Accelerator pedal is depressed and there is no response from the motor for almost 2 seconds. This happens at slow speeds and also when slowing down on the freeway ( slow driver ahead ) then pressing the accelerator pedal to the floor to pass and again, no response from the motor for several seconds. This is very intermittent and I have not yet been able to duplicate it on demand. I have been driving for almost 50 years and have never experienced this type of problem. It can be a bit scary.
2013 Honda Pilot engine complaints
Page 3 of 4: complaints 41 to 70 of 85, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Ever since purchased new, the engine hesitates at 10 MPH when accelerating. I have taken it to the dealer repeatedly, but they do not give me any reason for why this is happening. It happens periodically about two to three times a week. Presently vehicle has 15,000 miles on it. This is dangerous as I might be changing lanes, accelerating forward, or turning a corner, when the vehicle hesitates. I have also reported this to american honda, with no explanation given by them either.
My honda pilot vibrates and hums when the eco light comes on. I notice it at lower speeds and rpms, not sure if it is transmission or engine, mentioned to my service tech but they could not find and issue.
Our honda 2013 pilot has had this problem since we purchased it new. There is an engine noise that sounds like metal vibrating/flapping. It usually occurs when driving between 40-60 miles per hour, but not always. It seems to happen when driving up a hill or turning. Although it also occurs when driving on a flat surface during acceleration. We brought it into the dealer service station twice. The first time they did not hear it, but neither could we. During the second visit. The maintenance supervisor said he barely heard the sound- it was faint. They offered no explanation, but said to bring it in when it is louder. I'm concerned that they won't hear it until our 36 month warranty expires! I've read one other complaint about this noise and see no recalls. Does anyone else have this problem with their 2wd 2013 honda pilot?
Turned on the car and backed out of my driveway, which is sloped so it does not require any acceleration. Shifted into gear on the street and began to roll forward. Applied pressure to the accelerator and noticed that the car was not responding at all - engine was not revving, car was not moving forward despite flooring the gas pedal. Stopped and shifted into reverse and had the same problem. Simultaneously, several warning lights appeared including vehicle stability control among others. Eventually had to leave the car disabled on the side of the road and have it towed to a local honda dealer, where they were unable to replicate the problem. After 3 days, they "reset all the computers" and told me the car was fixed. Same problem occurred 2.5 wks later. Again, dealer could not replicate the problem. However, they replaced the "box" which the accelerator connects to and told me the problem should be fixed. 3 days after returning the car to me, the same incident occurred a 3rd time. This time the vehicle fluids were also overheating. I left the car running until a honda technician could come and take a look and see the problem in action. Unfortunately, he shut the car off upon arrival and then was not able to recreate the problem. Honda has now had my vehicle for 8 days with no progress. Their only suggestion is to uninstall the remote starter which came with the car when I purchased it new. They have no evidence that the remote starter is causing the problem and have not offered to compensate me in any way for its removal. Car is only 1.5 yrs old. *tr updated 12/22/2015
This has happened several times: car is a stopped or slowly rolling and you step on the gas to get into traffic floor to the floor and the car doesn't move. The newest incident today is the car was in motion going approximately 10 MPH when it completely died. All power lost, could not steer and had to pump the brake several times to stop. Dealership says verbally over phone no open recalls on car and unless they can recreate, they probably can't fix anything. I am going to get killed with my baby in this car.
When trying to accelerate at low speeds or from a stop, there is a 2-5 second hesitation and then a surge. This has happened several times a week since we bought the vehicle. The scariest part is that it is unpredictable. It is especially dangerous when entering busy traffic, which we have a lot of. We have complained to the dealer every time we have taken the vehicle in for regular maintenance. Of course they say they can't make it fail when they test drive it.
Intermittently when starting to drive after being stopped at light or stop sign the engine will hesitate and bog down for a few seconds before it "kicks in" and then there is a "surge of power". This is very annoying and also very dangerous as someone could easily get rear-ended or worse yet get caught in the intersection in oncoming traffic. There is also vibration and shutter at certain speeds and seems to be worst when eco mode kicks in and when driving conservatively. There is also a pull in the steering upon acceleration.
Sometimes when starting out and making left or right hand turn after being stopped at a stop light or stop sign, the engine will hesitate and bog down for a few seconds before it "kicks in" and then there is a "surge of power". This is very annoying at the least and also very dangerous as one could easily get rearended or worse yet get caught in the intersection in oncoming traffic.
Cracked or damaged piston ring or rings...spark plug damaged...."in my opinion"the engine will never be reliable, it will never be right...at 12,000 miles....
Vehicle hesitates/ and shakes at 45 and 60 MPH, very scary. Took car to dealership in bluffton sc march 2014 and may 2014. Dealership could not reproduce problem.
