2013 Honda Pilot

THIS WILL BE THE 3RD TIME IN LESS THAN 80,000 MILES THAT I HAVE HAD TO HAVE THE BRAKE ROTORS AND PADS REPLACED DUE TO THE BRAKES EXCESSIVE STEERING SHAKE AT ANY SPEED. THIS CONDITION HAS TO BE DUE TO A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE HARDWARE MAKING IT BOTH COSTLY AND DANGEROUS. DEALERSHIP WANTS TO TAKE MY MONEY AND IGNORE THE PROBLEM.

I HAVE A 2013 HONDA PILOT EX 4WD WITH 52,610 MILES ON IT. IN VERY COLD WEATHER (AROUND 5 DEGREES F OR LESS) THE BRAKES DON'T FUNCTION CORRECTLY WHEN THE CAR IS FIRST STARTED. THERE IS A LOT OF PEDAL RESISTANCE AND IT ONLY GOES DOWN ABOUT A THIRD OF THE WAY OR LESS. DURING THIS TIME, THE BRAKES ARE BARELY ENGAGING (IT TAKES 3 FEET TO MAKE A STOP THAT WOULD NORMALLY ONLY TAKE 6 INCHES). THEN SUDDENLY THE PEDAL WILL GO DOWN ALL OF THE WAY AND THE BRAKES WILL BE WORKING. SOMETIMES IT CORRECTS ITSELF ALMOST RIGHT AWAY ON THE FIRST PUSH, OTHER TIMES IT TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES TO CORRECT. IN ALL BUT ONE OCCASION, THIS HAPPENED WHILE PARKED, HOWEVER, IT HAS HAPPENED ONCE ON THE ROAD ON AN EXTREMELY COLD (SUB 0 F) DAY (NOTABLY ON THAT DAY IT HAD BEEN STORED INSIDE OVERNIGHT PRIOR TO THE TRIP). NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT AN ABS TYPE EXPERIENCE (WHERE YOU ARE PUSHING THE PEDAL HARD BECAUSE THE ABS IS ACTIVATING) ' IN MY CASE THE PEDAL IS BARELY GOING DOWN, AND THE BRAKES ARE BARELY ENGAGING. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TWICE INSPECTED BY A HONDA DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED THE BRAKE FLUID AND BOTH FRONT AND REAR BRAKE PADS, BUT IT STILL HAPPENS. THE CHALLENGE IS THAT IT DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL OF THE TIME, SO IT IS HARD TO DUPLICATE FOR THE DEALER. BASED ON A WEB SEARCH, IT APPEARS THAT OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM: HTTP://WWW.PILOTEERS.ORG/FORUMS/82-2012-2015-PILOT/147306-COLD-WEATHER-BRAKES.HTML HTTP://WWW.PILOTEERS.ORG/FORUMS/114-2016-THIRD-GENERATION-PILOT/141257-HARD-BRAKE-PEDAL-MORNING.HTML

IT WAS A SUNNY AND VERY HOT DAY, TEMPERATURES ABOVE 90 DEGREES. THE VEHICLE WAS PROCEEDING WEST ON A 2 LANE IN TOWN STREET, WITH NO CURBS, WITH ONE VEHICLE IN FRONT, STOPPED AT THE INTERSECTION TO A 2 LANE HIGHWAY. AS THE VEHICLE WAS APPROACHING THE RAILROAD TRACKS, WITH A SLIGHT INCLINE, THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES FOR THE STOP SIGN AFTER THE RAILROAD TRACKS. AS THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE CAR ACCELERATED TOWARDS THE HIGHWAY. AT THIS POINT, THE DRIVER SAID, 'IT'S NOT STOPPING'IT'S NOT STOPPING.' TO THE OVER 2 PASSENGERS OF THE CAR. THERE WAS A CAR IN FRONT OF THE CAR, WAITING TO TURN ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND CAR GETTING READY TO CROSS THE HIGHWAY, AS WELL AS A CAR ON THE HIGHWAY NEAR THE INTERSECTION. THE DRIVER CONTINUED TO APPLY THE BREAKS WITHOUT THE CAR BREAKING AND VEERED TO THE LEFT TO TRY TO AVOID THE CAR IN FRONT. AS THE CAR ACCELERATED, IT HIT THE CAR IN FRONT AND BOUNCED OFF THE LEFT BACK BUMPER OF THE CAR IN FRONT AND CAME TO A STOP. THEY CARS WERE NOT MOVING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED BUT THE CAR IN QUESTION WAS NOT STOPPING EVEN WITH THE BREAKS APPLIED, FOOT ON THE BRAKE PETAL, FOOT NOT ON ACCELERATOR. IT WAS ACCELERATING. THE CAR WAS PUT INTO PARK. THE CAR SEEMED TO 'HAVE A MIND OF IT'S OWN' NOT BREAKING BUT ACCELERATING. THERE WAS AN UNKNOWN CAUSE FOR THIS AS OF THIS TIME. A COUNTY DEPUTY WAS IN THE AREA AND CAME OVER TO THE ACCIDENT.

