Honda Pilot Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability
Year-by-year breakdown of safety recalls, NHTSA owner complaints, reported deaths, injuries, crashes, and worst problem areas. Updated daily from federal databases.
Recent Safety Incidents — Last 5 Model Years
Own a Honda Pilot? Check your specific VIN for a full history report.
Honda Pilot — Year-by-Year Problem Comparison
| Year | Verdict | Recalls | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths | Top Issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Best | Excellent | — | — | — | — | — | — | Full report → |
| 2025 | Excellent | 2 | 106 | 8 | 5 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2024 | Excellent | 3 | 51 | — | 1 | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2023 | Excellent | 2 | 96 | 3 | — | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2022 | Excellent | 1 | 100 | 2 | 5 | — | Unknown Or Other | Full report → |
| 2021 | Good | 3 | 315 | 12 | 7 | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2020 | Good | 4 | 363 | 3 | 1 | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2019 | Caution | 6 | 660 | 10 | 14 | — | Electrical System | Full report → |
| 2018 | Good | 4 | 309 | 7 | 4 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2017 | Caution | 2 | 627 | 6 | 6 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2016Worst | Avoid | 6 | 1186 | 24 | 33 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2015 | Excellent | 3 | 67 | 3 | 1 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2014 | Excellent | 2 | 65 | 8 | 6 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2013 | Good | 5 | 193 | 6 | 4 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2012 | Good | 8 | 123 | 11 | 18 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2011 | Good | 9 | 187 | 24 | 29 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2010 | Excellent | 8 | 77 | 14 | 7 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2009 | Excellent | 7 | 88 | 4 | 8 | — | Engine | Full report → |
| 2008 | Excellent | 6 | 84 | 8 | 8 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2007 | Good | 6 | 145 | 4 | 3 | — | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2006 | Avoid | 6 | 168 | 17 | 110 | 99 | Air Bags | Full report → |
| 2005 | Caution | 11 | 476 | 28 | 36 | — | Power Train | Full report → |
| 2004 | Good | 9 | 323 | 21 | 27 | — | Power Train | Full report → |
| 2003 | Caution | 9 | 422 | 24 | 34 | 1 | Power Train | Full report → |
24 model years shown. Crashes, injuries, and deaths from NHTSA complaint filings. Click any year for full details.
Most Common Honda Pilot Problems
Based on 6,231 owner complaints filed with NHTSA across all model years.
Recent Safety Recalls — Honda Pilot (2022–2026)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will replace the MOST cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EEL, ZEM, and SFC.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024, October 18, 2024, and August 2025. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Pilot vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the gear box assembly may contain a loose ball bearing, which can result in a loss of steering control or steering lock-up.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the electric power steering rack, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 18, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FFX.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Honda Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Pilot, and 2024 HR-V, Acura Integra and Acura Integra Type S vehicles. The driver's seat cushion frame may not have been tightened properly, which can result in an unsecured seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's seat cushion frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 6, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Passport and 2023-2025 Pilot vehicles. The fuel filler neck tube and fuel filler pipe may separate, allowing fuel to leak.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the fuel filler neck tube and pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is OKM.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Acura MDX Type-S, 2023-2025 Honda Pilot, and 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type-S vehicles. A software error in the fuel injection electronic control unit (FI-ECU) may cause an engine stall or a loss of power.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EL1 and AL0.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Honda Accord, Accord Hybrid, and 2024 HR-V, Pilot, and Acura Integra vehicles. The driver's seat cushion frame may not have been tightened properly, which can result in a loose seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver's seat cushion frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 10, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are ONC, KND, BNE and ZNF. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning February 5, 2026. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V859.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The third-row passenger seat belt assembly may not function, due to incorrect routing that traps the seat belt behind the passenger side panel. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the seat belt routing as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is ZL4.
Showing 10 recalls from 2022–2026 model years. See the full year-specific pages for older recalls.
Recent Owner Complaints
Direct reports filed with NHTSA by Honda Pilot owners — 2022–2026 model years.
Upon accelerating from a stop, or at various speeds, the vehicle experiences a significant loss of motive power(pulling backwards) followed by an abrupt lunge forward. This hesitation occurs unpredictably and makes entering traffic or intersections extremely hazardous. This feels like a fuel delivery or transmission engagement failure. The last incident occurred on or around the afternoon of March 23. My vehicle has been examined at the dealership on multiple occasions for this same issue and each time I have been told that they are unable to replicate the issue and can not help me further unless they are able to replicate the issue.
Each time my battery has died the brake starter has also stopped working. I have had to get the starter replaced three times in 4 years. The starter for the Honda pilot 2022 is faulty
Adaptive cruise control fails nearly every time the car is driven more than 40 minutes with ACC activated. Failure indicated by warning lights and statement on DIC. DIC instructs operator to clean the front "H" emblem on grille, however, the emblem is always completely clean. The failure has been reported 4+ times to the dealership. Dealership reports the failure is a known problem and there is no fix available from Honda. Upon system shut down the vehicle disengages cruise control and has rapid deceleration causing unsafe driving conditions while in traffic. System usually resets itself without cleaning or other remedies within 10-20 minutes after fail, and will usually fail again +/- 40 minutes later. ACC is marketed as part of the Driver safety system and is unreliable. first occurrence was at 670 miles since new. Car now has < 10k miles and has failed 12+ times.
