82 of the
710 complaints about the 2021 Honda Pilot are about the
other systems — 12% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
1,500 miles.
Ive had about 5 times my car Honda pilot 2021 stall at a stop light, a stop sign. The first it took a minute to go and the light was green. I was honked at and yelled at. It finally kicked on and we went, the next time it went into accessory mode at a stop sign, then into N then off…. All while in drive to start. The rest were times I was in auto start stop and it just wouldn’t start. Each 5 times it gave an error code that disappeared right after I had to try snd restart by pushing the button. I went to Honda 2 times now, first time they said they did the program… that didn’t stop the issue, I then took it again after the 4th time and they said it was a bad battery… replaced it mind you $400 later… and it did it the next day.. they won’t cover a free inspection and when I said there’s a bulletin about this they said they did id already but still doing it. I am very frustrated and j drive 3 kids under 7 this is very very unsafe especially someone who already has a brain injury from aka c I dent.
NHTSA complaint #11755662 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Ashburn, VA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2021 Honda Pilot has a recurring electrical/network communication failure that causes “Network Communication Lost” and “MOST Net Off” messages to appear on the infotainment screen. When this occurs, the infotainment system malfunctions, audio becomes unavailable, and the backup camera display is lost without warning. The problem is intermittent, unpredictable, and has occurred numerous times. The loss of the backup camera is a serious safety concern because it occurs while the vehicle is otherwise operating normally. During reversing, rear visibility is reduced, increasing the risk of striking another vehicle, pedestrian, child, cyclist, or object. The error messages and loss of infotainment functions also create driver distraction and raise concerns about the reliability of the vehicle’s electronic systems. I reported the issue to an authorized Honda dealership multiple times. They recommended replacement of the audio/display unit, and I paid for the repair. However, the same failure returned. The dealer later advised that the root cause may involve wiring, MOST network components, or another electrical defect and estimated approximately $3,000 in additional repairs. Despite multiple visits and approximately $983.29 in diagnostic and repair costs, the defect remains unresolved. Honda Service Bulletin 20-058 describes similar MOST bus symptoms, including communication errors, loss of audio, infotainment malfunctions, and multimedia network failures. My vehicle exhibits the same symptoms. Because the dealer-recommended repair failed, the problem appears to involve the vehicle’s electrical communication network rather than a single component. This recurring defect affects the backup camera, infotainment system, and other electronics relied upon for safe operation. I believe it may affect other 2019–2021 Honda Pilot vehicles and may represent a widespread safety defect. I request NHTSA investigate to determine whether a recall / other corrective action is warranted.
NHTSA complaint #11751970 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Douglasville, GA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car shut off and put itself in neutral in the middle of the road. It seemed that the automatic shutoff glitched and caused the car to shift to neutral. We had to shut it off then start it back. It didn’t start right up. We had to try a couple of times. It was very scary being stranded in the middle of the road and not knowing how to correct the problem.
NHTSA complaint #11750794 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Navarre, FL
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2021 Honda Pilot with 9,800 miles. Failed VSA Modulator directly related to the braking system. Warning lights: Vehicle stability assist, trailer stability assist, collision mitigation system, adaptive cruise control problem. Problem confirmed by Pensacola Honda Service Center and awaiting repair assistance from American Honda as they refuse to offer goodwill credit for repair due to being out of warranty, despite extremely low mileage and excellent condition of vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11747625 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Modesto, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Auto Idle Stop restart. Engine shit off at a complete stop. Release the brake to go and vehicle fails to restart. Vehicle may shit itself into neutral or park. Must manually restart the vehicle. Sometimes after multiple time attempts. Vehicle is stranded in traffic for several seconds to several minutes.
NHTSA complaint #11746588 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Waterbury, CT
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Multipurpose front camera just went out and a series of many warning lights came on in my Honda Pilot. The camera just stopped working for no reason, with no warning and never an issue before. I took my Honda Pilot to the Honda Dealership service department to have it checked and resolved. The dealers resolution was quoting me $2,000.00 just for the camera, with no labor or calibration, that is extra. They told me its a glitch in the Honda's system and that's probable why the camera stopped working. They told me they are not responsible for the camera and won't replace it. They showed no concern for safety and I had to pick up the vehicle if I did not replace, at my cost, the $2000.00 camera plus labor and calibration which may be around $3000.00 all told. I can't believe that if this is a known problem to Honda and Honda is aware of it in their system, why aren't they responsible to replace a faulty manufacturing problem. Honda is passing their problem to consumers at a cost of $2000.00 just for a camera. This should be unacceptable and it is outrageous the fact that Honda knows of a problem in their system that creates a safety problem and still are allowed to have the financial burden put on the consumer with no accountability. I had 2 other recalls on file and nothing was done. With the warning lights on, I am very concerned of the major safety issue. I don't believe, I as a consumer, should be responsible for the cost of a manufacturing issue. Now I have a vehicle with a safety issue and an extremely high cost resolution. I wanted to inform you because I believe that I am not the only person this has happened too and hopefully you can address this issue with Honda. Thank you.
