10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 11
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 9 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 130,604 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
A bracket that connects the drivers set to the seat adjuster assembly failed catastrophically. This bracket is on the front left side approximately behind the power seat controls. The seat is now unattached from the adjuster assembly and quite unsafe. This happened while getting in the vehicle. The broken bracket may be part of adjuster assy., L. reclining, 81630-S3V-A30, but it is hard for me to tell since the exploded parts diagram that I have access to does not seem to match, quite, what I see. Based on parts and labor, I estimate the cost to repair this defect to be in the $800-1200 range.
- Duncan, OK, USA
Driver's power seat assembly part broke, which separated the seat from the power movement assembly. Seat rocks back and feels like slight pressure could completely disengage the seat from the car. Seat rocking while driving is very dangerous.
- Spring, TX, USA
Extreme hot spot in driver's side front seat when the seat heater is turned on for more that 3 minutes.
- Bixby, OK, USA
A lower seat support on drivers seat has failed. Causing the front of the drives seat to not be held in place. On acceleration the front of drivers seat lifts up causing the seat to lay back in a more reclined position.
- Leo, IN, USA
Front, driver seat, seat warmer was on high. Seat was getting very warm. Seat began to smoke, leather was melting. This occurred under the driver's right leg. The seat getting very warm has been ongoing for some time now on both low and high, but I turn the seat warmer off. This is the first time it has started smoking. Contacted dealership. Was told to just not use seat warmer. Will no longer use seat warmer as it is a fire hazard.
- Louisville, KY, USA
Driver's side seat has felt extremely hot in the last few times that I used seat heater. Pulled into work and as I started to exit smoke was coming out of the seat. Never caught fire as I immediately turned off the switch and pounded the seat cushion.
- West Stockbridge, MA, USA
I turned the driver seat heater to hi during my drive home yesterday, the heater got extremely hot and felt it was burning my back even with a heavy coat on, also smelled like something is burning. I turned the heater off because of safety concerns. The seat still has burned smell to it next day.
- Elk Grove Village, IL, USA
The driver's seat heater got burning hot, and it burnt the leg at a spot, the injury was minor; when the heater was off the problem disappeared. I am not using the heater now as it is intolerably hot and might create fire hazard.
- Lake Oswego , OR, USA
Driver's power seat assembly part broke, which separated the seat from the power movement assembly. Seat rocks back and feels like slight pressure could completely disengage the seat from the car. Seat rocking while driving is very dangerous. It appears to be a small metal bar which runs from the seat assembly to the "slide adjustment assembly". it is a very small component of item reference number 14 (P/N: 81660-S3V-A30) of the "front seat components (L.) (power)" for the 2004 Honda Pilot 5dr ex - ka5at. Specifically, the metal bar seems to attach to the rod which rotates when the seat is tilted forward or backward. The bar is designed to be fixed to the rod, which when rotating, pushes the other end of the bar (attached to the front end of the seat bottom) up or down, resulting in the seat tilting back or forward. It is the only part securing the front-left of the seat to the adjustment assembly. Reading around the internet, this appears to be a common problem with this generation of Pilot.
- Worcester, MA, USA
The right side of the driver's seat suddenly became very hot when the seat heater was turned on. It got so hot that I could feel it burning my skin through my jeans. After I turned it off there was a slightly acrid burning smell in the car.
- Olympia, WA, USA
The metal seat bracket supporting the front drivers side seat failed when I sat down in the front drivers seat "hard." The dealership indicated that while this part could be easily and affordable welded back together, they would have to replace the entire metal bracket and seat due to liability to the tune of $1400. If the dealership can't weld the bracket but had to replace a failed part that would be critical to ones safety during a crash because of liability, why does Honda not see that a seat that was not suppose to fail during a crash, but failed upon sitting, the part should be replaced at Honda's expense. I am still driving around with a seat that rocks.
- North Richland Hills, TX, USA
While warming up car in driveway, I had turned on the seat heaters to both front seats and went inside. When I came out to leave about 5 minutes later, the drivers seat was smoking and melting the top of the seat cushion. It was on fire. I quickly shut off the heat to the seat and smothered the smoking/melting seat.
- Seattle, WA, USA
The drive side seat warmer gets incredibly warm and feels as though it could burn. Called Honda for service, and the representative was very rude. He said just don't use it. Very concerned for safety issue.
- Memphis, TN, USA
The seat heater got really hot in one place on my back. It slightly (less than a 1st degree burn) burnt my back. Also, the seat smoked. I had the seat heater on for 15 minutes. I notified Honda and the dealer. The dealer tested the seat for only 10 minutes; and, said it didn't smoke. I was one of the the first ones into the dealer and the last one out (eleven hour wait!) for a 10 minute check and 2 recalls which should have taken less time. I didn't want to go back another day to have it checked for 15 minutes (I have a family); so, I told the dealer to disable the seat heater so that my toddlers, my wife and I won't get hurt any further or have a disaster with a possible fire. The dealer disabled the seat heater as I requested. I have not heard back from Honda (of course).
- Parker, CO, USA
The driver's side heated seat got extremely hot under the right leg. It got so intense that I had to turn it off for fear of burning my leg.
- Lorain, OH, USA
Driver seat heater gets unbearably hot to sit on, so hot feels like burning skin through clothing - smells like burning wax, fire concern and safety concern.
- Bethel, CT, USA
When turning on the driver's side seat warmer it got extremely hot. Recently it actually burned the seat foam and began to smoke. I will not use it anymore for fear of a fire. Thank you for looking into this issue.
- Reno, NV, USA
Driver seat heater gets extremely hot to the point that burns are possible. Afraid that a fire may occur so stopped using. There appears to be a widespread occurrence when searching the internet. No recall by Honda.
- Leawood, KS, USA
I purchased a used Honda Pilot in January 2012. I immediately noticed that the driver seat heater would gets so hot that it will actually start to burn my legs. The Honda dealer said that it was not an issue, they did not feel it get overly hot. Then on December 5, 2012 it just suddenly stopped working.
- Midland, TX, USA
- Oakdale, NY, USA