the transmission fluid to mix with the coolant. My wife was stranded with my four children. We had the radiator changed and coolant and transmission fluid flushed. The transmission has not functioned properly since the problem happened.
I bought a used 05 pilot 1 year ago for my wife and boys. Vehicle started to shudder at around 30-40 MPH. I remember my mother having this same thing happen to her acura mdx and she was told she needed a whole new transmission. I looked up what was happening to our pilot and have found hundreds of other complaints dealing with this same issue! Acura even put out a service bulletin (06-003) addressing the problem of the torque converter in the transmission and stated that even if the vehicle was out of warranty owners may be eligible for a goodwill consideration to have the problem fixed free of charge. This shows that they are aware of the problem and expected to have many such complaints. Honda pilot has the same engine/transmission as it is the same company and needs to issue a recall!!! If I am expected to pay $11,000 for a used 05 pilot with 130k miles on it I should not also be expected to pay an additional $4,000 to replace the transmission less than a year later!!! If honda is proud enough of their product to charge that high amount to begin with they need to back it up with quality that matches the price!! Please issue a recall on this so people don't have to continue to throw money down the drain in this economy!
Transmission cooler line inside radiator failed combining fluids and causing the transmission to malfunction. Loss of ability to drive/move vehicle while on a rural road between cities during a snowstorm with my family in the vehicle. This is a common failure and requires a new radiator and replace / rebuild the transmission. A recommendation from honda to replace the radiator every 100,000 miles for a marginal fee(similar to the timing belt) would have prevented having to replace / rebuild the transmission.
I was driving up a hill when my vehicle started to lose power and high rpms upon acceleration. Was not able to climb hill so I pulled over and turned the car off. Restarted and made it a short distance before it stopped. I was fortunate to get out of harm's way prior to the car giving out completely.the vehicle had to be towed. A mechanic took a look at the vehicle and explained that transmission and radiator were both ruined and would both need to be replaced. He indicated that transmission fluid and radiator fluid mixed causing the malfunction and it also has caused the need for flushing of the engine. I have noticed that several other owners have made internet posts about the same problem. This issue should be under consideration for a recall by honda as it sounds like a common occurrence that is the result of a design flaw. It is potentially very dangerous as this happens with no warning and causes the vehicle to stop functioning. Obviously, this would be very dangerous if it occurs at highway speeds. Thank you in advance for your consideration.
While driving along a rural 2 lane highway with no one behind me, the transmission appeared to slip and the engine RPM went way up. The truck slowed down. This lasted 3 or 4 seconds and then went back to normal. In a few minutes, I stopped at the light entering the village of saranac lake, ny. The 2005 honda pilot stopped running. I tried to restart and nothing happened at all. I put my flashers on and opened the hood. I saw a liquid that looked like chocolate milk leaking under the engine. After it was towed to a garage, the mechanic said he thought the radiator leaked and allowed the antifreeze to mix with the transmission fluid. The truck would need a new radiator and maybe a new trans and or engine. If someone had been behind me when this happened, it could have caused an accident because it caused the vehicle to slow down and the brake lights did not come on. I read that over 1 million 2003 and 2004 honda pilots were recalled for the same problem.
Transmission cooler line inside radiator failed commingled fluids and causing transmission to malfunction. Loss of ability to drive/move vehicle while in middle of multi-lane highway.
The honda has started shuddering when between 30 - 40 MPH this is a known issue with this vehicle. The shuddering makes it very difficult to control the vehicle at times and should be considered a major safety hazard.
Had a sudden failure of the transmission cooling portion of the radiator causing a loss of power to the rear wheels while driving on the highway at 70 MPH. If this had happened on a busy freeway it would have been very dangerous. Upon doing an internet search I see that hundreds of 2005 honda pilots have suffered the same sudden failure of the exact same part causing the same condition. This usually results in damaging the transmission and costing thousands to repair. This is absolutely a safety hazard. Honda refuses to acknowledge that any problem exists. It is plainly evident that a manufacturing defect of this part exists. Any engineer who examines the data of hundreds and hundreds of accounts posted on the internet must come to the same conclusion. This is defective! This is dangerous! Owners should be partially compensated for the expense of repair. Honda should be held accountable for a knowingly defective part.
