Honda Pilot Complaints (2023)

134 consumer complaints on file.

#11720573February 25, 2026
SEATS
The driver seat has come unsecured from the vehicle and has been loose and rocky like a rocking chair . Was at the dealer twice for repair
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11716600February 8, 2026
SEAT BELTS, SEATS, SERVICE BRAKES
Seatbelt sensors for the passenger second row dinging off and on when seatbelt is buckled. Also the light coming on that says emergency brake unavailable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713811January 28, 2026
SEATS
3rd row seat headrest stays folded and won’t lock into place.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11713169January 25, 2026
ENGINE
Car has been serviced at same dealership I purchased from. All service up to date, Gas type shell gas brand used 95% of the time. (Noticed November 2025)issue a month after recommended transmission flush and an engine oil change. Rough idling (especially when temp below 60⁰) and almost like a miss fire when driving. No check engine light, and dealership had vehicle for two days but claimed unable to replicate issue suggested these engines are prone to carbon buildup. But recommended I switch to premium gas. SUV drives rough and then randomly reverts to normal smooth driving, also seems to struggle when switching gears, spoke to other owners of same type and a pattern of previous years owners mentioned potential issue with VCM. Major issue: Rattling during start up and driving ( sometimes goes away randomly) Car struggles with gear switching. Engine/transmission hesitation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712946January 23, 2026
SEAT BELTS, SEATS
The seat belt alarm keeps going off as if the seat belt is not buckled even though it is buckled. The first issue was when I had the car less than a yr. The middle row right side had this problem and the dealer replaced the seatbelt. Now at 38k miles, the middle row middle seat started to have the same issue. Also, the middle row on the right side would occasionally alarm as well but not as constant (this was the same seatbelt that was replaced initially).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712295January 20, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
The driver seatbelt was soaking wet after a rainstorm. The vehicle does not have a sunroof. Upon further inspection the airbag and its electronics were also soaked in water. It has never been in an accident or had any work done to it. There is a factory installed roof rack(Sport model). I am concerned for the safety in the function of the airbag and seatbelt tensioner in the event of an accident after being soaked in water an unknown amount of times. Secondary, possibly related issue. The rear drivers side door will randomly not unlock/open from the exterior(have to reach through and use the interior handle). Posing a safety issue in the event of child removal in an emergency.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708497January 3, 2026
STEERING
The car is making a knocking sound while driving at low speeds (ex. Pulling into the garage, reversing into a parking spot) while turning the wheel. The 2023 Pilot is currently at the dealership being inspected. I have come across many other posts, with video, confirming this exact sound with the same assessment - all pointing to the steering rack (although some fixes only being temporary so the part itself might be defective). This is a newer lease and I am not convinced it is safe to drive in with this issue.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708203January 1, 2026
SEATS, SEAT BELTS
Rear seat belt indicator and alarm go off continuously when the seat is occupied and when the passenger is buckled by the seat belt. While the passenger is buckled, anytime they shift it causes the indicator light to come on and the alarm to sound. This defeats the purpose of having the indicator.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707009December 25, 2025
Tether, Lower Anchor (on car seat or vehicle), Other/I am not sure
The car seat snug lock feature in the forward facing position does NOT create a snug fit and becomes loose over time. BOTH of my turn2me seats do this. Purchased on the same day. We recently forward faced my daughter due to maxing out the rear facing limits. We have installed with the seat belt due to being over the limit for the latch. With the seat belt, when installed per the manual, it comes loose almost immediately after install. I noticed the seat starts to wiggle within a couple days and being over the “one inch rule”. I will submit videos of me installing per manual and how it comes undone with the slightest pull on the belt. This is what happens after a couple days of use. I’m a cpst and have discussed with numerous cpst about this seat. This is a “known issue” and nothing we have tried will keep it secure. Extremely unsafe to be using this seat and it needs to be recalled due to this not being the first complaint. I have also made a report with graco with no response yet. It will not let me upload videos to the report but if someone reaches out, I can email them in.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11706982December 24, 2025
SEAT BELTS
Rear/third-row seatbelt warning activates repeatedly even when passenger is properly buckled. Issue has been present shortly after vehicle purchase. Dealer refuses inspection without charging diagnostic fee. Safety system is unreliable and distracting while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11706091December 19, 2025
SEAT BELTS
Multiple false "unbuckled seatbelt warning" regarding the rear seat belt being unbuckled when it was not. Alarm sounds and lights up warning on drivers display board. This alarmed the driver during movement on multiple occasions, causing unnecessary distraction. Driver sometimes ignores the signal because of the frequency of the false alarm and missed an actual moment where teenager was unbuckled. This is very dangerous. Please look into this please.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702505December 2, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
