Honda Pilot Complaints (2025)

216 consumer complaints on file.

#11737822May 14, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING, ENGINE
There are three dangerous systems in my 2025 Honda Pilot EX-L that should be permanently disabled or removed by the manufacturer or dealer. In order of danger; (1) Collision Mitigation Braking System, (2) Auto Idle Stop, and (3) Road Departure Mitigation System. All three of these systems have nearly caused wrecks for me several times. The Collision Mitigation Braking System (1) is especially dangerous for rear-end collisions to the vehicle using CMBS. Example, I was driving in heavy traffic in the middle lane on I-40 near Hermitage, Tennessee on 23 Apr 2026 with adequate distance between me and the car in front of me. A tractor-trailer was close behind me. Suddenly, a car in the lane to my right moved into the gap in my lane between me and the car that was at a safe distance in front of me. The CMBS activated and started braking the car. I pressed the gas pedal hard to try and maintain my 70 MPH speed to no avail. The tractor-trailer swerved into the lane to my left missing the rear of my car by inches, and avoiding a massive chain reaction collision of many cars. This was a near fatal event for me. Without CMBS, I would have simply held my speed steady until I could create a safe distance and ease into a safer position, possibly in the lane to my right, a much less eventful situation. The Auto Idle Stop (2) has a knack for shutting off the engine when I am trying to make a left turn in heavy traffic. After several near misses, I have learned to turn this system off when starting the engine (the default is on). The Road Departure Mitigation System (3) shakes the steering wheel if the system thinks you are moving out of your lane. It shakes the steering wheel to alert you. Twice, I was caught by surprise and overcorrected the steering when the Road Departure Mitigation System started shaking the steering wheel. So instead of staying in my lane, this almost caused me to go out of my lane and possibly collide with another car or a road barrier.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11737702May 13, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
This car on April 2nd, 2026 did not stop. I had pulled into a parking lot. Parked in the same space I have parked in for the last 12/13? Years. Upon driving into the space .. I pressed my brakes down for the car to stop. It did not stop. The car kept going/rolling My husband the passenger told me to STOP. I heard him plainly say. I told him I am stopping. But the car would not stop. It kept going and rolling into a brick building at the end of the parking space. We braced ourselves. What else do you do when your car won’t stop I was probably goingb8 mph. Nothing fast. Not on the phone. 75 degree perfect weather in [XXX] I’ve had this car about five months. No problem at all until this incident never in my life had I ever had brakes to fail me. Well the brakes failed. Technology is built by men and programmed by men. I am a nine car Honda owner. This car has a brake technology problem. With all the technology, it should have stopped on its own. It didn’t. When brakes are applied technology should work. In this case technology failed. This car has a brake defect technology problem. Brakes were applied a car doesn’t have to have a recall on it for it not to have a technology problem. These cars are not perfect. Programmed and built by human hands. ImnsurevifvMr. Soichiro Honda sat down with me and did this problem with one of his cars.. he would surely say” I’m sorry that happened to you” I’m sorry you’re brakes did not work and they did not . American Honda needs to recognize accountability. I wish they would experience what I experienced. It would be a scary situation that is if you survived yrs, I’m sure if it happened to them. No car is perfect. This one sure isn’t. I no longer am an owner of this 2025 Honda Pilot. Death trap it’s gone to somebody else. My life is worth living Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11737321May 12, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle: 2026 Honda Pilot – Mileage 20,847 Issue: Engine Failure, oil leaks, wheel alignment, air conditioning, major gas leaks from the engine, safety electronics alerts on front dash display are saying the vehicle is not safe to drive. History of issues: 03-11-2026: Car broke down while driving in [XXX] . 03-12-2026: Received call from Ira Honda service and was told they needed to replace the engine. 04-04-2026: I was told the vehicle was ready to be picked up. I started driving home and found the vehicle was all over the road. I returned to Ira Honda and once again was given a loaner. Also, the engine was leaking oil. 04-09-2026: Ira Honda called and said one of the engine gaskets was defective and they needed to replace it. They said that now the alignment was back in spec. I was told that the 3 yr engine warranty begins anew. When I got home I looked more closely at the alignment document and saw that the alignment was still slightly out of spec. I called and was told that it was the best they could do. 04-10-2026: air conditioning not working and asked for them to fix the alignment. 04-13-2026: I again brought the vehicle in for service. But was told there were no loaners available. I arrived at 9:30am and at 1:00pm. The A/C was fixed and determined the frame was not set correctly when they replaced the engine. This was the reason the alignment was off by so much. So the alignment was fixed. 04-14-2026: Leaking oil. So again, I had to return to Ira Honda. No loaner was available. 04-18-2024: Saturday morning and we smelled gas in the garage. Started the car and it took about a minute to start. Asked if it was safe to drive, Ira service said yes. 04-20-2026: Started the vehicle up and same issue occurred. However, this time gas was leaking out. It leaked in our garage, on our driveway and all over the street. Again fixed. 04-29-2026: Car again failed to start. During startup the car leaked a large amount of gas. It is still at the dealership. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735895May 5, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while attempted to park the vehicle into a park spot occupied with her husband and granddaughter in the vehicle, the vehicle acceleratored independently causing the vehicle to crash into a brick wall. The contact stated that no air bags were deployed in her vehicle. The contact stated her granddaughter sustained a cut near her right eyebrow. No medical attention was required. The contact stated that a police report was filed. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was towed to a collision center. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and they are investigating the matter. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11735217May 1, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
