2020 HONDA PILOT

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    infotainment head unit

    1 stranded, 50 unsafe, 31 annoyance

    82
    incidents
    Typical range: 500–5,000 mi

    Median 1,500 mi, based on 71 reports (46% had no usable mileage)

    • "SAME PROBLEM AS I AM SEEING ON THIS WEBSITE. WHILE DRIVING, CRACKING AND POPPING NOISE FROM THE SPEAKERS, THEN THE ENTERTAINMENT SCREEN SHUTS OFF AND THERE IS A NOTICE SAYING NO CONNECTION, ALSO, THE SCREENS WHERE THE SPEEDOMETER, AND MILEAGE INFO SHUTS OFF C…"~500 mi, complaint #1671275
    • "WE PURCHASED BRAND NEW IN JUNE 2020. AFTER LESS THAN ONE MONTH, WE BEGAN HEARING POPPING & CRACKLING FROM THE SPEAKERS. THE RES BEGAN FREEZING TO THE POINT THAT THE DVD PLAYER WOULD NOT WORK AT ALL. POPPING & CRACKLING CONTINUED INTERMITTENTLY, TO THE POINT…"~1,000 mi, complaint #1680159
    • "AS PER OTHER DRIVERS OF 2019 PILOTS AND ODYSSEYS, THE SCREENS ON MY NEW 2020 VEHICLE HAVE GONE OUT, WHILE DRIVING, RENDERING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE VEHICLE, INCLUDING SPEED, WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. DASHBOARD REBOOTS SEVERAL T…"~2,400 mi, complaint #1634820
    • "MAIN DASHBOARD DISPLAY GOES DARK, ALONG WITH INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM. CRACKS AND POPS HEARD FROM THE SPEAKERS. HANDS FREE STOPS WORKING. WE'VE REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALER AND HAD THE CAR LOOKED AT ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THIS WEEK A SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS APPLIED T…"~5,000 mi, complaint #1686152
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message that the radio was shutting off was displayed. Additionally, the speakers made a crackling sound before the radio shut off, and the main screen beca…"~58,000 mi, complaint #2232215
  2. #2

    engine stall or no start

    9 stranded, 53 unsafe

    62
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "I GOT THIS CAR ONLY 1 WEEK; I HEARD THE NOISE FROM STEERING WHEEL AND THE PROBLEM WHEN I HIT GAS AND SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION. ON JULY 13, I DROP THE CAR TO FIX FOR 2 DAYS. THEN, ONLY 2 WEEK AFTER I HAVE EXPERIENCED CANNOT HIT GAS AND I CANNOT HIT THE BRAKES. TH…"~3,000 mi, complaint #1683172
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving on the freeway at approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, the instrument panel and radio flashed then the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled to the side of th…"~76,000 mi, complaint #1980761
  3. #3

    adas collision warning

    51 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    52
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=15, median 3,500 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY , HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL SET . 75 NO OTHER CARS AROUND WHEN IS SLAMMED THE BREAKS AND THE SCREEN FLASHED A BIG RED BRAKES BOX . SCARED THE LIFE OUT OF ME . AT RANDOM TIMES THE RED BRAKES BOX WITH POP UP"~1,000 mi, complaint #1643415
    • "FALSE COLLISION WARNINGS AND FAILS TO ALERT TO ACTUAL POTENTIAL COLLISIONS. ALERTS AND REACTS TO NON-EXISTENT COLLISIONS CAUSING UNNECESSARY ANXIETY AND REACTIONS BY DRIVER. SPEEDS VARY FROM 35 MPH TO 60+. FAILURE TO REACT WAS ON HIGHWAY AT A SPEED IN EXCE…"~1,500 mi, complaint #1727766
    • "THE COLLISION MITIGATION SYSTEM (BRAKES) WILL SLAM ON THE BRAKES WITH NO HAZARD IN THE AREA. THE SYSTEM FREQUENTLY FLASHES A MESSAGE ON THE DISPLAY TO BRAKE IN RED AND BLACK. AT LEAST ONCE THE SYSTEM HAS ACTUALLY SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND NEARLY CAUSED AN AC…"~3,600 mi, complaint #1638847
    • "1. CAR FLASHES BRAKE AND SOMETIMES BRAKES ON ITS OWN WHEN IT DETECTS AN OBJECT ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR WHEN A CAR MAY BE APPROACHING IN THE OPPOSITE LANE OR IN A CENTER TURNING LANE. THIS HAS NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. EACH T…"~6,000 mi, complaint #1673974
    • "EVER SINCE I HAVE PURCHASED THIS CAR I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT ISSUES. FIRST STARTED WITH CRACKING AND POPPING SOUNDS WITH THE SPEAKERS, EVEN WHEN ALL AUDIO WAS OFF IN THE CAR IT WOULD STILL MAKE THE NOISE. THEN THE DVD PLAYER STOPPED WORKING. NEXT THE CRACKIN…"~13,800 mi, complaint #1687150
  4. #4

