My 2018 Honda Pilot has had problems shifting gears, sometimes jerking. This mostly happens between 3rd and 4th gear, but I’ve felt it in lower gears too. I took it to the Honda Dealer last week, but they didn’t find any error codes. They suggested flushing the transmission fluid three times, updating the transmission software, and servicing the transfer case. All of these were done, and the car seemed to drive fine around town. However, on the freeway, it started jerking again when shifting. What should I do next? The car has 74,000 miles, and all maintenance has been done at Honda Dealers.
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Does the RPM jump up and down when the problem happens? Does it happen more often when you’re cruising or lightly accelerating?
I’m not sure if this applies to 2018 models, but Honda has a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) for a Torque Converter Shudder. It involves doing a transmission flush and software update, which seems like what they did for you.
If the issue comes back after a certain number of miles, they have another TSB that recommends flushing the transmission again. If the problem keeps happening, they usually suggest replacing the torque converter or the transmission.
I’m having the same problem with the RPM bouncing up and down. I’ve followed the recommended maintenance schedule. When I checked my transmission fluid, it smelled burnt. I took the car to a transmission shop (not Honda), and they recommended replacing the transmission.
The mechanic said the RPM bouncing is caused by the torque converter not getting enough fluid. On long drives, this could eventually lead to a warning that says, “Transmission too hot…”
How much did they quote you for the repair? This sounds exactly like what we’re dealing with. So much for counting on Honda’s reliability.
I chose to do the 3 transmission flushes first. It has improved, and the shifting is somewhat better, plus the RPM bouncing has stopped.
The quote I got for a replacement was $5,000 to $6,000. This is in Virginia.