I was driving with my cruise control on, at the speed around 50 mph, thank goodness no other cars were around us, all of a sudden my car slammed on the brakes, a warning flashed but I happened so fast I wasn’t able to see what it said.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733940April 27, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
The vehicle is experiencing persistent dashboard warnings including "Brake performance may be reduced," "Low Speed Braking Control problem," and "Parking sensor problem." These issues have been presented to your authorized dealer, Napleton Honda in Morton Grove, on three separate occasions with no resolution: September 29, 2025: I arrived at the dealer bay with active warning lights. The service writer instructed me to simply restart the vehicle to clear the lights. I have photographic evidence of the warnings from this date. October 25, 2025: The vehicle was brought in for repair. I provided cell phone photos of the active dashboard warnings, yet the dealer reported "nothing found." April 20, 2026: The vehicle was again brought in for the same issues. I again provided cell phone photos as proof of the defect, but the dealer reported "nothing found." Despite the dealer's inability to diagnose the cause, my photographic documentation from 9/29/25, 10/25/25, 4/20/26, and 4/25/26 proves these defects are real, recurring, and significantly impair the safety and value of the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11732094April 18, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Adaptive cruise control fails nearly every time the car is driven more than 40 minutes with ACC activated. Failure indicated by warning lights and statement on DIC. DIC instructs operator to clean the front "H" emblem on grille, however, the emblem is always completely clean. The failure has been reported 4+ times to the dealership. Dealership reports the failure is a known problem and there is no fix available from Honda. Upon system shut down the vehicle disengages cruise control and has rapid deceleration causing unsafe driving conditions while in traffic. System usually resets itself without cleaning or other remedies within 10-20 minutes after fail, and will usually fail again +/- 40 minutes later. ACC is marketed as part of the Driver safety system and is unreliable. first occurrence was at 670 miles since new. Car now has < 10k miles and has failed 12+ times.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731410April 15, 2026
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle suddenly decelerated, and the steering wheel started jerking. The messages EPS Failure, Lane Keep Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control Failure were displayed. The contact safely pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 3,200.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730908April 13, 2026
STEERING
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. While the contact’s wife was driving approximately 70 MPH, the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn in either direction. The driver was able to forcefully steer the vehicle over to the shoulder. After turning off and restarting the vehicle, the steering failure was self-corrected, and the vehicle operated normally. The driver was able to continue driving without any additional failures. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, and a service appointment was scheduled. The failure mileage was 8,000. The VIN was not available.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11730017April 8, 2026
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that upon returning to the vehicle while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, the sunroof front glass panel had shattered without impact. The contact was able to slowly drive to the residence. The contact then contacted a mobile auto glass technician who cleaned the vehicle and covered the sunroof with plastic. Additionally, the contact was informed that the sunroof glass panel was not available. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the repair was not covered because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,350.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729805April 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN, STEERING
The power steering system software problem undriveable. The AWD failed said undriveable. Only 30k miles on it and it just locked and couldnt steering right to left in the middle of traffic. Could have caused a bad accident lycjuly my kids weren't in the car. The computer software took over completely made my car uncontrollable. Have a video of all warnings that came on.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729504April 6, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
On April 2nd, 2026. I was driving this car into a parking space. I had to be going 5 mph. Or slower. Probably even slower. Pulling in.. I applied the brakes of course. The car wouldn’t stop. My husband/passenger told me to STOP. I did stop. This car kept rolling and crashed/smashed/ hit the brick red building in front of us. No brake hold was displayed.. no nothing. No brake stop. Nooooo nothing. The car wouldn’t stop. I never in my life have ever experienced this.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11729020April 3, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I just drove into a parking lot at First United Methodist Church parking lot. [XXX] ng a parking space very near. Driving into the space, applying brakes like I’ve done for the last 12/13 years….the car would not stop. I applied the brakes fully down to the floor( which I’ve never had to ever do at any time) the car kept going..rolling on. My husband the passenger told me” STOP”. I did stop. I was applying the brakes as soon as approaching the parking space. The car kept on going as I said. No warning like” brake hold” which has worked another other time when getting according to this cars brain..it would show some kind of warning. It did not. No sound, no nothing to brake the car. It rolled right into the red brick building i was pulling into. their parking space. The building has about a two foot gash on it. The car did this …what kind of car doesn’t stop. With all of the sophisticated sensors or etc. It has…why, what happened? My granddaughter was in the back right passenger seat. The impact caused a gash above her forehead. A real cut, mind you. I don’t know what else to see. I’ve never experienced this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11728269March 31, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
