Radiator Problems of Honda Pilot - part 1

I am 30 years experienced auto mechanic and recently experienced my engine oil pressure warning light flashed in my 2014 Honda Pilot while driving and engine overheated . Pulled over the vehicle and found oil leaked completely into the cooling system and radiator reservoir was full of oil/coolant. I removed both side cylinder heads, could not find any damages either heads or gaskets. I had to replace the motor assembly. I found same cases online and asked the Honda for this case, Honda did not let me know what they know. Vehicle was just paid off and has 82000 miles on it. The vehicle has been serviced properly since day 1.

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All the saden no meter read any high temperature, when I return from airport to my house (no more than 50 km)>> I heared the strong sound of zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz,, I stoped the car, and open the cover of the engine ,,to find something like milk speting in a form of burkaning lava. . . I tow the car to the agents ask the CO. To check ,,they open the engine to small parts and never gave me any report till today>> instead he refuse to apply the warrenty ??!! and said the engine mix water and oil,, becouse the radiater dameged. !!??. In spite there is< as I said< no temperature rise at the time in the car meter at all !!>> I complain to our ministry of commerese. . Again they did notyhing. ??. . I took the car out side the agency and bought new engine ( coste me alot) am using the car again with the same original radiator <which out side the agency they asure me, its nothing wrong with it>>??. . Now almost 6 months, since 18-4-2018>>> which am using the car with the same radiator >>> take into cosiderations I did in the agency the 52932 km, full maintanance the 50000 km maintanance (with chane oil and filter) and at 58119km again change oil and oil filter with standard chekings others like water >>etc >>>the engin give up(mix water +oil) without temp. Increse???!! at 59909 km. . Where the warrenty is 3 years or 60000 km. . Please check these cars from such a dengerous act. . . If I did not hear the noise and stop the engine might be on fire>> Honda agency abdullah hashim CO. Ltd, riyadh, ksa. . . . . Thank you.

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The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. While the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the contact noticed an oil stain on the ground. The contact made an appointment with the dealer. Stream valley Honda in new york diagnosed that a new radiator was needed and the vehicle had to be flushed three times. The dealer also stated that there was no guarantee that the vehicle would function normally because the radiator coolant leaked into the transmission and it was possible that a new transmission was required. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened case number: 06048532. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000.

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Loss of power on highway even when accelerator engaged. Had to pull over the shoulder. Vehicle could not be driven. Smoke was coming from the rear of vehicle but sent away after engine was shut off. Vehicle had to be towed. Service department at nearest Honda dealer cited a radiator leak that likely got into the transmission line.

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On 9-9-15, our 2005 Honda Pilot abruptly stopped on emerald parkway - police assisted. Leaking fluid was clumpy red/brown and vehicle hot. Shop today says radiator and transmission and possibly engine need replaced and instructed us to contact a Honda dealer. This is our second safety complaint on this vehicle - 1st was dangerous "phantom braking" or inadvertant application on brakes in 2012, which Honda subsequently recalled in 2013. After reading thru complaints, I see the exact same problem - transmission line in radiator suddenly came loose and transmission fluid leaked into radiator and coolant leaked into transmission, ruining both has occurred numerous times. We anticipate a very expensive repair. . . . We are thankful this did not occur on the highway, during rush hour or with any of our 3 kids in the vehicle, and are angered at Honda's failure to recall this as well - as some said they did for 2003 and 2004 models?.

This is a 2005 Honda Pilot we bought in 2009. The dealer called me to say that the radiator burst and the antifreeze got mixed in with the transmission fluid causing the transmission to fail. He is now quoting a $5,000 bill to replace the radiator and the transmission.

I was driving my Honda rpm started going up and down vechicle started violently started to shake. I luckly made it home. The transmission fluid and coolant had mixed. I bought a new radiator, extensive transmission flush 15 qts. Now 2 months later the vechicle is shifting hard, shaking at 35-40 mph and have been informed I need a new transmission. I have read numerous comments and reports of this Honda should be notified and a recall put in place.

I had been driving for about 15 minutes when car suddenly failed to maintain speed and slowed from 45 mph to 30-35 mph. I could not get car to accelerate, engine was audibly strained and smoke was shortly evident from under hood. I put on my emergency flashers and pulled off the road as soon as it was safe to do so. No warning lights were illuminated. Smoke ceased when I turned the engine off. Upon exiting the car I observed a heavy stream of brown oily liquid draining from hood and additional blue oily fluid following shortly thereafter. I checked the fluid levels to find totally depleted transmission fluid and rapidly diminishing engine coolant. I called my Honda dealer service dept. And was advised not to drive the car and to have it towed to the service dept. Which I did. It was determined that a hose had disconnected and the radiator would need replacement. He could offer no explanation as to what caused the problem stating it had not seen it before. Total cost: $825. 00. Given the many internet complaints of this identical problem unreported to official agencies combined with those reported to Honda corporate and nhsta I am unconvinced that all Honda dealerships are unaware of this issue. I am, however, totally convinced that serious injury or death would have resulted had I been driving on a crowded highway at 70 mph when this hose disconnected causing an instantaneous loss of speed with impending engine failure. I am equally convinced that Honda corp. Is negligent in not admitting this to be a manufacturing defect worthy of a voluntary recall and financial reimbursement to it's customers. Nhsta is negligent in it's lack of attention to the serious nature of this problem and failure to mandate a recall.

