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2009 Pilot w/ 221,000 miles?

3K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  BigBoy55 
#1 ·
HI all! I'm thinking of buying a used 2009 Pilot for $6000. I know you get what you pay for. But are there any problems known with Pilots of this year with high miles? What do I need to make sure is replaced before I buy it? Any info would be greatly appreciated!
 
#3 ·
Well, you could replace all that stuff but then you would have a new Pilot..... and a new Pilot payment. At that miles and age, I'm not sure what they would agree to replace vs give you money off on. Hopefully you have a trusted mechanic that can walk you through the vehicle top to bottom. You really need to go over everything. A quick start would be tire wear which will point to suspension components, struts, bushings, brakes.... Check for fluid leaks (oil, ps fluid, coolant, xfr case, tranny, rear diff), cracked torn CV boots etc. Check fluid condition. No funny smells, fluids in good shape/color. Check air filters, cabin and engine. Check battery condition and charging from alternator. Check A/C. Pull a Car Fax and see if it has been in any accidents. Have a Honda Dealer run the VIN to see that all recalls have been done and to get an idea what maintenance has been done at dealership. It should have had a timing belt replaced at 200K. Have the mechanic pull and check plugs for age, wear and oil consumption. You may want them to do a compression check on the cylinders as well. Quick and easy way to spot potential problems. On the cosmetic side, check for rust around the chrome license plate trim on the lift gate. Check everything else I've not mentioned and I've not mentioned any interior stuff yet. I would expect this process to take around 2-3hrs complete.


I have 182K on my 2011, just did a 14hr round trip to Charlotte last weekend. Ran like a champ. Will be taking it to Boston at the end of the month. If you go in to it knowing that you are getting a 9-10 yr old car that will need some love down the road and are willing to do the maintenance to keep it running, you may do OK.
 
#4 ·
All of the items mentioned by Jonjk, while accurate, could be said for any vehicle. I think OP was concerned about 2009 Pilot-specific items. Items that stand out as a maintenance item are compliance bushings. The other thing to look into are any possible issues relating to VCM. Was this vehicle covered by the warranty extension (not all VINs were)? If so, was any work done under it? If this VIN was covered, and no work was done, be concerned. Finally, just take a test drive where the engine warms up to operating temperature to see how the vehicle runs when VCM is operating (the eco light is on).
 
#6 ·
I would run the other way; you'll be doing a lot of repairs once you get the keys. Take your $$$ and buy yourself a vehicle with less miles.
 
#7 ·
I have a 2009 Pilot Touring with 220k miles and it runs great. Of course, I have been diligent about the maintenance. The only things I would be on the lookout for is the compliance bushings and the interior leather on the doors and console. If the compliance bushings haven’t been replaced, you’ll feel a rattle in the front end. Any leather issues should be obvious.
 
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