Automatic Transmission Torque Converter problems of the 2012 Honda Pilot

Recently purchased a used 2012 Honda Pilot touring. After driving for a few days, I tuned into a considerable vibration in my seat mostly at highway cruising speeds. I believe it is the same shudder that others have reported. I have brought to the dealer on 2 occasions so far and they have balanced, rotated, and even put new wheels from another vehicle on it. I swear I continue to feel it and Honda techs including the master tech say it drives normal. It drives me insane and I continuously adjust speeds to avoid it from happening which is dangerous on the highway. It also pulls considerably to the left even when the road slopes right. This is very dangerous as if someone ever drifted while driving, it is straight into oncoming traffic! I also wonder about longevity of the transmission, torque converter etc. I'm supposed to be excited driving a new car, and now I am frustrated the entire ride each and every time. I regret this purchase. This has gotten to the point I want to return or take a loss and trade it for another car manufacturer. This is unacceptable in a $42,000 vehicle. Other than this sole issue, I love the Pilot. I decided to add my entry to hopefully help get Honda's attention to this issue and resolve for those of us experiencing this.

A few thousand miles after purchase of my 2012 Honda Pilot touring, I began to experience drive train vibration issues. The vibration was most noticable between 40-45 mph but also noticable at other speeds. It is related to the eco mode and the vtm. The vibration grows worse as the drive train is put under load just before it shifts out of eco mode. The vibration is not noticable when the vehicle is not in eco mode and engaging all 6 cylinders. I contacted my dealership and test drove it with the service manager who also experienced the vibrations. My dealership contacted Honda techs and was initially told it was the torque converter. I scheduled another appointment with the dealership to replace the torque converter. Computer data was collected from the vehicle and sent to Honda. At that time, they determined not to replace the converter and instead replaced the propeller shaft. The vibration issues continued. I scheduled another appointment with the dealership and test drove a 2013 Pilot. It had the same issues. My dealership again contacted Honda techs and was finally told that the vibrations are inherent in the vehicle and that there are no plans to correct the issue. I contacted Honda directly to complain about the issue and request a schedule to correct the problem. A case manager was assigned to my complaint, and I received a return call. When I complained about the vibrations, I was informed that they were a "symptom" of the vtm. When I asked why I did not experience the same issues when not in eco mode, it was repeated that it was a "symptom" of the vtm. Honda acknowledges a vtm "symptom", but will not discuss it in any more detail. I am cncerned about the long term affects on the drive train and drivability of the vehicle. I won't allow my family to drive the vehicle for fear of catstrophic failure leaving them stranded on the roadside.

My 2012 Honda Pilot ex-l has had issues with vibration when driving at consistent speeds between 40-50 and 60-70 (I. E. Not accelerating). Local dealer initially tried to update control software with no impact, then replaced the torque converter under warranty, also with no impact. Honda service manager now says that this is a known issue with the variable cylinder management program that is designed to increase fuel economy - and the only way to correct this is to drive with the overdrive turned off (thereby significantly lowering fuel economy). The vibration can be best described as a sort of "stuttering" that typically occurs during highway driving while moving at a consistent speed, almost as if it were misfiring and goes away once the accelator is pushed harder, only to return once consistent speeds are again reached. The issue has been non-stop since purchase in January 2012, and the vehicle now has approximately 55,000 miles. Had Honda initially explained the issue I would have applied for the north carolina lemon law program, but instead they were less than up front about a known issue.

Driving home from the dealer in a brand new 2012 Honda Pilot, 4wd, ex-l w/res on 6/26/12. At approximately 62 to 65 mph the transmission is lurching as it appears to be shifting back and forth between 4th and 5th gear. This causes a jerking motion and can be felt in the steering. Took vehicle back to dealer on 6/28/12 and a Honda technician drove the vehicle as I was in the passenger seat. The technician confirmed the issue and indicated it was exactly as I had described. He says this is a known problem but there is no fix. He said it's due to the torque converter. He said it is the same on the odyssey models but Honda released some software updates but they weren't successful. He said if it happens just speed up or slow down (he really said this). He said if Honda releases any software updates they'll contact me. Wow.

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that when driving approximately 45-70 mph he noticed that the vehicle would start to shutter. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they advised the contact that what he was feeling was normal for the vehicle. After the diagnosis the owner stated that he believed that the failure was due to the torque converter. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 30. The VIN was unavailable.