    wiring harness

    1 stranded, 28 unsafe, 4 annoyance

    33
    incidents
    Typical range: 0–4,500 mi

    Median 1,500 mi, based on 34 reports (32% had no usable mileage)

    • "I PURCHASED MY 2020 HONDA PILOT ON 12/9/2019. IT HAS BEEN 6 MONTHS AND EACH TIME WHILE DRIVING, I HEAR A LOUD, "CRACKLING" SOUND COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD, PRESUMABLY THE SPEAKERS. THIS HAPPENS EVEN WHEN THE AUDIO SYSTEM IS OFF. AT TIMES, WHEN THE RADIO IS…"~500 mi, complaint #1668111
    • "THESE ISSUES OCCUR WHEN DRIVING, REGARDLESS OF SPEED, ROAD CONDITIONS, ETC. THE ISSUE BEGAN ON APPROXIMATELY 12/17/2019. THE PROBLEM USUALLY STARTS WITH A LOUD CRACKLING NOISE THROUGH THE SPEAKERS, EVEN WHEN THE RADIO IS TURNED OFF. THE DASH, INCLUDING SPEE…"~1,372 mi, complaint #1635663
    • "LAST WEEK 4/8/2020, MY 2020 HONDA PILOT ELITE STARTING MAKING CRACKING NOISES THROUGH THE SPEAKERS WHILE DRIVING. A COUPLE OF SECONDS LATER THE ENTIRE RADIO, NAVIGATION, AND INFORMATION CENTER WITH SPEEDOMETER, GAS AND OTHER VITAL INFORMATION OF ENGINE SYSTEMS…"~2,500 mi, complaint #1658337
    • "ABOUT 30-40 MINUTES INTO DRIVING WHEN WE HIT A BUMP OR POTHOLE THE SPEEDOMETER AND INFOTAINMENT SCREEN FLICKERS SAYS TUNER LOST, THE AUDIO POPS SEVERELY LIKE SOMETHING HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. IT'S SCARY - LOOKS LIKE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS LOOSE"~4,500 mi, complaint #1676030
    • "THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS SINCE DAY 1. IT BEGAN WITH THE SUNROOF LEAKING AND CAUSING PUDDLES IN THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER FLOORS. THAT ISSUE REQUIRED 4 TRIPS TO THE DEALER. THE SPEAKERS THEN BEGAN POPPING AND THE RADIO AND DASH WOULD COMPLE…"~20,000 mi, complaint #1736950
  5. #5

    control module

    1 stranded, 21 unsafe, 3 annoyance

    25
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=13, median 1,500 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "PURCHASED 2020 HONDA PILOT 12/29/2019 OFF THE DEALER DISPLAY FLOOR. PILOT HAS LESS THAN 1000 MILES. WHILE IN MOTION ON THE CITY STREETS AND HIGHWAY, A CRACKING SOUND WILL OCCUR FROM THE DASH BOARD AND THE SPEEDOMETER AND THE AUDIO INFORMATION SCREEN WILL BLACK…"~880 mi, complaint #1647011
    • "POPPING, CRACKING EVEN IF RADIO OFF. SOMETIMES LIGHT PINGS LIKE ROCK HITTING WINDSHIELD SOMETIMES LOUD LONG STATIC SOUND. RADIO CUTS ODD AND ON. NAVIGATION SCREEN WILL CUT IN AND OUT AND GO BLANK (BLACK). SPEEDOMETER DIAL WILL REBOOT AND OR GO BLANK AND REBOOT…"~1,350 mi, complaint #1683932
    • "ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS MY INFOENTERTAINMENT CENTER FROZE, COMPLETELY SHUT OFF MY DASH. IT WOULD SAY NETWORK CONNECTION FAILURE. I LOST ALL DASH OPERATIONS. NO RADIO, PHONE, SPEEDOMETER, FUEL RANGE, REVERSE CAMERA, ETC. AFTER THE 5TH TIME THE FIRST DAY, ON T…"~2,000 mi, complaint #1645784
    • "AUDIO CRACKLES, INSTRUMENT PANEL AND AUDIO SCREEN REBOOTS RANDOMLY, INTERMITTENT CONNECTION LOST"~5,400 mi, complaint #1685215
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that an ABS message was frequently displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was informed that there was a miscommunication error with the front camera, which c…"~125,000 mi, complaint #2154073
  6. #6

