Problems with 2004 Honda Pilot POWER TRAIN

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 honda pilot. the contact stated while driving at 55 mph the vehicle started making a noise and the automatic transmission light came on. the vehicle start jerking and suddenly locked-up causing the vehicle to stop in the middle of the highway. the contact restarted the vehicle but the engine kept locking up while driving. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. the contact called the manufacturer regarding the transmission and they told the dealer that they will cover 50 percent of the transmission repair. the contact stated the transmission should not have gone out at 83,000 miles and this could have caused a major crash on the highway. the failure mileage was 83,000.

I just recently (in november) purchased a 2004 honda pilot. the transmission starting causing shifting problems. the first time it was like i slammed the brakes on but thankfully i was just going up our drive way and not driving fast. i started driving again and it kept messing up. then the green light started flashing on the d when i was driving and parked. i took it in and they plugged it into the computer and it was a transmission code. there was also a 2-3 shift malfunction. they said my transmission needed replaced. i looked up recalls and my car had a recall for the transmission and it was """fixed""" in may 2006. however, they did not change the transmission, just installed an oil jet kit to keep it lubricated! apparently that did not help especially if there are chips of metal in the fluid! everyone i talk to just tells me my car, being at 104,000 miles, is out of warranty and they have to draw the line somewhere! no crap people! but if you would have fixed the darn thing properly when it had a recall it would not need replaced already! honda has been horrible through this and refuse to help me. i am a single mother of 3 children and i can not afford a new transmission at $4,000 especially when it is their screw up and they should have to fix their recall! i am so angry and will never buy another honda as long as i live and i will tell anyone i know about their horrible transmissions and their bad customer service. they are just trying to cover their butts on this one. it is time they start helping their customers rather than basically saying "its your problem now". from what i see this is an ongoing problem with honda and i think something needs to be done! with the number of complaints about the transmission this could lead to more serious and dangerous problems if not fixed properly! i am very disappointed in honda and feel like they should fix this and make it safe at no cost to the customers. *tr

2004 honda pilot transmission gear problems....gears are engaging while driving at approximately 40 mph. *tr

2004 honda pilot ex with 122,000 miles the problem first began in june 2010 and has persisted ever since. while driving, my car's transmission will "shudder". it typically occurs between 25-55 mph. while the duration is brief (15 seconds or less), it has become more frequent, at least one time during each driving occurrence. in addition to the shudder, at low rpms the car will have difficulty shifting and begin to jerk until the car is slowed down or until the gears are able to engage at a higher rpm. at this time, i am now aware of a recall that was conducted in 2003-2004 that involved numerous cars of various models. however, my car was not included in this recall. according to the posts and documents that i have read from nhtsa on the recall, the transmission must be replaced. *tr

Vehicle shudders when transmission is shifting at slow speed. *jb

I am an owner of a 2004 honda pilot (purchased new and meticulously maintained) with 89,000 miles and have been experiencing an automatic transmission/torque converter shudder/vibration that occurs between 30-50 mph. the vibration began occurring at about 75,000 miles. at speeds of 30-50mph the vibration occurs under light acceleration and continues until i either push down harder on the gas pedal or let off it completely. i researched the issue on the internet and have found numerous similar complaints on honda vehicle owner forums. apparently this problem is due to a defective transmission that is similar to the one on the honda made acura and has been the subject of an acura recall. the defect will ultimately result in a vehicle safety hazard when the transmission fails. even though my vehicle is no longer under warranty, the transmission problem is a result of a defective part rather than normal wear and tear and honda should issue a recall or initiate an owner notification/resolution program to prevent potential harm to passengers when the transmission fails on the road. this is a dangerous defect that should be publicly adressed by honda. *tt

I have a 2004 honda pilot and i am having the same problem that a lot of the honda cars are getting recalled for but my vehicle is not listed. you can remove the key while the gear selector is not in park. my wife rolled forward and hit a safety pole. she is always afraid of doing it again with our kids in the car. i called honda about the repair and they said it was not a recall. i don't understand how some honda cars can get recalled but mine will not. i called honda and asked about the cost of the repair and they told me it was going to be expensive. *tr

Flashing d indicator in 2004 honda pilot - automatic transmission model has about 92,000 miles and during driving demonstrated a flashing "d" drive indicator on the dashboard. took to dealer and they advised pressure sensor on 4th gear needed to be replaced. appears numerous similar complaints exist on the internet for 2003 and 2004 honda pilot vehicles. *tr

Our pilot drive light started flashing one day, we pulled over, shut off the vehicle, then restarted it and the light went out. this has happened about 5 times over the past 3 years. now our engine light came on and we found out that we need a new transmission! we have less than 100,000 mi. also, our gas pedal sticks, to accelerate we take off extremely fast from a dead stop. i am afraid that this will cause an accident!!! it started out a little sticky and is now very bad. *tr

