general problems of the 2019 Honda Pilot - part 1

The engine is making the same clunking sound that is associated with the known connecting rod bearing issue detailed in NHTSA campaign number: 23v751000.

I own a 2019 Honda Pilot. The transmission failed and was replaced under warranty in October 2023. In March 2026, the same transmission problem occurred again and the vehicle is now not drivable. The dealership diagnosed the issue and estimated the repair cost to exceed $19,000. The manufacturer, american Honda motor CO. , inc. , opened and then closed my case (#16240409) without explanation and has not responded to repeated requests for assistance. The vehicle remains at the dealership awaiting authorization from american Honda motor CO. , inc whether to repair the vehicle or not.

The 9 speed transmission suddenly lost power while accelerating onto an interstate from an on ramp. It is available for inspection at the auto shop as it is not driveable and had to be towed. The vehicle did not give any indication in the moment. My safety and the safety of other drivers were at risk due to the posted speed limit of 65 mph and my car had no ability to accelerate and get to a shoulder with three lanes of traffic. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by the dealer. I've reported this issue numerous times and they always state they don't find anything defective with the vehicle. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or other entities. There has never been any warning lamps or messages prior to the sudden loss of power on this occassion. In the past when I have lost power, it's been momentarily and no signs have illuminated. It has gained power within seconds of me stepping on the gas. On this occassion, it never got power back and the signs came on. Once I got to the side of the road, I tried turning the vehicle off and back on but once I try to put it in drive, it goes back to neutral automatically on its own. Prior to this incident, other than losing power momentarily at times, when stopped at a red light or stop sign, the car would automatically put itself in neutral and I was unable to drive when the light turned green/my turn at stop sign. I had to turn the car off (in the middle of the road) and turn it back on to get it to go in drive and accelerate again.

My car "lurches" when increasing speed sometimes acting like it does not want to go at all. I am constantly on edge that I am going to get rear ended or hit. Especially when my children are with me. Occasionally the brake light will light up and my car will slow down and then accelerate again. Which also makes me worry about getting hit. Both of these things have happened multiple times and we've done our research. It's a major issue.

Rear differential unit failed at about 66,000 miles without warning. During normal driving, the dashboard warning light came on indicating awd warning. It was raining at the time the warning came on. The Pilot onboard computer did disable the awd and place the vehicle in front wheel drive only mode. The next morning again the awd warning came on when put into drive and was raining again. Driving again in the afternoon the awd warning did not come on and there was no rain. I could not see any physical signs of an issue. The Pilot was just in for two recalls: one for backup camera wiring harness on 8/27/2025 and fuel pump on 9/8/2025. About two weeks later on 9/24/2025 was when the first warning came on. The Pilot was taken to the dealer and was reported that the differential pump, sub harness, and differential all needed to be replaced. I informed the dealer that the two recalls were performed and the warning coming on during wet weather. The dealer stated the failure was not caused by the recalls. In order to make to Pilot safe to drive again, I had the dealer replace the parts.

Vehicle surges occasionally at 30 to 45 mph. Had a loud engine knock when driving on interstate and vehicle slowed down and multiple warning lighted up on dash like a christmas tree. Was able to get to the shoulder safely. Restarted the vehicle, warning lights gone and was able to drive home. Obd ii scanner read p0369. Took it to dealer for inspection, they confirmed camshaft “walk” and damaged the camshaft position sensor. After the repair, the surging issue still occurs occasionally.

My 2019 Honda Pilot was surging when it went up a hill or was at a steady speed on the highway. I was concerned that the car would stall. The dealer confirmed/reproduced the problem and called it a torque converter shudder. Per Honda's instructions they changed the transmission fluid 3 times and did a software update. There were no warning lights. This is a known problem with a very specific fix that is recommended by Honda. It should be a recall and the repair covered by Honda. It costs me over $400. 00 to get the repair done at my dealer-washington PA Honda.