NHTSA complaint #11744492 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Ukiah, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Automatic transmission problem. Got onto freeway as I started to pick up speed the car did not go out of first gear. I could hear it. The car would not move forward at all. It felt like it was in nuturel. I was able to pull over side of road. This happened about last week may 2026. This also happened about 6 months ago. I bought this car in 2022 hardly any miles on car. There is a defect in transmission. If I was on busy highway I would of gotten hit for sure. Transmission problem. car not shifting to higher gear when getting onto freeway!
NHTSA complaint #11743077 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
La Coste, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The infotainment screen blacks out completely and sporadically, but as of recent, almost daily. Sometimes for about 3-5 minutes. When this happens, the rearview backup camera is completely disabled, creating a blind-spot safety hazard, violating Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111. This issue directly impacts back over prevention and driver visibility. I have multiple videos of this occurring. In 2023, a Honda dealership performed the MOST Bus/FAKRA connector safety recall on this vehicle. That manufacturer recall remedy has FAILED, and the exact same safety defect has returned. I did schedule the vehicle for a formal diagnostic inspection at a Honda dealership this Friday to pull the network communication error codes. There were no warning lamps or warning messages prior to the system blacking out.
NHTSA complaint #11739150 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wallingford, PA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The vehicle experienced failure of the air conditioning system caused by an A/C compressor shaft seal leak on my 2021 Honda Pilot. The issue was diagnosed and confirmed by both an independent mechanic and an authorized Honda dealership. The dealership confirmed that the recommended repair is replacement/repair of the compressor shaft seal consistent with Honda Service Bulletin (TSB) 23-050. The vehicle and failed component are available for inspection upon request prior to repair. The failure created a safety concern because the inability to properly operate the air conditioning and defrost system can reduce driver visibility due to windshield fogging and create unsafe driving conditions during warm and humid weather. Excessive cabin temperatures can also negatively impact driver concentration and passenger safety during travel. Prior to visiting the dealership, my mechanic identified the likely issue as an A/C compressor shaft seal leak and advised me to bring the vehicle to Honda because it appeared to be a known manufacturer issue. The Honda dealership later confirmed the same defect after completing a paid diagnostic inspection. The vehicle has been inspected by an independent mechanic and an authorized Honda dealership service department. A case has also been opened with Honda Corporate regarding the issue and denial of coverage assistance though was told it could take several days to weeks to be resolved. Prior to the failure, there were no warning lamps or dashboard warning messages displayed. The first symptom was the air conditioning system no longer cooling properly when first used during warmer weather around May 2026. Because the A/C system had not been used during the winter months, the problem only became apparent once temperatures increased and the system was needed again. This appears to be a known issue already acknowledged by Honda through the publication of TSB 23-050 covering 2021 Honda Pilot models.
NHTSA complaint #11737429 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Chauvin, LA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
There is a problem with the camera that is disabled my brake system features. I am hearing this is a known issue with many of these cars
NHTSA complaint #11727909 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Greenwich, CT
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Auto idle stop activated at a stop light for the 2nd or 3rd time over a few years. Lifted foot off the break and stalled, the car went into Park and I could not put it into neutral or drive. The odometer screen looked like it does when the engine is on. The battery light was on. I tried to turn down the radio and the volume didn't work. I tried pressing the ignition button to turn off the car entirely but it didn't work the first couple of tries. Once I was able to completely turn it off, it struggled to turn over when I tried to start the engine, which I've never had happen, but did turn over. Dealership wanted to charge $325 for a few hours of diagnostics which we declined.