I was on a circular on-ramp to a highway. My vehicle started losing power upon acceleration so the engine revved but car slowed down. I made it off the ramp to the highway and was able to pull off to the shoulder. The car has an automatic transmission so I thought maybe it wasn't clicking into place properly but it was. I noticed a puddle of fluid. I had it towed to a mechanic who said that the transmission cooling line blew out & the radiator will have to be replaced along with the adapter because there are no threads left on the radiator to grab the connector. He said it was something that's not supposed to happen. It was a mechanical failure. I have read several posts on line on a number of web sites from owners with this same problem. Most people have also replaced their transmissions because the radiator and transmission fluids ruin both when mixed together. My car is still at the mechanics, so I don't know about the transmission yet, but the posts indicate that the car is never the same. I was lucky that I had enough juice to pull over to safety. Apparently there are no recalls from honda in spite of the numerous complaints that I've seen. Repairs are expensive & this problem seems to occur mostly within the 100,000 mile range, give or take. If I get rid of the car before or after fixing it, it would only be a problem for the next consumer & that's not really fair. I feel that honda should reimburse current owners for transmissions and radiator replacements on those cars that have had the problem and recall/repair the parts on the ones that haven't. I feel that this is an important issue because my car could have come to a complete stop on the highway and caused a serious & potentially fatal accident. Honda needs to take responsibility for this defect before someone gets hurt or killed. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 honda pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the transmission shifted gears in a jerking motion. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was advised that the computer system would need to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
There is a shuddering in the transmission that is getting worse over time. It seems to be happening around 35-40 MPH. I have changed the fluid, and spoke to numerous mechanics, and they all seem to just blow it off . Or say they never heard of it before. But while reading the forums on the internet, there are many people who are experiencing the same issue with these vehicles and similar vehicles with the same drive trains. This should be investigated for a recall of the transmission or torque converter before someone gets killed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 honda pilot. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle shuttered while accelerating. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 120,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 honda pilot. The contact stated that he noticed transmission fluid leaking from the vehicle after parking. The vehicle was towed to the mechanic for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 84,000. Updated 10/17/13
Intermittent transmission failure causing vehicle to loose acceleration at low to medium speeds. Ongoing issue after repairs have been completed. First incident at 93,000 miles and intermittent problem continues at 112,000 miles after 3 repairs. Internet search shows thousands of complaints of unsafe transmission issues on 2005 honda pilots yet honda motors refuses to admit design flaw. Acura mdx with exact same drive train as the honda pilot has been recalled for the same issues being experienced by pilot owners yet honda motors will not do a recall on this issue. This is a widespread unsafe issue with these vehicles that is oviously caused by an design flaw as honda corrected the design in the 2006 models. Honda should be made to take resonsibility for their defects.
Radiator failed, causing loss of transmission fluid, causing loss of motion. The car stopped dead in the road and could not move on its own power. From contact with other honda pilot and honda ridgeline owners, I learned that this type of failure occurs frequently at around 100,000 miles. The single radiator unit cools both the engine and the transmission fluid.