    engine internal

    5 stranded, 16 unsafe

    21
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while his daughter was driving at an unknown speed when she smelled an odor of smoke coming from the vehicle, then she noticed fire coming from the vehicle. She was able to exit the vehicle safely as it s…"~42,000 mi, complaint #1830167
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who examined the engine and discovered metal shavings inside the oil…"~46,500 mi, complaint #2227426
  7. #7

    transmission automatic

    13 unsafe

    13
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "TRANSMISSION GRINDING GEARS SOUND AT ABOUT 45-52MPH WHEN EASING OFF THE GAS AND A SHIFT OCCURS. CAR TENDS TO LURCH WHEN THIS HAPPENS. HAPPENS JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE YOU CAN CRUISE AROUND 45-50MPH. DEALER ATTEMPTED FIX WITH HONDA USA, BUT THEY ONLY REVERSED A TRAN…"~5,000 mi, complaint #1735496
    • "THERE IS A GRINDING/VIBRATION OR "RUMBLE STRIP" SOUND AROUND 44MPH. THIS HAPPENS DURING CRUISING AND NOT NECESSARILY ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING. I TOOK IT TO THE HONDA DEALER AND A SPECIAL HONDA TECH CAME OUT AND REPORTED THAT THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE 5,000LBS…"~7,000 mi, complaint #1740770
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 30 MPH, several unknown warning lights flashed on the instrument panel and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that the message "Pull Over When Safe" was th…"~130,000 mi, complaint #2053692
  8. #8

    backup camera

    10 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    12
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V431000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the contact drove her vehicle to a dealer prior to receiving the recall letter due to the failure of the camera image. Th…"~35,000 mi, complaint #1917399
  9. #9

    fuel pump

    2 stranded, 10 unsafe

    12
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart after being…"complaint #1956989
    • "We received written notice from Honda of NHTSA Recall Number 23V-858 of the Safety Recall for fuel pump failure and possible stalling and loss of power. The notice states that there is an increased risk of crash or injury, but they say they will be unable to…"complaint #1967006
    • "I had no prior warning that anything was wrong with my Pilot. I tried to start my vehicle and it would not stay running. We first replaced the battery and it still wouldn't run. We had the vehicle towed to the repair shop. We were told the fuel pump was bad an…"complaint #1974510
    • "We received a recall notification in December 2023 for fuel the pump on this vehicle. Now we’re being told that a replacement may not be available until fall which means it could be a year since the notice until the repair. With the possibility of an instan…"complaint #1978717
    • "I received a letter advising there is a recall on my 2020 Honda pilot for the fuel pump. Based off the information it can be dangerous if not fixed. Called the dealership and they stated would not get part in until winter of 2024. But would fix it if there was…"complaint #1991023
  10. #10

    glass and windshield

    12 unsafe

    12
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=9)