Tl * the contact owns a 2013 honda pilot. The contact stated that while waiting at a traffic light, there was a sudden increase in engine rpms as the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician was unable diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 1,200.
June 2013 - (3 mos old) car consistently misfires right before eco light comes, stalls. Requested to have this feature turned off but per dealer this cannot happen. Told me this was normal could not "duplicate" problem. Second time (january 2014) check engine light came on car lost power then turned itself off. Once it stated again took directly into dealer. They were not able to "duplicate" problem and car does not store problem code. Kept for 5 days updated software. Car still is not 100% still feel misfire prior to eco light coming on. 3rd time taking car in april 2014 check engine light flashing loss power. Pulled to side turned off car. Within 1/2 hr had car back to dealer. Could not duplicate problem. The car did not store problem code. Without the codes it is my word against there's. This dangerous not knowing if car will decide to stall. Barely 13 mos old.
While driving in florida and louisiana, I noticed a low-frequency buzzing sound and vibration which could be felt through the steering wheel and floorpan. I believe it is associated with the variable cylinder management (vcm) feature. It could be felt when the vcm transitioned from 6 to 4 cylinder mode, with the RPM of 1700-1900 and speeds of approximately 25, 45 and 60 MPH. It would occur with very light accelerator pressure, just maintaining speed, and disappear when accelerator pressure was increased, causing it to downshift and/or the vcm to transition back to 6 cylinder mode. This problem is less evident here in colorado springs (6000 ft elevation), which I cannot explain. I did not have this problem with a 2008 pilot nor a 2008 odyssey, both of which had a similar vcm feature. My local honda tech could "not duplicate" my concern and said it was "operating normally". The transmission also "hunts" between 4th and 5th gear.
75% of the time the vehicle is in eco mode the entire vehicle vibrates and shudders. The effect varies from annoying to severe. It happens at all speeds. These are the same conditions that have been stated by numerous owners. I expect major pre-mature damage to the engine and drive train. Honda refuses to admit to the defect and has no fix for the defect. Ridiculous!!!!!!!!!
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 honda pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH and attempting to enter a parking garage, the vehicle jerked violently and crashed into a concrete barrier. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 16000.
The vcm (variable cylinder management) system causes jerking and vibrations, periodically, during the change from "eco" mode to full cylinder operation. I had the service manager drive with me and on that trip, the problem could not be duplicated. The sales and service manager said that they had never heard of that being a problem. I now see that honda has had this problem for several years. The company refuses to acknowledge and fix the obvious problem.
Engine vibration in eco mode. It has grown steadily worse since new. This is completely unacceptable for a well engineered vehicle.
I have had this pilot for a year and its performance has been going downhill. When the eco engages, the car starts to shudder and sound like it is going to stall. I need to press on the gas to get the car going again. This happens at any MPH as it occurs when the eco light turns on. The dealership is aware of this issue and states its a flaw of the 2013 pilot and cannot be fixed. They also call it normal. I do not feel safe in this vehicle and I do not consider it normal for the car I am driving to sound like it is going to turn off. Piazza honda of limerick states they can hook this car up to a computer to ensure that there is no problem but told me over the phone that it was a know issue, basically telling me I am wasting my time. This issue should be fixed, or recalled as it is unsafe.
Ever since I pulled off the new car lot,,,,, vehicle has vibration at 1500 to 2000 RPM. It is slight but vibrates throughout vehicle. Annoying is the perfect description. Goes away with slight acceleration. Seems to be related to eco being in operation. I see same complaint in other posts. I believe it is a rookie design flaw in power train. A $40,000 vehicle should be without this defect. I also own a 2010 pilot that operates without any vibration at any speed or load upon engine/drivetrain. This is my second "honda" company vehicle. I wish I had the 1st one back. You can imagine my frustration with my 2013 honda pilot. Honda..... Can you own up to this flaw and fix?
When slowing down to make a left turn, as I start the turn the engine hesitates and there is no response. The car seems to have no power and coasts 4 or 5 seconds before responding normally. This is very dangerous in high traffic conditions. This problem has also occasionally occurred starting off from a traffic signal, and making right turns.
Everytime I reached a certain speed then try to maintain it by slightly pressing on the gas, the engine starts to shudder/vibrate. It is really annoying and it concern me a lot. The issue happens in different speed. I brought this complain to the dealership but they said that everything is working normal with the car. So, I just get a long with it. Then after a few more months, the vibration is getting worse and it is getting in my nerves. I brought it back yo them but the same they only gave me the same reason. My sister and some friends have honda cars with eco mode also. How come that they don't experience the same thing with their vehicles. I agree with some complainants that this is a safety issue. It bothers the driver when you experience that vibration from the engine. Is honda just waiting for someone to die from a car crash with the pilot before they make a move to correct the issue. I just hope that they bring this issue to the higher op of honda before someone's life will be taken.
