2020 Honda Pilot driver assist problems

190 of the 799 complaints about the 2020 Honda Pilot are about the driver-assist systems — 24% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 20,000 miles.

C

190

Complaints

2

Crashes

0

Fires

2

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Automatic Emergency Braking 46 24.2%
Warnings 44 23.2%
Adaptive Cruise Control 31 16.3%
Warning 27 14.2%
Assist 19 10.0%
Blind Spot Detection 7 3.7%
Back Over Prevention 4 2.1%
Warnings 4 2.1%
Rearview System Braking 4 2.1%
Camera 2 1.1%

Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance across every Honda Pilot year

2016 48 4.3%
2017 49 4.4%
2018 26 2.3%
2019 326 29.2%
2020 190 17.0%
2021 234 21.0%
2022 87 7.8%
2023 30 2.7%
2024 30 2.7%
2025 96 8.6%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Statham, GA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

I got in the car one morning and had 5 error codes come on and they have not gone off. None of the driver assist controls are working. The cruise control does not work either. All of the dash lights are on. Toyota determined it is the front camera that failed and repair would be $2000. Car is available for inspection anytime. Unable to drive for long periods as the cruise control does not work. The lane assist option does not work. The automatic break system does not work. Half of the option this car came with do not work.

NHTSA complaint #11760834 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Statham, GA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

I got in the car one morning and had 5 error codes come on and they have not gone off. None of the driver assist controls are working. The cruise control does not work either. All of the dash lights are on. Toyota determined it is the front camera that failed and repair would be $2000. Car is available for inspection anytime. Unable to drive for long periods as the cruise control does not work. The lane assist option does not work. The automatic break system does not work. Half of the option this car came with do not work.

NHTSA complaint #11760834 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Statham, GA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

I got in the car one morning and had 5 error codes come on and they have not gone off. None of the driver assist controls are working. The cruise control does not work either. All of the dash lights are on. Toyota determined it is the front camera that failed and repair would be $2000. Car is available for inspection anytime. Unable to drive for long periods as the cruise control does not work. The lane assist option does not work. The automatic break system does not work. Half of the option this car came with do not work.

NHTSA complaint #11760834 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

South Milwaukee, WI

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

While driving on my way home from work (24 mile drive) 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 collision (warning lamps). My radio also had cut out at the same time. While that occurred my steering wheel jerked suddenly while going straight at speeds around 60mph. I brushed it off as a communication issue since it is known to occur on these vehicles, but the steering wheel jerking was new to me. Made it home turned the vehicle off (vehicle was off for 15 minutes). I started up the vehicle no warning lamps came on. But as soon as I got up to 40mph and a mile from my home the same issue occurred but more frequent, but less of the steering wheel jerking. I got where I needed to go and got back onto the road and reached 30 mph the warning lamps came on more a lot more frequently on my way home. As soon as reached my alleyway turning left, the steering wheel had a moment of locking up (about 5-10mph). This came as a shock for me. I backed up into my garage and had to turn the steering wheel left again and the same thing happened. I parked the while the vehicle was running I turned the steering wheel really fast, recreated the steering wheel locking momentarily a few times. I turned the vehicle off and tried to restart it but there was no power. Turns out that my battery had gone bad. I had no indication of a low voltage or battery issue. I replaced the battery and issue was resolved. For me and a situationally unaware driver and this issue occurs where the steering wheel jerked and/or an emergency evasive action was needed, this could cause an accident due to the sudden loss of steering. There was no indication of battery issues. No dealer or independent shops were involved. I am a mechanic myself.

NHTSA complaint #11760548 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Newtown, PA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

All safety alerts started showing as the forward camera has an internal failure as diagnosed by the dealer

NHTSA complaint #11759532 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Newtown, PA

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

All safety alerts started showing as the forward camera has an internal failure as diagnosed by the dealer

NHTSA complaint #11759532 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Newtown, PA

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

All safety alerts started showing as the forward camera has an internal failure as diagnosed by the dealer

NHTSA complaint #11759532 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Powell, OH