ACC and road departure mitigation system would become disabled for no apparent reason. A message would display on the instrument panel that there is a problem, to see your dealer. Also, a collision mitigation braking system problem would display on the instrument panel with a brake system warning light. A display on the instrument panel would show an area to clean (Honda emblem on front grill). I tried to clean this area several times to no avail. The weather was clear and warm when this occurred. The system has returned to normal on its own.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728000March 30, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Driving around 60 mph and car flashed BRAKE on dash like it was to close to other vehicle and locked up brakes. Immediately went back to normal.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11726213March 22, 2026
POWER TRAIN
I contacted Honda America regarding a concern with my 2025 Pilot, which has just over 5,000 miles. The service light for the rear differential came on at the 5,000‑mile mark (I don't drive off-road, and my driving is 50/50 city/highway), even though the dealership indicated this service is not typically required until 10,000–15,000 miles. My goal was simple: confirm that there is no premature wear issue with the rear differential, and request that Honda cover the service if it is occurring earlier than expected. Instead, the experience was extremely disappointing. The representative repeatedly stated that he could not provide any technical information because he is a customer service agent. That raises an obvious question: if Honda’s own customer service cannot address technical concerns about a Honda vehicle, who exactly should a customer contact? He then informed me that he reached out to the dealership I use and spoke with the service manager, who said that “this could happen.” I already knew that from the dealer. Repeating the same vague statement does not add value, nor does it require involvement from a service manager or a manufacturer representative. It certainly does not address my actual concern about potential premature wear, nor does it justify the back‑and‑forth emails when no meaningful assistance was provided. To be clear, I am fully aware that dealerships profit from performing services—whether the vehicle truly needs them or not. That is precisely why I reached out to Honda America for clarification and support. Instead, I received no answers, no guidance, and no resolution. If additional information is needed, do not hesitate to contact me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725486March 19, 2026
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormally loud popping sound coming from the vehicle, and the sunroof glass shattered, and glass fell into the cabin. The contact was not hurt by the glass shards from the sunroof. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who repaired the sunroof. The contact was not provided a cause for the sunroof to shatter. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725404March 18, 2026
STEERING
My steering is making loud clicking noises when turning the vehicle left or right at low speeds. It sounds like loud pops. It is especially prevalent once car has warmed up and driven. It is very prominent when reversing and turning the wheel or moving forward and turning the wheel and also when parked and turned the wheel left or right. I brought this to my dealership’s attention and they confirmed the issue and said it is a faulty clock spring so they replaced it. After they replaced it, the noise is still there. The clock spring was not the cause of the noise. I’m afraid this will become a major safety issue with preventing the ability of the steering wheel to operate safely.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725274March 18, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
On 3/16/26 I attempted to accelerate and the vehicle experienced severe "bucking" and gear hunting hesitation before losing all drive power and stalling. Following the stall, the engine would not crank or "catch" despite multiple attempts. State Police arrived as I was in an unsafe location (blind on-ramp to highway) they called their tow trucks deeming it hazardous to wait as Honda Roadside Assistance would not arrive for an estimated 60-90 minutes. It was brought to the local dealership. After an hour from incident to inspection at the local Honda dealership, the vehicle powered on normally of which no codes showed and the vehicle started with no issues. The manufacturer and dealer state they cannot replicate the problem and found no historical or pending diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). Despite the lack of codes, these symptoms are a direct match for NHSTA Recall Campaign 25V-031 (Honda Recall AL0) which was officially announced to address Torque Control Failures caused by the FI-ECU software. According to Honda’s safety report, improper programming in the fuel injection unit causes the engine to stall during "sudden changes in throttle opening"—which is exactly what I experienced. As of now, my VIN has not been identified on the current recall list. This loss of power during acceleration creates an immediate safety risk of rear-end collisions and leaves the driver stranded in active traffic.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11724569March 16, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
While driving multiple lights came on the dash board showing all driver assistance systems flashing. Vehicle unable to accelerate. Had to parking on the side of the highway turn off vehicle then turn back on to clear. Dealership unable to repeat, no issues found.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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