10 of the 877 complaints about the 2003 Honda Pilot are about the tires — 1% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 22,000 miles.
10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
TIRES
YOKOHAMA GEOLANDER H/T-S GO51 P235/70R16 CRACKING AND SEPARATION OF TIRE TREAD AROUND ENTIRE CIRCUMFERENCE OF TIRES. ALL 4 TIRES PURCHASED 6/26/09 AND ONLY 27K MILES. THESE WERE NOT DRY ROT CRACKS.
NHTSA complaint #10525965 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
OUR 2003 HONDA PILOT LOCKED UP ON THE HIGHWAY DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE OF THE 2ND GEAR. WE WERE TRAVELING IN THE 3RD LANE OVER 60 MPH WHEN BOTH FRONT TIRES LOCKED AND WE SKIDDED TO A HALT IN LESS THAN 200 YARDS ON THE HIGHWAY. PRIOR TO OUR VEHICLE BREAKING DOWN, THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF DANGER, NO UNUSUAL SOUNDS, NO BLINKING LIGHTS OR ANY HESITATION WITH THE CAR. OUR VEHICLE HAD 138,400+ MILES AND HAS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY ACCORDING TO HONDA'S RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES, INCLUDING ALL TRANSMISSION FLUID CHANGES. ON MAY 7, 2004 WITH 36,384 MILES, OUR VEHICLE HAD RECEIVED A RETROFIT OF THE A/T OIL JET KIT DUE TO HONDA'S 04-021B SAFETY RECALL ON THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SECOND GEAR. LUCKILY NO ONE WAS INJURED AND THERE WERE NO OTHER VEHICLES INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. THE CAR BEHIND US STOPPED JUST IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION. OUR CAR COULD NOT BE ROLLED INTO THE BREAKDOWN LANE AS BOTH FRONT WHEELS WERE LOCKED AND WE WERE STRANDED IN THE 3RD LANE. A POLICE OFFICER WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND LOGGED THE INCIDENT AS A DISABLED VEHICLE. THE OFFICER REQUESTED FOR IMMEDIATE TOWING SINCE WE WERE IN A DANGEROUS LOCATION. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A HONDA DEALER, WHO PROVIDED THE FOLLOWING DIAGNOSIS AND ESTIMATE: "TRANSMISSION INTERNAL FAILURE BOTH FRONT AXLES TWISTED NEEDS 2 TIRES - FLAT SPOTS ALIGNMENT $5,199.14 PLUS TAX" WE OPTED NOT TO REPAIR THE HONDA AND INSTEAD PURCHASED A NEW NON-HONDA VEHICLE AND RECEIVED A TRADE-IN VALUE FOR 'AS-IS' CONDITION.
NHTSA complaint #10282338 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE TIRES ON HIS VEHICLE WERE DETERIORATING ON THE INTERIOR SIDEWALL. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON FIVE OCCASIONS AND THEY PERFORMED A REALIGNMENT. HE THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND A TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE DOES NOT ADJUST THE CAMBER AND CASTER. THE CONTACT HAD TO REPLACE FOUR SETS OF TIRES, IN WHICH ALL OF THEM HAD A LARGE AMOUNT OF TREAD. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE LIFETIME OF THE TIRES WERE 28,000 MILES. ALL ATTEMPTS TO HAVE THE VEHICLE REPAIRED PROPERLY HAVE BEEN INSUFFICIENT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 79,000. UPDATED 10-30-08 *BF UPDATED 10/31/08
NHTSA complaint #10244026 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SHOOK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE TREAD WAS SEPARATING FROM THE TIRES. THE TIRES WERE COOPER MASTERCRAFT COURSER AWT, SIZE P235/70R16 (NA). THE VIN AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 87,000.
NHTSA complaint #10197799 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT A BUMP ALMOST CAUSING LOST OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE TIRE SHOWED IMMEDIATE DETERIORATION WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPLACEMENT.
NHTSA complaint #10105396 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
2003 HONDA PILOT LX TIRES NEEDED REPLACING BEFORE I REACHED 15,000 MILES. THEY ARE PUTTING INFERIOR TIRES ON THE CAR. I HAD AN INDEPENDENT DEALER TELL ME THAT THE PILOT IS TOO HEAVY FOR CAR TIRES. HONDA SHOULD PUT LIGHT TRUCK TIRES ON THE PILOT. BRIDGESTONE AND HONDA SAY THAT TIRES ARE NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ITEMS AND ARE NEVER COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.
NHTSA complaint #10095940 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TIRES HAVE WORN OUT AFTER 22,000 MILES ON NEW CAR-2003 HONDA PILOT. REAR TIRES ARE FEATHERING AND FRONT TIRES ARE WORN UNEVENLY. TIRES ARE BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/T 235/70 R16.
NHTSA complaint #10083191 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
VEHICLE HAS VIBRATION / SHIMMY AT 40-45 AND 70-80 MPH THAT IS QUITE ANNOYING. NEW TIRES HAVE BEEN INSTALLED, BALANCED TWICE, STILL NO LUCK, VIBRATION PERSIST IN STEERING WHEEL AND VEHICLE COMPARTMENT.
NHTSA complaint #10073182 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
THE LEFT REAR TIRE BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING AT 63 MPH.
NHTSA complaint #10053300 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TIRES
THE 2003 HONDA PILOT HAS A VIBRATION IN THE TIRES THAT THE DEALER HAS HAD IN THE SHOP THREE TIMES, SINCE DAY ONE TO TRY TO FIX THE TIRE VIBRATION (70 MPH AND UP, SOMETIMES FELT AT LOWER SPEEDS). THE TIRES STILL EMITS A STEADY AND OBVIOUS VIBRATION THAT EMINATES FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AND SEATS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE IS A FLAT SPOT IN THE TIRES. PILOT OWNERS WHO EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM ARE ENTITLED TO HONDA'S UNRELENTING ATTENTION AND COMMITMENT TO CORRECT THIS MYSTERY.
NHTSA complaint #766735 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.