Honda Pilot Complaints (2024)

109 consumer complaints on file.

#11735948May 5, 2026
SEAT BELTS
Right and center rear passenger seat belt sensors are malfunctioning. Despite passengers wearing their seatbelts, the dashboard and warning alarms signal that they are not wearing their seatbelts. I am concerned for the safety of my children who need to be in the back seats and fear that the seat belt system and sensors are not reliable.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11735502May 4, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
The vehicle's Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) is triggering 'phantom braking' at 50mph when there are no vehicles or hazards ahead. This occurs consistently on roads with dark asphalt patches/crack sealant. The braking is severe enough to cause a potential rear-end collision. I have reported this to Honda Corporate (Case #16338446) and have an appointment with a dealer, but the issue persists and is a major safety risk for my family.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733692April 24, 2026
SEAT BELTS
Recently the vehicle has developed an erratic behavior when a passenger on mid-row seat is using the seat belt, seat belt reminder goes on/off every few seconds displaying inaccurate information of when the seat belt is in use. I contacted my local Honda dealer describing the problem and informing them of Honda's service bulletin #TSB A26-027, which describes exactly the same symptoms my vehicle is having and they've been unwilling to address the issue, as the TSB is not an active recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727503March 27, 2026
SEAT BELTS
I have had ongoing seat belt sensor issues with my vehicle. The middle row alarm would go off even when someone was buckled. Now it Has disabled itself and does not sense if someone is buckled or not. Now I also have two seat in the 3rd row that are intermittent alarms causing you to turn around and see if someone is in the seats or un buckled. The alarms go from constant to intermittent and will occur regardless of the weight of the person in the seat.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727404March 27, 2026
SEAT BELTS
Component/System Failure: The right rear passenger seatbelt buckle/sensor appears to be malfunctioning. It intermittently registers as unbuckled even when the seatbelt is securely fastened. The component is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: This defect creates a safety concern by causing continuous distraction to the driver due to repeated seatbelt warning chimes and alerts. It may also lead to uncertainty about whether the passenger is properly restrained, potentially compromising occupant safety. Reproduction/Confirmation: The issue has been consistently reproduced during normal driving conditions. It occurs frequently, even when the seatbelt is properly latched. The issue has not yet been formally confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Inspection History: The vehicle/component has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Warning Lamps/Messages/Symptoms: The seatbelt warning chime and dashboard alert activate intermittently while driving, despite the seatbelt being properly fastened. No prior warning signs were observed before the issue began. The problem first appeared in January 2026. Additional Notes / Assessment: Based on the symptoms, this appears to be a faulty seatbelt sensor or buckle connection issue causing false readings.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11725041March 17, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
My Honda Pilot automatically applied the brakes 2 times while traveling on the interstate at 60 mph when there was no one in front of me and no one even near me. Both times it applied the brakes automatically and suddenly for no reason. It could have caused a bad accident. I was fortunate no one was behind me. Honda denies anything is wrong because it didn’t do it for them when they took it for a drive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11720315February 24, 2026
STEERING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
The vehicle previously experienced a steering wheel locking issue and was taken to the dealer for repair. The dealer stated the issue was repaired on December 11, 2024. On February 24, 2026, while driving on a public street, the vehicle hesitated or jerked slightly during acceleration and then appeared to operate normally. After a few minutes, multiple warning messages suddenly appeared on the dashboard, and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and effectively locked while I was driving. I immediately activated my hazard lights. I was unable to safely pull over because the steering wheel would not respond properly, which placed me and other drivers at risk. I had to continue driving slowly until I found a side road where I could safely stop. I turned the vehicle off. When restarting, the warning messages reappeared. After several minutes, the warning lights cleared, and the steering wheel was no longer locked but felt loose and unstable ("wobbly"). I cautiously resumed driving. After several minutes, the steering began to feel normal again. The following warnings were displayed: Hill Start Assist problem, Trailer Stability Assist problem, Hill Descent Control problem, Adaptive Cruise Control problem, Lane Keeping Assist problem, Collision Mitigation Braking System problem, Road Departure Mitigation problem, Low Speed Braking Control problem, Auto High-Beam problem, Electric Power Steering system problem – Steering Assist Not Available, and "Stop. Steering assist reduced. Stop driving when safe." The failed component appears to be the Electric Power Steering system and related driver-assistance systems. The vehicle is available for inspection. The problem was previously addressed by a dealer but has reoccurred. No prior warning lights were present before this incident. The failure occurred suddenly while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11714850February 1, 2026
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
Incident Description: While traveling at 45 mph with Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) active, the vehicle experienced a "phantom braking" event triggered by high-contrast shadows on the roadway. The Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) incorrectly identified a shadow as a physical obstacle and abruptly applied the brakes in a clear path of travel. I was forced to manually override the system by applying the accelerator to prevent a potential rear-end collision. Safety Risk & Technical Context: This defect is repeatable under specific lighting conditions and occurs across multiple speed intervals (35–45 mph). I believe this incident is directly related to the ongoing NHTSA Engineering Analysis (EA24002) regarding inadvertent AEB activations. Furthermore, recent Service Bulletins (such as MC-11024251-0001) regarding Front View Camera and Radar Sensor updates suggest a known failure in the system's ability to process high-contrast environmental data. Conclusion: My local dealership failed to investigate the complaint. The sudden, unexpected deceleration poses a severe safety risk to the vehicle's occupants and following traffic. I request that NHTSA formally notify Honda of America regarding this recurring ADAS failure to ensure that my VIN is prioritized for the necessary sensor alignment and software enhancements.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712058January 20, 2026
SEAT BELTS
Ongoing Defect History Since taking possession of the vehicle on November 1,2023, all three second-row seatbelt sensors have malfunctioned repeatedly. This issue has been presented for repair on the following dates: •December 6, 2024 – Seatbelt sensor malfunction reported and serviced •April 4, 2025 – Repair attempt made; defect persisted •May 29, 2025 – Additional repair attempt for the same unresolved issue Despite these multiple attempts, the same defects continues to reoccur.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711910January 19, 2026