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

While driving the vehicle on a family trip all of the driver assist functions shut off. Cruise Control, Lane Assist, etc. Numerous warning lights were triggered including brake system. Most noted the various driver assist functions became disabled. We had the vehicle codes read by a couple non-dealer locations. The OBD readers indicted that everything was fine with no codes being presented suggesting an error. Vehicle could be driven but none of the standard safety features with the camera system worked. Took it to Honda Dealer (Honda Marysville, Ohio) who performs all service on the vehicle. They concluded a faulty main camera and noted there were no recalls attributed to the device. Information we researched suggests these Camera's should last the life of the vehicle or at least 10 years. This car's windshield has never been replaced, and the car spends 75% of it's time in a garage. All mileage on the vehicle is highway mileage. Researched information suggests changing the windshield or subjecting cameras to extreme heat (sitting in sun all day, every day) can result in damage but this car was not subject to any of that from it's manufacture. Online forums suggest this issue is impacting both Honda Pilot's and Honda Ridgeline, with a lot more complaints on the Ridgelines. I have all paperwork from Honda and requested the part be returned to us for which Honda complied. No accident occurred as a result of the faulty camera.

NHTSA complaint #11758419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Powell, OH

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

While driving the vehicle on a family trip all of the driver assist functions shut off. Cruise Control, Lane Assist, etc. Numerous warning lights were triggered including brake system. Most noted the various driver assist functions became disabled. We had the vehicle codes read by a couple non-dealer locations. The OBD readers indicted that everything was fine with no codes being presented suggesting an error. Vehicle could be driven but none of the standard safety features with the camera system worked. Took it to Honda Dealer (Honda Marysville, Ohio) who performs all service on the vehicle. They concluded a faulty main camera and noted there were no recalls attributed to the device. Information we researched suggests these Camera's should last the life of the vehicle or at least 10 years. This car's windshield has never been replaced, and the car spends 75% of it's time in a garage. All mileage on the vehicle is highway mileage. Researched information suggests changing the windshield or subjecting cameras to extreme heat (sitting in sun all day, every day) can result in damage but this car was not subject to any of that from it's manufacture. Online forums suggest this issue is impacting both Honda Pilot's and Honda Ridgeline, with a lot more complaints on the Ridgelines. I have all paperwork from Honda and requested the part be returned to us for which Honda complied. No accident occurred as a result of the faulty camera.

NHTSA complaint #11758419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Powell, OH

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

While driving the vehicle on a family trip all of the driver assist functions shut off. Cruise Control, Lane Assist, etc. Numerous warning lights were triggered including brake system. Most noted the various driver assist functions became disabled. We had the vehicle codes read by a couple non-dealer locations. The OBD readers indicted that everything was fine with no codes being presented suggesting an error. Vehicle could be driven but none of the standard safety features with the camera system worked. Took it to Honda Dealer (Honda Marysville, Ohio) who performs all service on the vehicle. They concluded a faulty main camera and noted there were no recalls attributed to the device. Information we researched suggests these Camera's should last the life of the vehicle or at least 10 years. This car's windshield has never been replaced, and the car spends 75% of it's time in a garage. All mileage on the vehicle is highway mileage. Researched information suggests changing the windshield or subjecting cameras to extreme heat (sitting in sun all day, every day) can result in damage but this car was not subject to any of that from it's manufacture. Online forums suggest this issue is impacting both Honda Pilot's and Honda Ridgeline, with a lot more complaints on the Ridgelines. I have all paperwork from Honda and requested the part be returned to us for which Honda complied. No accident occurred as a result of the faulty camera.

NHTSA complaint #11758419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Valrico, FL

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Tachometer is starting to surging idle. Getting a wave of errors lights and messages. It’s also a known problem on the 2019 of the same model and it has a recall. I received the same code from an auto repair shop. Service Bulletin 21-010

NHTSA complaint #11757579 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 10 miles East Greenwich, RI

BACK OVER PREVENTION

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the radio made an abnormal crackling and popping sound, and the instrument cluster flickered with the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), and the cruise control became inoperable while driving. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where the contact was informed that the failure could not be duplicated. The contact associated the failure with TSB: 20-058 and 21-012, and NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V431000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the contact was informed that there would be a charge for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 10.

NHTSA complaint #11755856 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 58,000 miles Bedford, MA

BACK OVER PREVENTION

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 became inoperable. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V431000 (Back Over Prevention); as a possible cause for the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer times; however, the technicians were unable to duplicate the issue. During the final visit, the dealer diagnosed the vehicle with an amplifier failure and replaced the part; however, the issue persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 58,000.

