2005 Honda Pilot: Recalls, Problems & MPG
Here are the deets on the 2005 Honda Pilot: 13 recalls, 679 owner complaints and up to 17 mpg combined.
Recalls
13 vehicle recalls from the manufacturer, plus 2 equipment/tire recalls that can apply. Repairs are free. Check your VIN to see if one is still open on your car.
Fuel system Vehicle recall #04V541000 · 2004 · 61 vehicles
What's wrong: On certain sport utility vehicles, some fuel tanks were improperly manufactured.
Why it matters: In a crash, the fuel tank could be damaged and leak fuel. Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
The fix: Dealers replaced the fuel tank. All owners were notified by telephone on November 10, 2004.
Steering Vehicle recall #05V039000 · 2005 · 203 vehicles
What's wrong: On certain minivans and sport utility vehicles, the steering column May be incorrectly assembled, which could result in a loss of steering control.
Why it matters: Loss of steering control can cause a vehicle crash without prior notice.
The fix: Owners were notified by telephone on January 25, 2005, and arrangements were made to have their vehicles towed to their dealers and have the repairs performed. The recall began on January 25, 2005.
Exterior lights Vehicle recall #12V136000 · 2012 · 1,375,217 vehicles
What's wrong: In March 2012, Honda filed a defect report to recall certain model year 2002 through 2004 cr-v and certain model year 2003 pilot vehicles. In August 2012, Honda informed the agency that it was including an additional 820,789 vehicles including certain model year 2004 and 2005 pilots and model year 2002 and 2003 civics. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 1,375,217. Due to tension from the combination…
Why it matters: If the terminal ends melt within the wiring harness connector, the low beam headlights May become inoperative, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the low beam terminal harness or replace the lighting switch as necessary, free of charge. The original recall began in April 2012. Owners of vehicles involved in the September 2012 expansion will be notified in September 2012.
Traction Control System, Brakes (hydraulic) Vehicle recall #13V092000 · 2013 · 183,576 vehicles
What's wrong: An electrical capacitor May have been damaged during the manufacturing of the vehicle stability assist (vsa) control module causing intermittent, automatic, minor brake application. However, if the driver applies the brakes while the vsa is malfunctioning, the vehicle May come to an abrupt stop. Additionally, due to a loose ground connection, certain model year 2005 pilots have a vsa system that May apply partial…
Why it matters: Sudden inadvertent braking, especially without illumination of the brake lights, May increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
The fix: Owners will be notified and instructed to take their vehicles to a dealer of their respective brand. The dealer will install a partial wiring harness containing a capacitor for the vsa modulator, free of charge. The affected model year 2005 pilots will have their ground connection tightened. The…
Airbags Vehicle recall #14V353000 · 2014 · 133,207 vehicles
What's wrong: American Honda motor company, Inc.'s (Honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 accord, civic, cr-v, pilot and Acura mdx, model year 2003-2004 odyssey and element, and model year 2005 Acura rl, and 2006 Honda ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in california, and equipped with takata-brand air bag inflators. Upon deployment of the passenger side frontal air…
Why it matters: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengerâs frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflators in all affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during August 2014.
Airbags Vehicle recall #14V700000 · 2014 · 0 vehicles
What's wrong: American Honda motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda civic, 2003-2004 civic cng and element, 2002-2005 cr-v, 2002-2004 odyssey, 2003-2005 accord, pilot, civic hybrid, and Acura mdx, 2005 Acura rl and 2006 Honda ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with high absolute humidity. Specifically, vehicles sold, or ever registered, in alabama,…
Why it matters: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengerâs frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2015.
Airbags Vehicle recall #15V320000 · 2015 · 6,281,043 vehicles
What's wrong: Honda (american Honda motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 accord, 2001-2005 civic, 2001-2004 Honda civic gx, 2003-2005 Honda civic hybrid, 2002-2006 cr-v, 2003-2011 element, 2002-2004 odyssey, 2003-2008 pilot, 2006 ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2cl, 2003-2006 Acura mdx, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2tl vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with a dual-stage driver frontal air bag that May be susceptible…
Why it matters: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015.
Airbags Vehicle recall #16V344000 · 2016 · 1,790,894 vehicles
What's wrong: Honda (american Honda motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura mdx, 2005-2011 Acura rl, 2005-2006 Honda cr-v, 2003-2011 element, 2007-2008 fit, 2003-2008 pilot, 2002-2004 odyssey, and 2006-2011 ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american samoa, guam, the…
Why it matters: An inflator rupture May result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2016.
Airbags Vehicle recall #17V029000 · 2017 · 308,884 vehicles
What's wrong: Honda (american Honda motor Co.) is recalling certain 2005-2006 Acura mdx and Honda cr-v vehicles, 2005-2011 Honda element vehicles, 2005-2012 Acura rl vehicles, 2006-2012 Honda ridgeline vehicles, 2007-2008 Honda fit vehicles and 2005-2008 Honda pilot vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in alabama, california, florida, georgia, hawaii, louisiana, mississippi, south carolina, texas, puerto rico, american…
Why it matters: An inflator rupture May result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall bagan March 2017.
Airbags Vehicle recall #18V268000 · 2018 · 1,335 vehicles
What's wrong: Honda (american Honda motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda accord and pilot, 2010 accord crosstour, 2001-2011 civic, 2002-2011 cr-v, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 element, 2007 and 2009-2013 fit, 2010-2012 insight, 2002-2004 odyssey, and 2012 ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag May have been installed incorrectly during replacement.
