MY 2004 HONDA PILOT MAKES A LOUD RATTLING OR VIBRATING NOISE THAT I CAN FEEL WHEN THE CAR IS GOING ABOUT 35 - 60 MPH. I NOTICE IT DAILY ON MY WAY TO AND FROM WORK. SINCE I LIVE WHERE THERE IS NO HONDA DEALER NEARER THAN 150 MILES, I'VE ASKED LOCAL MECHANICS TO TRY TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE VIBRATION. I'VE FOUND OUT THAT THE PROBLEM MAY BE A BAD TORQUE CONVERTER, AND WILL BE QUITE COSTLY TO REPAIR. *TR
2010
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT PANEL
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
