2009 Honda Pilot

THE STEERING WHEEL ON MY 2009 HONDA PILOT VIBRATES EXCESSIVELY AT ANY SPEED OVER 50MPH. I HAVE COMPLETELY REPLACED THE BRAKE ROTOR AND PADS WITH BRAND NEW PARTS. IT IMPROVED SOMEWHAT, BUT DIDN'T ELIMINATE THE VIBRATION PROBLEM. MY ONLINE RESEARCH SHOWS THEY ARE MANY OTHERS WHO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS ACROSS ALL MODEL YEARS. IT APPEARS TO BE A FUNDAMENTAL DESIGN/MANUFACTURING DEFECT. SOME PEOPLE CLAIMED TO HAVE THE VIBRATION PROBLEM FIXED BY REPLACING THE ENGINE MOUNT.

COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE STOPPED OR AT LOW SPEEDS (TRYING TO PULL INTO A PARKING SPACE) AND FRONT END/STEERING COLUMN SHAKING WHILE BREAKING AT 60 MPH. I WAS TOLD BY THE SERVICE REP AT THE HONDA DEALERSHIP THAT I LOST MY POWER STEERING BECAUSE THERE WAS A LEAK FROM ERODED SEAL, CAUSING POWER STEERING FLUID TO LEAK INTO THE BOOTS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. FOR THIS REASON, THERE WAS NEVER ANY LEAKAGE ONTO THE GROUND TO EVER INDICATE THAT THERE WAS A LEAK. ADDITIONALLY, A WARNING LIGHT NEVER CAME ON IN MY DASHBOARD TO ALERT ME OF THE ISSUE. AS A RESULT OF THE LEAK, I WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY ENTIRE POWER STEERING RACK BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SOMETHING COVERED UNDER MY HONDA POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I NEEDED NEW BRAKES AND ROTORS FOR THE SHAKING ISSUE, BUT AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I FOUND THAT THIS HAS BEEN A FREQUENTLY REPORTED ISSUE IN HONDA PILOTS AND MAY ACTUALLY STEM BACK TO THE POWER STEERING ISSUE. YESTERDAY, I RECEIVED ANOTHER CALL ADVISING ME THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP ALSO NEEDED REPLACED DUE TO SUSPECTED DAMAGE THAT INCURRED DUE TO IT BEING DRY FROM THE LEAK. *TR

WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED AT ALMOST ANY SPED VEHICLE SHAKES VIOLENTLY. TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE WAS ADVISED BY DEALER THAT THE BUSHING ON A SUSPENSION COMPONENT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS IT HAS CRACKED. I DID A BIT OF RESEARCH AND WAS TOLD THAT HONDA WAS AWARE OF THE INITIAL FLAW ON THE DESIGN AND REDESIGNED IT FOR THE REPLACEMENT PART. CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT BEAR THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT PART AS IT IS A MANUFACTURES DEFECT. THIS IS CAUSING THE BRAKES AND ROTOR TO WEAR OUT FASTER. *TR

CONSTANT VIBRATION AT 60 MPH OR ABOVE. MORE PROMINENT ON THE FRONT SIDE, AT THE STEERING WHEEL AS WELL AS THE FRONT SEATS. DOES NOT GO AWAY WITH TIRE REPLACEMENTS, BALANCING AND ROTATION AND EVEN 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT. VIBRATION FREQUENCY IS SUCH THAT IT TRANSMITS TO DRIVERS' / PASSENGERS LEGS, SPINE AND HEAD, CAUSING DISTRACTED AND STRESSFUL DRIVING CONDITIONS THAT CAN BE A HAZARD TO VEHICLE OCCUPANTS AND OTHER VEHICLES ON THE ROAD. ISSUE IS SPECIFIC TO HONDA PILOT AND EASILY FELT ON ANY ROAD OR HIGHWAY. DRIVING FOR MORE THAN 30 MINUTES CAUSED US HEAD AND NECK PAIN DUE TO VIBRATIONS AND STRESS INDUCED DUE TO VIBRATIONS. *JS

