Ride comfort, 3rd row

Listed above.

Just wanted to give an update on my last review. Have had my pilot 6months and have been very disappointed. Just turned 5k on milage and my transmission will not downshift into lower gear. Had the recall service added, but still have major issues. Thefront window is starting to get little bubbles at the top and my driver side window still acts up, had the module replaced twice. I really hate this is happening since I've owned honda's since 76'. But I'm trading this one in.

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Power, comfortable, roomy, versatile.

EXTREMELY poor service from the dealership and corporate Honda...they've always made great vehicles but it's going to their head. See above:-(

We've owned our Pilot since October '03 and were generally pleased with it until recently. We had the transmission replaced under warranty after a warning light came on (related to a recall dealing with a shortage of oil flowing to the transmission). I understood and wasn't upset until after the transmission was replaced...we heard a "thumping" noise in lower gears starting from a standstill. We brought the car back to the dealership and after having it for four days, nothing was done. They replaced a few things and shrugged it off...they couldn't figure out what the problem was. We were told that the noise needed to get worse before they could determine what the problem was. All the while we were treated as though we were a nuiscance. We asked for a letter stating that the noise existed and in case of future problems with the transmission, we'd be covered after our warranty expired (only 10,000 more miles to go:-( We brought it to another dealership close to our camp and they were wonderful...however they weren't able to correct the problem. In addition to this we've had other problems with the dealership and "Corporate Honda". We're not difficult people and have owned Hondas for 13 years. However, we're sadly discovering that Honda has become "over-confident" in their products and are beginning to fall short in the area of customer service. We'd love the Pilot if the "thumping" went away, but when your trasmission needs to be replaced at 20,000 miles and it makes funny "thumping" noises afterwards, a little comfort from the dealership would have been nice. I've called corporate Honda and they said we needed to work with the dealership. In the meantime we're going through gas to get to the dealership, don't have a car to drive and are frustrated because they ain't fixin' the problem. Basically, we feel that they've gotten our money and don't want to hear from us again until it's time for the next service. By the way, another light came on at a different time (maintenace required) and they indicated on the service ticket that the car hadn't been serviced in a "very long time". At that point the car had 19,400 miles and had been in for the recommended service intervals, along with oil changes, etc. The service manager said that we MUST follow the service schedule or Honda wouldn't honor warranty work...OK, fine give us the $285.00 service. It was approximatley 600 miles later that our transmission needed to be replaced. I guess the "maintenance required" light was telling them something but they didn't listen. Yes, it sounds like dealership problems and we're well aware of that fact. However, "corporate Honda" has been as unresponsive and uncooperative as the dealership. My summary recommendation...all Honda vehicles are great, there's no doubt. But if you run into one that's defective you may have a hard time getting the appropriate attention for your $30,000 expenditure. Honda dealerships are among the few that sell cars as they come off the trailer; unfortunately it appears that it's going to their heads.

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None...our first SUV.

Smooth ride, Roomy, Storage bins, Comfortable , Fit and Finish,

Rear hatch window is fixed, can't be opened, requiring one to open hatch to acess rear. Hatch is heavy. No Sunroof available. Shifter on Column takes getting used to.

AMAZING !!!!! Did a lot of research and checked every SUV on the market. Finally decided on the Pilot. The reality is that I will not be towing a trailer or plan to do any off roading.This vehicle has NOT dis-appointed. It suits my needs and was $10,000 less than a 4 Runner. Smooth, Good Power, Good Quality fit and finish. Gas Mileage not bad either for an SUV. Very happy with this vehicle. Traded a GMC Jimmy for this truck. Jimmy was the WORST vehicle I have ever owned. Thanks GM for showing me what an SUV shouldn't be and allowing me to truly appreciate the Honda.

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Handling, passing power, drivers and front passenger comfort.

Obvious design flaw in spoiler assembly. The third seat is only usable for really small people for short trips. We have used it several times, but only children or small women can set there for more than a few minutes. I have to watch my head when I access the rear of the vehicle.

My wife and I love this vehicle. We like the power and handling very much. It is also the most comfortable car for either of us to drive. I am 6'1", 240 lbs. and my wife is 5'3" and 110 pounds and we both find the seats comfortable on a long trip. Like other reviewers, we were disturbed by the noise when both rear windows were open an inch or two. This is no longer a problem as I installed window guards on all four windows (JC Whitney $96.00). I put these on all of my vehicles to allow cracking the windows in the rain. Like other reviewers, we have had the spoiler come apart. The dealer replaced our spoiler a year ago and I have an appointment to get it fixed again. This is the only problem we have had, but it is a serious one. We use this car to drive to work every day (we carpool) and for vacations etc. I have a pick up truck for hauling stuff, fishing, etc. On a trip from Medford, OR to the coast and back with 6 people, we got 21 miles to the gallon and passed slower vehicles on two lane roads with ease. Handling on two lane curvy roads is very positive and enjoyable.

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Test drove at least 8 other SUVs before purchasing Pilot. I have driven rented minivans. I normally drive pickup truck.

Great car if you have kids (DVD player is a must.)

First year bugs. Driver seat not very comfertable for tall male.

We love the Pilot. However we have had it in the shop several times in fact I am making another app. today. The brakes make a loud banging noise when you press them. The dealer said this is normal they are just adjusting. They must adjust at every use. We now get a stutter once we reach desired speed. This was slightly noticeable from the time we purchased the car but has got worse we told the dealer and they could not find anything. It is very noticeable now so we hope to get it fixed. We will not purchase from the Duval motor group again. They were deceptive and the service writers we called were rude. I recommend Lucas Honda if your buying in Jax.