    • "WHILE DRIVING WE NOTICED WHAT SOUNDED LIKE SMALL ROCKS HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. AS WE DROVE THE CAR MORE THE CRACKLING/POPPING NOISE GREW WITH FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY. NOW EVERY TIME WE DRIVE WE HEAR INTERMITTENT CRACKLING/POPPING NOISES. AT TIMES IT IS VERY L…"~1,500 mi, complaint #1713454
    • "REAR WINDOW EXPLODED. VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON THE STREET AND WAS GOING TO PUT IN DRIVEWAY. OPENED DRIVER SIDE DOOR, GOT IN VEHICLE, CLOSE DOOR, REAR WINDOW EXPLODED."~3,619 mi, complaint #1660445
    • "I DRIVE AN 2020 HONDA PILOT ELITE. AFTER 6 MONTHS OF DRIVING THE CAR THE WINDSHIELD HAS STARTED MAKING NOISES. IT WOUNDS LIKE THE WINDSHIELD JUST SHATTERED OR IS SHATTERING. THE NEXT SOUND IS LIKE A THOUSAND SMALL PEDDLES HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. WHEN THE N…"~8,000 mi, complaint #1682658
    • "HAD AN IMPACT CRACK (SUPPOSEDLY) ON THE WINDSHIELD. THERE WAS NO INDENTION. THE OUTSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD WAS PERFECTLY SMOOTH BUT YOU COULD SEE IT. REPAIRED BY SAFELITE. A WEEK LATER HAPPENED AGAIN. LARGE CRACK, SAME SIDE. SAFELITE FOUND A "CHIP" THE SIZE…"~15,000 mi, complaint #1699695
    • "PILOT WAS PARKED AND WHEN I WENT TO GET IN IT TO LEAVE, I NOTICED THE REAR WINDOW LOOKED WEIRD. WALKED AROUND BACK AND THE BACK GLASS HAD JUST EXPLODED. GLASS WAS BULGING WITH A LARGE MISSING PIECE. IT WAS CRACKED ALL THE WAY THRU AND ON THE PASSENGER SIDE…"~22,000 mi, complaint #1733050
  11. #11

    adas lane keeping

    11 unsafe

    11
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I passed a walker on my side of the road by slowly moving over the center line to the other lane to give the pedestrian a wide birth. The lane departure migration system was turned on. I did not use a turn signal. There was not a car behind me or approaching…"complaint #1803295
    • "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."complaint #2090505
    • "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. "complaint #2127007
    • "Lane Assist Camera Failure (Part #36160-TG7-A63) Vehicle Information: Make/Model/Year: 2020 Honda Pilot EX-L Failed Component: Lane Assist Camera, Part #36160-TG7-A63 Safety Issue Description: The lane assist camera has failed, disabling multiple critical sa…"complaint #2132361
    • "Lane departure front facing projection camera suddenly went out disabling multiple safety features of the car. The part number for the car is 36160-TG8-A83. This car only has ~86,000 miles and this is unacceptable. This failure disables the Lane keep assist…"complaint #2136626
  12. #12

    instrument cluster

    10 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    11
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=12, median 4,500 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "BRAND NEW VEHICLE. ABOUT 500 MILES IN, I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE CENTER INSTRUMENT PANEL FROZE -- NAVIGATION, RADIO, ETC--BASICALLY ALL FUNCTIONALITY ON IT WAS INOPERABLE. TRIED TO SHUT THE CAR OFF TO RESET EVERYTHING, BUT POWER WOULD NOT SHUT D…"~500 mi, complaint #1636337
    • "WE PURCHASED A NEW 2020 HONDA PILOT TOURING ON JULY 11,2020. AFTER 2 DAYS WE NOTICED STATIC,C CRACKLE AND POPPING SOUNDS FROM THE RADIO AND THIS HAPPENS WITH THE CAR IN MOTION OR SITTING STILL. THEN THE DASH GOES COMPLETELY BLACK AFFECTING THE SPEEDOMETER AND…"~541 mi, complaint #1682825
    • "WE WE'RE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AS WELL AS THE INFOTAINMENT CENTER WENT BLACK/COMPLETELY OUT. WE COULD NOT TELL OUR SPEED NOR ANY OTHER VEHICLE DATA AS THE INSTRUMENT PANE WAS DEAD. WHILE THE INFOTAINMENT CENTER GOING OUT IS BAD,…"~1,800 mi, complaint #1639667
    • "WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH THE SPEAKERS MADE A TERRIBLE POPPING EVEN THOUGHT THE AUDIO SYSTEM WAS OFF AND THEN ENTIRE DASH SCREEN WITH THE SPEEDOMETER WENT OUT AND REBOOTED SO I HAD NO IDEA WHAT SPEED I WAS GOING FOR 10 SECONDS. . WE HAD CRUISE CON…"~5,500 mi, complaint #1676278
    • "I HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH THE DEALERSHIP ABOUT THE CAR MAKEING POPING SOUNDS A.D THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD GOING OUT AND I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING ON THERE. SCREEN IS OUT I CAN NOT SEE MY SPEED AND IT HITS THE BRAKES WHEN EVER IM DRIVING AND I ALMOST CRASHED…"~7,000 mi, complaint #1677869
  13. #13

