648 of the
13,244 complaints filed about the Honda Pilot
are about the braking system —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2005.
After going over a railroad track, at 15mph, several warning sensors appeared. Including brakes, power steering and several more flashed quickly. Power steering failed and I could not turn my wheel. It told me to not drive and see a dealer. Luckily I was in traffic and it was moving slow. I was able to turn my car off and back on and all the senor systems cleared. I took my car to the dealer, which it is at now, and they cant find a problem outside of wheel sensor going off in history. I dont feel safe with this car.
NHTSA complaint #11763296 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I own a 2023 Honda Pilot. On two separate occasions while the vehicle was being driven, the vehicle experienced multiple system warnings and a significant loss of steering assistance. The first incident occurred before July 16, 2026, at approximately 40,605 miles. While my wife was driving, multiple warning lights illuminated and the steering wheel suddenly became extremely stiff and difficult to turn, although the engine remained running. She was able to pull over, turn the vehicle off, and restart it. After the restart, the warning lights disappeared and the steering returned to normal. I brought the vehicle to John Eagle Honda of Dallas on July 16, 2026. The dealer's repair order documents: “CUSTOMER STATES MULTIPLE LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND STEERING WHEEL GOT REALLY STIFF BUT VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING.” The dealer reported that it performed a battery check and charging-system test, found no stored diagnostic trouble codes, could not duplicate the condition during a test drive, and performed no repair. The problem occurred again on September 8, 2026, at approximately 42,511 miles while my wife was driving. Once again, the steering became extremely difficult to operate. During this second incident, my wife also reported that the brakes were not functioning normally. Multiple warning lights and system-failure messages appeared simultaneously. Photographs were taken of the instrument cluster before the condition cleared. One message specifically stated: “Electric power steering system problem. Steering assist not available. Do not drive.” Another stated: “AWD All wheel drive system problem. Only front wheels may be powered. See your dealer.” The instrument cluster also displayed additional warning indicators associated with other vehicle systems. This is particularly concerning because the failure has now occurred twice while the vehicle was being driven. Turning the vehicle off and restarting it has caused the symptoms and warnings to disappear.
NHTSA complaint #11763055 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle lost automotive power, and the battery, oil, and information warning lights remained illuminated. Several minutes later, the vehicle was restarted, and the contact continued driving. Another failure occurred while attempting to accelerate from a stop, and the transmission shifted into neutral, the brake pedal became stiff, and the contact was forced to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was 98,512.
NHTSA complaint #11762859 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The automatic breaking sensor put on my brakes at random times. It happens when going over a small rise in the road and also happened on a 2 Lane road when a semi truck was coming the opposite direction totally within its lane and the sensor for some reason thought maybe the vehicle was in my lane. This caused a sudden breaking and could’ve caused an accident by either me reacting to that breaking or by Vehicle following me hitting my car. This has happened multiple times and is very disconcerting. I took it to the dealer, but they could not find anything wrong with the car.
NHTSA complaint #11758180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
my vehicle since the first week verhicle stops for no reason comes into a sudden dangerous stop the vehicle in the highway turn off and vehicle take off on its own 0 to 40 miles on its own
NHTSA complaint #11756979 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on a somewhat bumpy road (due to construction works in that location), when suddenly several warning lights came on. Driver assist was disabled, power steering and electrical braking were disabled as well. I was driving at 10mph (this was at a roundabout) so was able to control the vehicle and safely navigate it to a place where I could park. I turned off the vehicle and waited a few moments. When I turned it back on the warning lights cleared and I had power steering wheel/brake control as normal. I brought the vehicle to a certified Honda service station first thing in the morning. The report states an error code C0051-96 has occurred. The wheel sensor was recalibrated and the vehicle was cleared to drive by a Honda certified technician.
NHTSA complaint #11756236 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Safety Complaint – 2025 Honda Pilot EX-L Brake/Electric Parking Brake System Warning I am filing this complaint regarding a serious safety issue with my 2025 Honda Pilot EX-L, which I purchased brand new from Paragon Honda in Queens, New York, approximately one year ago. The vehicle currently has only 47,089 miles and has never been involved in an accident. While driving, multiple warning lights suddenly appeared on the dashboard, including a Brake System warning indicating a problem with the Electric Parking Brake system and that the parking brake was unavailable. This occurred unexpectedly while the vehicle was in operation and created a serious safety concern. A brake-related warning and loss of parking brake availability on a nearly new vehicle is unacceptable and requires immediate investigation. I immediately brought the vehicle to Paragon Honda Service Center in Queens for diagnosis. The dealership informed me that I may be responsible for diagnostic fees and possible repair costs, despite the vehicle being approximately one year old and covered by the Honda factory warranty. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this issue represents a potential safety defect affecting 2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. I believe Honda should address this problem promptly and ensure that affected customers are protected from safety risks and unexpected repair expenses. Vehicle Information: Make/Model: 2025 Honda Pilot EX-L Mileage: 47,089 miles Dealer: Paragon Honda, Queens, NY
NHTSA complaint #11755405 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On multiple occasions, under different driving conditions, the vehicle has experienced significant and rapid deceleration without any warning lights, diagnostic codes, or dashboard messages. The deceleration has occurred unexpectedly and creates a dangerous situation, particularly in traffic where a car or semi behind me is not anticipating the sudden decrease in speed. This requires me to fully depress the gas pedal which then creates a slingshot effect once acceleration takes hold. This situation was almost continuous on a recent long-distance drive and only stopped once I parked the car in my garage. The only “fix” for now is to drive in cruise control where speed will be maintained. Since then, I’ve only driven locally and it has happened almost daily but much more intermittent with local driving. It's happened at speeds from 12 mph-74 mph. This is NOT an adaptive cruise control issue and I drive with only my right foot.