NHTSA complaint #11727189 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Garland, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Auto start-stop feauture turned on at complete stop at traffic light. When light turned green and pressed the gas pedal to accelerate, engine did not turn back on. It had put vehicle into neutral and would not allow vehicle to shift into any other gear. Had to shut off engine and turn on vehicle an additional 3 times to get the engine to start again and into drive. This has happened twice before within the last year with the auto start stop feauture when it turns on at a complete stop. I usually press button to turrn off auto start stop feature to prevent this known issue from happening but forgot to turn feature off. Honda wants to charge $300 to diagnosis problem with auto start stop feature due to problem being known but no recall issued.
NHTSA complaint #11725562 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Orlando, FL
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car engine autorestart causes all sorts of problems. We have repeatedly had the warning come on and the engine stop while at a light or paused in moving traffic. We have replaced the battery and other parts. The safety issue is that the car totally stops while in traffic and we have almost been hit multiple times as we try to restart the car. You have to put the car in park and restart the engine due to "compression issues" or something else. That has nothing to do with being a branded title and everything to do with a safety issue. The car just stops and won't autorestart. This has happened several times in the last week and then yesterday other warning lights came on resulting in the car then not accelerating beyond 25 mph initially and then 45 mph. Imagine this happening on a highway. This is really scary as it has happened on an interstate when traffic stopped and at a traffic light. I called Honda and they acknowledged it was safety issue but written up as a warranty extension so they refused to cover the repair of the vehicle. I am therefore escalating what I believe you are already investigating according to articles I have seen.
NHTSA complaint #11722992 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pleasant Hill, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The auto idle start-stop feature has been failing for many years without being resolved. Honda has done updates and updated the fuel injection software without improvement. I have also replaced the battery as recommended. I continue to get stuck at stop lights and intersections which is a safety hazard. This most recently occurred on 3/7/26.
NHTSA complaint #11723025 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rochester, MN
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The auto-idle feature on this vehicle stalls out the engine on a regular basis, causing risk of accident from surrounding traffic. When breaks applied for red light, stop sign, traffic, etc., the auto-idle feature first engages and powers down the engine, however upon releasing the breaks, the engine stalls out, shifts into neutral, and the battery light comes on. I then have to get it into park and try to restart the vehicle. Sometimes it starts right away, other times it can take a few tries. Meanwhile, cars behind me are honking because I can't get my vehicle to move forward with traffic. Several times I have almost been rear-ended because the car behind me is expecting me to move forward when they see my brake lights turn off. I've talked to my dealer who informed me they completed a auto-idle recall software update in 2023 (recall #23-008) but the problem continues to happen. They have scheduled me to bring in the vehicle to look at the starter for potential replacement, I am hopeful it will not cost me a lot of money. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL TO FIX THIS ISSUE! This is known issue on many Honda vehicles (there is a class-action lawsuit). It is also ridiculous that ther is no way to permanently disable the auto-idle feature. Thank you!
NHTSA complaint #11710406 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Uniondale, NY
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
After I drove for 30 minutes and made a stop in a red light, the car automatically went to neutral position and I wasn't able to turn it back to driving or parking ( the brake locks) and I had to turn the car off for 10 seconds in the middle of the road and put my emergency lights on. After I turn it back on It worked normally.
NHTSA complaint #11707030 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Helotes, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Honda’s Auto Idle Stop system shuts vehicle off when at a full stop and fails to restart after removing foot from the brake. Instead, when you remove your foot off the brake, the vehicle switches to neutral or park and does not restart despite following on screen instructions to restart (Example: switch to park, put foot on the brake, and press start button). We have to put the hazard lights on and try the steps over and over again until it restarts. This is a major safety issue, especially when at a traffic light or in heavy traffic, where every second counts and you have to worry about someone not noticing that you are stopped or have hazard lights on and plows into you.
NHTSA complaint #11698542 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Denton, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Wife was driving car and it stalled when slowing down for a red light. No check engine light or dash warning notices. Car then displayed instructions to restart the car Tried to restart 4 or 5 times. Finally started. We were lucky she was not on a highway driving at highway speeds.