I was driving home from work yesterday when the d (drive) light started blinking. i drove less than a half mile down the road to pick up my children at school, i put the car in p (park) and the d light kept blinking. i turned the car off and went into the school to pick up my children, when i came back out and turned the car back on, the d light was no longer blinking. i spoke to a mechanic this morning and it is apparently a problem with the transmission so now i need to take the day off of work and go get it looked at. i'm sure it will also be a pricey fix if the transmission is involved. i am definitely not happy considering i have just over 80k miles on my pilot, and honda vehicles are supposed to be reliable. was there a problem with 2004 honda pilot vehicles, specifically with their transmissions? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 honda pilot. the contact stated that a burning odor was coming from the transmission. the vehicle would also shake excessively while driving at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to a private mechanic, who was unable to duplicate the failure. the vehicle was then taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was advised to have the torque converter replaced. the manufacturer was aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 90,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 honda pilot. the contact stated that the automatic transmission was slipping and not changing gears correctly; she noticed that it would accelerate the way it should have. there was a noise when accelerating which progressively became worse. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop where the mechanic informed the contact that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the current mileage was approximately 124,000. the failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

My transmission makes a shutter/vibrating noise when accelerating at 25-50 mph. *tr

2004 honda pilot v-6 automatic transmission premature failure causing vehicle to come out of gear when accelerating, transmission to slip when climbing hills or attempting to pass and also causing the transmission to lock up when traveling at road speed. this problem was addressed in recall on october 29, 2004 but only included a limited vin range. vehicles were manufactured after the vin range with the same transmission and the same problems but were not recalled and honda dealers and american honda will not acknowledge the issue. they are hard pressed to even acknowledge the recall itself unless you tell them you realize there was a recall and give them the details. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 honda pilot. the contact stated that the vehicle made a clunking sound and was towed to the dealer. the dealer examined the vehicle and stated that the transmission locked up. through online research, the contact discovered a recall; however, her vin was excluded. she stated that this was a safety hazard and the vehicle should be included in the recall. the nhtsa campaign id number was 04v176000. the current and failure mileages were 106,000. updated 09/16/09 *bf updated 09/17/09.*jb

Transmission shudders intermittently from 20-35 mph. diagnosed as transmission failure and it needed to be replaced. owner responsible for 50% of $4000.00 bill. *tr

Transmission and torque converter causing serious shudder and possible lock-up. *tr

Torque converter stutters at 25-30mph. very disturbing and can result in transmission damage while driving. *tt

My 2004 honda pilot requires a new transmission at ~60,000 miles with repair fee of $4,000. i found this recall information. i did not receive this recall information in the past. i believe the manufacturer should assume full responsibility for the repair. i am reading that the transmission could have locked up. this is alarming and i am concerned for the safety of many other families (including my friends) who drive the pilot. the reason we purchased the pilot was to transport our four children and their friends. nhtsa recall campaign number: 04v176000 component: power train:automatic transmission details: 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. consequence: gear failure could result in transmission lockup, which could result in a crash. corrective action: 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. units potentially affected: 1099796 recall initiated by: mfr date added to nhtsa datbase: 04/20/2004. *tr

While driving in april of 2009, the drive gear keep blinking. called the honda dealer and they said to turn off engine and it should go away. it did go away, once the engine is off. then in july 2009, it blink again, and it go away once the engine is off. now the drive gear blinking light is on more frequently then before. i called the honda dealer and they said they don't know why the d drive is blinking. *tr

I've had vibration/noise issues around 40 mph while in top gear, i've noted accelerating forces a downshift, or i can manually shift to d3. either action gets rid of the problem. *tr

I am first owner of my pilot (my first honda) and i too am suffering from the 35-45mph shudder from the known transmission problem. it's worse than just shuddering, it is grinding to shift down and sounds like a semi truck gearing down on the interstate. i have had to drive it this way for nearly 2 years. i stay on the interstate as much as possible and speed through town to keep it above 40mph where it happens the worst. honda corporate insists i pay the local dealer for review (another $90 bill) before talking to me but insists there is no recall beyond what was done in 04v176000 , but the problem still exists and i don't have $5000 to spend on rebuilding the transmission. even private party it's $3k. it is getting worse. *tr

Purchased a used 04 pilot from a car dealer and during the first week of operation i heard shuttering noises like going over a rumble strip. i researched this on line and was horrified to find hundreds of similar complaints (torque converter) and a recall by acura for same reason. i took it back to dealer to get my money back and luckily was able to get out of the pilot by trading it for another truck on the lot. i feel sorry for the next person who unknowingly (not like honda) purchases this with their hard earned money to drive their kids around in and are in a possible death trap! shame on honda, do the right thing and recall before you kill people. *tr

I own a 2004 honda pilot and i have been complaining to the honda dealership for almost 2 years about a 'shudder' that occurs between 30-50 mph. it sounds and feels like you are driving over a washboard in the road and it will continue until you push down or let off of the accelerator. the honda service department said that they were able to reproduce it, but nothing showed up on the computer tests. they also said that it maybe something that has to get worse before they can figure it out. i find it hard to believe that it took me 1 minute on the internet to find countless complaints of the same nature as mine, with a diagnosis. *tr

