2025 Honda Pilot transmission problems

POWER TRAIN

The steering wheel became extremely difficult for my husband to turn. Power steering went out on my 2025 Honda Pilot Trailsport. Numerous warnings were then displayed on the vehicle's dashboard screen, it was impossible to drive, and caused us to have to get towed. We had it towed to a Honda dealer for repair, where it was discovered that the steering wheel had more turns in one direction than the other, the shaft boot was misplaced, non-factory pins on the steering rack were noted, and the clock spring was stuck reading 508 degrees. Furthermore, the steering wheel rack gearbox had to be replaced following a steering angle sensor failure in my 2025 Honda Pilot Trailsport. This is a serious safety issue and should have never have happened in such a new vehicle. This incident not only put my family's lives at risk, but also everyone else on the roadway. Why did my vehicle that I bought brand new and have only serviced at Honda have non-factory parts?

NHTSA complaint #11756592 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

On June 25, 2026 my 2025 Honda Pilot Elite (47,503 miles) upon ignition had every warning light in the system illuminate sequentially without any prior incident. I had never experienced any indication of malfunction, including warning lights or messages. The Emissions System Problem light remained illuminated on the dashboard and, after review of the Owner's Manual instructions to avoid heavy acceleration and high speed, I had the vehicle towed by AAA on a flatbed truck 75 miles to my home. The incident occurred during the evening and the next morning I drove the vehicle to Herb Chambers Honda of Seekonk, the dealer who has performed every service on the vehicle, including recalls. Of note is that the service team at the Honda dealer, specifically Malainne Costa, has been exceptional in addressing this issue. American Honda was consulted to determine the best plan for resolution. I understand that American Honda is trying to work through necessary adjustments with the new 2025 model year. One month after the incident, my vehicle remains at the dealer. I learned that the two cylinder heads in the engine block on my vehicle need to be replaced and those parts are still on backorder. Another engine component system may require replacement due to calcium buildup on the intake valves. I was assured that my driving habits were not a factor in this incident. My concern is that this incident occurred at a time when I was in a safe location and was able to await the arrival of AAA without worry about my personal safety. I bought the brand new vehicle in November, 2024 and it is obvious that I drive a significant amount of miles per year. I worry about the safety risk of other drivers having a similar experience in a less than optimal location especially since there was no indication of a problem prior to this critical incident. I share this incident in the spirit of exploring whether this is a systemwide problem that may result in a safety recall by Honda.

NHTSA complaint #11753320 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while reversing, the automatic emergency brake unexpectedly engaged. The check engine, ABS, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The transmission failed to shift into the intended gear. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to shift into the intended gear. Additionally, the transmission jerked while accelerating, the RPM failed to increase while accelerating. The contact stated that the doors failed to open immediately after pressing the fob key, and the infotainment screen was flashing. The contact stated that the failures were intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

NHTSA complaint #11747345 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The power steering system software problem undriveable. The AWD failed said undriveable. Only 30k miles on it and it just locked and couldnt steering right to left in the middle of traffic. Could have caused a bad accident lycjuly my kids weren't in the car. The computer software took over completely made my car uncontrollable. Have a video of all warnings that came on.

NHTSA complaint #11729805 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I contacted Honda America regarding a concern with my 2025 Pilot, which has just over 5,000 miles. The service light for the rear differential came on at the 5,000‑mile mark (I don't drive off-road, and my driving is 50/50 city/highway), even though the dealership indicated this service is not typically required until 10,000–15,000 miles. My goal was simple: confirm that there is no premature wear issue with the rear differential, and request that Honda cover the service if it is occurring earlier than expected. Instead, the experience was extremely disappointing. The representative repeatedly stated that he could not provide any technical information because he is a customer service agent. That raises an obvious question: if Honda’s own customer service cannot address technical concerns about a Honda vehicle, who exactly should a customer contact? He then informed me that he reached out to the dealership I use and spoke with the service manager, who said that “this could happen.” I already knew that from the dealer. Repeating the same vague statement does not add value, nor does it require involvement from a service manager or a manufacturer representative. It certainly does not address my actual concern about potential premature wear, nor does it justify the back‑and‑forth emails when no meaningful assistance was provided. To be clear, I am fully aware that dealerships profit from performing services—whether the vehicle truly needs them or not. That is precisely why I reached out to Honda America for clarification and support. Instead, I received no answers, no guidance, and no resolution. If additional information is needed, do not hesitate to contact me.

NHTSA complaint #11726213 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

On 3/16/26 I attempted to accelerate and the vehicle experienced severe "bucking" and gear hunting hesitation before losing all drive power and stalling. Following the stall, the engine would not crank or "catch" despite multiple attempts. State Police arrived as I was in an unsafe location (blind on-ramp to highway) they called their tow trucks deeming it hazardous to wait as Honda Roadside Assistance would not arrive for an estimated 60-90 minutes. It was brought to the local dealership. After an hour from incident to inspection at the local Honda dealership, the vehicle powered on normally of which no codes showed and the vehicle started with no issues. The manufacturer and dealer state they cannot replicate the problem and found no historical or pending diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs). Despite the lack of codes, these symptoms are a direct match for NHSTA Recall Campaign 25V-031 (Honda Recall AL0) which was officially announced to address Torque Control Failures caused by the FI-ECU software. According to Honda’s safety report, improper programming in the fuel injection unit causes the engine to stall during "sudden changes in throttle opening"—which is exactly what I experienced. As of now, my VIN has not been identified on the current recall list. This loss of power during acceleration creates an immediate safety risk of rear-end collisions and leaves the driver stranded in active traffic.