A few moments after I purchased my 2023 Honda Pilot I noticed that I began getting car sick while driving. I purchased the car at night and it was a long drive home, so I figured it was due to dehydration or something else. During the day however, I noticed it again. Upon careful inspection I noticed the entire windshield had a distortion, it appeared as if one was looking through a pair of eyeglasses that had a very strong prescription. I am in the process of creating an incident with Honda and have already contacted my local dealership, who was not very helpful in this matter. I am still driving this vehicle as well as my wife because we have no other choice but I do feel that this situation poses a safety hazard for us and our family, as the windshield is a distraction and can cause the driver to lose focus on objects while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694899October 22, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
El carro tiene fallas con el sistema eléctrico de frenos y no arranca.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11689161September 23, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
While driving on U.S Highway 521 in South Carolina, the vehicle experienced SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED BRAKING AND VIOLENT SHAKING even though there were no cars or obstacles directly in front of me. The sensation was so strong it felt as if the car had been rear-ended, but there was no impact. The issue has happened MULTIPLE TIMES since I purchased the vehicle new in 2023. Each time, traffic was flowing normally, and no immediate hazard was present. The closest car in front of me was several car lenghts away, yet the PILOT suddenly braked on its own. The problem appears to be linked to the COLLISION MITIGATION BRAKING SYSTEM or related driver-assist sensors, which seem to be misreading conditions and triggering false emergency braking. This defect creates a serious SAFETY HAZARD. The abrupt, forceful braking puts me and my family at risk of being rear-ended by following vehicles. It has also caused panic and near-miss incidents in traffic. I am filling this complaint to ensure it is formally documented and investigated as SAFETY DEFECT. This is a serious risk to DRIVER AND PASSENGERS and could lead to accidents. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate whether this defect affects other HONDA PILOT vehicles.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11687958September 17, 2025
STEERING
My 2023 Honda Pilot has had persistent issues with the steering system since it was purchased new. The problems manifest as knocking noises in the steering column, although no warning lights appear. The Honda dealer has replaced the steering rack three times. A rattling noise is now occurring in the steering column, and the dealer is advising replacement of the steering column. The dealer was in contact with Honda engineering each time to solicit advice and obtain approval for the repairs. The replaced parts are not available for inspection, and only the Honda dealer has inspected the vehicle. I am concerned for my safety. I am afraid that the steering will fail while I am driving at highway speeds and cause an accident. I contacted Honda corporate, and they essentially told me there is nothing they can do because the vehicle is considered “fixed” after each repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11686248September 10, 2025
STEERING
When trying to drive my vehicle i noticed the steering wheel became hard to turn. I was able to get a tow truck to drop my vehicle off at the dealership to get it looked at. The dealership is telling me that it is due to a steering problem needing a rack and pinion part. This vehicle is a 2023 Honda Pilot which was just purchased by me in April. There hasnt been any issue until now.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681875August 20, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
While parked, I heard a pop. Later on there was a crack in the windshield around the camera. Nothing impacted the windshield this looks definitely like a stress fracture but the dealership was not helpful.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679990August 11, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The back glass suddenly shattered. No cause was discovered. It was not vandalism. There was no prior damage to the back glass. We were seated in the front seats. Normally, we would have had our grandchildren in the back seats closest to the glass. I looked it up on the Internet and found out that this occurrence is fairly common among Honda makes. I took pictures of the damage and filed a claim with my insurance company. No warning occurred before the glass shattered.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11679396August 8, 2025
SEAT BELTS
For the middle row, right passenger seat, the seat belt alert (visual and audio alert) goes off even when the passenger is properly buckled in. It is intermittent. This is a safety issue as the alert keeps beeping throughout the journey. The beeping can be very distracting when driving due to the noise, and also as it raises concern of safety. My workaround is not to use that seat (an inconvenience), or use the seat without a seatbelt buckled in (safety). Dealership dismissed it as a non-issue as they could not replicate it because the issue is intermittent. The vehicle is out of the bumper-to-bumper warranty thus discovery and fixing the issue (if there is any) will be out of my pocket. I have seen others mention this issue so it is not isolated to my car but rather to this model and year.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11677888August 1, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Twice in the past week the collision mitigation braking system engaged without reason and the vehicle suddenly braked while I was driving
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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