OK, so everyone agrees that all of the identified issues are minor. Does that really answer your question? No. Everyone is leaving out a critical element. This is a BRAND NEW VEHICLE.
No one on this board or anywhere on the face of this earth can tell you how reliable this vehicle WILL be. That is the biggest reason I can think for not buying one at this point. We can all guess and assume that it will be like other Honda vehicles and like the vehicles that it shares its heritage from, but it is not a guarantee, it is a gamble (but I think the cards are stacked in our favor).
You have to be comfortable with that fact. If you can handle that, then the little nit picky things listed here are nothing. Understand that you are volunteering to be a guinea pig. Yes, I am one of the guinea pigs, and I am enjoying it. But it isn't for everyone. You have to realize tht you are asking a group of people who have already made that decision, so most will pull you in, not push you away. I'm not trying to push you away, I'm just trying to point out what your real concern should be.
I was very happy with my new Jeep Grand Cherokee up until about 45k miles. If you had asked me before then I would have told you that it was a great vehicle and go buy it. Now..., well, I wouldn't try to convince my worst enemy to buy one (well, ok, maybe my worst enemy, but not the next to worst).
Given that info, I love my Pilot and I highly recommend it. But my opinion could change in a year.
Waiting never hurts if you can. Vehicles usually get better with newer model years. The kinks will get worked out and new features may be added. It is just like buying a computer. You can buy the newest model, and it may be cool, but sure enough the next one will be better and cooler. Even the Accord, which is what, 25-30 years old now, still continues to get better. My In-Laws buy a new Accord every 2 to 3 years and they are always commenting on how much better it gets.
I think the Pilot has more problems than a new vehicle should. But, it has a lot less issues than most first model year vehicles have. This is the sixth brand new vehicle I have ever bought, but the first time I bought a first model year vehicle. And from my experience, the Pilot has had more problems in the first two months than any of my other new vehicles. However, I expected it, so it hasn't disappointed me. I am actually impressed that they have been such minor issues. Hopefully it stays that way. As I stated before, my biggest concern is what its future reliability will be, as there is no way to judge that.
And the issues that I have found have little to do with this site (as other have alluded to some group panic mentality). I found most of my issues before I ever came across this site (though I do not have the scrunch, whistle, or clicking noises others reported). And this site has just made me aware that there are some that I hadn't noticed before (like the paint issue which doesn't bother me, but think I am glad to be aware of). As a matter of fact, it was in researching my issues that I found this site.
My bet is that the Pilot will have less "serious" issues in the long run. I am hoping that I win that bet.
So, my vote is... Make up your own mind. Don't listen to us. What the hell do we know!
