Used 2017 Honda Pilot Consumer Reviews
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Sluggish transmission
Charlie, 02/20/2019
2017 Honda Pilot Elite 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
I owned this vehicle for over a year and a half and 18,000 miles. The transmission is definitly the weakest link. First of all it seems like it does’nt know when to shift and at low speeds, especially around 26 mph it will shift very rough and sometimes even bang and shutter. Of course the dealer could never make it do that even having my car for over a week. Upon picking it up afterwards it acted up on the way home. The next day I traded it off for a different brand. We really liked the Pilot and all the features but, I just could’nt stand the hesitant and rough shifting. Apparently everything on this car is made by Honda except the transmission.
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It's a Honda
Piloteer1, 12/02/2017
updated 09/23/2024
2017 Honda Pilot EX-L 4dr SUV (3.5L 6cyl 6A)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
Great value when selecting trim levels. Almost all or nothing. I can only imagine what you get with Touring and Elite trims. Wife wanted more bells and whistles from what we had in a 2012 Pilot LX. EX interior was rough like denim and looked like it would be too hard to remove stains. EX-L adds luxury with leather, sunroof, power front row seating, and a host of other little overlooked conveniences. I read complaints on the infotainment limits, but we love it and haven't seen what all the fuss is about. We have to master the steering wheel buttons to keep our eyes on driving. The Android Auto app integration is amazing. I'm sketchy on the privacy tradeoff though. But beats 1-2k for built in his. The touchscreen is responsive to our liking. Went with 2wd because I didn't like the 12' and due to sluggish acceleration and roughness. The ride quality is great. Nix the nitrogen option if you can, mixed opinion if it does anything. Eco mode is noticeable because it throttles ac, acceleration and such. Very nimble from takeoff without eco mode. I'd use on highway more. Shifting is almost unnoticeable with 6 speed transmission. Still contemplating extended warranty since there is a lot of electronics involved. Lane assist is useful, again maybe more in a highway scenario. Looked at Toyota Highlander and 4runner, both couldn't beat the Pilot's 3rd row capacity without pushing 2nd all the way foward. Didn't see the need for Honda-sensing, I'd like a to retain some decision making while driving. I've had 5 Hondas before this, and the 2017 exl is a winner in my mind. Only reason for some 4 stars is I just bought and don't know. **** Update 6/5/18: After 6 months we have no complaints. Responsive and smooth on the highway. Time for first oil change and tire rotation. No recalls or items to have fixed, yet. Hopefully didn't jinx myself but it's been that good. The Android Auto is a great feature unless of course you lose wireless phone signal out in the middle of nowhere. Still haven't learned all the steering wheel buttons and touchscreen takes getting used to. Remote start is great on cold mornings and push start takes getting used to (accessory mode with foot off brake). **** Update 12/06/20: Still going strong. Recent issue while still under powertrain warranty, some type of surging or what is called "judder". Issue is where transmission fluid needed replacement for premature wear and the computer needed an update to prevent future wear of fluid and run properly. No more judder. No cost. First set of new tires at a little over 30k. Doing my own oil changes are a pain, left up to dealer for around same price and less frustration. **** Update 9/20/2024: It's been great. About 115k. At 105k replaced the recommended timing belt. Prior to about 80k Judder returned after first firmware update and 3x drain/fill. After replacing original battery after 7 years, judder seems to have returned. Since it's out of warranty, not sure what the remedy will be aside from draining and refill of transmission again. Maybe a trans cooler added will help along with increasing longevity. Forums seem to indicate the torque converter will eventually go out. Fingers crossed. Hood latch was done so hood wouldn't fly off while driving highway speeds, noticed on a recent trip still buffeted. Dealer wanted more to diagnose after slight adjustment. It's been a great reliable vehicle with very minimal issues, aside from normal maintenance. I'm just hoping the transmission holds up over time.
