2,017 of the 13,073 complaints filed about the Honda Pilot are about the electrical system — 15% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2016.
2,017
Complaints
15%
Share of all complaints
32
Crashes
38
Fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Lane System Camera Failure
NHTSA complaint #11758581 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle won't start, electrical system failure. Sometimes the electrical system fails when the car is driving/it will stall on the road. It was predicated by the alarm going off intermittently and without provocation (in the middle of the night/etc).
NHTSA complaint #11758473 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
MY 2019 HONDA PILOT EX-L WAS STOLEN FROM OUR DRIVEWAY IN JERSEY CITY, NJ ON OR ABOUT JULY 16, 2026. THE VEHICLE WAS LOCKED. BOTH FACTORY KEY FOBS REMAINED IN MY POSSESSION AND WERE INSIDE MY RESIDENCE AT THE TIME. NO WINDOW WAS BROKEN AND NO GLASS WAS FOUND AT THE SCENE, INDICATING THE VEHICLE WAS OPENED AND STARTED ELECTRONICALLY RATHER THAN BY FORCED ENTRY OR MECHANICAL BYPASS. WE HAVE A VIDEO RECORDING OF THE INCIDENT CAPTUREd BY OUR HOUSE SECURITY CAMERA. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN RECOVERED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED WITH THE JERSEY CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT [26-140624]. THIS VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH HONDA SMART ENTRY AND PUSH-BUTTON START. SECURITY RESEARCHERS HAVE PUBLICLY DOCUMENTED A ROLLING-CODE VULNERABILITY IN HONDA REMOTE KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEMS (CVE-2022-27254, KNOWN AS "ROLLING-PWN") REPORTED TO AFFECT HONDA VEHICLES FROM MODEL YEARS 2012 THROUGH 2022, WHICH INCLUDES THIS VEHICLE. HONDA HAS PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT REMOTE KEYLESS COMMANDS CAN BE MIMICKED, BUT HAS STATED IT HAS NO PLAN TO UPDATE OLDER VEHICLES. NO RECALL, SOFTWARE UPDATE, OR OWNER REMEDY HAS BEEN OFFERED FOR THIS VEHICLE. POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN NORTHERN NEW JERSEY, INCLUDING NEWARK, HAVE ISSUED PUBLIC WARNINGS IN 2026 THAT THIEVES ARE USING ELECTRONIC DEVICES TO CAPTURE OR RELAY KEY FOB SIGNALS TO STEAL LATE-MODEL HONDA VEHICLES. THE PATTERN DESCRIBED IN THOSE WARNINGS MATCHES THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THIS THEFT. I AM REPORTING THIS AS A POTENTIAL SAFETY AND SECURITY DEFECT IN THE VEHICLE'S ELECTRONIC IMMOBILIZER AND KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEM. A VEHICLE THAT CAN BE OPENED AND DRIVEN AWAY WITHOUT THE KEY PRESENT DEFEATS THE PURPOSE OF THE ANTI-THEFT IMMOBILIZER AND CREATES RISK BEYOND PROPERTY LOSS, INCLUDING THE OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE BY AN UNAUTHORIZED AND UNIDENTIFIED DRIVER ON PUBLIC ROADS. I REQUEST THAT NHTSA INVESTIGATE WHETHER A DEFECT INVESTIGATION IS WARRANTED FOR HONDA KEYLESS ENTRY AND IMMOBILIZER SYSTEMS IN THESE MODEL YEARS.
NHTSA complaint #11757989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On 05/01/2026 the battery failed and the car needed to be jumped and immediately driven to a dealership for battery replacement. The battery would not hold a charge. On 8/15/2026 the A/C went out and upon a diagnostic service appointment at the dealership on 8/17/2026 it was determined that the compressor suffered a catastrophic failure and melted.
NHTSA complaint #11757706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal dinging sound coming from the vehicle, and the ignition control, stability control, power steering, and hill-start assist warning lights were illuminated. The warning lights initially turned on and off simultaneously but eventually remained illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no coverage under Technical Service Bulletin: A18-010 / NHTSA 10128893. The approximate failure mileage was 222,000.
