CarComplaints.com Notes: Beware the 2003 Honda Pilot once the odometer reaches 100k miles, when two problem defect trends have shown up: transmission failure & ignition switch problems.

Typically a locksmith can fix the ignition switch or it can be replaced for around $700. However the transmission failure is a far more expensive problem, with the average repair cost at well over $3,000. A major transmission recall of over 1 million Honda vehicles back in 2004 dealt with transmission damage due to overheating, but 2003 Pilot transmissions have continued to fail.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
59,775 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Honda Pilot seat belts / air bags problems

seat belts / air bags problem

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2003 Honda Pilot Owner Comments

problem #6

Nov 252015

Pilot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I never got recalls fixed and dealer service marked as checked but not replaced and SRS light has been on since service and I had to pay to get recalled due to emergency interlock was damaged

- Los Banos, CA, USA

problem #5

Jun 272015

Pilot

  • 191,000 miles
Traveling South bound on Nevada ave in Colorado springs a car turned in front of us. Our front right hit his rear passenger side of vehicle, he was spun around and our airbags deployed. After getting out of vehicle to check on other driver I came back and had my wife and kid get out of vehicle. Police were on scene very quickly due to accident occurring in front of hospital, the officer noticed smoke in car and a couple minutes later there was a fire on passenger side of vehicle behind center garnish pillar. I tried to put it out while officer went to get a fire extinguisher burnt my hand due to burning plastic from lower center pillar garnish melting. Looks like fire was started somewhere in the seatbelt retraction area. No medical attention was needed and my hand was ok after a few days.

- Monument, CO, USA

problem #4

Feb 082012

Pilot

  • miles
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that a child was sitting in the middle seat next to the driver side window. The child was able to grab the shoulder belt of the middle seat belt and the seat belt became wrapped around the child. The seat belt then locked and began choking the child. The contact had to sever the seat belt in order to remove the child. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the seat belt could not be replaced because it had been cut. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was unavailable and the current mileage was 165,000.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #3

Jun 262009

Pilot

  • 100,748 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

SRS light came on while driving and stays on.

- Arlington, TX, USA

problem #2

Sep 182008

Pilot

  • miles
We bought our 2003 Honda Pilot assuming that it would be a great family vehicle. We have three small children and another on the way so our car is full of car seats. We have a backless boaster seat in the third row on the driver's side, a boaster seat in the third row on the passenger side, and a forward facing car seat in the second row driver's side. It is incredible difficult for me to get the children in the third row buckled because the seat belts are constantly getting "stuck" and have to be rethread all the way back. This is difficult because they get caught on the boaster seats that then have to be picked up and moved around to get the seat belt off. Also, the seat on the seat on the passenger side is too narrow and the seat belt buckles very low, close to the seat and it ends up underneath the boaster seat. These difficulties make it nearly impossible for my preschoolers to buckle by themselves and forces me to climb back in their seat to fix the seat belts and move the booster seat forward to buckle them in. It is incredible difficult and uncomfortable for an adult to climb into the third row seat, especially one that is seven months pregnant. We have tried moving the seats around and can not find any better positions for the car seats.

- Fort Collins, CO, USA

problem #1

Jul 052008

Pilot

  • 66,900 miles
Driver's seat belt restraint on 2003 Honda Pilot came unbuckled while driving. I thought that perhaps I had not bucked it sufficiently. When tried to put metal piece on belt back into the locking device, it would not lock. Carried it to the dealer 7-7-08, and he had to order the part.

- Winston Salem, NC, USA

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