374 of the
13,073 complaints filed about the Honda Pilot
are about the throttle and cruise control —
3% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2005.
374
Complaints
3%
Share of all complaints
68
Crashes
0
Fires
Acceleration & Cruise Control complaints by model year
I am submitting a formal vehicle safety complaint regarding a persistent and hazardous malfunction that has been present since the day I purchased my vehicle. Below are the required details: 1. Component or System Failure The issue appears to involve the drivetrain or transmission engagement system. From the moment I purchased the vehicle—when it had only 17 miles—the vehicle has consistently hesitated for several seconds before engaging when shifting from Park to Drive, Reverse to Drive, or when attempting to accelerate while already in Drive. This hesitation continues now at nearly 6,000 miles. The affected components are available for inspection upon request. 2. Safety Risk This malfunction places my safety and the safety of others at risk. The delay in acceleration has caused dangerous situations, including the vehicle nearly rolling toward me, other drivers reacting aggressively, and traffic hazards due to the vehicle failing to take off promptly. The hesitation creates unpredictable vehicle behavior that could lead to injury or collision. 3. Reproduction or Confirmation of the Problem The problem has been present since purchase and occurs frequently during normal operation. It has not yet been formally diagnosed or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, but it is easily reproducible. 4. Inspection Status The vehicle and its components have not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or any other authority. 5. Warning Lamps or Symptoms There were no warning lamps, messages, or alerts prior to the failure. The symptoms began immediately upon ownership and have continued without any prior indication from the vehicle. Given that this issue has existed since 17 miles and now persists at nearly 6,000 miles, I request that NHTSA investigate this matter due to the ongoing safety concerns and the potential risk to myself and other road users.
NHTSA complaint #11757383 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2022 Honda Pilot Black Edition (VIN [XXX], 62,900 miles) has multiple intermittent safety‑critical failures involving the transmission, acceleration, adaptive cruise control, and HVAC blower. These issues occur without warning and without diagnostic trouble codes. Transmission/Acceleration Failure: Most recent incident was XXX on Highway 71 during heavy traffic. The vehicle twice experienced rapid deceleration with no ability to reach a safety stop. RPM dropped below 1000, then spiked to 6,000–8,000 while the vehicle continued to lose speed. Acceleration returned only after several seconds. This also occurs during highway merging and uphill acceleration. Additionally, when disengaging cruise control and immediately pressing the accelerator, the vehicle loses speed, RPM drops abnormally low, then spikes before power returns. Adaptive Cruise Control/Honda Sensing Failure: On XXX the vehicle rapidly decelerated when a semi‑truck was beside me, despite no vehicle ahead. The week prior, while driving several states away, setting cruise at 70 mph caused sudden deceleration and cruise resetting itself to ~54 mph. These events resemble phantom braking and radar mis‑targeting. HVAC Blower Failure: During a long multi‑state trip the week prior, the AC blower (speed 3–4) intermittently stopped blowing for several seconds, then resumed at the same speed with no change to the display. These failures affect powertrain, forward collision avoidance, vehicle speed control, electrical systems, and cabin equipment. The dealership (Roush Honda, Westerville OH) cannot replicate the issues and reports no stored codes. These defects pose significant safety risks. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11754084 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am having these problems with my 2021 Honda Pilot Touring causing intermittent sudden braking. The dealership is quoting me a lot of money to fix them. Collision Mitigation System problem Road Departure Mitigation System Problem Auto High Beam Problem Lane Keep Assist Problem Adaptive Cruise Control Problem These problems should not be occurring to a an expensive vehicle worth over $45,000 for no reason. The dealership mentioned that they are caused by a failed battery fan.
NHTSA complaint #11753380 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle displayed a check engine light with a message stating an emissions issue. The car would accelerate on its own up to 10-15mph without any input to the throttle. Braking was extremely difficult and the car could not accelerate over 40 mph. My wife was driving and my 6 week old daughter was in the car.
NHTSA complaint #11753104 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
At least 4 times since we bought this vehicle in 2025, it has suddenly braked very hard, and very suddenly at highway speeds. This has always happened when using the car's adaptive cruise control, and when I am passing a large vehicle (semi truck, pickup with large camper, etc). This has happened at relatively high highway speeds (85 mph) when vehicles are behind me in the passing lane. The problem has never been reproduced or confirmed by the dealer, although I have complained about it twice. The first time, they said they lowered the sensitivity of the crash detection. The second time they showed me how to manually turn off adaptive cruise control manually. There was no prior warning when this happened, no lights or messages. This has happened about 4 times since Fall of 2025. The date below is approximately the last time, and the last location that this happened.
