Honda Pilot Complaints
1,017 consumer complaints on file.
- #11659630May 7, 2025FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, SERVICE BRAKES
I believe that there is a safety issue with the design of the adaptive cruise control on the 2024 Honda Pilot. The vehicle applies the brakes at about 1 mph over the selected speed. It is especially aggressive when topping a hill. The gas lets up, but due to the vehicle inertia, the car slightly accelerates, then braking. I believe that this action is unsafe for several reasons. It slows the vehicle several mph below the set speed causing cars behind me to swerve or come close to me. No human driver would apply the brakes in that situation. It also appears to irritate those same drivers. I’m glad that none of them has a weapon so far. It also applies the brakes going downhill on the interstate highway. This occurs at any speed below 55 mph. This also makes it look like the driver is continually tapping the brakes, when no one normally would. I suspect that there may be extra brake wear. My family asks what is going on with the car because of the aggressive braking. I previously owned a 2018 Honda Pilot with adaptive cruise control. It used transmission downshifting to slow the vehicle. I admit that there were some over speeds, but nothing serious. The 2024 Owner’s Manual states that downshifting is also used, but I’ve only seen the brakes used for over speed control. There are no user selectable adjustments to the system. I am getting used to this (feature, not a bug) by clicking off the cruise control whenever the conditions are close for a brake activation. This causes me to pay more attention to monitoring for those conditions, rather than the actual driving and traffic scan. I suggest that the system use downshifting followed by brakes after a 3 or 4 mph excursion from the set speed.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11659579May 7, 2025ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
The message "emission system problem, power may be reduced, see your dealer" indicates a potential issue with your vehicle's emission control system, which may also be causing a reduction in engine power. I was told by the Honda Service Center, that i shouldn't drive it until it is serviced because the car might stall or engine damage may occur. The car only has 86 miles, I have had it less than a week. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Yes. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I was told the car might stall Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? It has been reported Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? See attachment.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11659471May 7, 2025FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
So this started as a loss of power when traveling down the highway, i would push down on the accelerator to pass and loss of power for at least 2 to 5 seconds. Now it is happening more frequent with normal driving. I believe this to be a safety problem.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11659398May 6, 2025UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Auto-Idle-Stop system in my Pilot just shut off my engine and then failed to restart. The engine finally restarted after multiple attempts and finally holding the start button for 5 seconds. This happened in traffic and could have caused an accident.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11659394May 6, 2025EXTERIOR LIGHTING
LED Headlight burned out and is not possible to change or remove, dealer indicated it is not something that normally goes out, and wants to charge $2,000
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11659140May 6, 2025UNKNOWN OR OTHER, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
The backup camera, parking sensors, and automatic braking system failed to function properly on my 2025 Honda Pilot Touring during two separate incidents, both resulting in collisions with stationary objects (trees). In both cases, the rearview camera displayed only the ground, and the audible alerts and automatic braking system did not activate, despite all safety features being enabled and set to maximum sensitivity. I specifically purchased this vehicle for its advertised safety systems, which did not engage or warn me in either instance. This malfunction put my safety and the safety of others at risk, especially in residential or pedestrian areas. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer or a dealership, but the damage is available for inspection upon request. There were no warning lights or error messages prior to or during the failures.
- Crash:
- Yes
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11658659May 3, 2025ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Vehicle when trying to start locks up, have had the battery alternator starter checked, changed the brake switch and still having issues with hard start to my 2021 Honda Pilot. When this happens all the lights come on. I push the Idle/Start switch when I do get it started so that it does shut off when I’m at a red light or stop sign. Because I’m afraid it will not start. Dealership could not find any issues with the vehicle, I’ve taken it to another mechanic and they could not. It has been put on diagnostics several times. I keep putting money into trying to find out what the issue is!!!
