2004 Honda Pilot Brakes Problems
14 owner-reported brakes complaints from NHTSA data
Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.
Owner Complaints (14)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE RPMS REVVED AND THE GAUGE READING FLUCTUATED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE VIOLENTLY JERKED FORWARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNABLE TO BE DETERMINED. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,000.
I WAS APPROACHING A LIGHT WHERE A VEHICLE WAS MOVING BUT SUDDENLY STOPPED BECAUSE OF TRAFFIC AHEAD. WHEN I APPLIED MY BRAKES, THE BRAKE WHEN IMMEDIATELY TO THE FLOORBOARD AND THERE WAS A CLICK. MY CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN BUT SLID DIRECTLY INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME CAUSING FRONT END DAMAGE TO MY CAR. MY RATE OF SPEED WAS 25-30 MILES PER HOUR.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE BRAKE WARNING LAMP AND THE ABS WARNING LAMP DID NOT ILLUMINATE EACH TIME THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT HAD TO SLOWLY RELEASE THE BRAKE PEDAL FROM THE FLOOR AND LIGHTLY DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. ALSO, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK WHILE IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED AND DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 13V092000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 58,000.
SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF GAS PEDAL STICKING UPON ACCELERATION. ON MAY 14, 2009, I INFORMED HONDA DEALERSHIP AND THEY DID A FUEL INDUCTION CLEANING SERVICE. HOWEVER THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. THEN ON NOVEMBER 10, 2009, I INFORMED THE HONDA DEALER THAT GAS PEDAL CONTINUED TO STICK AND IT WAS HARD T PUSH THE PEDAL ALSO. DEALERSHIP CLEANED THROTTLE BODY AND PLATE. THIS PROBLEM CONTINUES AND I HAVE SEEN ON CUSTOMER HONDA WEBSITES THAT THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD. MY WIFE AND I ARE BOTH IN OUR 70'S AND ARE WORRIED ABOUT AN ACCIDENT OCCURRING BECAUSE OF THE GAS PEDAL STICKING. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL. *TR
04 HONDA PILOT MASTER CYLINDER SLOW LEAK CAUSING BRAKE WARNING LIGHT TO SHOW ON INSTRUMENT PANEL. HAVE ONLY USED HONDA FLUID. HAVE SEEN THAT HONDA IS RECALLING 05 TO 07 ODYSSEY AND ACURA RL VEHICLES FOR THIS PROBLEM. 04 PILOT SHOULD BE INCLUDED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING AT SPEEDS OF 35 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES TO APPROACH A TRAFFIC STOP, THE BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY SHIFTED INTO A LOWER GEAR AS THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED THROUGH THE TRAFFIC STOP, BARELY AVOIDING A CRASH. THE DEALER PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC AND FOUND THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD FAILED. THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS REPLACED BY THE DEALER HOWEVER; THE CONTACT STATED THE REPAIR DID NOT ADDRESS THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 29000.
I HAVE SEVERE BRAKE SHUTTERING AND THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES. IT STARTS OUT AS A MINOR SHUDDER AND SHAKE AT FIRST, AND THEN OVER TIME GETS PROGRESSIVELY WORSE, UNTIL IT IS QUITE VIGOROUS. A LITTLE BACKGROUND: THE CAR IS A HONDA CERTIFIED CAR- 2004 PILOT I BOUGHT 2 YEARS AGO. AS A CONDITION OF THE SALE, THE DEALER (SAM SWOPE IN LOUISVILLE, KY) SAID THEY WOULD FIX A SHIMMY IN THE STEERING WHEEL, AND A GRINDING OF THE BRAKES. THEY SAID IT WAS A MINOR PROBLEM. THE BRAKES WERE REPAIRED 2 WEEKS BEFORE I BOUGHT THE CAR. I BROUGHT THE CAR BACK 4 DAYS LATER AND THE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED. EVERYTHING WAS FINE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND THEN THE PROBLEM STARTED COMING BACK- SLOWLY AT FIRST AND THEN GOT PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. 3 MONTHS LATER THEY RESURFACED THE ROTORS. THE SAME PROBLEM PROGRESSED AGAIN, AND 3 MONTHS LATER, THEY REPLACED THE REAR BRAKE PADS AND RESURFACED THE ROTORS AGAIN. I PUT UP WITH A SHIMMY IN THE WHEEL AS THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN . FINALLY, AFTER ABOUT 8 MONTHS, MY WIFE COULDN'T TAKE THE SHIMMY ANY MORE AND MADE ME TAKE IT IN AGAIN. I WAS RELUCTANT BECAUSE EACH TIME I TOOK IT IN NOTHING HAPPENED, AND I'D ALREADY SPENT OVER $700 TO NO AVAIL. ONCE AGAIN THE ROTORS WERE RESURFACED, THE FRONT PADS WERE REPLACED AND THE EMERGENCY BRAKE DRUM WAS TURNED. TWO MONTHS LATER I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, AND WAS TOLD THE ROTORS NEED TO BE RESURFACED AGAIN. I CALLED HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE ON 4/21/09, TALKED TO TINA AND SHE SAID I WOULD LIKELY BE DENIED ANY HELP BY WALTER MENIGVAR THE EXEC. REVIEW MANAGER BECAUSE HONDA CORPORATE CONSIDERS THE BRAKES TO BE A REPAIR ITEM. I BELIEVE THERE IS AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE AND POSSIBLY IT'S DESIGN, AS I HAVE DRIVEN NUMEROUS CARS OVER 29 YEARS- MANY OF THOSE MILES IN THE MOUNTAINS OF WVA, AND HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM OF THIS SORT. I HAVE ALSO HEARD ABOUT OTHER HONDA PILOTS WITH THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO THINK IT IS UNSAFE. *TR
SEVERE BRAKE SHUDDERING AND STEERING SHAKE WHEN BRAKING FROM HIGHWAY SPEEDS (WITHOUT ENGAGING ABS). RESURFACED ROTORS, PROBLEM PERSISTS AND HAS MAGNIFIED. *JB
WHILE GOING AT ABOUT 20 MPH IN LIGHT RAIN, CAR IN FRONT OF ME BROKE SUDDENLY CAUSING ME TO HIT THE BRAKES. UPON STEPPING ON THE BRAKES, I HEARD A CLICKING SOUND. THE CAR KEPT ON ROLLING AND DID NOT STOP. I TRIED MOVING LEFT ONTO A TURNING LANE TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT. THE CAR SKIDDED OFF THE MEDIAN, AND CAR JUMPED THE MEDIAN WITHOUT LOSING VELOCITY. THE CAR WOUND UP ON INCOMING TRAFFIC, AT WHICH POINT A CAR COLLIDED WITH ME RESULTING IN INJURIES TO THE THAT DRIVER AND MYSELF. PROBLEM IS SIMILAR TO COMPLAINT ON FILE ODI ID NUMBER : 10117818. PROBLEM WILL BE REPORTED TO HONDA AS A POSSIBLE DEFECT. *NM
VEHICLE GOES INTO A ROLLING STOP AND SLIDES WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED BY CONSUMER.*AK
WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED THE CONSUMER HEARD A THUMP OR KNOCKING NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. AS OF 9/10/04 THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. *TC *JB
WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 5 TO 10 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES FRONT BRAKES MADE A LOUD NOISE LIKE GRINDING. DEALERSHIP INSPECTED VEHICLE THREE TIMES, BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE OR CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE AND VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF VEHICLE WHEN BRAKING. SERVICE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM AND NOT TO BE ALARMED. *AK