NHTSA complaint #11751990 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lane keeping assist problem light on, collision mitigation system problem light on, road departure mitigation system problem light on, adaptive cruise control problem light on. brake sy stem light on. The vehicle’s multiple camera has failed and it is a common occurrence with this vehicle. Honda has not recalled this and is charging customers upwards of $2500 to replace the camera behind the windshield and recalibrate it. This isn’t an issue based on miles there have been incidents with it happening as early as 30,000 miles. I bought my vehicle used and about 113,000 this started happening
NHTSA complaint #11751382 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Unintended acceleration / accelerator pedal stuck. Vehicle accelerated uncontrollably (>75 mph) on two-lane road despite heavy braking. Could not regain control for over 1 minute. This is the second incident (first in Nov 2025, reported to Serra Honda Sylacauga with no issues found per service department). Video evidence available.
NHTSA complaint #11751137 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Digital speedometer stop working. It won’t display. It has happened before, and it’s happening again. This is dangerous to my driving as I have no idea how fast I’m driving when there is no display of my speed. I read from Honda Pilot community there are many others Honda Pilot owners have this same issue. This should be safety recall as it’s driving safety issue. Thank you for looking into my concerns.
NHTSA complaint #11750083 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2022 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a parking spot with the brake pedal depressed, the engine revved unexpectedly and independently accelerated and crash into a Ford Bronco, a Jeep Cherokee, another vehicle, and two parking signs. There were no warning lights illuminated during the failure. The contact had made three other stops prior to the crash. There was no injury sustained. The air bags deployed as needed. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The local dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the failure was possibly caused by a stuck floor mat. The dealer declined to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The insurance company was contacted and deemed the vehicle a total loss. The owner had not yet released the vehicle to the insurance company. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.
NHTSA complaint #11749542 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The 3.5L V6 engine in this vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic internal mechanical failure due to premature connecting rod bearing wear. The engine stalling occurred abruptly while actively driving, which created an immediate safety risk as the vehicle lost propulsion, power steering assistance, and power braking assistance. This forced a dangerous emergency maneuver to navigate through moving traffic to get to the side of the road. Prior to the engine failure, there were no persistent dashboard warning lights or clear messages indicating an imminent mechanical failure. The first distinct symptom was a brief, sudden metallic knocking sound from the engine bay immediately before the vehicle lost all power and stalled. An authorized dealership has since inspected the vehicle and dropped the oil pan, physically confirming a massive accumulation of metal shavings and bearing debris inside the block. The dealership verified that the complete destruction of the engine block is identical in nature, symptom, and cause to the manufacturing defects described in NHTSA Recall Campaign 23V-751. However, this vehicle's specific VIN was excluded from that original recall parameter. This catastrophic failure directly corresponds to the ongoing Office of Defects Investigation Probe PE25008 regarding extensive V6 engine rod bearing failures. The failed engine block remains fully intact at the service center and is available for regulatory inspection upon request.
NHTSA complaint #11747229 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated without the driver depressing the accelerator pedal. The security alarm randomly activated while the vehicle was parked and turned off. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The message "Emissions System Failure" and a key fob error message was displayed, and the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,000.
NHTSA complaint #11745929 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2022 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while reversing into the garage, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle continued to accelerate before crashing into the garage. On another occasion, while driving into the parking lot, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into a store. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver was not injured but sought medical attention at the hospital and was treated for three days. A police report was filed. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The contact was informed by a friend that the failure was related to the throttle body. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location and deemed a total loss by the Insurance provider. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11744165 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My 2017 Honda Pilot Touring has experienced ongoing electrical and battery-related issues for several years and has been in and out of authorized Honda dealerships numerous times. The vehicle has been serviced repeatedly at both Fowler Honda in [XXX], and Pensacola Honda in [XXX]. Due to the inability to diagnose the problem, the issue was escalated by Pensacola Honda to American Honda’s technical line. After extensive diagnostics over two days, the technicians informed me that Honda engineers are aware of an issue but currently do not have a solution, although they are working on one. On XXX, while turning left from [XXX] onto [XXX], I had sufficient time to complete the turn and pressed the accelerator to proceed. However, the accelerator became completely unresponsive and the vehicle would not accelerate. My vehicle was left partially in the intersection while an oncoming vehicle approached. The other driver could have easily struck the driver’s side of my vehicle, creating the risk of a serious or fatal accident. Fortunately, a collision was avoided, but this incident demonstrated a significant safety hazard. In addition to this loss of acceleration, the vehicle has experienced recurring starting problems and electrical malfunctions. Pensacola Honda found that the battery tests normally when removed from the vehicle, but does not function properly when installed. Despite numerous repair attempts and escalation to American Honda, the problem remains unresolved. I believe this defect poses a serious safety risk to myself, my passengers, and others on the road due to the potential for sudden loss of acceleration while driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11742090 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while attempted to park the vehicle into a park spot occupied with her husband and granddaughter in the vehicle, the vehicle acceleratored independently causing the vehicle to crash into a brick wall. The contact stated that no air bags were deployed in her vehicle. The contact stated her granddaughter sustained a cut near her right eyebrow. No medical attention was required. The contact stated that a police report was filed. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was towed to a collision center. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and they are investigating the matter. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
NHTSA complaint #11735895 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Adaptive cruise control fails nearly every time the car is driven more than 40 minutes with ACC activated. Failure indicated by warning lights and statement on DIC. DIC instructs operator to clean the front "H" emblem on grille, however, the emblem is always completely clean. The failure has been reported 4+ times to the dealership. Dealership reports the failure is a known problem and there is no fix available from Honda. Upon system shut down the vehicle disengages cruise control and has rapid deceleration causing unsafe driving conditions while in traffic. System usually resets itself without cleaning or other remedies within 10-20 minutes after fail, and will usually fail again +/- 40 minutes later. ACC is marketed as part of the Driver safety system and is unreliable. first occurrence was at 670 miles since new. Car now has < 10k miles and has failed 12+ times.
