Table 1 shows one common suspension related problems of the 2008 Honda Pilot.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Suspension problems |
Referring to my 2008 Honda Pilot, as I was pulling into my driveway I heard a very loud bang in the rear area of my vehicle. When I looked underneath the vehicle I could see the rear subframe had rusted through and detached. This is my main vehicle that I use on a daily basis to provide rides to family members. 3 weeks before this happened I had 7 people in this car that I drove approximately 30 miles one way which had us on the highway doing 70 mph. Please note that is the speed limit on that highway. Had the subframe broke off at that time it would have been catastrophic. Honda America requested I have it towed to the nearest Honda dealer to diagnose it. It happened on March 11, 2026 and was towed to the dealer that same day, with an appointment to be looked at on Friday March 13, 2026. The dealer diagnosed the subframe detached due to rust and had notified Honda America of this fact. Honda America just notified me today (Monday, March 30, 2026) that they will not assist me in anyway as this particular model Honda has not been recalled or is the result of any defects. There was no prior warning light to warn me.
Rear subframe body mount rust.
Had vehicle in for state inspection and was told the rear crossmember where the rear wheel assembly bolts into was rusting and should be fixed immediately.
I could hear a loud grinding noise while driving and the rear of the truck felt like it was driving without any type of suspension. Any bump or slight imperfection in the roadway felt like metal banging and a severe thump could be felt inside the vehicle. The front of the vehicle felt fine but the rear felt extremely strange and unstable.
State inspection faild, check engine light, bank 1 catalytic converter internal failure and bank 2 catalytic converter internal failure, passenger side axle to be leaking, power steering pump to be leaking, power steering reservoir tank to be leaking, front and rear brake pad.
While driving at highway speed, the rear of the car started swaying slightly. Several passing motorists motioned me to pull over. Upon inspection, we noticed the rear chassis on both sides had pulled away from the body of the vehicle, causing the rear wheels to tilt in from the top and out from the bottom.
The steering shake was reported to the dealer directly after sale. The dealer told me they didn't notice anything wrong and I should not be going over 65 as that is the speed limit. They finally force balanced the tires and adjusted the alignment, 50% better. When they said they were through and it might be a flat spot on a tire I reported this to Honda motor cars of America case # [xxx]. I had a separate dealer check it out and they agree it is there but had no solution. They said all the safety equipment is in place and it may be a bent rim, bad tire or just the vehicle itself. I was called by the dealer where I bought it to bring it to an affiliate Honda dealer. They force balanced again and adjusted the alignment. It was a bit better but again still shakes. They then swapped tires and rims with an identical 2007 Pilot with new goodyear integrity tires (recommended as the tire that came on the vehicle)there was not difference. The 2007 when taken for a test ride was worse than my vehicle and someone will by that thinking it is just an alignment and have the same problem. Looking on line this is a problem with Pilots, Acura rdx and mdx vehicles of all years when used for highway driving. How does a company continue to make a faulty vehicle and dismiss hundreds of claims? there was yet another Pilot owner in the shop that day with the same problem. Awfully big coincidence!.