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Chevy blazer

Excellant Handling and ride, long brake and tire life. Great sound system and AC

Dealer, dealer, dealer. Wish the steering wheel would adjust up another inch or so. Hood paint seems to chip easily

I have over 73,000 miles on my Pilot and for the most part my experiences have been very good. Handles great, both in heat of South Florida in August or in the cold of Wisconsin in January. Never had a problem with handling, even in the worst snow or rain. Love the Goodyear tires, still original with plenty of tread left. I am very happy with fit and finish as well as with the durability of the Leather seats. The excellant stereo system is another plus for the car, my only regret is not getting the Nav. system. I do have two complaints with the car, the first is the engine plenum, I now have a continuous check engine light due to carbon build up in the intake plenum, no one at the dealer will advise if this is warranty, found an off duty service mechanic who said that there was as service tip out about the plenum, that it had too rough of a surface in the intake and needed to be bored out, But I can't confirm from Honda or the dealer. Still running great with 22+ mpg highway. The second issue is the dealer, Jeff Wyler Honda of Cincinnati. Their service group constantly presses to do more work than required, oil changes at 3500 miles (when I drive 4,ooo/month, and the book clearly states 7,000 miles) pushed for a coolant change at 60,000 miles, where as the book claims it to be a "sealed" system with 120,000 miles before checking. Asked the dealer why they disagreed with the Owner's manual and was told that the book is only a "guide line". I wonder how that would work if I claimed a warranty issue?? The dealer then pressed to change my brake pads as the current pads were below 3mm (new is 10mm) Pads are easy to change so I bought a set (from the dealer, as parts, not even filters are offered after market yet)for $67/axle and when I checked my pads, low and behold they measured at 6-7mm all the way around. Love the car, too bad you have to put up with the dealer!

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I also want to point out that the people that are having problems are having problems with a "first year" vehicle. I bought a Ford Escape when it first came out and I'm STILL dealing with many recalls. First year models tend to have quite a few bugs, hence the reason that I'm willing to wait for the 2005 models late next year. I'm hoping that the bugs will be worked out as well as maybe offering a sunroof. One can hope.

Headlights (good aim and coverage). Turning radius excellent. Built-in delay in rear wiper (if you don't forget to turn it off later). Storage area (large and small).

Dealer service. Construction (see console and spoiler info above). Ergonomics (controls are poorly designed and cheaply made). Driver's seat comfort and adjustments.

Three months after purchase, rear spoiler became loose. Three weeks after that, it blew off the vehicle at 71 mph on I-49 outside of Shreveport. In the rear view mirror I saw first a sedan, then an 18-wheeler run over the spoiler. Took the dealer three weeks to order a new one; had to tape plastic over the spot to keep rain out (it leaked before I realized it) before the replacement came. The center console cover never latched properly. The latch finally broke off; the console top now rattles and shakes constantly; the dealer's explanation was that "it's just a cheap plastic latch from Honda" (HONEST, that was their official explanation). The dealer had already replaced the entire console because the rear cover wouldn't stay snapped on. The dealer said it was a "typical" problem with the new (2003) Pilots. The driver's seat is uncomfortable and the seat adjustment controls are basically worthless. Open the rear windows while you're driving and you'll be hit with unbelievable buffeting turbulence and a nasty loud vibrating pressure-driven noise. Ergonomically, most controls leave a lot to be desired. Very little friction on most knobs; you must "fiddle' with the controls while driving to get the correct setting. Bought the vehicle hoping to rely on Honda's reputation for reliability and design. Quite disappointed. The service managers are very nice and courteous, but, the people in the shop couldn't care less about their work. The vehicle is always filthy (oil, grease, and other smears here and there) after I pick it up from the dealer. I always have to check it before leaving the dealer's lot and usually have to have the service rep clean or fix something that the mechanics ignored. I previoulsy had a '96 Ford Windstar, which I would NEVER buy again, but, the Windstar was much more comfortable, drove more smoothly, and got better gas mileage (27-29 mpg vs. 22-25 mpgfor the Pilot). Wish the Windstar hadn't been so pitifully unreliable and cost me so much in repairs. If I had the money, I'd purchase something else right now. But, with Honda disappointing me, I wouldn't know where to go next. I'm not anti-Honda nor a dealer. I'm a retired USAF pilot who thought I was getting a reliable vehicle, but, was disappointed. And, I did considerable research before purchase, through Consumer Reports, USAA insurance company, CarTalk, and the internet, among others.

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None. (I've had all types of vehicles in the past.)

Roomy, good power, good visibility, smooth ride.

None. Except the shock mount problem described in the summary.

We bought a 2003 Honda Pilot last July. We have really enjoyed it. We have about 12000 miles on it. I just wanted to let the Pilot community know about something that happened just the other day. My wife was driving and heard a loud snap in the rear. She called me and we looked at it. The shock absorber on the rear left wheel had broken off its mount. I don't know if this is a safety defect in the Pilot in general or if this is just an isolated incident. Anyone else had this problem?

Classy interior looks, 3 rows of seating, drives like a car, navigation system is one of the better ones we have seen. Versatile seating arrangements, plus storage capacity.

Somewhat bland exterior (could be more stylish), wiper/shift controls arrangement - too often hit the wipers when getting out of park. Sunroof and passenger side power seat options not available.

After a lot of research we purchased the Pilot and could not be happier. Smooth ride, safe vehicle, decent gas and very practical interior with lots of room. Feels big behind the wheel but still easy to maneuver.

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