Why it matters: An incorrectly installed air bag May deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018.
Airbags Vehicle recall #19V182000 · 2019 · 1,101,534 vehicles
What's wrong: Honda (american Honda motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2cl, 2013-2016 ilx, 2013-2014 ilx hybrid, 2003-2006 mdx, 2007-2016 rdx, 2002-2003 3.2tl, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 tl, 2010-2013 zdx and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda accord, 2001-2005 civic, 2003-2005 civic hybrid, 2001-2005 civic gx ngv, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 cr-v, 2003-2011 element, 2007 fit, 2002-2004 odyssey, 2003-2008 pilot, and 2006-2014…
Why it matters: An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda
Airbags Vehicle recall #19V499000 · 2019 · 3,947 vehicles
What's wrong: Honda (american Honda motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2cl, 2002-2003 3.2tl, 2003-2006 mdx, 2001-2007 Honda accord, 2001-2005 civic, 2003-2005 civic hybrid, 2001-2005 civic gx ngv, 2002-2006 cr-v, 2003-2011 element, 2002-2004 odyssey, 2003-2008 pilot and 2006 ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service…
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019.
Airbags Vehicle recall #19V501000 · 2019 · 1,657,752 vehicles
What's wrong: Honda (american Honda motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura mdx, 2005-2012 rl, 2003-2007 Honda accord, 2001-2005 civic, 2003-2005 civic hybrid, 2001-2005 civic gx ngv, 2002-2006 cr-v, 2003-2011 element, 2007-2008 fit, 2002-2004 odyssey, 2003-2008 pilot, and 2006-2014 ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement…
Why it matters: An inflator explosion May result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019.
2 aftermarket equipment / tire recalls replacement parts sold to fit this car, not the car itself
Equipment Equipment recall #08E013000 · 2008 · 2,032 vehicles
What's wrong: A pinch bolt exists between the bike arm bracket and the upright assembly of the "hitch" style bicycle rack.
Why it matters: When moving the bike arm bracket to its down position, this pinch bolt has the potential of causing severe laceration or amputation to the user's fingertips or hand.
The fix: Owners should contact thule at 800-thule91 (800-848-5391) to obtain a free repair kit along with repair instructions or
Speed control / throttle Equipment recall #19E068000 · 2019 · 3,744 vehicles
What's wrong: Dorman products, Inc. (dorman) is recalling certain accelerator pedal assemblies part numbers 699-114 and 825-5029-1, sold as replacement parts for 2003-2006 Acura mdx, 2004-2008 Acura tl and tsx, 2003-2007 Honda accord, 2005-2006 Honda cr-v, 2007-2011 Honda element, 2005-2008 Honda pilot and 2006-2014 Honda ridgeline vehicles. The rotating portion of the accelerator pedal assembly May bind. As such, these vehicles…
Why it matters: If the accelerator pedal binds, the engine May not quickly return to idle after the pedal is no longer pressed, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix: Dorman will notify owners, and qualified service facilities will replace the affected accelerator pedal assemblies, free of charge. The recall began December 9, 2019.
Most-reported problems
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component. One complaint can list several components. 8 mention a fire, 46 injuries and 2 deaths were reported.
What owners describe
- Transmission & drivetrain (176): the most common themes are noise or vibration (40), hard / delayed shifting (33), leaks (20).
- Airbags (120): the most common themes are warning light on (29), fails to deploy (17).
- Brakes (98): the most common themes are warning light on (36), noise or vibration (21).
- Stability control (96): the most common themes are warning light on (36), noise or vibration (18).
The 2005 Honda Pilot has 679 owner complaints, ranking #5 of 24 Pilot model years for complaints (1.7× the average Pilot year). Complaints peaked in 2012 (100 filed that year). The typical problem showed up when the car was about 8 years old, at a median of 102,000 miles. Neighboring years: 2004 (544 complaints, 12 recalls), 2006 (268 complaints, 8 recalls).
Engines & fuel economy (EPA)
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 L 6-cyl | Automatic 5-spd | 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive | 15 | 20 | 17 | Regular |
Want the full repair deets? Get the factory manual.
Recall and complaint data tells you what goes wrong. A service manual tells you how to fix it: torque specs, wiring diagrams, fluid capacities and step-by-step procedures for the 2005 Honda Pilot.
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FAQ
Does the 2005 Honda Pilot have any recalls?
Yes. NHTSA lists 13 vehicle recalls for the 2005 Honda Pilot, plus 2 equipment or tire recalls that can apply. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, no matter how old the car is. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What are the most common 2005 Honda Pilot problems?
Owners have filed 679 complaints with NHTSA. The most-reported areas are transmission & drivetrain (176), airbags (120), brakes (98).
What gas mileage does the 2005 Honda Pilot get?
EPA ratings run up to 17 mpg combined (3.5 L, Automatic 5-spd), across 1 engine and transmission combos.
Where can I get a 2005 Honda Pilot repair manual?
eManualOnline sells downloadable manuals, Mitchell 1 DIY and ALLDATAdiy sell online access to factory repair data, and Haynes sells printed guides and online access. Pick a download if you want to keep it, or a subscription for wiring diagrams and TSBs.