The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the vehicle exhibited a reduction in power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the radiator and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.

Like so very many other Honda Pilot owners of the timeframe, I have experienced a transmission leak and failure from a radiator failure - and though Honda had settled a class-action suit about these problems with a minor warranty extension. . . My failure, of course, happened shortly after that extension. I am out nearly $5,000 and nearly got killed when my car died because Honda has failed to properly recall these transmissions. Shame on Honda - and shame on you for not holding them to task even after they settled a lawsuit (with such a lame and still unsafe response).

Transmission cooler line inside radiator failed combining fluids and causing the transmission to malfunction. Loss of ability to drive/move vehicle while on a rural road between cities during a snowstorm with my family in the vehicle. This is a common failure and requires a new radiator and replace / rebuild the transmission. A recommendation from Honda to replace the radiator every 100,000 miles for a marginal fee(similar to the timing belt) would have prevented having to replace / rebuild the transmission.

I was driving up a hill when my vehicle started to lose power and high rpms upon acceleration. Was not able to climb hill so I pulled over and turned the car off. Restarted and made it a short distance before it stopped. I was fortunate to get out of harm's way prior to the car giving out completely. The vehicle had to be towed. A mechanic took a look at the vehicle and explained that transmission and radiator were both ruined and would both need to be replaced. He indicated that transmission fluid and radiator fluid mixed causing the malfunction and it also has caused the need for flushing of the engine. I have noticed that several other owners have made internet posts about the same problem. This issue should be under consideration for a recall by Honda as it sounds like a common occurrence that is the result of a design flaw. It is potentially very dangerous as this happens with no warning and causes the vehicle to stop functioning. Obviously, this would be very dangerous if it occurs at highway speeds. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Radiator failed causing the transmission fluid to mix with the coolant. My wife was stranded with my four children. We had the radiator changed and coolant and transmission fluid flushed. The transmission has not functioned properly since the problem happened.

Transmission cooler line inside radiator failed commingled fluids and causing transmission to malfunction. Loss of ability to drive/move vehicle while in middle of multi-lane highway.

Had a sudden failure of the transmission cooling portion of the radiator causing a loss of power to the rear wheels while driving on the highway at 70 mph. If this had happened on a busy freeway it would have been very dangerous. Upon doing an internet search I see that hundreds of 2005 Honda Pilots have suffered the same sudden failure of the exact same part causing the same condition. This usually results in damaging the transmission and costing thousands to repair. This is absolutely a safety hazard. Honda refuses to acknowledge that any problem exists. It is plainly evident that a manufacturing defect of this part exists. Any engineer who examines the data of hundreds and hundreds of accounts posted on the internet must come to the same conclusion. This is defective! this is dangerous! owners should be partially compensated for the expense of repair. Honda should be held accountable for a knowingly defective part.

While driving along a rural 2 lane highway with no one behind me, the transmission appeared to slip and the engine rpm went way up. The truck slowed down. This lasted 3 or 4 seconds and then went back to normal. In a few minutes, I stopped at the light entering the village of saranac lake, NY. The 2005 Honda Pilot stopped running. I tried to restart and nothing happened at all. I put my flashers on and opened the hood. I saw a liquid that looked like chocolate milk leaking under the engine. After it was towed to a garage, the mechanic said he thought the radiator leaked and allowed the antifreeze to mix with the transmission fluid. The truck would need a new radiator and maybe a new trans and or engine. If someone had been behind me when this happened, it could have caused an accident because it caused the vehicle to slow down and the brake lights did not come on. I read that over 1 million 2003 and 2004 Honda Pilots were recalled for the same problem.

