CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2012-2013 Honda Pilot have a small complaint trend of owners reporting the engine hesitates sometimes when accelerating.
While it's not a widespread trend with the Pilot, it's a little concerning because of the possibly safety ramifications. While it's certainly something to keep in mind, most Pilot owners are not experiencing this problem.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
34,616 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.
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Pilot. The contact stated during the past 3 seasons of winter, the vehicle would fail to come to a stop while depressing the brake pedal. No warning lights illuminated. The failure would occur during winter cold climate temperatures. The vehicle was previously taken to a local independent mechanic where both the front brake pads and rotors were replaced. The vehicle was also taken to the local dealer for a second opinion however the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was taken back to the same local independent mechanic where the power fluid and brake system were flush however the failure had reoccurred and could not be replicated. The vehicle was also taken to another local independent mechanic for a second opinion however the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,584
I recently buy this car and it has 79000 miles on the odo meter and when I check the carfax miles came out 186000 miles it means they rollback the odometer and I want to report a claim because it is really a safety concern
My car suddenly accelerated for no known reason and the brakes would not stop the car. This has happened 2 time in one week. First time it was moving at a very slow rate as I was coming to a stop at a stop light. The second time I was sitting in line at a drive thru, waiting to move forward, when I took my foot off the brake the car suddenly accelerated and when I pushed on the brake pedal it went to the floor and would not stop the car. I took the car to my garage and they said they could not find anything wrong. I don't know what is causing this but I am not sure if I should keep this car, after I repair the damage or get another car? please check carcomplaints.com
Brake rotors warping again for third time, 80,000 miles. No hard braking. Mechanic tells me he sees this a lot with this make and model. Very severe steering wheel shaking and almost loss of control on highway when even slightly braking at 60+ mph
My Honda has 60K miles on it. In October, I noticed vibration and shaking when braking at high speeds. I had my pads replaced and my rotors machined. Here it is a few months later and I'm having the same issues, the car shakes and vibrates severely when going downhill.
- Maple Valley, WA, USA
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My 2012 Honda Pilot rotor warp prematurely resulting in loss of control and increased risk for crash when driving at moderate to high speeds. After being shook to death after heavy breaking, I took my Pilot to the dealership. They said they are aware of the problem but rotors carry a 12K mile warranty. They say that the rotors are not properly designed for the weight of the vehicle. In fact, they updated the new Pilot because of this issue. Also, the have a replacement for the Honda Odyssey because of this issue but nothing for the Honda Pilot. Thus, I am force to change out my rotors every 15K miles because of Honda's poor design. Loss of control of the vehicle due to improperly design rotor should be recalled. This on top of Honda knowingly and admitting that there is a problem that affects safety, is pure negligence.
Rear brake pads rusted solidly to calipers. Inoperative. Front brakes pads rusted but still operating. Only 23,000 miles on vehicle. A loud screeching noise alerted me to a problem as I backed out of my garage. Took vehicle to mechanic who test drove car and knew what problem was. He took off all 4 wheels, pried pads loose from calipers, sanded off rust, lubed and reinstalled parts. He informed me that I needed new calipers, pads and hardware. I called dealer and was told that being out of warranty, that they could do nothing for me. I then called Honda motor co. I was told that vehicle was out of warranty and they could do nothing for me.to me, this seemed a safety issue more than a warranty issue.
On May 17, 2016, in my driveway, I was trying to move my 2012 Pilot from beside my husband's vehicle to behind it so my son could pull into the driveway. I pressed the gas pedal to move behind my husband's truck and it moved up a little before it accelerated to a high speed slamming his truck into the garage and crushing it. I hit the brakes, but it didn't help. The engine was revving and tires were spinning as fast as they could. The airbag hit me in the face causing me to jerk the steering wheel to the right, which then caused the Pilot to drive across my front yard at a high speed crashing into my neighbor's tree with my foot still on the brake! the engine only stopped when my husband ran out of my house and turned off the Pilot. At that point, I didn't know what was happening because I had been hit so hard in the face by the airbag. The Pilot was inspected today by Honda corporate at a Honda dealership against my better judgment. Of course after a thorough inspection, "no cause was found for unintentional acceleration." There seems to be a pattern of this same thing happening to other people and Honda not taking responsibility. Something needs to be done before someone is seriously hurt!
I am so tired of my front brakes shaking. I have had the rotators turned, or rotated twice and it keeps on happening. I bought this car brand new.the whole car shakes and it is the most frustrating and annoying thing to deal with. 98% of the time when I go to brake, my car shakes, shimmers, and just seems to be unsafe. Just braking at stop lights can change my mood. This is my second Honda Pilot and my first 2008 Pilot did not do this. Something needs to be done. I will not buy another Honda Pilot.
