[mitchmcc]

Hello all,

I don't know if this title is reasonable or not. We have a 2015 Pilot, which we bought in 2017. We have been extremely happy with it.
But the other day, when I took it in for an oil change (the wrench light was on), we found out that (1) our auto-tensioner was leaking, (2) the front map light assembly had to be replaced (we thought just the bulb was out), (3) the V6 timing belt had to be replaced, and (4) the sway end links were broken. Additionally we had to completely replace the power steering fluid.

All of this cost us, after shaming the rep to get a couple of hundred $ off, $1552.95.

I should note that this only has 58,946 easy miles on it.

This is our very first Honda, after many years of happily owning (with very low maintenance costs) Toyotas.

The rep indicated something about this being an issue with V6's...

Can anyone shed light on whether this is normal for this age and mileage, and whether we are wrong to start to question switching
over from Toyota?

Thanks,

Mitch

 

[road2cycle]

If the timing belt tensioner was leaking that would justify replacing the timing belt since they are already in there.
Depending on the condition of the PS fluid it may or may not have been necessary.

 

[mitchmcc]

If the timing belt tensioner was leaking that would justify replacing the timing belt since they are already in there.
Depending on the condition of the PS fluid it may or may not have been necessary.

I guess I was looking for opinions about why this large expense would occur before even 60,000 miles!

 

[road2cycle]

No part has a guaranteed service life. Your tensioner was on the wrong side of the life expectancy bell curve. Perhaps the map light and sway end links were too. The water pump on my previous Tacoma leaked at <40k miles. Premature failures happen. It sucks when something we think should have lasted longer breaks, especially when it occurs after the warranty has expired.

 

[mitchmcc]

Thanks for taking the time to reply... If it were not for our almost perfect record with our very long-lived Toyotas, I would not have been so surprised. Overall, we love literally everything about the Pilot.

 

[Tanner]

Having 4+ trouble free years with that repair bill is only about $30 a month.

If your otherwise happy with the vehicle, that's not a large expense.

 

[Jack Vogt]

People seem to be pretty defensive of the Pilot here.
With that low mileage, you should not have had to replace those parts. Every once in a while, stuff happens. It doesn't matter that the repair bill was only $30/month. It shouldn't have been needed.
All I'll say is be glad they took some money off of the final bill and move on. If other things start breaking, by all means consider Toyota.
This forum is great for many things but people are often too defensive of Pilots. I love MY Pilot, but I am totally ok with someone else hating theirs.

 

[Farnsrocket]

My 14' has 93k miles with no issues........knock on wood.........that sucks man, it does seem early for all of that to need fixed.

 

[FromCTtoNJ]

I think you are getting hosed, my friend.
How one goes for oil change and comes back “...your tensioner is leaking...”.
Do you know that in order to see the tensioner they have do great amount of work? How did they determined it without opening up side completely?

If this is the truck you drive since new (I mean you know it is original mileage) then I would be 99% confident they are trying or already screwed you.

 

[FromCTtoNJ]

If you did not get or paid for this service I would strongly advise you to take it to the different shop. I would even say something like a local shop. If you don’t have one, search online and look for reviews.

Is this Honda Dealership you went to?

 

[Astrobuf]

Quite unusual. The vast majority of the cost was the timing belt replacement. Dealers nominally get $1200 for this service which also includes axwater pump replacement. This service is typically scheduled for 120K miles. Losing the tensioner at 60,000 is very unusual, bad luck.

Changing ps fluid is scheduled maintenance. Read your owners manual. Many Honda owners fail to take care of fluid service beyond engine oil. Your transmission needs a 3qt change every 30,000 miles too.

You will soon also need brake fluid and coolant change based upon vehicle age, irrespective of milage. Toyotas are the same.

Read the Owners Manual and follow it and you can get 300,000+ miles from your Pilot

 

[tex72]

My 2011
has 139,000 mi. looked in at belt and looks great, no oil inside and quiet as a mouse. I have done all other services and outside of sway bar struts and shocks, nothing else.

 

[FromCTtoNJ]

People,
It was a scam. There was nothing wrong with poster’s Pilot. That shop simply offloaded her/him because they thought they could. Is it the one next to gas station?

You can not drive in with your truck for oil change and end up with changing: timing belt kit, power steering fluid (what?!?!?! How the heck they managed to come up with this one) and BROKEN sway end links (did you hit a curb on the way to oil change?). And that is all with original (I assume) mileage of 60k. It sounds they were trying to push in all directions and see if they meet resistance. Apparently, they did not.

I am very sorry. Truly hope you can have some recourse or simply never use them again.

 

[benran207]

I took my '15 Pilot in for service (52K mi) and the service rep suggested I get my timing belt done as well. Are you kidding? This was in addition to a host of other things (throttle body service, emissions service, coolant, brake fluid, sway bars, and drive belt) totaling up to $3000. I get the fluid changes because they have life spans, but everything else on what's practically a baby Honda? Either they were trying to scam me or I'll never buy a Honda again. I had the fluids changed and am now going local for everything from now on.