On our way home to NJ from a family trip to canada we stopped for a bathroom break in the "middle of nowhere" maine. The car hesitated to go when stepping on the gas. I managed to drive dwon the road, the "temp" light went on, then I pulled over. I checked the fluids. . . . The transmission fluid was milky red. We were lucky to have cell phone service to call for a tow. I had my family, wife and two younger kids in the car. We waited for over 30 minutes for the tow truck to arrive, he had to call for transport for my family. We managed to find a service center that was willing stay open to fix our car. The car needed a new radiator and have the transmission flushed ($800), a valve broke sending coolant into the transmission. We learned that other 2005 Pilots had the same problem of which there was a recall for this issue on the 2004 Pilots, Honda would not do anything! (as a side note, I had some seat leather replaced and the color match was that of a 2004 Pilot). Since the day of the repair the transmission is very rough/bucking while shifting gears. To date, besides routine maintenance, oil changes and small parts, I have replaced the timing belt, starter, water pump, and the radiator. To have the transmission replaced would be a very costly repair. This was our family travel car and I now will only take the car around town for fear that the transmission will go. I was not in the market for a new car but due to this situation I need to get rid of this car!.

Overheats when driving less than 30 miles. I changed the radiator and the thermostat. Now, the Honda stopped working on the highway in the middle of the night. Repair man said that the head gasket needs to be replaced for $5,000!!! Honda needs a recall! I googled the problem and other consumers are having the same issue!!.

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The transmission line that goes into the radiator was dislodged and all the transmission fluid leaked out as well as coolant. The car had been driven about 4 miles and was parked at the time of the incident. There was no visible damage to the transmission line or the radiator but both had to be replaced according to the Honda dealer. The cost of replacement was $641. 55 and none of this was covered by Honda. We believe that this is a serious defect in the Honda Pilot and is a major problem in both the Honda Pilot and odyssey van. This connection was not damaged and simply let loose. It has occurred in many other vehicles at different amounts of mileage from my vehicle. This connection should never come loose under normal driving conditions and is a serious defect with significant safety concerns. The repair person at the dealer told me that they are seeing a lot of these problems and that the line simply blows out under the pressure from inside the radiator (he said about 110 psi) Honda should be held responsible for this defect and all Honda Pilots and odyssey vans should be recalled and the defect corrected before serious injuries occur. We believe you should investigate this further and have Honda take corrective action. As I investigated this I determined that in some cases the coolant and radiator fluid mix together and cause serious damage to the transmission. This is caused by the same problem but the repair cost go into the thousands $ because of the damage to the transmission.

The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 3 mph, the temperature gauge spiked as coolant began overflowing from the radiator. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that transmission fluid was found in the radiator and radiator fluid was found in the transmission. As a result, the radiator, transmission cooler, transmission and all of the lines from the transmission would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 83,000.

Got into vehicle today. Placed car into drive and the car would not accelerate. I placed it back into park and then back to drive. It finally kicked into gear. I got on the highway and drove approximately 30 miles with no problems. I made a quick stop. When I started my car again it did the same thing. I drove about a mile and the transmission starting slipping badly. It stopped accelerating completely. I had it towed to the dealer. I was informed by the dealer that the radiator had failed and had mixed with the transmission fluid. Was told the radiator and the transmission would need to be replaced. Wake up ntsb. This has been reported consistently to you as a complaint and posted on numerous forums online. This is definitely a problem with this model and Honda is not stepping up. Make them answer the complaints. Most people do not have $5000 to repair an 8 year old car.

As soon as I stopped in front of my house, I saw fluid pouring from the front right engine area. Fortunately for me, the problem occurred at that moment. There were no symptoms of, or dash board alerts previous to that. ( and nothing on the street) the car was towed on a flatbed to my service center,which is a certified Honda service center. . Apparently there was a line failure that allowed antifreeze and transmission fluid to mix and go into the transmission. The radiator was replaced and coolant flushed. The transmission was flushed 6 times with 28 quarts of transmission fluid and after driving 16 miles I am aware that the tranny is compromised and am going back to flush again. My service man made it clear that there is no guarantee on the transmission. I am a woman who maintains her car diligently and could not have done anything to prevent this catastrophic failure and upon researching the problem, find other Honda owners experiencing the same thing. It is up to Honda to step up and recognize a design/product flaw and perhaps recall others before it happens to them. I sincerely hope Honda realizes that this is an opportunity to do the right thing and fix the problem.

I was driving my 2005 Honda Pilot probably around 40mph, a noise, I turned on the closest road to get out of traffic and was heading up hill, the rpm dial moved irradically, the vehicle did not want to go, there were no engine lights on, the temperature gauge was normal. The vehicle shut off. I had no steering control, because I was on a hill I had to use the emergency brake to stabilize the vehicle. The vehicle had died. I turned the ignition to the off position and then tried to restart since we were on a 2 land road with no guard rail and a steep drop off beside the passenger side. When I tried to turn it on, a light came on the alt temp. I was unable to get the vehicle down and had to wait for assistance. We lifted the hood and it was not hot coming from inside but there was a fluid leaking. My vehicle was towed to the Honda dealership. I was told that this has happened to several other Honda Pilots. We could have been killed if we were on the highway when this vehicle died with no warning or lights. I was told that they think something when with the radiator which leaked fluid into the transmission. They don't know yet if the engine is dead until the work on the rest of the vehicle. The customer service person from Honda, gladys, is not willing to assure me that if my vehicle is repaired it wont happen again and that we will be safe. My family feels that this is a faulty design that cause the vehicle to have a catastrophic break down. We have own Honda's for over 25 years and have never had a complaint.