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly decelerated, and the steering wheel started jerking. The messages EPS Failure, Lane Keep Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control Failure were displayed. The contact safely pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 3,200.
I was stopped at a stop light on a very busy road. The vehicle went into Auto Idle shut down. When the light turned green, I attempted to press the gas but the engine was completely stalled and would not restart. I had to put the vehicle in park, turn off the vehicle, and completely restart it for the vehicle to be able to successfully clear the busy intersection. After this incident, the vehicle would inconsistently give me the Auto Idle System Problem warning when first started. I chose to disengage the Auto Idle system until I was able to take it to the dealer. They claim it is the electrical charging wire which is an 8,000 dollar repair for a 3 year old vehicle. We are currently awaiting the inspection from our extended warranty.
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. While the contact’s wife was driving approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn in either direction. The driver was able to forcefully steer the vehicle over to the shoulder. After turning off and restarting the vehicle, the steering failure was self-corrected, and the vehicle operated normally. The driver was able to continue driving without any additional failures. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, and a service appointment was scheduled. The failure mileage was 8,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that upon returning to the vehicle while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, the sunroof front glass panel had shattered without impact. The contact was able to slowly drive to the residence. The contact then contacted a mobile auto glass technician who cleaned the vehicle and covered the sunroof with plastic. Additionally, the contact was informed that the sunroof glass panel was not available. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the repair was not covered because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,350.
The power steering system software problem undriveable. The AWD failed said undriveable. Only 30k miles on it and it just locked and couldnt steering right to left in the middle of traffic. Could have caused a bad accident lycjuly my kids weren't in the car. The computer software took over completely made my car uncontrollable. Have a video of all warnings that came on.
Description: While using cruise control at highway speed and winter weather conditions, the cruise control system suddenly and unexpectedly disengaged without adequate warning. The vehicle experienced rapid deceleration and I lost control, resulting in multiple spins, a near collision with a truck, and impact with a curb before coming to stop. The vehicle sustained damage. Fortunately no one was not severely injured. History and safety concern This is not an isolated event. I have experienced similar, unexpected cruise control disengagements multiple times over the past year while driving under varied conditions. Each event has created a significant safety risk. The sudden, uncommanded disengagement at highway speed caused abrupt deceleration and loss of control, which presents a severe hazard to vehicle occupants and other road users. I have reported the issue to the manufacturer and requested a full diagnostic investigation, system data logs, root‑cause determination, and remediation (I am requesting replacement or buyback if a defect is confirmed). I have asked the manufacturer to escalate to a senior case manager/remediation team and to preserve all relevant data and parts. Requested NHTSA actions Open an ODI safety defect investigation into this vehicle model/series and the cruise control/ADAS/cruise‑control module behavior. Request preservation and production of all relevant manufacturer data, including ECU/ADAS event data recorder logs, telematics, software versions, diagnostic records, and any field complaints or warranty claims related to cruise control disengagements. Evaluate whether this is a systemic safety defect requiring recall, remedy, or other actions, and consider requiring manufacturer owner notification and appropriate remedies (repair, replacement, buyback) if a defect is confirmed. Provide guidance on any additional evidence or steps I should take to support the investigation.
On April 2nd, 2026. I was driving this car into a parking space. I had to be going 5 mph. Or slower. Probably even slower. Pulling in.. I applied the brakes of course. The car wouldn’t stop. My husband/passenger told me to STOP. I did stop. This car kept rolling and crashed/smashed/ hit the brick red building in front of us. No brake hold was displayed.. no nothing. No brake stop. Nooooo nothing. The car wouldn’t stop. I never in my life have ever experienced this.
While driving on the expressway at speeds above 60 mph and while attempting to pass another vehicle the vehicle shuts down with no acceleration. The vehicle will then after several seconds regain acceleration. Several times it has sounded like the vehicles starter engaged. This is a random occurrence and has happened approximately 10 times. There are no error codes and the dealership states that they can not recreate the issue so there is nothing wrong.
Seatbelt sensory goes off in the middle row right passenger staying seatbelt not connected. Seatbelt is connected and the alert will not cut off.
430 total complaints retrieved from NHTSA for 2022–2026. For older model years, see individual year pages.
Pilot Years to Avoid
Best Pilot Years to Buy
Years with fewest complaints and recalls.
Honda Pilot Problems by Year
Frequently Asked Questions — Honda Pilot Reliability
What year Pilot has the most problems?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2016 Honda Pilot had the highest combined complaint and recall count — 1186 complaints and 6 safety recalls. See the full 2016 report for specific defects.
Is the Honda Pilot reliable?
The Honda Pilot has accumulated 6,231 owner-filed complaints and 122 safety recalls across all model years in NHTSA's database. There have been 100 reported deaths associated with complaints. The 2026 model year shows the fewest reported issues. Always run a VIN check before purchasing any used Pilot.
What are the most common Pilot problems?
The most frequently cited problem areas are: Engine (1098 reports), Electrical System (983 reports), Power Train (611 reports), Unknown Or Other (536 reports). Based on NHTSA complaints across all model years.
How do I check if my Pilot has an open recall?
Use the vehicle's 17-character VIN at VinCheckEngine.com. Our free VIN report pulls the latest NHTSA recall data along with auction history, odometer records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
Check a Specific Honda Pilot VIN
Model-level data shows what can go wrong. A VIN-specific report shows what has gone wrong with a particular vehicle — including auction history, odometer discrepancies, open recalls, accident records, and 30+ intelligence signals.
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