NHTSA complaint #11732094 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was operating a 2022 Honda Pilot and had just made a left turn into a parking lot. I was slowly pulling into a parking space directly in front of a dance studio with a large floor-to-ceiling window. There were four children and a dance instructor standing inside near the window. As I was coming to a stop to park, my foot was on the brake. At that moment, the engine suddenly revved loudly and the vehicle accelerated forward unexpectedly without any additional throttle input. There were no warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms before this occurred. Despite braking, the vehicle continued forward and struck the exterior of the building. I was able to avoid the window area where the children were standing. The airbag deployed, and the front passenger side of the vehicle was damaged. The building was not structurally damaged, and no one was injured. There were no obstructions such as floor mats interfering with the accelerator, and there was no unintended pedal input. My foot was on the brake at the time of the incident. This appears to be a case of sudden unintended acceleration. The issue has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center, and there were no prior warning signs before the event. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. It has been towed to the body shop. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center at this time. The vehicle was inspected by insurance and they did not total it. It is going to be repaired. The vehicle has been inspected by insurance representatives. The manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle at this time. I did not call police because I was not hurt, the kids were not hurt and the building only had a couple of scratches on the brick.
NHTSA complaint #11728817 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ACC and road departure mitigation system would become disabled for no apparent reason. A message would display on the instrument panel that there is a problem, to see your dealer. Also, a collision mitigation braking system problem would display on the instrument panel with a brake system warning light. A display on the instrument panel would show an area to clean (Honda emblem on front grill). I tried to clean this area several times to no avail. The weather was clear and warm when this occurred. The system has returned to normal on its own.
NHTSA complaint #11728269 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle failed to accelerate, and the RPM became elevated. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where a partial diagnosis was performed, and it was determined that there was a catastrophic failure in cylinder #3. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, a case was opened, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
NHTSA complaint #11721976 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle previously experienced a steering wheel locking issue and was taken to the dealer for repair. The dealer stated the issue was repaired on December 11, 2024. On February 24, 2026, while driving on a public street, the vehicle hesitated or jerked slightly during acceleration and then appeared to operate normally. After a few minutes, multiple warning messages suddenly appeared on the dashboard, and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and effectively locked while I was driving. I immediately activated my hazard lights. I was unable to safely pull over because the steering wheel would not respond properly, which placed me and other drivers at risk. I had to continue driving slowly until I found a side road where I could safely stop. I turned the vehicle off. When restarting, the warning messages reappeared. After several minutes, the warning lights cleared, and the steering wheel was no longer locked but felt loose and unstable ("wobbly"). I cautiously resumed driving. After several minutes, the steering began to feel normal again. The following warnings were displayed: Hill Start Assist problem, Trailer Stability Assist problem, Hill Descent Control problem, Adaptive Cruise Control problem, Lane Keeping Assist problem, Collision Mitigation Braking System problem, Road Departure Mitigation problem, Low Speed Braking Control problem, Auto High-Beam problem, Electric Power Steering system problem – Steering Assist Not Available, and "Stop. Steering assist reduced. Stop driving when safe." The failed component appears to be the Electric Power Steering system and related driver-assistance systems. The vehicle is available for inspection. The problem was previously addressed by a dealer but has reoccurred. No prior warning lights were present before this incident. The failure occurred suddenly while driving.
NHTSA complaint #11720315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was pulling into an open available parking space in a hospital parking garage and the car just all of a sudden accelerated ON ITS OWN and hit the wall of parking spot. I tried to apply the brake several times before I could finally get it to stop and during this time the car was slamming into the wall area and slinging me back and forth a few times before it stopped. My life was put at risk because i got hurt badly I am brusied all over my neck, chest, legs and lots of internal brusing from the hitting of the wall repeatedly. If anyone else would've been in the car they would've been hurt as well but luckily i just dropped a passenger right before the incident. The car speeding up without warning is very dangerous! There were no warnings. I just bought the car 2 weeks before this happened and now I am scared to drive this vehicle! Vehicle has been inspected unknown if anything was found yet. I need to get the black box checked out to find out what caused this to happen.
NHTSA complaint #11718258 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.