NHTSA complaint #11698377 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Concord, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My Honda Pilot experiences a serious safety issue with the Auto Idle Stop feature. When the system engages at a stop (such as a red light), the vehicle sometimes fails to restart, leaving me stalled in traffic. This creates a dangerous situation for myself and other drivers. The problem appears to be related to the Auto Idle Stop system and/or the auxiliary battery. Many other Honda owners are reporting similar issues, which suggests this may be a widespread defect that needs investigation. I just dropped the car at Honda dealership for further inspection
NHTSA complaint #11690959 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Langhorne, PA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
When using Apple CarPlay (wired or wireless), audio intermittently skips and stutters like a skipping CD or static AM radio. This only occurs on CarPlay, not Bluetooth. The skipping can make navigation prompts and hands-free calls unintelligible. Bluetooth audio works fine. Concern: The infotainment/head unit system may be part of the known MOST bus / FAKRA connector issue documented in Honda TSB A20-058 (which covers 2019-21 Pilot/Passport). Although my VIN shows no recalls, the behavior suggests a communication defect in the infotainment system. Safety relevance: This impacts driver attention and safety, since distorted CarPlay audio interferes with navigation directions, voice calls, and Siri prompts. It forces the driver to look down at the phone more frequently, which increases distraction.
NHTSA complaint #11686800 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Powell, OH
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Car does not restart after auto start stop is engaged, car stalls at intersections, causing dangerous conditions.
NHTSA complaint #11683852 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Anchorage, AK
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Auto engine idle keeps stalling When I press the brake the engine cuts off idle and when I release the brake engine stall
NHTSA complaint #11682482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Selma, IN
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The USB port of connection for apple CarPlay, yes it is available for inspection. Distraction is caused from disconnection of directions while driving. Meaning directions will disconnect when in use putting others at risk No No Yes, “ to use Apple CarPlay, check the settings on your vehicle and iPhone and connect a compatible iPhone to the USB port”. Although the settings are fine and it is compatible because it connected five seconds ago.
NHTSA complaint #11677980 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
New Berlin, WI
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I closed my back door and my back hatchback window shattered outwards. It isn’t winter and nothing hit window. The entire window shattered at same time. Not a crack and then shattered.
NHTSA complaint #11662173 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Benton City, WA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Auto start/stop feature turned off the engine at a stoplight. When the light turned green and the brake pedal was released, the engine did not restart. There also appeared to be some sort of electrical malfunction since the start stop button would not turn off the ignition system in an attempt to reset the vehicle. This happened on a light regulated highway with a posted speed limit of 55 mph.
NHTSA complaint #11661918 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Jamaia, NY
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I notice there is an investigation on the Honda Pilot Stop and start shutting off the engine this also happen to my car twice this week and also once prior to this. There are also issue where the radio will restart when the auto stop and start restart. In the report I don't believe the 2021 Honda Pilot was included.
NHTSA complaint #11659886 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Derwood, MD
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Auto-Idle-Stop system in my Pilot just shut off my engine and then failed to restart. The engine finally restarted after multiple attempts and finally holding the start button for 5 seconds. This happened in traffic and could have caused an accident.
NHTSA complaint #11659398 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Escondido, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We've been having a continuous issue and taken it to out Escondido Honda dealership, to the service department. Our service department advisor named Omar had his tech look at it awhiel ago but they couldn't come up with anything. I recently saw the 2 million vehicle recalls on including the Honda Pilot, which we have a 2021 Special Edition. When I put in my VIN it says that there are no recalls as of right now. However, our vehicle is exhibiting the same exact mechanical failure as described in the NHTSA recall. The auto start stop is failing to reengage when trying to start going after the stop light turns green, it completely dies out and won't restart, leaving us stopped and stranded at the stop light or wherever we are at, at that time. We've also had issues that when it does reengage the auto stop/start it sounds like it was struggling initially before it started to just not reengage at all and started leaving us stranded. Then we would have to press on the button to put it back in park and then push the start/stop button. Which wouldn't always work, then we'd have to keep pushing it and eventually started. Please assist and thank you for your time.
NHTSA complaint #11654605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Racine, WI
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
On multiple occasions after being stopped at a red light and the engine turns off it failed to restart. After shutting the car completely off and attempting to restart after a few tries it was able to restart however this is an ongoing issue.
NHTSA complaint #11651755 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Menomonee Falls, WI
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I was stopped at a red light and my engine stopped like normal but then when light turned green and i attempted to accelerate the engine never turned back on. I had to put the car in park. Shut down the vehicle and then attempted to start the car again. It took a few time before I was able to start up the vehicle. This has happened multiple times and initially I thought I may have done something but then as it became more frequent, I started paying closer attention to the stop-start of the engine and came to the realization that it is not the way I was operating but more or less an issue with the engine.
NHTSA complaint #11651762 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.