    brake hydraulics

    9 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    10
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 1 MPH WHILE TURNING AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE LOST FUNCTIONALITY IN THE BRAKES, WHICH RESULTED IN THE CONTACT CRASHING THE VEHICLE INTO A WALL. 1 PERSON W…"~2,000 mi, complaint #1734784
    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL POPPING SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FRANK FLETCHER HONDA ([REDACTED ADDRESS], BENTONVILLE, AR 72712) WHERE THE CONTACT…"~3,100 mi, complaint #1706258
    • "BRAKES ARE TOO LOW AND SOFT.IDLING IS ROUGH DURING COLD START.I BROUGHT TO THE DEALER LAST SEPTEMBER 28,2020 BUT DEALER DID NOTHING.TECHNICIAN SAID THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT.THE DEALER IS HOLLER HONDA IN ORLANDO FLORIDA.THIS IS MY FOURTH HONDA AND ONLY EX…"~4,100 mi, complaint #1696799
    • "The contact owned a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 55 mph the brake pedal was applied however failed to respond the vehicle crashed into a fence. The wheel assembly detached. There were no warning indicator li…"~18,000 mi, complaint #1777711
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. Upon purchase of the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal, screeching noise emit from the front driver-side tire. The contact's husband took the vehicle to a dealer where they found no defect with her rotors or tires. The…"~28,000 mi, complaint #1822087
  14. #14

    battery and charging

    2 stranded, 6 unsafe

    8
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=8)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing hard starts. Additionally, the contact stated that the Auto START/STOP function failed to engage automatically while attempting to drive from a complete stop. There were…"~30,000 mi, complaint #1817736
  15. #15

    fuel injector

    7 unsafe

    7
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "I'M WRITING TO INFORM YOU OF A SEVERE SAFETY ISSUE THAT OCCURRED WITH OUR 2020 HONDA PILOT TOURING EDITION. MY FAMILY AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 70 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR WOULDN'T ACCELERATE AND IN FACT LOST POWER. THE ENGINE LIGHT…"~9,800 mi, complaint #1733757
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated with a faint smell of a gasoline odor. Th…"~34,000 mi, complaint #1887389
  16. #16

    other

    3 unsafe, 4 annoyance

    7
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V439000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, BACK OVER PREVENTION) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER E…"~1,999 mi, complaint #1696173
  17. #17

    tire failure

    2 stranded, 4 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 2 MONTHS AGO AND I HAVE LESS THAN 2000 MILES ON VEHICLE. IT HAS BRIDGESTONE TIRE AND THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW."~1,780 mi, complaint #1651045
    • "FOR THE PAST TWO WEEKS MY PILOT FELT LIKE IT WAS BOUNCING ODD. WE'VE ONLY OWNED IT FOR 5 MONTHS AND HAVE UNDER 5,000 MILES. WHILE MONITORING THE TIRE PRESSURE FOR TWO WEEKS, I'VE NOTICED THAT BOTH DRIVER SIDE FRONT AND REAR TIRES HAVE BEEN CONSIDERABLY LOW AN…"~4,000 mi, complaint #1738308
    • "I HAVE HAD TWO TIRES BLOW OUT ON MY 2020 PILOT. ONE AT 10,000 MILES AND ONE AT 18,000 MILES .I WAS ON A MAIN STREET BOTH TIMES AND DID NOT RUN OVER ANYTHING THEY JUST BLEW UP .THEY ARE BRIDGESTONE DUELER H/P SPORT AS 245/60R18 M+S"~10,000 mi, complaint #1735821
    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot equipped with Continental Tires, Tire Line: Cross Contact LX Sport, Tire Size: 245/50/R20, DOT Number: [XXX] . The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the tire pressure monitoring system warning light illumina…"~32,490 mi, complaint #1982255
  18. #18

    ac compressor and refrigerant

    3 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Passenger side floor soaked. Dealer said it was a grommet that was missing on ac line and was fixed. However the issue is still happening. Had to replace carpet and most likely will have to again. And the problem is still not fixed. "complaint #1964149
    • "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…"complaint #2127053
    • "February 2026 the air when the AC was on did not seem very cold then about 3 weeks later AC was not putting out any cold air. 3/18/26 took vehicle to local Honda dealership where they ran diagnostics with results showing "black death on the low and high side p…"complaint #2188593
    • "My air conditioning system has gone out for the third time in 6 years. First one was at 38k miles and was the compressor, which contaminated the system, requiring a system replacement. Second time was at 98k miles and was the condenser, which required a whole…"complaint #2218730
  19. #19