NHTSA complaint #11757426 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The entertainment system shuts down and repeatedly restarts during driving. When it shuts down, an error screen states "Network Communication Lost" and "MOST NET OFF". When it shuts down, the rearview camera function fails when the vehicle is in the reverse gear. Using today's date. This failure has occurred repeatedly. The NHTSA Recall Number: 23V-431 does not include this VIN; however, the failure symptoms appear to be identical
NHTSA complaint #11757538 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Component/system that failed: The audio/infotainment system (radio), rear DVD entertainment system, and backup camera all fail together while driving. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Description of the problem: While driving, the radio works normally for approximately 10-30 minutes, then begins developing static that gradually worsens until the audio cuts out completely. At the same time, the rear-seat DVD entertainment system stops functioning, and the backup camera also fails. This appears consistent with a known defect in the MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) bus and FAKRA connectors that Honda has already acknowledged and recalled on 2019-2022 Pilot, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2018-2023 Odyssey models (NHTSA Campaign 23V431), but my 2017 Pilot Elite with the same Navigation/rear entertainment head unit is not covered by that recall despite the identical failure pattern. How safety was put at risk: Loss of the backup camera while driving/reversing removes a safety feature I rely on to see behind the vehicle, increasing risk of a collision when backing up, especially around pedestrians or in tight parking situations. This mirrors exactly the safety concern Honda cited in its own recall notice for later model years — that loss of MOST communication causes rearview camera failure.
NHTSA complaint #11755779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Component/system that failed: The audio/infotainment system (radio), rear DVD entertainment system, and backup camera all fail together while driving. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Description of the problem: While driving, the radio works normally for approximately 10-30 minutes, then begins developing static that gradually worsens until the audio cuts out completely. At the same time, the rear-seat DVD entertainment system stops functioning, and the backup camera also fails. This appears consistent with a known defect in the MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) bus and FAKRA connectors that Honda has already acknowledged and recalled on 2019-2022 Pilot, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2018-2023 Odyssey models (NHTSA Campaign 23V431), but my 2017 Pilot Elite with the same Navigation/rear entertainment head unit is not covered by that recall despite the identical failure pattern. How safety was put at risk: Loss of the backup camera while driving/reversing removes a safety feature I rely on to see behind the vehicle, increasing risk of a collision when backing up, especially around pedestrians or in tight parking situations. This mirrors exactly the safety concern Honda cited in its own recall notice for later model years — that loss of MOST communication causes rearview camera failure.
NHTSA complaint #11755780 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2021 Honda Pilot Touring intermittently fails to restart after the Auto Idle Stop system shuts off the engine at a stop. This occurs about 10% of the time. When I release the brake, the engine does not restart, creating a risk of being stranded in traffic. I must shift to Park and press the Start button to restart it. No warning lights or messages were observed. The problem has not yet been inspected by a dealer. The vehicle is available for inspection. Scheduled appointment at Honda service.
NHTSA complaint #11755752 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I came to a complete stop at a red light. The car went into neutral and shut off completely. In order to restart the car, I had to put it in park to completely restart it in traffic. This same thing has now happened multiple times and each time it does, it comes shortly before the battery fails and will not start the car at all. I have been through 3 AGM Platinum batteries in the past year. Something is draining the battery. The starter, alternator and auxiliary battery have each been tested in the course of taking the vehicle to 3 different auto mechanics before going to the Honda dealership. All of them said these components tested fine (and they were tested under load). Honda acted like they didn't know about this being a common problem and suggested we replace the starter as an experimental remedy. We asked the Honda dealership for the software update fix and were told we already had the 23-008 update. However, after more research realize that it also needs a 23-009 and 23-010 update as well which was not offered. Honda's failure to take responsibility on this known chronic problem is disappointing at best and likely negligent/reckless.
NHTSA complaint #11755715 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
when driving our 2023 honda pilot we stopped at traffic light the car shut off would not restart our front doors would open and close our back doors would not operate back tale gate door would not operate we had no4 way blinkers no lights totally dead auto. we were in middle of four lanes bumper to bumper traffic with no way to warn other drivers of our car break down. after short time a helpful driver pulled up behind us and used his auto to block us from traffic and used his 4 way flashers to warn other cars to go around us . police and tow showed up in appx 20 min. car was taken to WILLIAMS HONDA OF TRAVERS CITY MI.49685 they repaired car next day informed us battery shorted out when auto shut off activated at stop light. we had no indications of any issues with our vehicle it is 3 yr old with 40138 mi on it battery was out warrenty. williams installed newAGM100M BATT. our main safety issue is lack of 4 way warning or signal to other drivers.WE WERE LUCKY NO ONE REAR ENDED US AND WE DID NOT NEED BACK DOORS TO OPERATE . THANK YOU [XXX] AND [XXX] FROM SAULT STE. MARIE MI [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11755632 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The auto idle engine system was on. I came to complete stop at a stoplight, the engine turned off. Then when I released my foot off the break, the car shut down and flashed a bunch of lights. The engine then shifts itself to neutral and then park. I have to press the start button several times to get the engine to turn on again. This has happened numerous times to myself and family members driving the car. The car just stops and shuts off. Very dangerous when other cars are behind you.
NHTSA complaint #11755522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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.