NHTSA complaint #11754784 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

My City, TX

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Lots of crackling noises via the audio system. Display reboots itself many times before it finally went BLANK. Radio / DVD DEAD. Blind Spot warnings DEAD. Back up camera DEAD. Navigation DEAD. Eventually the battery goes DEAD and the car will not start. Got Stranded a few times. Changed the battery. But hopeless and reliability is DEAD. Definitely disappointed with HONDA.

NHTSA complaint #11750225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

My City, TX

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

Lots of crackling noises via the audio system. Display reboots itself many times before it finally went BLANK. Radio / DVD DEAD. Blind Spot warnings DEAD. Back up camera DEAD. Navigation DEAD. Eventually the battery goes DEAD and the car will not start. Got Stranded a few times. Changed the battery. But hopeless and reliability is DEAD. Definitely disappointed with HONDA.

NHTSA complaint #11750225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

My City, TX

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

Lots of crackling noises via the audio system. Display reboots itself many times before it finally went BLANK. Radio / DVD DEAD. Blind Spot warnings DEAD. Back up camera DEAD. Navigation DEAD. Eventually the battery goes DEAD and the car will not start. Got Stranded a few times. Changed the battery. But hopeless and reliability is DEAD. Definitely disappointed with HONDA.

NHTSA complaint #11750225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Englewood, FL

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

First of, there are a LOT of Honda Pilot owners online who have the same exact complaints in honda forums and social media. Windshield Lane Keep Assist camera is malfunctioning. Adaptive cruise control, Emissions systems, Road departure system, Auto high beam problem, Lane keeping assist, Collision mitigation system warning lights all come on. No previous warnings or failures prior. This started out of the blue and has been happening everyday for a few months now. This malfunction puts driver and passengers at risk.

NHTSA complaint #11749829 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Englewood, FL

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

First of, there are a LOT of Honda Pilot owners online who have the same exact complaints in honda forums and social media. Windshield Lane Keep Assist camera is malfunctioning. Adaptive cruise control, Emissions systems, Road departure system, Auto high beam problem, Lane keeping assist, Collision mitigation system warning lights all come on. No previous warnings or failures prior. This started out of the blue and has been happening everyday for a few months now. This malfunction puts driver and passengers at risk.

NHTSA complaint #11749829 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Las Vegas, NV

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

At every vehicle startup, multiple warning messages appear on the dashboard indicating failure of the driver assistance safety system. The warnings include Collision Mitigation System Problem, Lane Keeping Assist System Problem, and Auto High Beam System Problem. The issue occurs immediately upon ignition while the vehicle is stationary and resets each time the vehicle is turned off and restarted. The problem is persistent and has not resolved over time. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized dealership and diagnosed with a diagnostic trouble code indicating an internal failure of the forward-facing camera unit used for the driver assistance system. The repair recommendation was replacement of the camera module and calibration. This malfunction affects the vehicle’s advanced driver assistance safety systems, which are designed to support collision avoidance and lane keeping. The failure may result in reduced or non-functioning safety features while driving, increasing the risk of unsafe operation without full driver assistance functionality. No windshield replacement or external impact has occurred that would explain camera damage. The issue began without any known external cause and continues consistently at every startup.

NHTSA complaint #11745381 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Las Vegas, NV

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

At every vehicle startup, multiple warning messages appear on the dashboard indicating failure of the driver assistance safety system. The warnings include Collision Mitigation System Problem, Lane Keeping Assist System Problem, and Auto High Beam System Problem. The issue occurs immediately upon ignition while the vehicle is stationary and resets each time the vehicle is turned off and restarted. The problem is persistent and has not resolved over time. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized dealership and diagnosed with a diagnostic trouble code indicating an internal failure of the forward-facing camera unit used for the driver assistance system. The repair recommendation was replacement of the camera module and calibration. This malfunction affects the vehicle’s advanced driver assistance safety systems, which are designed to support collision avoidance and lane keeping. The failure may result in reduced or non-functioning safety features while driving, increasing the risk of unsafe operation without full driver assistance functionality. No windshield replacement or external impact has occurred that would explain camera damage. The issue began without any known external cause and continues consistently at every startup.

