Honda Pilot Complaints (2018)

442 consumer complaints on file.

#11741546June 2, 2026
POWER TRAIN
While operating my vehicle on a public roadway, the vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of transmission hydraulic pressure and vehicle propulsion, accompanied by a dashboard warning light with a blinking "D". The vehicle completely stopped delivering power to the drive wheels while moving with traffic, creating an immediate and severe safety hazard for a rear-end collision on an active road. We pulled into the high school parking lot, stopped the car, then restarted it. It had the error on the dashboard, but we were able to get it safely home, where it was towed to the dealership later. The vehicle was towed to Dick Hannah Honda (the local authorized dealership). The service department scanned the onboard computer (from the parking lot, NO actual physical inspection done) and pulled internal transmission fault codes P0730 (Incorrect Gear Ratio) and P0746 (Pressure Control Solenoid "A" Performance/Stuck Off). Based solely on these electronic fault codes, the dealership stated that the internal mechanics of the ZF 9-speed transmission had completely failed. They stated the transmission is completely unrepairable and quoted a full replacement cost of $11,984.41. Prior to this failure, the vehicle had service documentation and inspection records from authorized Honda franchise technicians, who repeatedly marked the transmission condition and vehicle health check sheets as completely healthy and "GREEN" at every visit for 60,000 miles by American Honda Motor Co. Case Management was contacted (Case #16371194), but they refused any financial goodwill assistance. This sudden operational failure of the ZF 9-speed transmission platform without ANY prior Maintenance Minders given by the computer system. This failure matches the exact software calibration and pressure defects currently cited in ongoing consumer protection litigation involving the 2016-2022 Honda Pilot 9-speed drivetrain.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740751May 28, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Safety recall on 2018 Honda pilot fuel pump Honda dealership refuse to repair unless other repairs where done due to engine light on . I ask advisor who was helping me [XXX] to give me clarification on the reason his respond was i am just doing my job no other dealer will be able to help you Technician doesn’t want to proceed with repair due to engine light on , unless you do other repairs rough estimate amount $1851.64 I politely denied those services walk out contact another Honda dealer on May 28 2026 , I spoke to advisor Jennifer Cruz explain the situation set up an appointment for safety recall on fuel pump @ location 9055 Washington blvd , Culver City , Ca 90232 [XXX] Repairs will be done by 3pm on May 29 2026 , Jennifer Cruz was really helpful and apologized for my bad experience with previous Honda dealership 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
#11739220May 21, 2026
AIR BAGS
DRIVER SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED WITHOUT ANY REASON WHITE GOING AT 35 MILES/HOUR FROM FRONT TO BACK OF THE TRUNCK
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732944April 22, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The moonroof glass shattered for no apparent reason while driving at highway speed. Fortunately, the inner moonroof cover was closed preventing glass pieces from entering the vehicle interior. The incident happened while driving on an interstate highway in light traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732717April 21, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While stopped at an intersection, the Auto Idle Stop engaged and the engine shut off. The vehicle failed to restart and became unresponsive. I had to shift into Park to restart the vehicle. This created a dangerous situation in traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731608April 16, 2026
ENGINE, STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ADAS:HILL DESCENT ASSIST:SENSOR
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH on the interstate, the vehicle started shuddering. The vehicle was pulled over safely to the side of the road. The AWD, Hill Descent Assist, power steering, and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact checked the manual and continued to drive. While driving days later, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The contact continued driving approximately 20 MPH. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The failure was associated with the fuel pressure pump. The lower fuel pressure pump was previously replaced. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that the high-pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 167,320.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728954April 2, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Transfer case exploded internally and cracked the transfer case while pulling out of parking lot. I still have the transfer case for inspection.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728116March 30, 2026
ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly decelerated to 40 MPH and failed to properly accelerate. The check engine warning light was illuminated and there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the residence and a mechanic, and the dealer inspected the vehicle and determined that there was a rod knock coming from connecting rod bearing wear which was referenced in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,744.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726979March 25, 2026
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Neither an independent mechanic nor a dealer was contacted. The contact was able to pull over to the right side of the road, depressed the brake pedal, and turned off and restarted the vehicle after several seconds, and the vehicle operated as intended. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726702March 24, 2026
POWER TRAIN
HONDA PILOT 2018 87K MILES DIAGNOSED WITH DTC P0741 TORQUE CONVERTER Vehicle has experienced severe and recurring drivability issues on more than one occasion during normal driving conditions. While attempting to change lanes, the vehicle exhibited delayed acceleration and loss of power. When accelerating from a stop sign, the vehicle bucked and lagged, followed by sudden and unintended forward propulsion. These events occurred without any warning lights or alerts. The unpredictable behavior of the vehicle has resulted in near‑miss accidents and required sudden braking and evasive actions to avoid potential collisions. This erratic behavior occurred without warning, reduced my ability to safely control the vehicle, and created a dangerous situation for my family, surrounding traffic and me. I opened a case with American Honda Motors (#16231734)and they stated that NHTSA is responsible for identifying the VINs that need to be part of the recall and/or Service Bulletin 23-078. I called NHTSA and NHTSA denied such claims.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725356March 18, 2026