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "CAR WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WHEN IT TURNED GREEN, I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR. INITIALLY THE ENGINE RACED BUT THE CAR DID NOT MOVE. AFTER A FEW SECONDS, THE CAR SLOWLY BEGAN TO MOVE AND THEN FULLY 'ENGAGED' AND MOVED FORWARD. "~8,800 mi, complaint #1737259
  20. #20

    airbag system

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "UPON IMPACT, THE DRIVER'S AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING. THE VEHICLE SMELLED STRONGLY OF SMOKE. THE DRIVER SUFFERED BURNS FROM THE AIRBAG, THOUGH IT'S UNCLEAR IF THEY WERE CAUSED BY CHEMICAL OR FLAME."~5,000 mi, complaint #1705360
  21. #21

    software or update

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Car completely shut down while in drive. Towed to dealership where I was told there was a software update that needed to be done. Car working fine now."complaint #1907613
    • "Transmission was running hot causing the pilot to have a bad "jitter" when driving. The software had to be updated and transition had to be flushed a few times. "complaint #1962436
    • "The car goes into neutral automatically when idle. It then needs to be shut down and restarted. This happens in traffic at a light or intersection. Although, I received the idle stop start recall software update the issue persists. The dealer was unable to re…"complaint #2012364
    • "The auto stop/start idle function does not re-engage after stopping the engine. This has happened at least 4 times in the last 3weeks with my vehicle. When stopped in traffic or at a light and stop sign the engine idle engages and stops running the engine, wh…"complaint #2136084
  22. #22

    steering rack mechanical

    3 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "I BOUGHT A 2020 NEW HONDA PILOT ELITE ON OCTOBER 2, 2019 WITH 245 MILES ON IT. I BROUGHT MY PILOT ELITE INTO THE DEALERSHIP ON DECEMBER 26, 2019 AFTER DISCOVERING A POPPING NOISE WHICH SOUNDED LIKE A FIRECRACKER GOING OFF THAT SEEMED TO BE BETWEEN THE WINDSHI…"~3,500 mi, complaint #1676786
  23. #23

    torque converter

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "2020 Honda Pilot had started what was called Juddering by the dealer. Transmission upon acceleration will hesitate and jump hundreds of rpms up and down. I did research and was told also by the dealer Honda had issue with a torque converter within the transm…"complaint #1958686
    • "I am experiencing recurring issues with my vehicle that closely mirror the problems described in complaints with NHTSA IDs 11565876, 11490438, and 11489885. In July 2023, while driving through an intersection after stopping at a traffic light, I heard a loud…"complaint #2017365
    • "This vehicle has shown juddering and difficulty with shifting gears, especially on an incline, although it RPMs will speed up and slow down even while traveling on a flat road at a consistent speed. The Honda dealership stated that the course of action is to…"complaint #2055658
    • "The torque converter has a shutter and has had a shutter since the day I bought it. All they want to do is flush the transmission fluid they didn't want to change the torque converter or whatever it's causing the shutter when it was under warranty. They just w…"complaint #2138431
  24. #24

    abs module

    2 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle at the local dealer and leaving the parking lot, the brake sensor message was illuminated, and the wheels began to vibrate and jerk slightly to the left and right. The co…"~11,700 mi, complaint #1773438
  25. #25

    key fob and immobilizer

    2 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "On multiple occasions the FOB randomly locks the car. Last time this happened on this past Friday it was hot outside and I had to frantically break out the window to get my baby out. "complaint #1899983
    • "Last week, my wife was picking up our 2 year old son from daycare in our 2020 Honda Pilot. She secured him in his car seat and placed her purse with the Honda key fob on the back seat and closed the door. The car somehow locked itself between the time she clos…"complaint #1920975
    • "Every week or two, sometimes multiple times in same week, the 2020 honda pilot would turn on randomly in accessory mode where headlights would come on and/or infotainment/radio would come up, or alarm/horns would go on by themselves. Often in the middle of th…"complaint #2041111
  26. #26