NHTSA complaint #11725274 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Tonight, 11/8/2025 at 7pm MT, while traveling straight at 25-30 mph, power steering suddenly failed and vehicle reported that AWD failed with only front wheels powered. Many other failure warnings simultaneously appeared on dash (collision detection, LKAS, parking assist, etc). The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My family's safety was put at risk. Sudden loss of power steering is very surprising to the driver, combined with the dash reporting a multitude of failure warnings all at once. If we had been driving on the freeway at speed or in the middle of a turn this would have been a very serious safety issue, easily leading to a collision given the sudden change in steering input needed. If traveling in snow or ice, losing AWD suddenly would also have been a serious safety issue. No one has inspected the vehicle since the incident, this just happened tonight. The vehicle has only 5,700 miles on it, was serviced by the dealer within the last couple hundred miles to repair all outstanding recalls, and I have had no other issues with the vehicle. There was no warning about and issues with the vehicle prior to this incident. The only thing out of the ordinary immediately prior to the incident is that my phone wasn't able to pair to the infotainment system (which never happens).

NHTSA complaint #11698387 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH up a ramp with an incline in the rain and merging onto the freeway, the accelerator pedal was depressed down to the floorboard, but the vehicle hesitated while responding and slowly accelerated. It was unknown whether a warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that it felt like the transmission was slipping. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,435.

NHTSA complaint #11695867 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic signal, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The vehicle then jolted forward into gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but only occurred while stopped at a traffic signal. The contact turned off the engine START/STOP feature manually. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted after failing to respond properly. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,100.

NHTSA complaint #11686311 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

After driving over a railroad crossing, all driver safety systems disabled, brake system error, AWD torque distribution stopped and stated only FWD worked, and power steering stopped working. Was unable to manuever vehicle and had to ease vehicle over. Was able to stop the vehicle and shut it off. Restarted vehicle and power steering came back but other lights remained. Another few minutes went by and systems all returned to normal. This issue caused driver to lose all control of vehicle and thankfully didn't crash since vehicle was only traveling roughly 20 mph. If this happened at highway speed, there would be no way to safely stop the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11685478 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

When attempting to smooth brake around 30mph to 20mph car downshifts and jerks forward almost causing an accident. This is a brand new car. It happens every drive

NHTSA complaint #11680847 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 12 MPH, the vehicle shifted into park independently. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while restarting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated to restart for 90-seconds and then the vehicle operated as intended. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where was it diagnosed and determined that the front camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure, and informed the contact that the failure was not covered under warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 22,000.

NHTSA complaint #11674108 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Purchased vehicle 06-25-2025 with 6 miles on the odometer. Now has 78 miles. Whenever applying slight throttle pressure the vehicle lurges back and forth. As you applying accelerator pedal pressure the vehicle hesitates and then lurges forward.

NHTSA complaint #11669721 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The message "emission system problem, power may be reduced, see your dealer" indicates a potential issue with your vehicle's emission control system, which may also be causing a reduction in engine power. I was told by the Honda Service Center, that i shouldn't drive it until it is serviced because the car might stall or engine damage may occur. The car only has 86 miles, I have had it less than a week. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Yes. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I was told the car might stall Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? It has been reported Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? See attachment.

NHTSA complaint #11659579 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The transmission stutters between shifts. When I apply a healthy amount of throttle input (say 50% or so), the shifts feel very clean and crisp. When I'm at minimal throttle (but I need to creep along) or when I come close to a stop (not quite full stop) and get back into throttle, there is a noticeable delay in power from 1st to 2nd gear. If there's a delay in acceleration, it can create a dangerous scenario where I can't "escape" out of a situation I need too. It's very unsettling. I also feel stuttery down shifts while I'm braking and coming to a stop. The car lurches forward as I'm braking when it tries to execute its downshifts.

NHTSA complaint #11653304 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

When shifting to reverse it shifts back to park And it will not move forward or reverse I nearly had someone rear ended me as I backed up from my driveway. This has happened numerous times that I am afraid to drive it. The mileage right now is only 216 miles since bought in December 2024.

NHTSA complaint #11652970 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Jerky transmission from 1gear to 2nd gear . Most noticable when engine is cold.

NHTSA complaint #11648433 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Shifting from 1st, 2nd, 3rd gears is delayed/hesitant. Extremely noticeable at low speeds when releasing accelerator or braking. Unable to predict speed when coming to a smooth stop, occasionally feels like it lurches forward when it tries to downshift upon braking. Desperately needs software update to TCM, as mentioned hundreds of times elsewhere online. Does not 'train' itself to mitigate this problem.

NHTSA complaint #11633989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The transmission jerks at low speeds, especially in gears 1, 2, and 3. Starting from a stop is the worst. When you press the gas pedal there is a delayed response to accelerate the car. This is a safety issue. When you press the gas to pull out in front of traffic the vehicle is slow to respond, can get bogged down trying to shift gears, and may result in an accident. The jerkiness feels like the transmission is going to fall out. The vehicle does not accelerate smooth from 0-20 mph.

NHTSA complaint #11624402 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The transmission jerks/jumps when accelerating and also as slowing down. The vehicle, including the steering wheel, shakes when braking at speeds above 60mph. Several parts of the body are not put together properly, leaving gaps, overlaps, etc.

NHTSA complaint #11611509 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.