Honda Pilot Complaints

9,418 consumer complaints on file.

#11686125September 9, 2025
ENGINE
I was driving my 2016 honda pilot home. Started from a red light, heard some grinding and then a loud bang and had no power to move. I coasted to the side of the road and had it towed as I restarted it to hear a loud grinding. Local mechanic said to take to the dealership because I threw a rod and the cylinder seized up. Honda confirmed this and then replaced my engine with a used one. 2 years later I discovered other pilots had this happen after mine did and recalls were put out but my VIN isn't on the list and honda refused to reimburse me for the engine. Im out 8 grand for a problem that they know about with my same year and model vehicle but because I'm not on the list, im out of luck.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685862September 9, 2025
ENGINE
While driving, the engine suddenly seized without warning. The vehicle lost power and could not be restarted, creating a hazardous situation. There were no warning lamps or messages before the failure. The issue has been confirmed by the dealership service center, which diagnosed a seized engine. They indicated that the next step would be a complete engine teardown to determine the cause, at significant cost. The component (engine) is available for inspection. To my knowledge, this problem has not been previously addressed or repaired, and it appears consistent with rod bearing failures currently under NHTSA investigation for this engine family.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685616September 8, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
I came to a stop at a red light on a busy street. Vehicle turned off due to autorignite feature. When light turned green it no longer would turn the engine on in order to go. All my lights turned on, I couldn't put the car in drive. I couldn't put in neutral, reverse or any feature. It wouldn't allow me to do anything but put the hazards on. It had happened to me 3 times since the same exact way. Only way to get it to go in drive is by turning the vehicle off completely, if it let's you. Then once it is off, starting it and going about your day. Codes do not register as I have taken to dealership before and they say it would note it but it doesn't and have refused to repair under the warranty. It also has an acceleration and deceleration issue that has been documented on my visits that has yet to be fixed as well and is a known problem but because it is is not the correct year and model it won't get fixed. I have had someone take video since then to show what happens on the other occasions as my proof since Honda Corporation themselves wouldn't doing anything either.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685645September 8, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his son was driving 35-40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The driver was able to pull into a parking lot. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that no assistance could be provided because the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685685September 8, 2025
ENGINE
Possible rod bearing, leading to engine failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685701September 8, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
Rear subframe damaged with no reason. Vehicle has been garaged and in moderate climate since it was purchased. Confirmed by dealer and insurance adjustor.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685705September 8, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My 2014 Honda Pilot has intermittent engine misfires (DTCs P0301–P0304) caused by piston ring failure. The defect leads to rough running, sudden loss of power, and unsafe driving conditions. On October 24, 2024, Crown Motors Honda in Holland, MI confirmed piston ring failure on cylinders 1–3, with oil wash and fouled spark plugs. The vehicle had to be towed when my wife was driving due to loss of power. This vehicle is driven daily by my two high-school sons, often with my youngest as a passenger. The misfire and power loss create dangerous situations when merging, accelerating, or driving in traffic. Honda has refused to perform warranty repair unless the check engine light (MIL) is currently illuminated, even though their own Technical Service Bulletin 25-060 explains that stored codes and spark plug inspection are sufficient for diagnosis. Waiting for the CEL to reappear puts my children at risk of sudden failure. The defect has been confirmed by a Honda dealer, and is consistent with known issues covered by Honda warranty extensions and the Soto v. American Honda settlement. The problem is reproducible, poses an ongoing safety hazard, and remains unresolved.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685836September 8, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The vehicle intermittently thinks it is about to be involved with a collision. It illuminates the brake warning lights and slams on the brakes on its own and brings the car to a complete stop. We almost got rear ended by a semi truck the first time this happened and we were on a highway. Traffic had to take evasive action to prevent an accident. Honda is aware of this issue and admits their is a problem and has informed us their is no fix for it yet. Honda case # [XXX] and Joel is our point of contact at the Honda outreach program. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) The vehicle is unsafe to drive and is going to get us hurt or killed or others as well. The vehicle has only 1,700 miles on it and is brand new. The last incident timeframe is listed below but it has happened quite a few times with no traffic present and clear roads.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685747September 8, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
Sunroof exploded while driving at a normal rate of speed with no cars surrounding us. Upon inspection, there was no debris within the roof hold that would denote a rock or something causing incident. We jumped a lane but no cars were around. All occupants were safe.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685630September 8, 2025
ENGINE