Torque converter shudder /vibration between 35 and 40 mph. i have taken my 2004 honda pilot to the service department for over 18 month now trying to get someone to hear or experience what i was with my vehicle. finally when the vibration was so bad it could be heard and felt. it was finally heard/felt by the service manager at local honda dealer. when i was told what the problem was and that it would cost $2500 to fix, i got a second opinion, when that opinion was confirmed, i went online to see if there was a recall that i had not been notified of. i did not find any recalls but found the numerous complaints on the manufacturer of power train/automatic transmissions:torque converter. i was livid that there were so many complaint with the same problems that i don't know how the dealership did not know or if they conveniently chose not to acknowledge my problems almost two years now. i want to know what i can do when i confront the dealership with my complaint. until i experience this problem i loved my vehicle, now everytime it vibrates/shudders i am just sick about it. *tr

2004 honda pilot that makes a "washboard" sound between 30 - 45 mph. dealership failed to diagnose problem as torque converter which has now damaged the transmission. problem started in late 2008 when vehicle was only 4 years old. i am aware of numerous problems with this transmission in hondas and acuras. honda is not making the situation right and leaving the consumer with a substantial expense for something that certainly appears to be a defect. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 honda pilot. while driving 45 mph, the vehicle began shaking and making noise. the dealer test drove the vehicle and stated that the transmission was the cause of the failure. the dealer also stated that they would partially repair the failure. the contact stated that he does not have the other half available to pay. the failure mileage was 97,000. updated 01/07/09. *lj updated 01/08/09.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 honda pilot ex. the contact stated that the transmission made a loud noise while the vehicle was in motion. the dealer diagnosed that there was no failure with the vehicle. the contact researched nhtsa campaign id number: 04v176000 (power train:automatic transmission), but the vin was not associated in the recall. the manufacturer denied any assistance with repair to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 55,000 and the current mileage was 127,000.

I now have been the victim for the 2nd time of what is unquestionably a major design flaw in the transmission / torque converter of the shared power train for honda pilots ('03 ,'04) honda odyssey vans ('02 to '04) & acura mdx ('01, '02). i owned a pristine 2001 acura mdx with just over 100k miles on it which experienced the all too common trans./ torque converter failure only a few months after i purchased it from a honda dealer. this happened in spite of the fact that the power train recall (sanctioned by nhtsa) had been completed in 2004. i parted ways with the vehicle, incurring a substantial loss. but the nightmare continues, as unfortunately, my other vehicle is a 2004 honda pilot. right after i purchased it new in 2004, i took it back to the dealer since the model was subject to a nearly identical power train recall as the mdx and odyssey. my dealer said my vin was not included in the recall, & that my new pilot should be fine. yet @ 60k, the "d" light on the shifter display started to blink from time to time. each time the dealer said everything was fine; shuttering on downshifting over the years was passed off by the dealer as normal for the vehicle. then last week, the power train failed on this vehicle as well. this time my son was driving, & the car shuttered so badly that it nearly went out of control. this car has been well maintained & i have all service records. clearly the recall "remedy" for this major design flaw has not solved the issue, and these power trains still present a major safety hazard for the vehicle operator & others on the road who may need to avoid a disabled vehicle in front of them. please do something! if you total all the power train complaints for the recall yrs. on these 3 models, you get nearly 3000. the legitimacy of nhtsa is at stake. this "solution" was a good deal for honda, but it has not protected the public! *tr

While driving on the hwy, 4 wheel drive on honda, pilot 2004, automatically engaged. when i tried to slow down and pull over, the car jerked and started to knock. i had to speed up again to 60 mph and the sound went away. i pushed the 4 wheel drive button on the dashboard and no help. i finally slowly slowed down the car. the 4 wheel drive (vt-4) light went off, but the automatic transmission light is still on. *nm

Vibration at 70 mph . rebalancing tires doesn't resolve issue. *ak

Steering wheel shake. bounces in hand. cabin noise/vibration. *nm

Consumer received a recall notice(04v176000) for replacement of the transmission. no parts available!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *jb

While driving transmission down shifted and jerked uncontrollably on its own. consumer was able to maintain control of the vehicle, and drove it to the dealer for inspection. tmechanic determined that transmission needed to be replaced. *ak

Recall 04v176000 concerning automatic transmission. no parts were available. jeff wyler honda 859-283-2727. dealership had not resolve the problem. *ak

At speeds of between 30-45 mph, car would shake and make grinding noise under the hood. this repeatedly happened for years but my dealer said they "coudn't replicate the noise" and did not tell me that it was my transmission. then i get a notice saying there was a transmission recall issue. the two fix-it options were an oil jet kit and replace the tranny. the dealer gave me a oil jet kit, but the transmission has continued to go bad ever since with no other replacements or offer of repair by the dealer. this is a bad transmission! american honda has offered to now pay me 30% of the replacement cost which will still cost me $3500, for a refurbished transmission. i am taking this to the top- honda should not be having me pay for a transmission that they knew was bad. *tr

A brand new (2 weeks) pilot with less than 500 miles. i am now hearing a clunking/thumping noise when i shift the gear from d->n and then in to r. this noise is not heard when shifting just from n->r. looks like this noise is coming from under the hood. i didn't expect this kind of problem so soon in a brand new vehicle.