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11658382May 2, 2025ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal, loud rattling sound. The contact stated that her husband had noticed that the rattling sound persisted while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that upon opening the hood to inspect the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driver's side engine cooling fan had melted. The contact purchased a new engine cooling fan from O'Reilly Auto Parts, and the vehicle was taken to Four Brothers Auto Services, where the engine cooling fan was replaced. The contact stated that while driving on another occasion, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The contact stated that while idling in line at the airport Arrival and Pick-Up level, the rattling sound became louder, and the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound. The contact stated that the engine started overheating. The contact pulled over to a safe location and inspected the underhood. The contact noticed that the passenger's side cooling fan had separated. The contact was able to drive to the destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11657361April 28, 2025SUSPENSION
I am experiencing a clicking and popping noise at low speeds and when turning or backing the vehicle. These sounds are getting louder and more frequent. I have checked on the Honda Forum and several owners have indicated a problem with the steering rack which they had replaced under warranty. Please look into this as there seems to be a large number of these issues occurring. As you well know steering safety is a major concern and cause for alarm. I have taken my vehicle in once and the service department could not duplicate the issue. It is occurring again and the earliest I can get in is May 12th. I have recorded the sound and it is definitely occurring. I have almost 15,000 miles on the vehicle and this started happening around 14,000 miles. Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this safety issue.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11657113April 27, 2025STEERING
I have clicking,ticking noise coming from the stering wheel area during low spedd turning. i notice the noise around the front lef and right wheel area when I pulling in or out of parking spot
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11656884April 25, 2025UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Continental Cross Contact Sport LX 245/50 R20 102H tire was faulty. It blew out while I was driving my 2022 Honda Pilot at Hwy speed approx 60 mph. Nothing in the road and other cars in front of me had no unusual avoidance of debris or pot hole. The right rear tire simply loudly popped and deflated quickly. Very dangerous, lucky it was a rear tire. All 4 tires had less than 1500 miles, basically new to me. Honda installed a new rear tire at no charge. I'm now worried about the other 3 tires as this was a previous problem with Continental tires in 2020.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11656726April 25, 2025AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, while attempting to start the vehicle, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the SRS air bag system failure message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the SRS control unit and weight sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 41,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11656430April 23, 2025ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On three occasions, my car has not started as expected. Twice I was at busy intersections at a stop, and when I started to go, the car shut off and would not allow me to restart the engine. The third time I had not been driving and was in a parking lot, trying to start the car to leave and it also would not start. When this happens, the brake locks, the steering locks, but the lights are still on around the center console. The start stop button goes black and refuses to work on all three occasions. I have had to wait and try again and try again and try again before the car will restart and allow me to drive again. Then all of the panic alerts flash on the dash and cycle over and over and over telling me to see the dealer also saying there is a brake system problem. I do have a video of these, but my video is too large to attach here. This is very dangerous being stuck in an intersection with cars all around not being able to move. I took the car into the dealer today and they wanted to tell me that my battery was having interference or corrosion. The car is only one year old. They also said that the idle start stop was draining amperage from the battery perhaps keeping it from restarting if I were making short trips or in heavy traffic. Either way, this is a huge problem and safety concern on my part. I am paying for a brand new car that I feel is unsafe. They did not share with me that there is an active investigation about this very issue. I feel they were not very transparent with me. Down below, I will attach an image of what the dealer said about the issue when I visited them today.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11656368April 23, 2025STEERING, SEATS
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. There was an abnormally loud grinding sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the driver's seat was moving whenever the brake pedal was depressed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Motor Werks of Barrington (1475 S Barrington Rd, Barrington, IL 60010); who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 8,468.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11656160April 22, 2025VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the support from the moon roof was torn. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that without the supports, the moon roof would not be able to be covered. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with fractured supports, enabling the curtain to move. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11655864April 21, 2025POWER TRAIN
About five weeks ago I decided I was going to take my kids to the park. Well, when we got there our vehicle wouldn’t go out of park and was stuck with a check engine light on and an emission light on. So, we had to tow it to Honda and they didn’t have a loaner vehicle for us while they were diagnosing the vehicle so we were without a vehicle for three days and then was called by Honda to come get the car that they cleared the check engine light and it’s drivable. Was told we would need a new transmission if the car check engine light comes on again. So, of course the light comes back on the next day. I don’t believe it needs a new transmission. No signs that it does. So I called the dealership and they wouldn’t answer , all departments went to voice mail. So, I called Honda corporate, and they wouldn’t answer next day thw dealership calls me asking me when I can bring the car back up there. So I brought it up there and got into a loaner this time for three weeks now. Was told last week our car is good to go and I can come pick it up and once I got there the check engine light and emission light was still on so they lied to us The corporate office won’t approve a good will transmission because of documentations that they should already have but don’t. And Duval Honda told us to bring the loaner back or they are gonna report it as an unauthorized use of the vehicle which we prolly put me in jail so I asked the gm at Duval Honda if he can at least extend it till the in of the week so we can figure something out since we have jobs and kids and no way of any transportation that he is gonna put us on the streets far as walking and he could careless and told us to get a rental car and if we don’t turn the car in then he will report it. So now we are car less. This car is a lease and we never missed a car payment and we had a car before this one which was a lease and never missed a payment as well. We are forced to walk while we still make car payments.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11655767April 21, 2025VISIBILITY/WIPER
Last year my Honda dealership, Honda of Harvey in Harvey, Louisiana did the recall of the falling side view mirrors on my 2021 Honda Pilot. This is recall 23V174000. Year later my driver side view mirror is doing the same thing. It is moving around and vibrating. Making it hard to see the traffic to the side and behind me. The service dept explained to me that the glue is coming apart. I told them that was what the recall was for. They said they did the recall once and are not doing it again. So it seems the fix honda had for this situation was not a fix but just a band aid. I did call Honda customer service and they blamed the dealership. No one wants to take the blame for this.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11655550April 18, 2025ENGINE
This is another incident of the auto start/stop system failing to restart the engine after a stop in traffic.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11655288April 17, 2025ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
This seems to be an on going problem for many Honda owners according to the forums. My Adaptive Cruise Control, lane keeping assistant, collision mitigation, road departure mitigation, and auto high beams have all gone out after going to the car wash. I have cleaned the windshield but I find it crazy that this is a common problem and there is no recall.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0
- #11655268April 17, 2025VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The cruise control quits intermittently while driving. It has since November 2024. The Honda Dealer says they do not have a fix. It increases driver fatigue and it surprises you as you are driving. The alert is to clean sensor, but cleaning doesn’t fix it. It has been inspected by Harr Honda and they can’t fix it.
- Crash:
- No
- Fire:
- No
- Injuries:
- 0
- Deaths:
- 0