Used 2005 Honda Pilot Consumer Reviews
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I love my Pilot, even at 187,000 miles!
hampton6410, 08/20/2012
2005 Honda Pilot EX 4WD 4dr SUV w/Leather, Rear Entertainment (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
61 of 61 people found this review helpful
We bought our Pilot used in 2009 and now even at 187,000 miles it still drives just as good. We have not had any major issues and only do the Honda recommended maintenance. We do change the oil at 3000 mile intervals, not 5,000. The Pilot has been a great car overall. The only thing that I wish was better was the gas mileage. We have also owned two CRV's and currently own a 2005 Accord, and all have been great. We have had no major issues even with our 2003 CRV with 197,000 miles that we just traded in on the Accord.
10 year old Honda Pilot...strong vehicle.
Chris Williamson, 06/16/2016
updated 12/27/2016
2005 Honda Pilot EX 4WD 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
44 of 44 people found this review helpful
I've always wanted an SUV. Dreamt of driving a Ford Explorer. Then I came across this Honda Pilot at the dealership's used lot. It had one adult owner and meticulous records, taken in for oil changes, maintenance, and repair like clockwork. So it was in great condition and it showed. I've now been driving it for a few months and I love it! It has 3 rows of seats in case I need to haul people, but those fold down to create a lot of cargo space if I need to haul equipment. It's a 2005 so of course I upgraded the stereo (had a tape player lol). The speakers are next. the starter went out as did the AC. The starter was a pain to fix but I did it myself. The AC I haven't taken in yet. Hopefully it doesn't cost too much. Overall a great ride!
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Great even after 250k miles!
Luke E., 01/31/2019
2005 Honda Pilot EX 4WD 4dr SUV w/Leather, Rear Entertainment (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
40 of 42 people found this review helpful
Perhaps the number one problem consumers have with this car (based on reviews and word-of-mouth) is that the radiators fail. This is common for this year of Pilot in particular, and involves the intra-radiator transmission cooler fittings failing and mixing fluids. Antifreeze is really horrible on automatic transmission clutch packs and burns them out quickly (when, not if), leaving you with a time bomb of a vehicle. Fortunately (though I didn't think it was fortunate when reading the Carfax!), my Pilot was involved in an front-end collision when it was nearly new, resulting in a new unit being installed and removing the radiator that was part of the "bad batch." I have since bypassed the radiator cooler with an external unit (and temp gauge for good measure) and have had no issues (the pan temp remains below 160 at all times). This was because the current "replacement" radiator has over 200,000 miles on it and I didn't want to take any chances on the fittings failing again. However, if you own this vintage of Pilot, I would recommend you either replace the radiator or bypass it with an aftermarket transmission cooler ASAP. Most of the bigger RV-rated air coolers are more than sufficient. As for other maintenance items, I do all my own work so the following list of replacements should be taken with a grain of salt and do not consider labor costs. So far, I have replaced the alternator, both manifold pre-catalytic converters (the rear bank was a particular PITA), the ground strap, had to seal the fender grommets (was leaking into the cabin), replace exhaust rubber hangers, and do a valve adjustment. Everything else was standard maintenance including two timing belts, batteries, tires, spark plugs, fluid changes, etc. I would not trade this Pilot for the world. My only gripe is that it does not have side curtain airbags; it only has front side airbags. However, I knew this when I bought the vehicle. It has been flawless thus far with regular fluid changes, and I wouldn't give up my car for anything. The drivetrain is strong enough that it will last to 400k. The interior is spartan (to be generous), but I love my Pilot!
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Powerfull fun car!
Pilotman08, 03/01/2017
updated 10/05/2020
2005 Honda Pilot EX 4WD 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
34 of 36 people found this review helpful
My 2005 pilot has 205,500 miles on it currently sitting. We take it all over Colorado. I am a college student with a 2 hour commute each day and this car just makes it so enjoyable. The ride is excellent. It’s very smooth (luxury car smooth) and it’s got a weighty feel to the ride making it feel very secure and planted on the road. Road and wind noise is pretty good in terms of being quiet, but it could be a little better. Steering is moderately heavy not super light or too heavy, adds to the planted feel. Braking is not the best given it’s 4500 pounds, so be prepared to replace brake pads quite often along with tires. The engine is probably the best part of the driving experience, it’s got a ton of character. Driving the pilot around town, it’s got a strong acceleration feel off the line and the gas pedal is a little too sensitive at first (easy to get used to) so it feels quite fast. Easy to beat people from a red light to merge or change lanes. Floor it and the engine sounds way to good after you cross vtec. People say the engine lacks low end torque, but I think this car has lots of torque. Floor it from a stop and the steering wheel jerks to the right (and it’s 4wd), it’s just a side effect of a really really peppy engine. Mine at 204k beat my friends 2004 cayenne v6 in a race time and time again, so it’s saying something there (even though the v6 cayennes are basically a v6 Touareg). Highway merging and passing are extremely easy with this engine and confidence inspiring. Visibility both forward backwards and also out the sides is excellent and confidence inspiring. Interior is free of rattles or creaks and each and every part is still fit in place like it’s new. No scratches on any interior panel either. Seats look brand new and are sort of firm, but extremely supportive And way to comfy (excellent bolstering and grip). It makes me sleepy sometimes lol. Interior is all hard plastic minus where you keep your elbows, but the plastic doesn’t feel cheap and hollow, and the interior feels quite nice for the price. In the 200k+ miles that I’ve owned this car, the only issues were the ac going out at 130k and replacing brake pads and tires way to often. Recently my motor mount wore off but that’s just going to happen on each and every car. Transmission is still holding up as we speak and I continue to beat the crap out of this car (random full throttle accelerations, racing friends, fast turns, and hard braking) so it’s probably the reason why my tires and brakes wear out so often, but this drivetrain was meant to be beat on! The car loves to rev and the engine and transmission are holding up extremely well for my style of driving (I give it 25% throttle at every stop light) for the last 4 years. Oh forgot to mention that the cargo room is absolutely massive. With the third row seats up it’s a little tight and the third row itself is cramped and best suited for small adults or kids but with the seats down and even the second row seats down you can practically sleep in it without your feet touching the tailgate. I RECOMMEND THIS CAR HIGHLY FOR ANYONE WHOS LOOKING FOR A DECENTLY FUN TO DRIVE, COMFORTABLE, AND PRACTICAL CAR THATS EXTREMELY RELIABLE AND WITH A VERY PEPPY ENGINE
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Our Pilot
Piloteer101, 01/31/2016
2005 Honda Pilot EX 4WD 4dr SUV w/Leather, Rear Entertainment (3.5L 6cyl 5A)
21 of 22 people found this review helpful
After out 2010 Chrysler Town & Country was totaled we found this beauty on the lot. It's pretty to look at, the paint on this thing is AMAZING. We like that the outside looks small, but there's 8 seats. It's really fun and smooth to drive too. Just wish that you could get DVD entertainment along with Navigation at the same time, not sure why that wasn't possible.
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