This vehicle shut down while driving. Initially it would not restart. When it did restart all the indicator lights were on in the dash. I got to a safe location and I shut it off. I opened and closed the driver's door. When I turned it back on it was back to normal. I had it towed to the dealer because I was concerned about driving it. They found nothing wrong. I am concerned about driving this vehicle anywhere. I feel it will happen again. It's just a matter of time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685430September 6, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Last time I changed my oil I had bronze colored flakes of metal in my oil. It looked like parts of the main connecting rod bearing material. No running problems YET, but will likely fail soon. I've kept up on oil changes every 5-7K. 89K on vehicle. Please do something about a full recall on this issue and include this report into the affected VINs.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685478September 6, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STEERING, POWER TRAIN
After driving over a railroad crossing, all driver safety systems disabled, brake system error, AWD torque distribution stopped and stated only FWD worked, and power steering stopped working. Was unable to manuever vehicle and had to ease vehicle over. Was able to stop the vehicle and shut it off. Restarted vehicle and power steering came back but other lights remained. Another few minutes went by and systems all returned to normal. This issue caused driver to lose all control of vehicle and thankfully didn't crash since vehicle was only traveling roughly 20 mph. If this happened at highway speed, there would be no way to safely stop the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685403September 5, 2025
STEERING
Steering wheel "clicks" at low-speed turns. This began at 1,500 miles. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership three times for a repair and the clicking returns each time approximately one week after the repair. Concerned that the steering wheel will lose connection with the steering column.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684940September 4, 2025
ENGINE
My engine randomly loses power and makes grinding noises. The vehicle is very well taken care of and serviced regularly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684969September 4, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for an oil change. The contact stated that after leaving the dealer, the vehicle started making an abnormal knocking sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that there was a failure in cylinder #1, and the lower engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted for assistance with the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11684991September 4, 2025
VISIBILITY
The contact’s wife owns a 2011 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, the rear window unexpectedly shattered. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685006September 4, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While stopped at red light the auto off feature engaged and the car stalled out when restarting. This has happened multiple times since buying the vehicle
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685007September 4, 2025
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The LKAS camera stopped working and it won’t allow any of the connected systems to operate including ACC, emergency brake assist, cruise control, etc.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685032September 4, 2025
ENGINE
When the auto start-stop feature is on (which is automatically on unless manually turned off every time you start the car), at stop lights/signs, my car will auto stop and then when I let go of the break to accelerate, rather than my car auto starting, it will shut down completely. It does not have the power to restart on its own. This happens all the time. I try to remember every single time I start my car to turn off the auto feature, but at times I forget. And for those times that I forget, it likely is going to happen during that ride. Recently it even happened in a parking lot where I had turned my car off, gone into a store and came back, tried to start my car and it took multiple attempts for my car to start because it acted as if it did not have enough power to start.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11685039September 4, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am the original owner of my Honda Pilot and have always taken the vehicle to Honda dealerships for all scheduled maintenance and service. On [XXX], I noticed the air conditioning was blowing only warm air, with no cold air at all. I scheduled an appointment at Germain Honda in Beavercreek, Ohio, where the vehicle was inspected on July 28, 2025. I was informed that the A/C system had suffered what is often called “A/C black death” and that the entire A/C system would need replacement at a cost of $6,753.93. I was also told that no parts were available and that I would be contacted when they became available. I have not been contacted since. When I asked why this happened, I was told it was rare and that I was just unlucky. However, my own research has shown that many Honda Pilot owners (and likely Ridgeline owners as well) have experienced the same failure, sometimes repeatedly, even after dealer repairs. Honda has issued recalls and extended warranties for A/C failures in other models such as the Civic and CR-V, but not for the Pilot, despite widespread reports. This is a serious safety issue. Where I live, July and August were extremely hot. The lack of A/C made the vehicle unsafe to operate, as every year children and pets tragically die in overheated vehicles. Driving without functional A/C in extreme heat creates a health hazard for families. I was unable to use my vehicle at all during these peak summer months. My Pilot has fewer than 100,000 miles, has been well maintained, and should not have suffered a complete A/C system failure this early in its life. Honda has clearly known about systemic A/C issues in multiple models yet has not taken responsibility for Pilot owners. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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