CarComplaints.com Notes: We all want our SUVs to be able to stop on a dime, just not randomly and without warning. But that's what was happening to 2005 Pilot owners: their vehicles were slamming on the brakes even when they didn't. A government investigation of this problem led to a recall in March of 2013.

Another issue that keeps popping up is transmission fluid mixing with coolant in the radiator which is causing transmission failure, a costly repair to say the least.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 2
Average Mileage:
107,815 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.

2005 Honda Pilot brakes problems

brakes problem

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2005 Honda Pilot Owner Comments (Page 2 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #75

Jan 102017

Pilot

  • 225,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact received a recall repair remedy from mcgrath city Honda (6720 w grand ave, Chicago, il 60707, 773-889-3030) to address the vsa, but the remedy failed to provide a solution. The contact later experienced abnormal involuntary braking with the steering pulling to the right for a brief moment and then the vsa warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who stated that the code was for the yaw rate sensor and that it was not related to the recall. The dealer stated that further diagnostic testing was needed. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13V092000 (service brakes, hydraulic, traction control system), and NHTSA action numbers: DP12002 (electronic stability control), PE12028 (service brakes, hydraulic), and EA13002 (electronic stability control). The manufacturer stated that they were aware of a failure with the yaw ratre sensors, but had not provided a recall remedy. The approximate failure mileage was 225,000.

- Oak Park, IL, USA

problem #74

Nov 272017

Pilot 6-cyl

  • 161,300 miles
Driving my Honda Pilot truck eastbound on the left lane at about 40 miles an hour, had the foot on the gas pedal, the brake made a groaning noise and the truck started to slow down rapidly. To a full stop. The brakes went on and was so scared, because I looked up on my rear view mirror and there was a SUV driving behind me. He did see me, and he had to swerve into the opposite lane. My heart sank. He got out of his SUV and he started to yell at me. I told him the truck came to a stop it malfunctioned and they were lights on my dashboard. As he walked away back into his SUV and drove off I sat there. I put the car in park looked at my manual and shut off the vehicle and turned it back on and the indicators on my dashboard we're gone. I called up my husband to let him know. Before I shut the car off, , two indicators came on vsa and a warning sign. I know there was a recall it in 2013 I did get that fixed as I took it to a Honda dealership. About two years ago it happened again I was on the belt parkway in New York and the Pilot made a noise and it stopped on its own there were more than two lights flashing on my dashboard that day. And I was driving slower on the parkway because of traffic. So, the impact wasn't so scary. Two lives were saved that day. I called Honda recall case #[xxx]. since my husband had to bring his car in to get fixed I also took my Honda. The company's name is hardmans auto, they also order parts from the Honda dealership also located in the same town. Did cool Honda auto service but the manager named [xxx] hasn't called me back yet. Will call again today to get my Pilot checked. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Plainview, NY, USA

problem #73

Sep 012017

Pilot

  • 130,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. While the contact's wife was driving 35 mph, the vehicle stability assist activated unnecessarily, which caused the vehicle to swerve out of control. The vehicle was taken to piazza Honda of springfield (780 baltimore pike, springfield, pa 19064) where it was diagnosed that the vehicle stability assist unit failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

- Springfield, PA, USA

problem #72

Aug 042017

Pilot

  • 132,000 miles

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

Vsa system comes on while driving the car. I took it to the Honda dealership, they replaced yaw rate sensor, but I still have the problem. Unsafe to drive

- Glen Allen, VA, USA

problem #71

Jul 212017

Pilot

  • miles
Vsa warning light continues to come on. Car will apply brakes without driver hitting the brake pedal. Car will swerve to one side when brakes are applied by vsa mechanism. This has happened numerous times. Very dangerous there should be a recall but Honda does not show one for this VIN, but other Pilot in this year have recalls. This is a very dangerous issue and Honda needs to fix this.

- Glen Allen, VA, USA

problem #70

May 032017

Pilot

  • 194,000 miles
Vehicle steering will randomly lock up and swerve to one side of roadway at highway speeds as brakes actuate and vsa activation indicator and system indicator lights come on. Vehicle was taken to Honda on 02/29/2017 where service department confirmed that vsa wiring harness was replaced in 2013. Tech checked the system for codes and found: 25-1 yaw rate sensor failure, 61-1 battery voltage failure, 83-1 ECM/PCM relation failure, 108-1 vsa system control status failure. Tech recommended replacing the battery. Battery was replaced by owner that same day. Vehicle exhibited same random braking and steering issues noted earlier on 05/03/2017 which nearly resulted in a head on collision. Vehicle will not be driven again until yaw rate sensor is replaced. Vehicle has 194,000 miles on it.

