Honda Pilot Complaints (2020)

493 consumer complaints on file.

#11681912August 20, 2025
ENGINE
The bearings went out on cylinder number 5. The engine is torn down at the present time at the dealership. There was no warning. It is our understanding that other 3.5 l engines have had this happen. Our vehicle just wasn’t included in this recall. I think the recall needs expanded.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11681771August 20, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
The dashboard looks like a christmas tree all the brake lights are on, I googled this and its supposedly a known issues. I'm not sure if the brakes are safe or not.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11676458July 27, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Car intermittently won’t start due to insufficient battery charge. Jump starting will start the car. Dealership testing of battery and charging system determined no issues. However, issue reoccurs. Suspect charging doesn’t occur until battery reaches a minimum voltage level which is currently set too low. Safety issue in that car starting is unreliable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674721July 19, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
The idle engine turn back on feature has not turned on several times. It has happened a couple of times upon turning it back on after a complete turn off in a parking lot. Also, it has happened in traffic at a stop light on busy roads where I was sitting there dead stopped in the road unable to get the car started. Another time, it did not turn back on as I was pulling out of my neighborhood and we almost got hit because of it. The battery seems to be involved and seems to have to recharge for a few minutes and then it will turn back on. I've called 911 to help me get out of the road, have taken out the battery and put it back, and had it checked at the dealership. I have to remember to use the button that turns off the idle engine turn off feature or it will happen. It doesn't have any pattern or reason to it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674773July 19, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
I’m reaching out regarding a persistent and hazardous issue with the Auto Stop/Start function on my vehicle. The system routinely fails when stopping at lights and stop signs, causing the engine to shut off and not restart. On several occasions, the vehicle has shut off while in motion—on highways, at intersections, and in the middle of roadways—putting me and others at serious risk. I brought the vehicle to John Eagle Honda of Dallas on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. The dealership diagnosed two recall-related issues (Recall #23-008 and #21-012), temporarily resolving the problem. However, the failure returned just five days later and has persisted ever since. I purchased the vehicle in May 2020, practically new from the dealership. This issue began roughly a year after purchase and has only escalated. I’m requesting further review and a permanent resolution, as this continues to be a severe safety hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674614July 18, 2025
ENGINE
Vehicle auto start / stop system intermittently will not restart the engine after turning off at a stop.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674186July 17, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? When calling the dealer they believe it is the “Smart Control unit.” How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My vehicle will not start most of the time…leaving me stranded when I have to go anywhere and I have to get out to take the battery terminal off and back on just to try to reset it long enough for it to try to start. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No, from my understanding of reading other people having the same problem Honda knows it is a common issue and has not done anything about it. The dealer wants paid to do an inspection. I do not have the money they are asking for. I know inspections aren’t very expensive but most people (myself included) can’t afford even a simple inspection. Just to pay for the car takes all I have. 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? At first I noticed my car alarm would go off randomly and originally thought my doors weren’t being shut all the way however after making sure all doors were in fact shut it still went off. I was at work that night and had to keep going out to turn my alarm off…the next morning I go in to start my car and leave and it had trouble starting saying “keyless start system problem” after finally getting it started I drove to the gas station to get gas and turned off the engine as I was walking away I heard cracking noises and my car making the ding noise it makes when you turn it on ACC mode. When I came back to the car all the lights on the dash, radio screen, headlights, tail lights, and mirror lights (the ones that light up when a car is close) were flashing like crazy and still heard the crackling noise.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11674106July 16, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle shifted into park independently. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while restarting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated to restart for approximately 90-seconds, and then operated as intended. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where was it diagnosed, and the dealer determined that the the front camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure, and informed the contact that the failure was not covered under warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673329July 14, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to lose automotive power, and failed to return to normal operation. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle remained at the residence. A dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673071July 12, 2025
ENGINE
Engine stall while at stop light. This happens probably 1 every 50 times
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672132July 9, 2025
ENGINE
my car shut off at red light and wont restart .Even though i had it repaired under the recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670297June 30, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
complaint of water leak from the front windshield, water leaks into the front floorboard. It is a known 2023 Honda Pilot issue dated 5.18.23, but the 2020 has the same leak
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669660June 27, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
In April 2021 Honda issued a warranty extension due to loose connection in the MOSTbus network causing. Popping or crackling and Network Loss. My vehicle was checked and nothing done. Then in 2023 recall-Due to improperly designed and manufactured connectors, the Media-oriented system transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable counter may have a poor connection. My car was taken in for this recall and this “repair” had not been resolved.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668767June 23, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My car was fine. I was driving fine and then I pulled out of my neighborhood and all of a sudden my check engine light started blinking and my car was hesitating and jumping. I pulled over for 10 minutes with the car turned off and then it was fine. It did something similar once before a week prior but I thought it was a one time thing. There are recalls for fuel injectors on the year prior honda pilots. And the mechanic shop said that’s what they would replace when they looked at it.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666031June 10, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
No incident. Turned my car on and the ACC, LKAS, Collision mitigation and brake system lights all are amber.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665671June 8, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
All the associated warnings are on dash, diagnosed at local Honda dealership with code u 3006-16. Advised multi camera failure and requested $1600 to repair. Immediate after I am now getting a transmission warning problem on dash.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663917May 30, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
I am writing to formally report a safety concern related to a recent maintenance issue on my Honda vehicle. Approximately one month ago, I had my vehicle serviced to address an issue with the rear tailgate lighting. Although the issue was supposedly repaired, I discovered during nighttime driving that the tailgate lights were still not functioning properly. Despite the headlights being on, the rear tailgate lighting failed to illuminate, creating a serious safety hazard. I was nearly involved in a rear-end collision with a truck due to this malfunction. Upon stopping and inspecting the vehicle, I confirmed that the tailgate lights were not working as intended. This problem raises serious concerns, especially considering the dealership performed a multi-point inspection at the time of service. The malfunction was not detected or corrected adequately. Additionally, I question the reliability of these inspections, as there have been inconsistencies in their findings. For example, one inspection indicated that my brakes were fine, but just three weeks later, another inspection claimed they required replacement. The main issue, however, is that the tailgate lights were supposedly repaired but were not correctly configured to turn on automatically with the headlights. This oversight directly jeopardized my safety and the safety of others on the road. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter and determine whether there is a broader issue with the repair or inspection protocols being followed by Honda service centers, particularly regarding rear lighting systems and multi-point inspections. Thank you for your attention to this urgent safety concern. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] 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
#11659924May 9, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Several system failures relates to a faulty multipurpose camera used by the Honda Sensing system from collision avoidance, adaptive cruise control and land keeping assist. Multipurpose camera premature failure leads to loss of several safety features.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11657374April 28, 2025
ENGINE
My 2020 Honda Pilot has 53k miles on it. I have have the vehicle for 8ths and 8k miles. The vehicle engine light suddenly began flashing and the vehicle began running rough. A loud knocking sound was coming from the engine when accelerating. The vehicle was taken to a Honda dealer and analyzed. The testing showed that the camshaft and cylinder #2 rod bearing was damaged to the point of the engine needing replacement. Upon research of the problem and damage found by the dealer, it matches a major issue found on many Honda's and Accura's. A manufacturing defect in the crankshaft leads to excessive wear and failure of the connecting rod bearings. This problem can cause the engine to suddenly seize or fail. Honda is currently refusing to cover the repair cost because the VIN of my vehicle isn't on the recall list.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11656438April 23, 2025
STEERING
Loud clicking noise when turning/steering at low speeds. Problem has been worsening over past several months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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