ENGINE
The Honda Dealership diagnosed the Connecting Rod Crankshaft Engine Failure with 67, 995 miles on the vehicle. All oil changes were completed as required and specified by Honda maintenance procedures.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11710981January 14, 2026
ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The vehicle is extremely slow to accelerate at low speeds under 20mph. There have been several near accidents due to the lack of acceleration. The recall for the fuel injector was addressed and ECM per manufacture but hasn’t solved the problem. This is dangerous for any acceleration that can cause you to get hit.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11709504January 7, 2026
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES
Driving down a 4 lane highway in Alabama, warning lamp came on stating “ STOP Steering assist reduced. Stop driving when safe”. Multiple other warnings lights came on—-Brake system, steering system, cruise control, lane departure, stability assist system, hill assist, trailer stability assist system(see multiple photos attached). When it was safe to do so, I pulled over…the steering was VERY difficult to manage. If I had to make a turn in traffic or had to make a sudden turn to avoid an accident, I would not have been able to do so as there was NO power steering. I turned the car off, let it sit for several minutes and the Steering Assist warning was off and I appeared to have power steering but several others lights were still on. Took the car the the closet dealer and only code found was a Low Voltage Code but nothing repaired as all warnings lights were off by then.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708675January 4, 2026
SEAT BELTS, SEATS
In the last few months, two of the rear seats in my 2024 Honda Pilot (one in the second and one in the third) started giving false alerts that someone in unbuckled. At first, it would just occasionally ding, but now, if someone is sitting in those seats (and they ARE buckled in) the alert will go off basically the entire car ride and the dash will show that they are NOT buckled in...even though they are. Not only is this VERY frustrating, as it's left 2 seats in my car not useable, but it's also a massive hazard as a driver because I can't confirm is my passengers are properly buckled or not. I couldn't figure out why this would've randomly happened to me...and after some poking around on the internet I read that this seems to be a massive issue with these cars and that there is currently an investigation on this. I am begging you please take this seriously. It is a hazard and I, as a consumer of a pretty expensive vehicle, should not have to pay for such repairs that are obviously a manufacture defect and issue affecting so many.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11707440December 29, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
My car stalled at a red light due to Auto Idle-Stop failure. It failed to restart, shifted itself to Neutral/Park, and the car was completely unresponsive for a minute. This is a huge safety hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705634December 17, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Driving along then hear an loud explosion to my panorama sunroof Share the glass inside and look like an explosion going up on the temper glass Happening at 1:30 on 12 17, 2025 traveling 95 north near exit 1 02 Pooler Georgia
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703117December 4, 2025
SEAT BELTS
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Rear passenger seat belt, yes. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Can't use rear passenger seat belt Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, Poway Honda Dealer Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, only dealer Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The seatbelt keeps making noise and the light comes on saying that the passenger is not buckled, while the passenger is buckled. This happens non stop, making it impossible to use the seatbelt. This has been going on for a few months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702922December 4, 2025
POWER TRAIN, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
The contact owns a 2024 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the brakes inadvertently activated after passing a truck on the highway. The contact stated that the vehicle unexpectedly slowed down to 40 MPH. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while the accelerator pedal was depressed, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from under the floorboard. The contact pulled over and checked the vehicle, and saw a puddle of transmission fluid on the ground. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the inadvertent braking had occurred once before, but it was not as severe, and the vehicle was not diagnosed. During the first failure, there was no warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11700447November 19, 2025
STEERING, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
My Honda is having strange, intermittent issues with a plethora of things. I have taken it to a diagnostic specialist who worked with a phone mechanic and noone can tell me what is going on. My car will fully shut off at stop lights randomly, so I have to turn off the auto-idle feature every time I drive. Sometimes my power steering cuts out and my wheel locks and unlocks and my computer screen shuts off when this happens. I have to shut off and start my car for it to work again. Other times, all of my automated safety features stop and I get a huge slew of messages telling me that my lane assist, automatic hill braking, and a ton of other automatic safety features don't work. My car can't lane assist, do adaptive cruise control, use the backup camera, or anything. It goes away if I stop and restart my car a bunch. I also had a seatbelt alarm that was going off repeatedly with no reason. The dealership turned off the alarm. I am having a lot of issues with this car that makes me question if it is a lemon. I see other new Pilot owners mentioning issues with power steering shutting off and it's a huge safety risk. Noone knows whats wrong or how to fix it so what do I do? This happens intermittently, randomly, and recurrently since June.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11699065November 12, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
recall has been open since December of that year I have documentation that I took it last year to get this recall fix and your web site is stating that it is incomplete. today 11/12 at 7:30am my engine caught on fire there was a lot of witness at the elementary school waving me down that my car was on fire. I panic and got away from the elementary where a lot of kids and families where present and went where there was no one insight and rush and got my set of 2 year old twins and my 3 year old son out there car seats and ran from the car and called 911 the fire department came and put out the fire and I have a report from them as well. now that I remember about this recall I remember it stating that if this recall wasn't fix that it can start a fire so I put two and two together and order my car fax report and seen that this was never completed. and have paper work that it was completed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11697788November 5, 2025
SEAT BELTS
The seat belt sensor keeps going off in the middle row - middle seat even though my child is buckled. And its getting worse as my child continues to sit there. So we are no longer able to use that middle seat due to the issue
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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