2,522 of the
13,073 complaints filed about the Honda Pilot
are about the engine —
19% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2016.
My 2016 Honda Pilot Elite has developed a loud, heavy metallic knocking sound coming from the engine block that increases in speed with engine RPMs. Despite strict regular maintenance and oil changes, the engine noise is getting progressively worse, creating an immediate risk of catastrophic engine failure, stalling, or seizing while driving on the highway. While this vehicle matches the exact failure symptoms of NHTSA Recall 23V751 for connecting rod bearing failure, my specific VIN is currently excluded from the recall scope. I am reporting this as part of the ongoing investigation into underreported V6 engine batches.
NHTSA complaint #11758954 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The Auto Idle Stop/Start system on my 2019 Honda Pilot has failed at least a dozen times. When the vehicle is stopped and Auto Idle Stop shuts off the engine, the engine sometimes fails to restart when the driver attempts to proceed. The dashboard lights illuminate, but the engine does not restart. The driver must turn the vehicle completely off and manually restart it. The vehicle is available for inspection. This has created a serious safety concern. On multiple occasions, the failure happened to a young driver in my family while stopped at a busy intersection. When traffic began moving, the Pilot would not restart and remained unexpectedly stopped in an active traffic lane. There was no warning that the vehicle would fail to restart, leaving the driver trying to shut down and restart the vehicle while traffic was moving around them. I have taken the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealer multiple times regarding this issue. This is now my third attempt to have the problem addressed. The dealer is now performing the applicable Honda warranty work related to the Auto Idle Stop no-restart condition. There have been no warning lamps or messages immediately before these failures. The Auto Idle Stop system appears to operate normally until the engine is supposed to restart. At that point, the engine fails to restart and dashboard warning lights illuminate. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives.
NHTSA complaint #11758584 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
The connecting rod on my 2017 Honda Pilot is coming apart and metal is present in the oil. The engine began knocking and progressively got louder. The sound was coming from the bottom of the engine around cylinder 1. We shut the car off and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer service center confirmed that the connecting rod on cylinder 1 was coming apart and found metal in the oil and filter. The vehicle has not been inspected by any other parties. There was a warning lamp that came on saying there was a fuel emission problem. That lamp has come on intermittently since we had recall service done on the transmission 6 weeks ago (June 2026). We did have that looked at, but were told they could not reproduce the issue. A check engine lamp also appeared just after the noise first appeared. I included the dealer repair center diagnosis and estimate of repair. I also included documentation that their records for our maintenance are incorrect. We took immaculate care of that vehicle from the day we purchased it.
NHTSA complaint #11758204 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle started to make some strange noises coming from the engine area. I brought the vehicle to our mechanic, who stated that the engine needs to be replaced. He described the problem as an issue with the piston that is appearing to be common with the shut off system, causing it in this vehicle. He classified as.’Engine has internal knock from wrist pin/rod bearing’. I’m looking at recalls and there are 2018s that appeared to have some sort of rod or piston issue that is under recall. Our particular VIN does not show a recall. This does appear to be a relatively common problem occurring with our model year though.
NHTSA complaint #11758136 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the engine light was illuminated. The transmission emission message was displayed. The contact stated that the failure was associated with DTC: P0777. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who recommended a transmission flush. After the transmission flush the vehicle failed to shift from second to third gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer a second time and another transmission flush was recommended and the dealer eventually determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.
NHTSA complaint #11758192 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The connecting rod snapped in my 2019 Honda Pilot V6 engine at 102,000 miles. This is the exact mechanical failure described in NHTSA Recall 23V-751, but Honda is refusing to repair it due to a VIN exclusion. The dealership has confirmed this was a sudden, unpreventable structural component failure.
NHTSA complaint #11758231 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I had a connecting rod bearing failure. Thjs failure is exactly the same as the issue being investigated by NHTSA currently for modek year 2020 Honda Pilots. My car had 93k miles on it at the time of failure although I complained to my dealer as far back as September 2022 of hearing engine knock occasionally. The repair cost me $8700 not to mention the loss of my car for 10 days. The incident happened when I was on a family vacation and I had to have the car repaired at a dealer 200 miles away. I went to Honda America seeking some assistance given their current recall per bulletin 24-001, even though my car was beyond the model year range. The failure was exactly the same as that described in the bulletin. I have a record of oil changes on my car for the last 4 years. I typically change oil at 5000 mile intervals.