SHAKING AND VIBRATING OF THE STEERING WHEEL RESULTING IN DAMAGE TO ROTORS. HONDA IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE HOWEVER THEY HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING ABOUT THIS. HERE ARE MORE COMPLAINTS BY OWNERS WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE: HTTP://TOWNHALL-TALK.EDMUNDS.COM/DIRECT/VIEW/.F186D71/36 #40 OF 46 STEERING WHEEL SHIMMIE BY WILIAGBY JAN 22, 2013 (1:47 PM) I HAVE A 2010 PILOT PURCHASED NEW AND HAVE LESS THAN 23000 MILES. THE STEERING WHEEL HAS BEEN SHAKING FOR A WHILE. IT HAS BEEN MORE PRONOUNCE AS TIME GONE ON. SO I WENT TO THE DEALER TODAY AND WAS EXPLAINED IT WAS THE ROTOR BEING WARPED. IT WAS EXPLAINED THE MANUFACTURER WENT TO A SOFTER MATERIAL TO ELIMINATE SQUEAKING BRAKE SOUNDS WITH A HARDER MATERIAL. SO I TOLD THE SERVICER THAT THIS WILL BE A CHRONIC PROBLEM SINCE ALL THE ROTORS WILL WARP EVEN IF I REPLACE THEM OR HAVE THE CURRENT ROTORS TURNED. HE SAID WARRANTY EXPIRES AT 12,000 MILES FOR BRAKE PROBLEMS AND IT WAS MY CHOICE. WOW! I ASK THEM TO STILL CHECK IT AND WHEN THE SERVICE INVOICE WAS PRINTED THE WRITING WAS PERFORM A COMPLIMENTARY VEHICLE INSPECTION INCLUDING INSPECTING THE TIRE PRESSURE AND SETTING IT TO FACTORY SPECIFICATION. NOTHING WRITTEN ABOUT THE STEERING WHEEL SHIMMIE. SO I POINTED IT OUT AND THE SERVICER SAID IT WAS INSIDE THE FREE INSPECTION. THEY KNOW ITS A PROBLEM AND THERE IS A DELIBERATE EFFORT TO HIDE IT. I AM NOT SATISFY WITH THE ANSWER OR SERVICE. THE TECHNICIAN HEARD THE PROBLEM, BUT THIS TIME THEY DUG DEEPER AND AGREED THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE POWER STEERING RACK. THEY REPLACED IT AND MY PILOT IS LIKE NEW! HOPEFULLY HONDA WILL STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT BETTER IN THE FUTURE -- I HAD TO GO THROUGH MUCH FRUSTRATION TO GET MY PROBLEM FIXED. HE GIVES ME A COPY OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN... PROBABLY CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM : "FRONT SUSPENSION REAR LOWER ARM BUSHING BRACKET IS FAULTY". *TR

AT 60 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATES, AS IF THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM IS ENGAGED, JUST WITH A SLIGHT TAP OF THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VIBRATION IS AT A CONSISTENT RATE, AND DOES NOT SLOW WHEN THE VEHICLE SLOWS. THERE IS NO SCRAPING, OR ANY OTHER SOUND COMING FROM THE WHEELS, AND IT IS EASILY DEMONSTRATED. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WHILE SLOWING DOWN SLOWLY, THE VIBRATION CATCHES YOU OFF GUARD AS YOU THINK YOU MAY BE DRIVING OVER A RUMBLE STRIP, AND ATTEMPT TO MAKE A CORRECTION IN YOUR DRIVING - ONLY TO REALIZE THAT ITS THE VEHICLE THAT IS HAVING THE ISSUE. THE ISSUE STARTED APPEARING AROUND 32K MILES, AND NOW HAS 39K MILES ON IT, AND HAS ONLY BEEN DRIVEN AROUND TOWN. IT HAS NEVER BEEN ON A LONG RANGE TRIP DUE TO THIS ISSUE. *TR