While driving at approx. 45 mph, the engine blew out the middle front spark plug (I believe it's #5) and coil pack damaging the radiator and stalling the vehicle. The spark plug was original and had never been touched. The spark plug threads were stripped requiring an insert to repair the head. The coil pack was broken and the twisted wires blew the ignition coil fuse. The expelled coil pack and/or spark plug (I never did find the spark plug) also put a hole in the radiator requiring replacement.

Tl- the contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly decelerated and she was unable to continue driving. The contact mentioned that the temperature gauge illuminated and smoke started to emit from underneath the hood. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnose that the transmission and radiator fluid mixed. As a result, the radiator and transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 97,000. Pmb.

I was driving to work when 2005 Honda Pilot stated trailing a liquid. Drove a quarter of a mile to work to find coolant and transmission fluid leaking from the front of the vehicle. Had it towed to a transmission shop found that the radiator failed causing coolant and transmission fluid to leak out. Radiator replaced, transmission flushed and serviced, and coolant system flushed final repair cost $900. This is a common failure for the Honda Pilot and should be checked out and resolved for others.

Tl - the contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle he noticed oil and coolant fluid leaking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the radiator corroded internally mixing the transmission fluid and coolant which ingested by the transmission. As a result, the transmission and radiator needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 100,000. Pm.

While driving at normal town speed (~25mph) car began overheating and speed dropped. Pulled car over to cool. Started to drive slowly home and symptom repeated. Car towed to Honda. They diagnosed as radiator and transmission fluid mixing due to failure in the radiator. Damaged the transmission that needed to be totally replaced, along with a radiator and transmission cooler. Engine also needed extensive flushing. Suggested cost was $6400 without labor. After repairs, engine damage could be assessed. This appeared to be a minor failure in the radiator that destroyed a separate system and might have damaged the engine.

2005 Honda Pilot - seal or transmission cooler failed and leaked transmission fluid into the radiator. No warning lights or indicators were evident. Owner noticed leaking fluid from the radiator overflow. Both parts now require expensive replacement. Vehicle has 86,000 miles and never experienced issue before. However, there are several posts on the internet concerning the exact same issue, with little or no apparent acknowledgement by Honda of this broad issue.

The contact owns a 2006 Honda Pilot. While parked, the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where the technician advised the contact that the head gasket and the radiator would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 84,860.

The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that he noticed there was a puddle of a red colored fluid under the vehicle. In addition, the contact noticed that the automatic transmission cooler had leaked into the radiator. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and inspected. The dealer stated that the failure was common with the vehicle model. The vehicle was repaired by replacing the upper and lower hose, the radiator, the thermostat and the automatic transmission. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The current mileage was 78,500. The failure mileage was 77,145.

Transmission cooling portion of radiator failed causing transmission fluid to leak into the radiator and mix with coolant. Transmission drained and caused car to stop. Introduction of antifreeze into the transmission caused damage to the transmission resulting in need to replace transmission.

The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. While driving approximately 20 mph, the engine power reduced significantly and without warning. The contact continued to drive and upon reaching the destination an inspection underneath the hood was performed. The contact noticed a dark brown milky substance leaking from the radiator. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who advised the contact that the transmission and engine would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

2005 Honda Pilot --- 60,000 miles -- garage kept. Internal transmission hose inside radiator burst while sitting in my garage allowing transmission and radiator coolant to mix and leak. Numerous other people have experienced same issue with same vehicle. Please investigate. Radiator and transmission failure.

Our 2005 Honda Pilot has been pretty good for last seven years and 132,000 miles, although we wanted to keep it to 200,000 miles. Last Saturday, out of nowhere, it started to leak thick, pink liquid on our driveway. It appeared to me, and after looking at the owner's manual, that the issue was the radiator. It was a cold day so I started to drive to the dealer, watching the engine temperature light on the way. The car only went two miles before transmission stopped working. The car has now been at a local repair shop for a week and three days while I rent another vehicle. It is my understanding that this is a common issue in Pilot's after going over 100,000 miles (catastrophic radiator failure that leads to transmission failure). Honda should make certain that owners replace the radiator components that lead to this catastrophic failure before the owner has to replace both the radiator and the transmission. I would have certainly bought a new car if I had known this was coming up on the horizon, but now my investment in this vehicle will be too high to get rid of it. It seems that with some preventive maintenance, $5000 to $7000 of repairs could have been avoided, and I bet the Honda dealer does not offer me $5k to $7k in trade in.