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with torque converter failure. The contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact referenced a TSB; however, the VIN was not associated. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 87,443.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11724755March 16, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle’s high-pressure fuel pump failed approximately one year after the low-pressure fuel pump was replaced under a manufacturer recall. The low-pressure pump had been identified as defective and replaced accordingly. Because the low-pressure pump is responsible for supplying fuel to the high-pressure pump, it is reasonable to believe the defective component may have placed abnormal stress on the high-pressure fuel pump prior to its replacement, potentially leading to premature failure. The failed high-pressure fuel pump is still in the vehicle. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Failure of the high-pressure fuel pump can result in a sudden loss of fuel pressure to the engine, causing hesitation, loss of power, or engine stalling while the vehicle is in operation. This created a significant safety hazard, particularly as it occurred during highway driving, where sudden loss of propulsion occurred. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The issue was diagnosed and confirmed by a service center as a failed high-pressure fuel pump. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle was inspected by my personal mechanic who indicated fuel pump issues and noted recall then a Honda dealer during diagnosis but recall was for previously replaced low pressure pump and not the High pressure pump the issue has yet to be repaired. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Prior to the failure, the vehicle began experiencing noticeable fuel system performance issues, including reduced engine performance loss of MPG and drivability concerns. No lamps
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11724446March 15, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Engine failure due to connecting rod bearing manufacturing defect (NHTSA PE25008). Component: engine; available for inspection upon request (replaced; documentation available). WARNING SYMPTOMS: At 94,000 miles during routine maintenance while under warranty, I reported engine knocking to the dealer. The advisor dismissed it as "normal valve noise" and did not document the complaint. Knocking progressively worsened over thousands of miles. FAILURE: At 100,750 miles the engine required immediate replacement. Dealer diagnosed rod bearing failure; bearing was worn and failing. Engine was replaced before catastrophic seizure. I had just returned from a family trip — seizure at highway speed would have caused loss of power, power steering, and braking assistance, creating serious crash risk. CONFIRMED: Dealer diagnosed and performed engine replacement. Honda provided partial goodwill coverage but refused to disclose the percentage or provide written documentation. When I formally requested full coverage for this defect under federal investigation, Honda stated the case was closed and refused to put the decision in writing. Honda recall 23V-751 addresses this defect but excluded this vehicle despite identical failure. Vehicle was maintained per Honda Maintenance Minder at dealerships.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11721976March 4, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle failed to accelerate, and the RPM became elevated. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where a partial diagnosis was performed, and it was determined that there was a catastrophic failure in cylinder #3. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, a case was opened, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711582January 17, 2026
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
This 2018 Honda Pilot has been taken to mechanic after a number of check engine and other dash lights came on while trying to accelerate to merge with freeway traffic. Mechanic pulled a P0369 code and I paid for replacement of the cam shaft sensor. Problems continued shortly after work and mechanic conducted further inspections and determined the sensor had been worn by a walking camshaft. There are hundreds of these same complaints posted on the web by angry customers dating back over 5 years yet no recall. The car will unexpectedly lose power at any time and shudder and will not accelerate with difficulty steering when all the engine lights start flashing. With luck, you can pull over to side of road. Repair is over $3500 after spending a lot of money already replacing the camshaft sensor which didn't fix the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707576December 29, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Driver side mirror has been vibrating since my purchase of the vehicle. Today the mirror glass has separated from the mirror housing while driving causing me to lose the ability to use this mirror. There is an open recall for the 2020-2021 production years of this vehicle for this same issue which should be extended to the include the 2016-2019 range as well.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11706864December 23, 2025
POWER TRAIN
I have taken this vehicle into the Honda dealership on five separate occasions to report a power transfer problem. I first visited the Honda dealership to report this problem on 9/2024. It hasn't been until my most recent visit on 12/18/25, that a customer service representative told me that my vehicle needed a new torque converter. It is available for inspection upon request. The first occasion when the vehicle caused a safety issue, we were preparing to make a left hand turn and the car jerked, the dash lights flashed, and the vehicle completely turned off. This was in the summer of 2024. We have had many smaller incidents leading up to this first occurrence but they haven't resulted in the vehicle completely shutting off. Most of the power transfer problems occur when we first back out of the driveway, put the car into drive, press down on the gas pedal, and there is no propulsion forward. This has occurred on a regular basis since the purchase of the vehicle. After two to three seconds the car jerks forward and then drives. This will also occasionally occur when we are stopped at a stop sign or at a traffic light waiting to propel forward or make a turn. Many of the safety issues occur when trying to make a turn with traffic, and there is no power to propel the vehicle forward. We have been fortunate to have the other vehicles slow to allow the Pilot to pause before moving forward. We now have to ensure there is a large distance before making a turn. We have had the dealership, Continental Honda of Anchorage, reproduce the lag problem, July 2025. Recently, we had a Transmission System Problem warning light come on the vehicle. We have also had a flashing P, R, D indicator light when the vehicle was in those gears. The Transmission System Problem light appeared on December 9th, then it reappeared on the 17th.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705419December 16, 2025
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-65 MPH, the vehicle jerked, and the message "Transmission Systems Failure" was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the transmission downshifted unexpectedly, and a short while later shifted to normal drive and operated as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the torque converter clutch had failed; DTC: P0741. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had become progressively worse and occurred more frequently. The contact related the failure to TSB: 23-078; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704189December 10, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Whining noise during acceleration in any gear, gets louder as acceleration advances
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703207December 5, 2025
SEAT BELTS
The front passenger seatbelt snapped into 2 pieces toward the floor. It is physically impossible for that portion of the seatbelt to get caught in the door that would weaken it. The only people who are in the vehicle since we bought it new from Honda are my wife and I who are both in our 70's. The car is not abused and kids are never in it. This piece of metal should not have snapped and broken into two pieces. Honda told us that it was not under warranty and not their problem. We told them that this was a safety feature that should not have failed within this time period. I also have a 1994 Ford Pickup with the original flimsy seatbelts and they still operate like they were new. We believe that since this is a safety issue, it should have been covered by Honda. We are assuming that it was caused by faulty materials. We still have the broken seatbelt in case anyone wants to inspect it. We had to pay $993.89 to repair it. We are asking for assistance in recovering that cost.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Honda Pilot