NHTSA complaint #11757842 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My Ac went out and upon taking it to the dealership, it was determined that my clutch and coil are melted into my compressor. They ordered the part but there were over 1,000 other dealerships that put in an order for the same part so I was told it could take over two months to get this sort in. They also said this was highly abnormal and it normal wear and tear so it definitely feels like a malfunction of the equipment Honda has that should be considered a recall.
NHTSA complaint #11757895 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tachometer is starting to surging idle. Getting a wave of errors lights and messages. It’s also a known problem on the 2019 of the same model and it has a recall. I received the same code from an auto repair shop. Service Bulletin 21-010
NHTSA complaint #11757579 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
when trying to accelerate car is yanking very bad seems like it is a very bad shutter or something with the transmission there is also a very bad squeak when you drive under the car
NHTSA complaint #11757503 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am reporting a catastrophic engine failure involving my 2021 Honda Pilot equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine. The vehicle has approximately 77,000 miles. The vehicle developed an engine rattling noise followed by complete engine failure and loss of motive power. I had the vehicle transported to an authorized Honda dealership for diagnosis. Following inspection and engine teardown, the Honda dealer documented a hole in the front side of the short block, a large amount of metal debris in the oil pan, and the cylinder #3 connecting rod broken in half. The dealer concluded that the engine experienced catastrophic internal failure with widespread metal contamination throughout the lower and upper engine components. Due to the extent of the damage, the Honda dealer recommended replacement of the short-block assembly, both complete cylinder heads, fuel injectors and associated components. The estimated engine repair alone is approximately $20,275. I am concerned that this failure may represent a safety-related engine defect because catastrophic connecting-rod failure can result in sudden loss of motive power. Honda has previously recalled certain vehicles equipped with 3.5L V6 engines for connecting-rod-bearing failures that can cause engine damage, engine failure and loss of motive power. My 2021 Pilot is not currently included in that recall population. I am not asserting that the cause of my engine failure has been established as identical to the existing recall defect. However, given the catastrophic connecting-rod failure documented by an authorized Honda dealer, I am requesting that NHTSA review this incident and determine whether it may be related to the broader pattern of connecting-rod/engine failures involving Honda 3.5L V6 engines, including vehicles outside the existing recall population.
NHTSA complaint #11757552 — 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.
Alternator had been replaced a few days prior. Heard a rattling the same day we picked the car up. Called the dealership to arrange a drop off for inspection. An hour after that call, the car was at a stopped and the engine shut off. The car is currently at the local dealership. We were at risk because the engine cut off with no warning. No lights to indicate an issue. The vehicle has been inspected by a Honda certified service department. According to the service department, this issue has been recalled but this specific vin was not involved in the recall.
NHTSA complaint #11756838 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
#1 connecting rod bearing failure at 89,000 miles, all oil changes were done timely and properly. Car is very well maintained. While engine is running it has a very loud rod knock coming from bottom of engine. I did some research and it’s the same symptoms and issues as (NHTSA Campaign 23V751) 2016-2020 Honda pilot recall.
NHTSA complaint #11756835 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Message Emissions System Problem – Avoid Heavy Acceleration and High Speed. See Dealer. Car has been dropped off at dealer on 7/12/26 and has still yet to be returned. Dealer stated they contacted Honda corporate and they need to take the engine apart and submitt photos
NHTSA complaint #11756431 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When I press down on the gas, the car is delayed in responding. This has gotten increasingly worse, at times resulting in near collisions with on-coming traffic. I've reported this to my local dealership (Priority Honda in Chesapeake, Virginia) but they continue to tell me there are no diagnostic codes that allude to there being an issue and will not review it further. When I took a technician for a test drive and was able to replicate it, the technician said that it was normal that the gas was not immediately responsive. The unresponsiveness happens when I'm trying to get initial momentum (starting at a full stop), when I'm changing from reversing to moving forward, and when I'm already in motion and trying to advance speed.
NHTSA complaint #11756203 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Honda Part #80872-SN7-003 failed at 3years and 40,000 miles which Honda will not cover under warranty. This is a simple O-Ring for the AC line which has a life span of 10-15 years. Apparently this has been common on 2023-2025 Pilots and passports and thus should be a recall issue.
NHTSA complaint #11756008 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
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.