My Honda Pilot slammed on the brakes with a huge noise while driving 45 mph with my foot on the gas. It brakes three hard times until it came to a complete stop. The dealer checked my brakes and said they were fine and tried to give the car back. No way! What could be wrong with this car? I don’t want to drive it anymore unless the problem is completely fixed. I am really blessed that noone rear ended me when this happened (no one was in back of me or they would have).
That’s pretty scary, indeed. Are you sure it was the brakes? I’m only asking because I can’t think of anything that would make this happen.
Could there be a problem in the drive train, something that would bind or seize and make the wheels stop turning? The effect would be the same as slamming on the brakes. It might also explain the noise, since slamming on the brakes doesn’t make any loud noise.
Did the wheels lock and make skid marks on the pavement?
What kind of noise did you hear? I could only suspect that a bad power brake booster might apply the brakes. Mcparadise has a good point about the driveline, which is also a possibility.
I am positive it was the brakes. The car applied the brakes three times, as if I was slamming on the brakes myself until I was at a dead stop.The loud noise was like a semi down shifting. There was no way to control the cars sudden stopping. Since this happened I have researched this problem and it has happened to quite a large number of Honda Pilot 2005 drivers. All of them say that Honda has never heard of the problem- funny because the complaints started in 2007. There is a major defect with this type of vehicle and I think that they need to be recalled, or at least the parts causing the problems identified and recalled. This defect could cause people to die. With all of the problems, no one seems to have a definite solution to what is causing it. My car is at the dealership with them trying to figure it out.
I suggest you report this to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Sounds dangerous to me.
Could the noise have been the ABS operating?
Thanks for the great advice! I will report it to the NHTSA. I am not sure if it was the ABS or the VSA system or really what.
The same dangerous situation happened with my wife and son but there was a car behind them and they were almost hit. Like you, we are not driving our 2005 Pilot either. The dealer said that everything checked out even though the computer showed two failures in the brake system (they seem to have repaired themselves) so no repairs were recommended nor done.
I have contacted Honda America and was told that they would do nothing since the dealership made no recommendations.
Anyone with the same problem is welcome to contact me @ Main7@aol.com ; there is power in numbers.