    mirror

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "There is an active safety recall for the passenger side view mirrors due to risk of mirrors detaching. I brought my vehicle in to have the recall addressed and the mirror replaced and the mirror that it was replaced with is defective. The images are warped as…"complaint #1895166
    • "I brought the vehicle in on March 23, 2023, the side view mirror has seemed to shake for some time, we were told we just needed a new mirror and at $400, decided to not immediately repair, approximately 2 weeks later I went to the car wash and the sideview mir…"complaint #1896875
    • "When driving, the driver and passenger side mirrors shake impairing the driver visibility. On many occasions it has become dangerous to see in the driver’s mirror because the images look distorted. I checked with Honda and they said only certain models hav…"complaint #1907902
  27. #27

    catalytic converter

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=6)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle was jerking while attempting to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with fuel injector failure. The fuel injector was replaced. The contact stated th…"~60,000 mi, complaint #2061635
    • "The contact's husband owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 55 MPH, the Emissions warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the ca…"~91,000 mi, complaint #2185277
  28. #28

    interior trim

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The adhesive that holds Headliner on this vehicle is causing it to separate from the ceiling and I’m concerned that it will fall and block my view when driving. Can cause a serious accident. We recently had a recall problem with the adhesive on the side view m…"complaint #1914931
    • "Visors are defective on both the driver and passenger side. They are flopping down and impeding driver visibility, causing a safety hazard. According to my service advisor at the local Honda dealer, this is a known problem occurring as a result of warping plas…"complaint #1948379
  29. #29

    lighting exterior

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Auto high bean is not working and no sign of auto( headlight on with letter A) on dashboard is not show. Trying to reset by holding high beam for 40 seconds still not working ( only blinking once), meaning still not working. That problem had after came back fr…"complaint #1959087
    • "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,…"complaint #2096212
  30. #30

    noise or vibration unspecified

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WHEN YOU DRIVE THE CAR AFTER 2 OR 3 DAYS THERE IS CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT WHEN I TURN LEFT AND WHEN I HIT BREAKS AND WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SLOWING DOWN AND SOMETIMES IF I DRIVE STRAIGHT THE I HEARD THE NOISE. I CHECKED WITH DEALER BUT THEY COULDN'T…"complaint #1672712
    • "The vehicle makes uncontrolled loud noises. It is very intermittent and sounds like loud cracking/exploding of windshield. It sometimes startles the driver and makes the driver cringe. Leading to uncontrolled movement of steering wheel. Potential hazardous. H…"complaint #1760299
  31. #31

    paint and clearcoat

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The paint of my car started chipping on the hood roof of the car and moved to the top of my car, making spots all over my car. the front chrome part of the car has started to wrinkle and is looking as it will be peeling soon as well. The radio part inside the…"complaint #1761664
    • "Paint failure - rear roof panel. Paint chips flaking off. NOT a gradual failure, clear coat in good condition. No skuff marks or damage prior. Large paint chips pealing off exposing bare metal. Paint color : Modern steel metallic"complaint #2196283
  32. #32

    seat mechanism

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Another vehicle pulled out in front of me, I had to slam on my brakes to prevent accident. The second row passenger seat unlatched and slammed forward. Had my daughter been with me she would have been seriously hurt or worse. Her seat slammed forward and was l…"complaint #1924114
    • "In my Honda 2020 Pilot, the driver's side headrest in the 3rd row will no longer stay upright. It simply stays flat and will not lock into place. As the headrest will not stay upright, the seat is unusable. If someone used that seat or if the headrest would…"complaint #2174316
  33. #33

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the driver’s side seat belt failed to lock securely in the buckle. The contact called the dealer who was unable to schedule an appointment to diagnose the vehicle until January. The contact was notif…"~30,000 mi, complaint #1946334
  34. #34

    sunroof

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "While driving down the highway, we heard a loud, sudden pop and then wind. The sunroof shattered and the cover was closed so all glass ended up on the cover. There were no overpasses above us or vehicles in front of us that could have caused anything to fall o…"complaint #1844436
    • "Sunroof exploded without warning while driving on the highway at 75mph. The explosion was extremely loud and the scare could have caused me to cause an accident with other cars nearby. I had two little children with me in the car. Vehicle has been sitting at…"complaint #1900042
  35. #35