- Eatonville, WA, USA

problem #69

Apr 042017

Pilot

  • 150,000 miles

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

Vehicle stability assist recall completed in 2013 has failed to address vsa issues. Vehicle will randomly apply brakes while driving in normal conditions, possibly presenting a hazard to driver, passengers, and other vehicles on the road. When the brakes are applied, the vsa light illuminates and must be reset. There are multiple documented occurrences of this online with multiple owner/operators, and the fact that the previous recall has not been effectively must be addressed. Thank you for your time and attention.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #68

Jan 272017

Pilot

  • 104,000 miles
Brakes engaged on their own while driving down the road. Huge safety issue and vehicle control was lost and vehicle slid and skidded into opposite lane of traffic. Warning lights vsa came on and vehicle drove like the emergency brake was engaged. Cleared after engine turned off, then happened the second time when getting on interstate in rush hour traffic. Car behind me had to turn towards ditch to avoid collision as I had no control over my vehicle. Drove to nearest dealer and they immediately saw the vsa light and warning symbol and said it was related to recall. Later changed their minds and said yaw rate sensor needs replaced at a total cost of $1150. Encouraged me to write to Honda for some relief in costs however that complaint fell on deaf ears. I have owned 5 Honda's and currently own 3. they claim if they are not purchased new no customer has any loyalty based on their criteria. Seriously....how do they think the Honda resale value is established and is so good !!!! very disappointment in the rude woman name caroline regional customer service rep in our area. She claimed all car problems are life threatening. Maybe consider Toyota next time.

- Independence, MO, USA

problem #67

Dec 142016

Pilot

  • 10 miles
On cold temperatures, and while the car is moving on the highway, the brakes will suddenly apply all by itself and the vsa off and a triangle (with exclamation) light comes on the dashboard. This causes the vehicle to strongly jerk and swerve for a second. Turning off the vsa before driving, the sudden brake will not happen. I checked recalls for my VIN but there are no open recalls. Please investigate.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #66

Sep 142016

Pilot

  • 170,000 miles
Problems with vsa and vtm 4 lock. Vehicle slow dowm while drive around 30 mph.

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #65

Aug 302016

Pilot

  • 150,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. While driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle slighty swayed from the left and the right with a shuttering sensation. The vsa system warning indicator illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle to disengage the warning indicator; however, the failure recurred. The contact found in the owner's manual that the vsa warning was an indication that the brakes and stability controls were experiencing a malfunction. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and several failure codes appeared; however, they were not able to completely indicate what the nature of the repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

- Madison, OH, USA

problem #64

Jun 272016

Pilot

  • 154,000 miles
When driving vehicle, it brakes suddenly, swerves, and makes a clunking noise as if you just hit something in the road. The vsa lights both come on in the vehicle. This is the 2nd time my yaw sensor has failed since the initial vsa recall in 2013, which I completed.. when googling this issue, it is all over the internet with other Honda Pilot drivers. This is very dangerous and almost caused a wreck with each instance.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #63

Jun 142016

Pilot

  • 150,000 miles
Vsa light randomly comes on when going around corners at low speeds and has a grinding noise, or when driving at highway speeds the car pulls sharply. The car has been to the dealer several times and the last time they said the vsa modulator needs to be replaced at a cost of about $2000.

- Durham, NC, USA

problem #62

Jul 012015

Pilot

  • 110,000 miles
While driving at any speed sometimes my veh brake on for about second, and the warning light of vsa appears, I took my veh 3 times to braman Honda at coral wayi was told nothing they can do, the problem that I have is with the yaw rate sensor and that is not coverage with the recall.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #61

Feb 292016

Pilot

  • 150,000 miles
While driving in normal conditions at any speed at any time it on any type of roadway feels as if the brake is being slammed on and pulls the car slightly to the left without any input from the driver. I have this occur daily. The vsa light and many times the tire pressure light immunimate just prior or at the time of the event. It is at the Honda dealer who first wanted me to replace the rear end but they say it is a faulty sensor and are replacing it for about $800 but they are still not sure that is the problem. I saw the recall for 2013 part of the vsa and they say that was fixed back then. So what is going on now this continues to be a major safety issue and costly.