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2017 Honda Pilot for sale near you
3 of 60 listings
- EX-L 4dr SUVMSRP: $17,17520 mi away
- Elite 4dr SUV w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment SystemMSRP: $14,807In-stock online
- Touring 4dr SUV w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment SystemMSRP: $20,082In-stock online
See all 60 listings
Prepare for many trips to the dealership service
Ali, 12/02/2017
updated 06/08/2018
2017 Honda Pilot Elite 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
28 of 30 people found this review helpful
2017 Pilot ,Elite , tailgate water leak, losing radio sound with freezing screen,blank navigation screen ,auto high beam feature multifunction......etc .I am so close to file it as a lemon . Worst experience with very expensive car and many dealers service is no better. It was a bad choice.
Overall good vehicle, but some annoying items
DD, 02/14/2017
2017 Honda Pilot Touring 4dr SUV w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
57 of 64 people found this review helpful
Overall, I am happy with the Honda Pilot, and would recommend. However, because of some of the items noted below, I am not able to give a rating higher than 3 stars. I really wanted to purchase the EX-L trim with V6. But ending up purchasing the Touring trim. With respect to the EX-L trim. Why is Honda forcing the consumer to select between one of: Honda Sense, navigation, or rear entertainment? These three options can not be combined on the EX-L. A Honda salesman tried to convince me that built-in navigation is no longer necessary with addition of Andriod Auto and Apple CarPlay. If you have ever traveled to rural areas without cellphone data coverage, you'll understand the need for built-in navigation. The 'Honda Lane Watch'. If this is such a great feature, why doesn't the Elite have two cameras (both driver and passenger sides)? Instead, the Elite adds real 'Blind Spot' detection feature. I would much rather have the blind spot detection with large illuminated icon on the side mirrors, instead of the 'Honda Lane Watch'. If the majority of your turns are in the right lane, you will quickly understand the annoyance (don't need to see grass or sidewalk). An illuminated icon on the side mirror is quick for the driver to process. Whereas, the "Honda Lane Watch" requires the driver to remove their eyes from the road, and look at the in dash monitor to determine if there is a car in the lane. The main point of safety features is to help the driver focus on the road. Which "Honda Lane Watch" doesn't, because you have to watch live video feed and make decision. The Touring and Elite has 'Engine Stop' feature. The Honda Pilot isn't a hybrid like Toyota Prius, so not sure why Honda engineers felt this feature was necessary. Really annoying in stop-and-go city traffic. When you come to a complete stop, the engine shuts down. There is capability to disable 'Engine Stop', but must be disabled each time you start the car. In 2017, a lot of manufactures offer the motion activated rear lift gate. This should be included at the Touring and Elite trims. If you don't care about connectivity (Andriod Auto or Apple CarPlay), go with model year 2016. It is the exact same as 2017, without connectivity. I can confirm what has been said in other reviews: the active safety features are overly sensitive, and shifting is rough at low speeds.
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Pilot Flies High
James Nowell, 06/07/2017
updated 06/17/2020
2017 Honda Pilot Elite 4dr SUV AWD w/Navigation and Rear Entertainment System (3.5L 6cyl 9A)
30 of 33 people found this review helpful
The Honda Pilot is a very well built, high quality automobile. It drives good, rides good, and is very quiet on the road. It is filled with technology----almost to a fault. It will take my wife and me some time to learn all of its features. It is very smooth and is getting very good gas mileage. I can't imagine that any SUV being made could have more features than does the Pilot. It is also very roomy. It also has all wheel drive and stability control, so is very sure footed in rain or snow. We took a 3,000 trip to the northeast, and the Pilot performed flawlessly. It is very comfortable and will carry practically anything a traveler would want to take. The nine speed transmission is very smooth and keeps the engine in an appropriate power/performance range. The more I drive the car, the more I like and appreciate it. After driving this Pilot for one year and 24,000 miles I still appreciate it so much. It is solid as a rock. We have had our Pilot for 2 years and 45,000 miles and have taken several extended trips in it, and it has performed consistently and dependably. It is such a great vehicle on trips because it has plenty of room, is comfortable, gets very good gas mileage and has a long range, and performs as well whether going through a city or out on the highways. We only have the one car, and it meets all our needs.
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