The vehicle starts to shudder and vibrate at various speeds. You must slow down or speed up to get it to stop vibrating. We bought this honda pilot because we drive on a lot of slick roads. I feel this makes it very unsafe for my family. Along with being unsafe, it is very annoying and with it being a new vehicle, we should not have to accept this. The dealership says it is a normal operation of vcm. American honda tells me the same thing. I don't agree.
My 2013 honda pilot along with many others shortly after purchasing started to show a vibration through the gas pedal and steering column that can be felt by passenger also. It appears to be a manufacturers defect with the vcm/eco modes of the vehicle. I have taken back to dealership a couple of times and called them several times concerning this defect. Honda says this is "normal". It is far from normal. The vehicle vibrates at all speeds and is inherently dangerous. I am getting no where with honda. Thank you
Vehicle constantly vibrates/shudders as engine run in eco mode and as vcm kicks in/out or is in use. I see hundreds of same complaint on honda message boards and all have gotten the same response from honda. They indicate it is normal operation and nothing they can do. Anyone that's driven a vehicle for more than a few hours can tell you it's not normal for a vehicle to vibrate like that. In my driving, I find it to be not only annoying, but very distracting as I'm constantly trying to change speeds/RPM, etc. To make the vibrations go away. This constant distraction is a safety concern. I implore you to get honda to own the situation and find a fix.
Whenever I drive between 35-45 MPH the car shudders and vibrates. There is no vibration thru the steering wheel. I feel it thru the car seat, back, and center storage lid. Passengers have remarked "what's wrong with your car?" at 35 MPH the car drives very smooth. By 35 MPH it's like driving a different car. The vibration is getting more pronounced as miles accrue.
I purchased a brand new 2013 honda pilot in september 2013. From the first day of driving it, I noticed a vibration coming from the drive train/engine/transmission when the engine was switching into "eco" mode. The vibration can be felt through the steering wheel, gas pedal, and floor board. It becomes worse when cruising at a low RPM, or when climbing a hill (no matter how steep the hill is) when the eco mode is engaged. The vibration only stops when the car is required to increase the RPM, either from manually depressing the gas pedal, or the computer deciding it needs more power. The vehicle does not experience this vibration until the engine warms up and the eco mode engages. When the engine is cold, the eco mode does not kick in, and there is no vibration. I now have 5600 miles on the pilot, and the problem seems to be getting worse. I've taken the car to the dealership, who without taking it for a test drive advised that "this is a known problem with the eco mode on both the pilot's and odyssey's". They went on to tell me that there was nothing they could do to fix it, as honda has determined that this is "normal operation". In addition to filing a complaint with the dealership, I have also filed a complaint with honda customer care. No resolution to date. Had the salesman told me about this "normal operating vibration issue", I would not have purchased the vehicle.
Vehicle vibration/rumbling/shuttering at speeds around 35-55mph. Apparently due to vcm(vehicle cylinder management system) most noticeable when backing off accelerator after vehicle reaches constant speed and eco light is on, but can occur weather eco light is on or not. Vibration is felt through out entire vehicle but as a driver, it is felt through the seat, steering wheel and center console. This vibration is very unpleasant and annoying. Vehicle was taken back to the dealer due to us just purchasing it with only 10 miles on it. The first time they rebalanced the tires. This did not help. Second time I took the service manager out for a test ride to show him what I meant. He felt the same vibration/shutter/rumble. We then went back to the dealership and took out another new honda pilot that was on the lot. The road test came back with the same results. Service manager then told me that the vibration I was feeling was due to the vcm as the different cylinders fired and that there was nothing they can do about it and that I would just have to deal with it until honda comes out with a way to correct the problem, which as far as he knows they have no intention to do so. Apparently honda says that this is part of normal operation. I paid over $36,000.00 dollars for this vehicle and feel that is not normal operation, and that honda needs to correct this.
The engine vibrates and makes a noticeable noise when driving slow or when feathering the gas pedal.
Letter from constituent regarding honda's 2013 pilot recall (the federal safety agency recall 13v‑382/campaign#jb5/service bulletin #13-075); he has been unable to correct the problem from american honda motor co. Or university motors; requesting assistance from the federal safety agency. *smd the consumer stated he would like to have the long block and short block replaced. He stated he talked to three different automotive mechanics, and it was in their opinion that replacing only the short block of the engine was not a trustworthy fix. The short block repair performed under non-factory conditions, which could lead to contamination of the engine, that would cause serious issues and engine failure in the future. The consumer stated the dealer would not return his calls. Also, the consumer was not getting the proper gas mileage as advertised. The vehicle was rated between 16 and 17 mpg, and he was getting 13 mpg. The vehicle rolled backward on a slight incline, while in drive, there was a vibration/shudder coming through the vehicle, when maintaining a constant speed.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2013 Honda Pilot?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history