Signs of shock absorber failure at 115k miles- faint clunk noise left front. What else should I look for and how do I know if I have ADS ASD or self-leveling systems. Thanks

The 'clunking' sound seems to suggest a broken spring instead of a broken shock absorber. It may be easier to test the shock absorber while it is still on the vehicle.
First have a close look at the shock absorber. Faulty ones usually leak and look oily and dirty.
Safely jack up the vehicle, place it on axle stands and remove the wheel. Check the spring and all the rubber bushes on all the suspension links. Any worn, perished or damaged bushes can cause 'clunking' noises. Repeat this for all four wheels.
To test the shock absorber try using the 'bounce' test. With the vehicle on the ground and the park brake on. Go to each corner in sequence. As a truck is larger than a car you may need a helper. Using your body weight, get the suspension moving up and down. It should be difficult to do and when you stop the suspension will settle quickly. (Up, Down, Settle). Try this on each corner. Soft or bouncy corners will suggest a worn shock absorber.

Check the front suspension ball joints and steering joints. Check wheel bearings and adjustment. Check shock absorber mounts for condition . Check steering insert condition and top mount rubbers and bearings if McPherson strut set up.. If you have a steering shock absorber then check it's condition and mounting

no
shock absorbers are an integral part of the safe driveability of the vehicle
shock absorbers with oil leaks are failed and should be replaced asap
suggest that you get firm with the dealer and demand that they be replaced if you have an extended warranty that covers the items
read the warranty as many extended warranties only cover engine and drive train and not what you have been lead to believe
which ever what happens the units need to be replaced
it is a strut type suspension it will also affect tyre wear

If the noise and oil leakage indicates a shock absorber failure and that is covered under warranty then he is obliged to replace it under warranty. I would contact the customer service division of the manufacturer --explain in detail and get the reply as to what was done was correct or not.. The manufacturer is more likely to help than a dealer who is only interested in making money from you.

I would expect to find a ball joint, upper strut mount, or control arm bushing to be bad rather than the axle joints. Usually if a CV joint is going you hear a clicking noise as the wheel is turning not just one clunk. One clunk usually means something is shifting.

HONDA Pilot struts do not require replace at specific mileage intervals or maintenance. Your vehicle’s struts should be checked annually. Struts wear out slowly and you may not notice gradual losses in ride comfort, handling and control. Excessive bouncing, rocking back and forth, drifting or nose- diving while braking, swaying, or cupping wear on the tires are some signs that your vehicle may have worn Struts. If you are purchasing new Struts for your HONDA Pilot consider premium Struts. Upgrading your struts usually improves overall ride quality, control and handling. Warn struts can increase the wear of tires, ball joints, steering linkage, springs and C.V. joints. Some original struts may be getting weak after 40,000 or 50,000 miles.

Failure symptoms: Vehicle continues to bounce after hitting bumps in roadway. Front suspension dives severely during hard braking. Swaying or rolling when at higher speeds. Signs of oil leaking from the shock rod seal. Clunking and banging noises coming from the strut may be signs of internal shock failure or strut mounts.

It could be a couple of things.
Loose or worn out strut - (jack up car, remove tire and shake the strut really hard to see if it's loose. Check for signs of leaking or damage to strut)
Missing rubber isolator under front spring (visually inspect the suspension while tire is off).
Broken sway bar mount or missing rubber in the mount on the frame. (Lay under the front and look for where the sway bar mounts to the frame. Make sure everything is tight and the rubber is still in it.

Just replaced doesnt eliminate the intermediate shaft, could have been a defective part or poor installation. Other then that, it can be as simple as a sway bar link and or frame bushings

usually the knocking is the drive bearings, or, the shock absorbers...so , i would check the shockers, if your wheels are rotating normally

HI, this noise can be caused by worn shocks,even if the bushings look good, you can remove one of them and check if is hard to constracts ,if not they must be replaced,