Warped rotors due to issues with front suspension rear lower arm bushings that are currently leaking and crached. I took my car into the dealership several times and was never told about this issue, but did complain of vibrating, yet nothing was said or done. Had to go to another mechanic to find out what was wrong. Honda needs to cover this issue as I can see from the other complaints that I am not the only one with this issue. These are faulty parts on a vehicle that costs over $30,000. This is my second Honda Pilot and I did not have this issue with the last Pilot. Car violently shakes when braking. It however the whole front end vibrates when driving. Now my window rattles and I believe it is loose because I can hear the air
2012 Honda Pilot certified pre owned purchased from hendricks Honda, bradenton, fl. I purchased 1/27/2015. Original in service 4/19/2012. In Florida. Vehicle has not been in winter weather or on salted roads since original in service date. Appr. 1 week after purchase I brought to the attention of used car dept. Personel that all 4 brake rotors were showing rust on all non braking surfaces. I was told this was normal and they would not address this issue. I subsequently returned with vehicle to my home in mass. Rust on rotors progressed to point of looking like it would affect the integrity of the rotor. Upon rreturning to my home in mass. I brought it to the service dept of orleans auto, as subsidiary of the authorized Honda dealer; hyannis Honda, and was told that Honda would not address this issue. Aug 4.2015, I brought the vehicle to hyannis Honda to be inspected by service manager; norman lamarre, and service director, rene eansereau. Both confirmed that this is a commonly seen problem on recent Honda vehicles and a known Honda problem, they have dealt with many times over many years and have had many complaints. However american Honda will not cover rust on rotors as a warranty. This is unacceptable as this is a safety issue that american Honda is refusing to address. I am requesting your assistance in the matter. I am convinced that the the integrity of these brake rotors is presently compromised, in the cooling van area and the hub area. I am requesting your assistance in the matter. Updated 10/06/15
2012 Honda Pilot has vibration/shaking in the steering wheel when braking from 50+ mph. Not noticeable at lower speeds, but very noticeable above 50mph. Steering wheel shakes and makes it seem as if the car wants to lose control or not brake as it should.
I have been driving my Honda Pilot 2012 LX since Nov 2012, though have been visited Honda about 03 times for brakes, the current miles are approx 37400 miles and already resurfaced the front brake rotors 2 times, this is due to the vehicle weight per Honda, it seems the issue is with rotors, even after driving really conservatively the rotors get uneven really fast, I sincerely believe the rotors need to be of better quality and hence replaced by Honda.
On April 30 2014 my wife [xxx] entered the children's hospital of philadelphia campus in the 2012 Honda Pilot. She approached the guard booth and came to a complete stop. This can be verified as the guard stopped her and they had a brief conversation about where to park. [xxx] then accelerated out of the guard booth while making an immediate low speed right turn down a ramp into a parking garage. From this point the Honda Pilot continued to accelerate down the ramp as she applied the brakes. The car accelerated out of control and failed to brake. It jumped a small median and eventually hit a concrete block wall at the bottom of the ramp. [xxx] maintains that she was applying the brakes during the descent down the ramp up the moment of impact and the car was still continuing to accelerate and brakes did not respond. I contacted Honda and submitted a written request that the event data recorder (edr) be tested. A representative from Honda called me on September 6 (I was only given a first name of [xxx]) he explained that on or about August 19 a technician examined the vehicle and determined that no pre accident data could be recovered. He explained that while the 2012 Honda Pilot has an edr only some of these vehicles have the ability to record pre accident data and that mine did not have this ability. He also said that I would not receive a report or any confirmation in writing about the incident or subsequent examination of the vehicle. The owner manual indicates that edrs has the ability to record data up to 30 seconds prior to the accident it will report if the accelerator or brake was being activated at the moment of impact. It will also indicate the vehicle speed. My request is that Honda follow through and test the edr to determine if the brakes and or accelerator malfunctioned as [xxx] maintains and supply the results to me. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
When driving on the highway and braking the steering wheel shakes. Confirmed by dealership: Warped rotors/ limited brake pad use: To be precise 2 millimeters of brake pad use. Mileage is under 26,000, 2 & 1/2 year old car. I am an average driver. In my opinion to have the rotors warp with limited use on the brake pads leads me to believe that the rotors were defective from the start. However the dealership is stipulating wear and tear with a $600 bill including replacing my limited worn brake pads. I'm sure I am not the only owner with this defect. Absolutely absurd!
The check engine light and vtm4 light come on after over an hour of driving. Sometimes the whole inside of the car smells has while driving and the fuel consumption is not efficient. In addition when the car sits in the garage for a few days, maybe 2-3, and I start driving, the wheels make some deep brushing noise. This gets worst when I brake. Sometimes it smells like something is burning under the hood or around the engine.
When I purchased the vehicle new in May 2012, there was a severe 'pulsing' vibration when braking from speeds > 60mph. I took the vehicle back to the dealer, they said this was because it sat on the lot without being moved, and 'machined' the rust off the rotors, which seemed to have fixed the problem. Now the problem has reappeared at approximately 35000-40000 miles. Again the dealer says it is a problem with the rear rotors, and they need to be resurfaced and the brake pads replaced. I owned a 2004 Pilot and never experienced this problem with it in the 100,000 miles I drove it. My driving habits have not changed. There seems to be some sort of problem with the brake rotors on this model - braking distance is longer than my prior model and the vibration/pulsing is significant enough to cause a concern for safety.
When braking at speeds above 50 mph, there is a vibration at the steering wheel. I brought the vehicle to a Honda dealer and was told the front rotors should be refaced when the car needs new brake pads. I have had a 2006,2009, and 2012 Pilot. My driving habits have not changed, the mileage per year is consistent, and there has been no hard or excessive braking. I have not had this problem with the other model years. So, what's the problem" are the current rotors thinner or inferior"
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Andover, MN, USA