Honda Pilot Complaints (2021)

452 consumer complaints on file.

#11743077June 9, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Automatic transmission problem. Got onto freeway as I started to pick up speed the car did not go out of first gear. I could hear it. The car would not move forward at all. It felt like it was in nuturel. I was able to pull over side of road. This happened about last week may 2026. This also happened about 6 months ago. I bought this car in 2022 hardly any miles on car. There is a defect in transmission. If I was on busy highway I would of gotten hit for sure. Transmission problem. car not shifting to higher gear when getting onto freeway!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743058June 9, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
One day my wife was driven the car to a friend on [XXX] push the brake pedal and the car fail to stop, thank GOD the cars in front of her moved before impact for . She took the car to the dealer, she asks if any recall for power break buster .They reply NO. She ask how much is to check the problem with the breaks. They reply $ 350 just to tell her the problem . The repair is $1000 dollars or more .She took the car to King Muffler Hollywood were they drove the car to see the complain . They check the car give her an Price for $ 880 for parts and labor . After 3 mounts she whent to the Nation wide honda to see if is any reimbursement . They told her to call Honda Corp.we call Honda Corp says NO . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742607June 7, 2026
ENGINE
We had the engine serviced for recall on stop start issue on 12/4/25. On May 15, 2026 the engine failed. The dashboard came on with every warning light and a mechanic said the engine was knocking and had to be replaced. Honda denied any issue and said the timing belt had to be broken. The mechanic confirmed no issue with timing belt and said you can’t start the engine if the timing belt was broken. The mechanic said the engine was knocking and had to be replaced because the car could no longer be driven safely.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11742351June 5, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
My dash is lit up like a Christmas tree. The CMBS has a serious issue, every safety feature has been disabled. Please refer to the he provided picture.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740001May 26, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
I am having an issue with the start stop function on my 2021 Honda Pilot. When active, the start stop struggles to restart after it is engaged at a stop light. There have been two instances in the last two weeks where the vehicle did not restart on its own and needed to be restarted manually. Spoke to the dealer service team and they indicated there were no known recalls and it would be out of pocket for me to diagnose and repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739524May 22, 2026
ENGINE
My wife was driving our 2021 Honda Pilot with 102,000 on the interstate when the check engine light came on and the engine began to lose power. She was fearful of being hit by other traffic due to engine dying in middle of mutiple lanes of traffic. The engine began to have a knocking sound. We shut off engine and had it towed to Southpoint Honda in Durham NC. We were told it has a rod knock, the engine failed. It is about to seize and we need to replace the engine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739150May 20, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The infotainment screen blacks out completely and sporadically, but as of recent, almost daily. Sometimes for about 3-5 minutes. When this happens, the rearview backup camera is completely disabled, creating a blind-spot safety hazard, violating Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111. This issue directly impacts back over prevention and driver visibility. I have multiple videos of this occurring. In 2023, a Honda dealership performed the MOST Bus/FAKRA connector safety recall on this vehicle. That manufacturer recall remedy has FAILED, and the exact same safety defect has returned. I did schedule the vehicle for a formal diagnostic inspection at a Honda dealership this Friday to pull the network communication error codes. There were no warning lamps or warning messages prior to the system blacking out.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738676May 18, 2026
ENGINE
The engine shut off as I was leaving a stop sign and stopped working as I was driving the vehicle.The car shut off and I had a very limited amount of time to pull off to the side which I was halfway able to do and was halfway on one lane and halfway on the shoulder. During this time the car had switched to neutral but since the problem had not occurred before and there was no engine lights on, I tried to turn the car back on and was left unable to shift to neutral again and was stranded in the lane with children in the vehicle. We had to have it towed to the dealer. They confirmed it was an engine failure. Our car is around 5 years old and has been well maintained and is only around 60000 miles or less.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738631May 18, 2026
STEERING
Steering rack and pinion worn with approx 38,000 miles. Dealerships (2) advised the” clunking” was “normal” on the model. Another dealership advised it was more likely the CV-axles worn. Took to two independent garages who advised steering rack was bad. I advised them the dealer stated it was CV-axles. They stated the axles were fine. No wrecks, no driving off-road, and no driving in a manner that would cause failure. 2 years of asking about the clunking noise (now at 54,000 miles) and no ownership or accountability by the OEM for garbage parts. A steering rack should not be worn out in 5 yrs or 54,000 miles. I have my late father’s 1977 truck and it still has the original steering from the day he bought it in the fall of 1976. Forums and many other owners tell me it’s a safety concern and I agree. If Honda thinks sub-par steering components are ok… then I’ll be sure to replace every aircraft component on the executive jets with the same cost savings. It’s not insignificant parts, theirs is truly placing cost savings per unit above lives of people.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737767May 14, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BACK OVER PREVENTION