- Fort Thomas, KY, USA

problem #60

Feb 202016

Pilot 6-cyl

  • 150,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the vsa light and the tire pressure warning lights illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal but the brake lights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was diagnosed but not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. The consumer stated he was unable to apply the brake, as it was in the upright position and consumer was loosing engine power and eventually stalled. The dealer informed the consumer the vsa malfunctioned and it was a part that did not recognize the tires as being equipped for the vehicle. Updated 03/30/16.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #59

Jan 192016

Pilot

  • 102,500 miles
The car's vsa (vehicle stability system) will engage for no apparent reason. The dealership is saying this is due to a faulty yaw rate sensor. Upon investigation, this appears to be a common problem in the 2005 model. My car's vsa (brakes) were engaged on multiple separate occasions while driving at highway speeds for no reason. This caused the car to rapidly decelerate and I nearly lost control of the vehicle. If I manually disengaged the vsa system (the Pilot has an on/off switch), I experience no such erroneous braking incidents. You can see the incident summary here: NHTSA campaign id number: DP12002 https://goo.gl/rf5yin or discussion threads here: goo.gl/6hbqex

- Superior, CO, USA

problem #58

Nov 292015

Pilot

  • 0 miles
Vsa warning lights came on while I was driving on highway and the car suddenly applied brake itself for no reason. I almost lost control of the car due to panic of unknowing what happen. I pulled the car over and took a quick picture of malfunction vsa warning lights. Then, I turned off the engine and start again later to check if anything has gone wrong. Vsa lights went off and the car is driving as normal. I had notified this vsa warning lite on ignition before the cold start in the morning to local dealer since last year. They said that they can't find any error code in diagnosis. In lately incident, they finally took the matter seriously then they found yaw sensor error code but they still can't guarantee the vsa problem will be solved. I wish ahc will look into this vsa problem to help out the owners and I think there are many other people having same problem like me.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #57

Jul 122013

Pilot

  • 98,000 miles
Traveling 45-60 miles per hour, vsa light comes on and vehicle comes to a complete stop, no warning no brake lights nothing, vsa recall has been performed 3 times now, along with yaw rate sensor. After repairs done again on 07/28/2015 lasted until 09/09/2015 when traveling 45 miles per hour and vehicle stopped again almost causing a major accident. Anyone else out there experiencing these difficulties ?

- Richmond, VA, USA

problem #56

May 192015

Pilot

  • 205,219 miles
Random, repeated and sudden breaks apply; car slows down dramatically. Vsa light may come on, may not. This occurred several times. The first time it occurred was on a trip to pa. The car would suddenly slow by more than 20 mph. We were thrown hard into our seat belts. We went to a Honda dealership in pittsburgh.they wanted to sell me 4 new tires stating the problem was due to tires not wearing even. This was hard for us to believe. It was extremely dangerous. We had to veer off the road many times to avoid accidents! google search on vsa car suddenly breaking - first 'hit' was a 2013 recall on the vsa harness and sensor. We received no information on the recall. Honda pittsburgh fixed the recall free. Then 8 weeks later in Maryland the car began to do the same exact thing. We emergency stopped at a local auto center. Their system code showed faulty "ABS brake system" they kindly reset the codes, but the car continued to exhibit same. We then went to salisbury, md. Honda. They said we needed a new vsa module despite the diagnostic showing no codes stating we had a faulty vsa. The only vsa module was in Ohio and would take a week to get to Maryland, and cost us $1,710! all other vsa modules were on back order. We were on vacation and could not stay an additional week. Nor did it make sense to us to replace the vsa module when salisbury Honda said it was "working as designed". I have a legal formal complaint registered with Honda America. I urge you to do the same. Winston salem, nc Honda feels it is the yaw sensor. However, they have had my car for 5 days and are unable to duplicate the problem or show a code. I feel a recall should now be made for a yaw sensor. Better yet, Honda America should replace all vsa modules for free before someone is killed!!.

- Kernersville, NC, USA

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