    suspension arms and bushings

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I am told by Right Honda dealership in Scottsdale, AZ that the "front lower control arms" are tearing open after 3.5 years and approx. 48k miles. This is a premature failure that appears to have affected many other Honda owners. I am told that my steering can…"complaint #1964529
    • "honda pilot EXL 2020 with 39,000 miles- purchased new in may 2020. We just had our pilot oil change and multi-point inspection along with safety recall most faker replaced. With less than 40K miles we are getting told the Front control Arm needs to be replaced…"complaint #1988297
  36. #36

    throttle and pedal

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after shifting into reverse to reverse out of the driveway, the contact had forgotten an item on the outside of the vehicle; the contact opened the door; however, while reaching outside the vehicle t…"~15,000 mi, complaint #2043237
  37. #37

    timing belt or chain

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "On August 12th, 2024, we were driving North on New Jersey Turnpike at 65mph surrounded by traffic when the vehicle suddenly and unexpectedly stalled (no dashboard warning lights or system messages prior, nor any signs while driving prior). The surrounding cars…"complaint #2023335
    • "Per Honda, the standard maintenance of replacing a timing belt and tensioner has put more tension on the crankshaft, which causes a tapping noise from the connecting rod bearings when the vehicle is accelerating under load. The vehicle is available for inspect…"complaint #2204502
  38. #38

    trunk or liftgate

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while offloading items from the trunk, the trunk door independently closed and hit the contact in the head. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the local deal…"~11,000 mi, complaint #1750186
  39. #39

    alignment and pull

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The vehicle pulls hard to the right when the driver lets go of the steering wheel for a few sseconds. this happens with LKA on or off. This happens no matter which lane is being driven in or what speed. The alignment has been verified 4 different times at both…"complaint #1911408
  40. #40

    brake booster

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "2020 Honda Pilot Touring was purchased in CT at Honda of Stamford, May of 2023. I started having issues in July pertaining to extreme dust coming into the cabin causing my children and myself asthma conditions to worsen. I took the car to the dealer and they b…"complaint #2069504
  41. #41

    cruise control conventional

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Since I bought the car in 2019, Movie CD does not work all the time. Fixed once. Automatic emergency breaking. It does not stop. Have taken it to the dealership at least 4 times and they say they are not able to replicate the problem. Set the cruise speed…"complaint #1961785
  42. #42

    driveshaft axle cv

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Rear differential driveshaft seal leaking fluid on driver side"complaint #1924528
  43. #43

    emissions aftertreatment

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "SUV check engine light for the emissions system came on 11/21/2025. The light does not stay on all the time, it goes on and off ever several days. During my state inspection, dealer diagnosed issue to a P0430 code and ran a cylinder AF test. It revealed that c…"complaint #2176874
  44. #44

    fuel tank and lines

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Over the last few years, after a long highway drive of approx. 20 miles when I stop and sit and idle, a strong gasoline smell is entering the vehicle via the HVAC Heating system. Also, after the same longer drives, when I return home, turn off and park the su…"complaint #1800637
  45. #45

    power windows and locks

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Windows Down and Sunroof Open randomly if the unlock button on the FOB is pushed too long. This can happen then the FOB is in your pocket. I have found my car with the windows all open. Casuing the possiblity of the car being stolen, or worse this can happe…"complaint #1979094
  46. #46

    starter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The problem on our Honda Pilot is related to the starter. We have had four instances now where the auto start/stop function has failed to restart the car after sitting at a stop light. This has happened at very busy intersections resulting in difficulty rest…"complaint #2224404
  47. #47

    steering electric assist

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "While driving on my way home from work ([REDACTED ADDRESS]) I received on my dashboard faults that flashed briefly for my steering, lane keeping assistance, lane departure, forward collision, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and parking col…"complaint #2240934
  48. #48

    suspension struts shocks

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact leased a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the front end and rear end of the vehicle wobbled while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer who diagnosed that no alignment issues were found. The manufacturer was…"~8,000 mi, complaint #1777069
  49. #49

    unintended acceleration

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "In two, separate, instances the vehicle exhibited sudden acceleration with the brake pedal depressed. The first instance was, as the 2020 Honda Pilot was pulling into a driveway and was approximately 10 feet behind another vehicle parked in the driveway. With…"complaint #1858447

NHTSA investigations

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for HONDA PILOT directly.