NHTSA complaint #11755170 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Collision Mitigation Braking System has activated numerous times while traveling on a straight road with no other vehicles around. The brakes activated hard where items shifted in the vehicle and the seatbelts locked. Occupants were thrust forward at the time of braking. Contact was make with the dealership and there are is not any fixes advised.
NHTSA complaint #11753712 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Bought car late march 2026 from Toyota dealership . Collision Mitigation Braking System randomly engages. Forcefully slamming on brakes ( approx 1-2 seconds and then releasing) when NOTHING is in the road or around. No rhyme or reason , no consistency as to when it happens. Since Purchasing it has happed 9-10 times. **7/15/26 - visit Toyota for routine service, expresses my concerns. They said they couldn’t see anything bc their systems can’t diagnose Honda. **7/21/26 - Honda Dealership . says sensors are fine. (Spent less than 10 mins driving the vehicle). And recommends to turn the anti-collision feature off .. but it has to be turned off every time the vehicle restarts. 🚨For safety reasons - I don’t feel I should have to do this … the problem should be looked into and taken seriously. I can only imagine the catastrophe if I were in bumper to bumper traffic and it happens, causing a pile up.
NHTSA complaint #11752248 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Full brake system, Emissions System problem, and Service System malfunctioning, out of the blue. Factory Reset and System Updated performed with no improvement.
NHTSA complaint #11751683 — 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.
While driving my 2025 Honda Pilot at normal road speeds, multiple warning messages suddenly appeared on the dashboard, including steering system warnings. The steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and felt as though it had locked, creating a serious safety hazard. I had very limited ability to steer the vehicle and could have lost control, especially if this had occurred at higher speeds or in traffic. The vehicle had to be towed to a Honda dealership for inspection. I was informed there were issues involving the steering system, including the steering rack/rack and pinion, and an alignment was recommended. The estimated repair cost was approximately $5,900, and I was told the warranty would not cover the repair even though this appears to be an internal component failure. The failed components are available for inspection upon request. I believe this is a serious safety defect because a sudden loss of steering control while driving could easily result in a crash, serious injury, or death.
NHTSA complaint #11751427 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle will not start occasionally and states brake issue. The brakes becomes rigid and I'm left stranded until it corrected itself. This is a KNOWN issue, and yet they won't do a recall. It seems like a deceptive practice.
NHTSA complaint #11750571 — 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.
Brake light wont cut off and drains battery. Car wouldn't start and once battery was charged all steering, cruise control, hill assist, lane assist and other lighs came on. 7 total alerts came on and car struggled to go up hills and speed up after braking at lights. Brake light stayed on entire drive and didnt go off even when the car was off.
NHTSA complaint #11748984 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On XXX, while my wife was driving our 2017 Honda Pilot Elite (VIN: [XXX]) southbound on [XXX], approaching the intersection with [XXX], the vehicle experienced a complete engine stall due to the Auto Idle Stop feature. The engine shut off at a stop but failed to automatically restart when she released the brake to proceed. All dashboard warning lights flashed, and the vehicle became inoperable in the middle of traffic, creating a significant traffic jam at a busy intersection. My wife was able to restart the vehicle manually by shifting to Park and pressing the engine start/stop button. This is part of a persistent safety defect with the Auto Idle Stop (Idle Stop-Start) system. The vehicle has stalled multiple times in traffic and on highways since new. Honda performed TSB 23-008 (PGM-FI Idle Stop software update/product update campaign) on XXX at Autopark Honda in Cary, NC, but the issue was not resolved. I also replaced the battery in November 2024 at the dealership's recommendation, but the no-restart/stall problem continues. I normally keep the Auto Idle Stop feature disabled for safety, but my wife forgot on this occasion. **Cause:** UNKNOWN (per Honda TSBs 23-008 and 23-009, the issue relates to excessive cylinder pressure and/or low cranking torque after Idle Stop engages; prior fixes have not resolved it). This defect creates a dangerous situation where the vehicle can unexpectedly lose power in traffic, increasing collision risk. I have reported this to the dealership multiple times and am seeking resolution under TSB 23-009 (warranty extension). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11748740 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving roughly 15 MPH, my car displayed emergency messages, brake applied automatically by the vehicle and the power steering failed. In order for me to get out of the way of traffic in an intersection, I had to veer to the opposite side of the road passing oncoming traffic. The following lights were displayed "TSA, Hill start assist problem vehicle may roll upon brake release, Vehicle Stability Assist problem reduced traction and handling, brake system problem brake system reduced, electric power steering problem steering assist not available do not drive" Vehicle has had no issues and only has 6,460 miles on it. Car is currently waiting to be towed to the dealership.
NHTSA complaint #11748454 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Slowed down to turn right into a parking lot, power steering suddenly disabled and multiple warning lights appeared on dash. Warning messages stating auto brake system disabled, lane departure assist disabled, hill assist and start disabled, and more warning lights. Steering suddenly became difficult and dangerous with moving traffic behind me. Pulled into a parking lot and restarted car multiple times. After more than 10 minutes and restarting vehicle, power steering came back.
NHTSA complaint #11744643 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH on a clear day, the braking system activated without driver input and caused the vehicle to come to a sudden stop. There were no other vehicles, pedestrians, or objects nearby to cause the automatic braking system to be activated. The sudden braking was recorded by the Insurance App. Due to the abrupt stop, the contact struck her head on the steering wheel when the vehicle jolted forward. The contact stated that the seat belts failed to respond or properly restrain the contact during the failure. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle resumed normal operation after the failure. The local dealer was contacted, and a service appointment was scheduled. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and opened a case about the failure. The manufacturer advised that a representative would provide a follow-up call. The contact was additionally provided with the telephone number for Roadside Assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 17,500.
NHTSA complaint #11743777 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.