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle's rear brakes rub significantly to the point of prematurely wearing out the brake pads. Additionally, the instrument panel is failing and displaying all warning lights, and the side mirrors flicker while driving. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed to be NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V439000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) however, the VIN was not included in the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,670.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737429May 12, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle experienced failure of the air conditioning system caused by an A/C compressor shaft seal leak on my 2021 Honda Pilot. The issue was diagnosed and confirmed by both an independent mechanic and an authorized Honda dealership. The dealership confirmed that the recommended repair is replacement/repair of the compressor shaft seal consistent with Honda Service Bulletin (TSB) 23-050. The vehicle and failed component are available for inspection upon request prior to repair. The failure created a safety concern because the inability to properly operate the air conditioning and defrost system can reduce driver visibility due to windshield fogging and create unsafe driving conditions during warm and humid weather. Excessive cabin temperatures can also negatively impact driver concentration and passenger safety during travel. Prior to visiting the dealership, my mechanic identified the likely issue as an A/C compressor shaft seal leak and advised me to bring the vehicle to Honda because it appeared to be a known manufacturer issue. The Honda dealership later confirmed the same defect after completing a paid diagnostic inspection. The vehicle has been inspected by an independent mechanic and an authorized Honda dealership service department. A case has also been opened with Honda Corporate regarding the issue and denial of coverage assistance though was told it could take several days to weeks to be resolved. Prior to the failure, there were no warning lamps or dashboard warning messages displayed. The first symptom was the air conditioning system no longer cooling properly when first used during warmer weather around May 2026. Because the A/C system had not been used during the winter months, the problem only became apparent once temperatures increased and the system was needed again. This appears to be a known issue already acknowledged by Honda through the publication of TSB 23-050 covering 2021 Honda Pilot models.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11736480May 8, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
About a month ago, I started my Pilot and the dash lit up. The adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, lane keeping assist, Lane departure, forward collision warnings all flashed on the dash- no previous warnings. Subsequently, the cruise control will not work at all. I had the system scanned by a Honda certified mechanic and it showed and internal cameral failure. This is a known issue across many Hondas and is a very costly repair at close to $2000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735097May 1, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
I purchased my Honda Pilot 2021 5 years ago. Currently still making payments on it. The Collison Mitigation system warning sign came up on my dashboard about 1 year ago. After that warning sign came on 4 others popped up. Road Departure Mitigation system, Auto high-Beam problem, Adaptive cruise control problem, and lane keeping assist problem. Having all these warning signs come pop up on dashboard is very distracting while driving. Non of these controls are working and I have taken it to Honda to do an inspection. Since, its out of warranty I have to pay out of pocket $2,137.63 to get multipurpose camera unit replaced. Let alone this vehicle is still not paid off. I've also had issues with the starter shutting off while driving. It had a recall and I did get it replaced but I'm still having issues. This is a serious safety problem due to it shutting off while on the street. I been in life threating situations due to this problem. Honda needs to make sure there vehicles are safe for customers. T
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734089April 27, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle has routinely had issues restarting from auto idle. When the vehicle turns off in traffic at a stop or stopped at a red light, then it will not restart and the vehicle will essentially be dead for several minutes and unable to be turned on or moved.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731533April 16, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
Infotainment system doesn't work, including maps, and backup camera. I have read this is a common problem, but Honda isn't doing anything about it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730727April 13, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
When driving.car I hear crackling noice. I did research it has to do with electrical wiring under the dash. It effects all information on the display screen can not access maps direction phone calls won't work,effect radio from working,causes panel lights not to work heater & AC display information won't work caused ac & heater not working. Defrost won't work caused windshield to fogged up could not see through windshield lucky I did not crash or harm any cars It doesn't happen everyday but it has been happening more It could catch on fire.Problem been occurring since 2023.Happens all the time at least 3-5 times a week.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730077April 8, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
Engine started knocking and within a couple days my wife was left stranded. The vehicle went into limp mode with check engine light flashing, and would not accelerate. The vehicle stopped completely in the middle of the road and lost all power, which could’ve caused a major accident. Scheduled maintenance and oil changes has been kept up by me. I had the vehicle towed to a trusted shop and was informing that there were metal shavings in the oil filter. They inspected the top end of the engine and everything was normal. The only indication is that the problem is internal to the engine. There is a recall for Honda Pilots up to model year 2020 but I believe this issue is affecting vehicles up to 2022.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728972April 3, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Braking system and cameras defective. Vehicle will flash BRAKE when nothing is in roadway. This will also cause vehicle to hard brake. When on interstate, cruise control no longer functions properly due to camera sensors reading a vehicle is in front of my vehicle when there is no other vehicle near. This causes braking system to activate and/or slow the cruise control down. This is a major safety risk for everyone involved, especially my children in the vehicle. This is a known Honda issue. This needs remedied before someone gets hurt and a lawsuit ensues. Fix the braking system and cameras!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728686April 2, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Front camera needs to be replaced. According to several Honda forums, this is a very common problem requiring the front camera to be replaced. All safety features requiring the camera no longer work.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728656April 1, 2026
AIR BAGS
My wife was driving at about 40mph and hit a curb while driving straight. The car’s swerved and hit the front right and right rear tire with the curb. The right side curtain airbag deployed. This vehicle was taken to the Honda dealership a few months ago to address the exact same problem that was addressed through a safety recall with a sensor that was supposedly replaced but the Honda dealership in Waco Texas. I am requesting assistance to hopefully get the vehicle inspected and repaired at no cost by the dealership. This should not be happening.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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