AS POSTED BY SEVERAL OTHER CUSTOMERS, I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED AT MODERATE TO HIGH RATES OF SPEED GOING DOWNHILL. THE CAR BEGINS TO VIBRATE OR WAVER. I HAVE NOW HAD THE ROTORS SHAVED THE THIRD TIME AND AM SURE THEY WILL NEED REPLACEMENT SOON. EACH TIME THEY REPAIR IT LASTS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I HAVE BEEN TOLD IN THE PAST THIS IS COMMON WITH THIS VEHICLE. I CALLED HONDA CORPORATION AND THEY COULD NOT HAVE CARED LESS. THEY SAID IT WAS ALL DO TO "NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR". THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS AS HELPFUL AS POSSIBLE, BUT THEY NEED TO ESCALATE THESE ISSUES TO CORPORATION SO THE CONSUMER IS PROTECTED. IT IS VERY FRIGHTENING TO FEEL THAT VIBRATION DURING DOWNHILL BRAKING. I OWNED A 2011 HONDA PILOT AND NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE SO IT IS SOMETHING IN THE DESIGN OR PARTS FOR THE 2013 MODEL. I AM CONSIDERING SELLING THE PILOT AND PURCHASING ANOTHER (NON-HONDA) SUV.

WHEN BRAKING FROM HIGHWAY SPEEDS TO EXIT OFF RAMP, CAR SHIMMIES VIOLENTLY. STEERING. DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE AS STEERING WHEEL IS ALSO VIOLENTLY SHAKING. THROUGH RESEARCH APPEARS TO BE COMMON KNOWN DEFECT OF THE FACTORY INSTALLED BRAKE ROTORS. REPLACED TIRES, HAD ALIGNED. DID NOT CORRECT. HONDA USED FAULTY, DANGEROUS AND INFERIOR ORIGINAL PARTS. NHTSA SHOULD FORCE HONDA TO ISSUE RECALL. FAILURE OF SAFE BRAKING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS PUT THE CAR OCCUPANTS AND ALL SURROUNDING VEHICLES IN LIFE THREATENING DANGER.

MY HONDA PILOT EX-L MODEL HAS 36500 MILES. IT ALL STARTED AFTER 20000 MILES, BREAKS STARTED FEELING SPONGY AND TAKES LONGER DISTANCE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. WHEN I TOOK IT TO DEALERSHIP, THEY TOLD ME THE BREAKS ARE WORKING AS DESIGNED. NOW MY STEERING IS SHAKING VIGOROUSLY WHEN I APPLY BREAK AFTER 40 MPH SPEED. ANYTHING LOWER THAT SPEED STEERING IS LESS SHAKY BUT I CAN FEEL THE STEERING IS SHAKING EVEN IN THAT SPEED. NOW BREAKING DISTANCE IS LOT LONGER AND DURING RED LIGHTS I AM CROSSING THE LINE DURING INTENSE TRAFFIC STOPS.

FOR THE PAST 8 MONTHS, I HAVE BEEN HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR EXCELLERATING WHILE I WAS BRAKING. THE DEALERSHIP LOOKED AT THE CAR ON 3 OCCASIONS AND STATED THAT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. BECAUSE OF A RECENT SCARE WHILE DRIVING, I TOOK THE CAR TO SOMEONE WHO KNOWS ABOUT CARS. AFTER A TEST DRIVE, HE CONCLUDED THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT ENGAGING PROPERLY GIVING THE FEELING THAT THE CAR WAS EXCELLERATING. HE FELT THAT THE ABS WAS NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY AND RAISED AN ISSUE THAT COULD AN ACCIDENT AS THE BRAKES WERE DISENGAGING WHEN THE DRIVER EXPECTED THEM TO STOP THE CAR. HE ALSO FELT THAT THE BRAKE ACTION COULD CAUSE A LOSS OF CONTROL IT HAPPENS AT BOTH STREET AND HIGHWAY SPEED.