NHTSA complaint #11745381 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Las Vegas, NV

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

At every vehicle startup, multiple warning messages appear on the dashboard indicating failure of the driver assistance safety system. The warnings include Collision Mitigation System Problem, Lane Keeping Assist System Problem, and Auto High Beam System Problem. The issue occurs immediately upon ignition while the vehicle is stationary and resets each time the vehicle is turned off and restarted. The problem is persistent and has not resolved over time. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized dealership and diagnosed with a diagnostic trouble code indicating an internal failure of the forward-facing camera unit used for the driver assistance system. The repair recommendation was replacement of the camera module and calibration. This malfunction affects the vehicle’s advanced driver assistance safety systems, which are designed to support collision avoidance and lane keeping. The failure may result in reduced or non-functioning safety features while driving, increasing the risk of unsafe operation without full driver assistance functionality. No windshield replacement or external impact has occurred that would explain camera damage. The issue began without any known external cause and continues consistently at every startup.

NHTSA complaint #11745381 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mount Vernon, OH

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

The vehicle suddenly made audible and visual warnings stating critical error. All of the safety features handled by the forward-facing multipurpose camera stopped working. Honda stated the camera has failed (common issue based on research), and is a costly repair. Vehicle less than 6 years old, all maintenance completed timely by Honda, mileage 81k

NHTSA complaint #11744604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mount Vernon, OH

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

The vehicle suddenly made audible and visual warnings stating critical error. All of the safety features handled by the forward-facing multipurpose camera stopped working. Honda stated the camera has failed (common issue based on research), and is a costly repair. Vehicle less than 6 years old, all maintenance completed timely by Honda, mileage 81k

NHTSA complaint #11744604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mount Vernon, OH

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

The vehicle suddenly made audible and visual warnings stating critical error. All of the safety features handled by the forward-facing multipurpose camera stopped working. Honda stated the camera has failed (common issue based on research), and is a costly repair. Vehicle less than 6 years old, all maintenance completed timely by Honda, mileage 81k

NHTSA complaint #11744604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Washington Crossing, PA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

Warning lights for Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Mitigation, Road Departure, and Auto High Beam all came on simultaneously. From reading several Pilot forums, this seems to be very widespread and dealerships want anywhere between 1500 and 1900 to replace and calibrate the camera system which controls these functions. If it’s widespread, the vehicles should be recalled.

NHTSA complaint #11743577 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Washington Crossing, PA

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

Warning lights for Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Mitigation, Road Departure, and Auto High Beam all came on simultaneously. From reading several Pilot forums, this seems to be very widespread and dealerships want anywhere between 1500 and 1900 to replace and calibrate the camera system which controls these functions. If it’s widespread, the vehicles should be recalled.

NHTSA complaint #11743577 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Washington Crossing, PA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Warning lights for Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Mitigation, Road Departure, and Auto High Beam all came on simultaneously. From reading several Pilot forums, this seems to be very widespread and dealerships want anywhere between 1500 and 1900 to replace and calibrate the camera system which controls these functions. If it’s widespread, the vehicles should be recalled.

NHTSA complaint #11743577 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Winston Salem, NC

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

I took my vehicle in due to a recall on the coaxial cable that was causing the electronic to malfunction and make a constant electrical popping sound. Shortly after that was replaced, the multipurpose camera started to malfunction and eventually gave out completely. I have warning lights constantly and cannot use any safety features in the vehicle, not even the cruise control. After much research this is an issue for thousands of Honda owners and is absolutely a safety issue. I’m scared to death to drive this car.

NHTSA complaint #11742398 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Winston Salem, NC

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL

I took my vehicle in due to a recall on the coaxial cable that was causing the electronic to malfunction and make a constant electrical popping sound. Shortly after that was replaced, the multipurpose camera started to malfunction and eventually gave out completely. I have warning lights constantly and cannot use any safety features in the vehicle, not even the cruise control. After much research this is an issue for thousands of Honda owners and is absolutely a safety issue. I’m scared to death to drive this car.

NHTSA complaint #11742398 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Winston Salem, NC

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

I took my vehicle in due to a recall on the coaxial cable that was causing the electronic to malfunction and make a constant electrical popping sound. Shortly after that was replaced, the multipurpose camera started to malfunction and eventually gave out completely. I have warning lights constantly and cannot use any safety features in the vehicle, not even the cruise control. After much research this is an issue for thousands of Honda owners and is absolutely a safety issue. I’m scared to death to drive this car.

NHTSA complaint #11742398 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2020 Honda Pilot problems

← Full 2020 Honda Pilot report