I bought the 2005 pilot ex in 2009. Brought it back to the dealer after 1 month of driving for hesitation in the transmission. Dealer couldn't find the problem. Thought this must be how it shifts. Have always noticed a slight radiator fluid smell. No one could find any leak. About 3 years later at 110,000 miles, transmission fluid and radiator fluid mixed when the radiator gave out. We were out of town and on our way home leaving us on the side of the road to be towed back into town (approx 30 miles) and had to spend an extra night until the repairs were finished. $637.00 repair for the radiator. 2 months later noticed the air conditioner not working. Took it to our local guy who said it wasn't hooked up right when they replaced the radiator. Correct hookup, pressure test and recharge air system was $186.00. A week later after explaining the radiator problem to my local repair guy we had the transmission flushed twice to try to save us from future transmission trouble. $292.00 for the transmission flush related to the radiator failure. Now a month and a half later we have a shudder between 35 and 45 MPH and a noise at about 55 MPH that sound like a piece of metal dropping off the car. Asked the local repair shop and transmission repair shop and they both said the transmission was damaged and needed to be replaced. Went with the transmission place, after reading all the similar stories of other 2005 honda pilots, the dealers will over charge and not even admit to this known issue. The stories of the same problem happening again made us go with the most competent repair shop who does this every day. So it's the fourth of july and we are without the family car today. Should be able to pick it up tomorrow with the rebuilt transmission for $3,915.00. Total bill; $5,031.00 for a failed radiator. This is wrong. Honda should acknowledge this issue and be made to recall it.
On 6/17/2013 during my daily commute to work I was driving at a normal speed of 65mph when I noticed the "d" gear light on the dashboard started to blink continuously. When I got to work I looked into my owner's manual which informed there may be a problem with the transmission and I should take the vehicle to the honda dealership. When I took the vehicle to the dealership where I mind you I just spent almost $700.00 on 6/15/2013 for suspension maintenance informed that this issue is very popular with the honda pilots and it's most likely my 4th gear pressure switch for the transmission. They then informed me that it will cost $350.00 to replace this part. When I previously looked up the part needed and how to possibly diy; I found that the part only cost between $34.00 and $40.00 and a beginner can change this part in about 45 minutes to an hour. So why is the dealership charging me $350.00 to change a part that cost $34.00 - $40.00 and an hour labor; does technician make $310.00 an hour these days?! Honda USA knows that they have a defective part on the honda pilots and refuse to conduct a recall because they rather cheat their customers than have a smaller bonus! There are articles on-line of drivers transmissions locking up because of this issue which is extremely dangerous; honda and all other automotive makers need to be held accountable for all faulty parts within their product just any other company.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 honda pilot. The contact stated that while driving 3 MPH, the temperature gauge spiked as coolant began overflowing from the radiator. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that transmission fluid was found in the radiator and radiator fluid was found in the transmission. As a result, the radiator, transmission cooler, transmission and all of the lines from the transmission would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 83,000.
Got into vehicle today. Placed car into drive and the car would not accelerate. I placed it back into park and then back to drive. It finally kicked into gear. I got on the highway and drove approximately 30 miles with no problems. I made a quick stop. When I started my car again it did the same thing. I drove about a mile and the transmission starting slipping badly. It stopped accelerating completely. I had it towed to the dealer. I was informed by the dealer that the radiator had failed and had mixed with the transmission fluid. Was told the radiator and the transmission would need to be replaced. Wake up ntsb. This has been reported consistently to you as a complaint and posted on numerous forums online. This is definitely a problem with this model and honda is not stepping up. Make them answer the complaints. Most people do not have $5000 to repair an 8 year old car.
As soon as I stopped in front of my house, I saw fluid pouring from the front right engine area.fortunately for me, the problem occurred at that moment. There were no symptoms of, or dash board alerts previous to that.( and nothing on the street) the car was towed on a flatbed to my service center,which is a certified honda service center.. Apparently there was a line failure that allowed antifreeze and transmission fluid to mix and go into the transmission. The radiator was replaced and coolant flushed. The transmission was flushed 6 times with 28 quarts of transmission fluid and after driving 16 miles I am aware that the tranny is compromised and am going back to flush again. My service man made it clear that there is no guarantee on the transmission. I am a woman who maintains her car diligently and could not have done anything to prevent this catastrophic failure and upon researching the problem, find other honda owners experiencing the same thing. It is up to honda to step up and recognize a design/product flaw and perhaps recall others before it happens to them. I sincerely hope honda realizes that this is an opportunity to do the right thing and fix the problem.
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