As the vehicle is stopped in traffic and is about the proceed, the vehicle automatically shifts into park and the emission warning light comes on. The vehicle is unable to be put back into drive unless the vehicle is turned off and then restarted creating a dangerous condition while you are stuck in middle of the roadway.

Needed a steering rack. Needed a new transmission due to a torque converter failure. Now awd is intermittently faulty needing fuel injectors. All within 1 year.

2019 Honda touring: driving down the highway the windshield would crackle ( electricity) then we started experiencing transmission delays in shifting and the transmission sounded rough and it was delayed. When the car was put in park the whole dashboard lit up with emissions system problem, stop driving when safe. Transmission problem, blind spot info system problem. After this showed up the car was not able to move at all. It would not move to gear. The problem was not reproduced at the Honda dealer. They recommend replacing the transmission. I had it towed to another shop where they tell me all codes that pertain this the initial issues stated and refer back to dealer to reset the tmc system failure and to reset the electrical system. Honda refuses to do work as they want to replace the entire transmission.

Driving in the woodlands and at a stop sign when the auto-stop feature activated and when light changed to green the car would not automatically restart, I had to physically restart the vehicle by pushing the start button with the brake engaged. Very annoying! and a big safety issue.

Transmission shift from 2nd to 3rd gear is extremely violent and inconsistent. This is not a normal "transmission slip" but rather a miscalculation of how much rpm to input post shift. This causes the car to "jump" or slow drastically while driving through city. Typically felt between 25 and 35 mph. When I took car in for diagnostic, the dealership said "OH, that's just how these cars a made. I hear about this many times with now problems. " there are no engine lights on as a result of the shifting, but the reported concern has been present on car since first owner.

The transmission surges while accelerating and cruising. Honda issued a service bulletin, 17-014 issued 2/27/2018, to fix the problem for the 2016-2017 models. Mine is a 2019 with the same transmission as the 2016-17 Pilot, the 6at. The solution to the issue was the same as the 2016-17 Pilot, flushing the transmission fluid three times but now Honda will not issue a service bulletin for the same problem on the the 2019 model so I had to pay for it.

I have recently had a traumatizing event with respect to the 2019 Honda Pilot. As you know this vehicle has the 3. 5l v6 engine and transmission. Recently I was in a situation where I needed to accelerate to miss an oncoming tractor trailer that crossed the median. The only course of action was to accelerate. At the time of acceleration the car skipped and slipped gear. We narrowly missed colliding and in my estimates dying. I had the vehicle inspected and diagnosed by a Honda dealership in sanford nc. They determined the torque converter failed and is bad. They also informed me this same power train is in the 2018 and previous Honda Pilots. Which Honda extended the warranty on to address the issue. Why haven’t they included the 2019? this is unacceptable I have reached out to Honda and they will not discuss the issue.

Ticking noise and check engine light. Taken to dealer. Dealer replaced tensioner, timing belt, water pump, did oil change and engine flush. Did not fix the problem. Dealer took the engine apart and discovered damaged rocker arm assembly which caused valve spring break which caused a problem with the cylinder. Honda is denying a warranty claim as the vehicle is just outside of the 5 year power train warranty period even though it only has 48 thousand mile on it and has been serviced regularly and kept in good condition.

We were driving from the [xxx] area to [xxx] in June 2024. We noticed a "transmission too hot" indicator on our dash while we were driving on [xxx] in [xxx] . It was not a hot day. We pulled over because we did not want to damage our car. We were towed to ciocca Honda in [xxx] . They ran diagnostics and determined the problem was a known issue "a23-073" and our car needed a software update. The did a fine job and got us back on the road. My concern is that this was a known problem which could still be affective other motorists. Please evaluate whether a recall is needed for the fix done to our car and the software update. Thank you! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Dash instuments goes blacked out , entertainment system goes black in sequence to dash, this has happened multiple times . I cannot tell my speed, gas levels, etc, the lkas, collision warning, adaptive cruise control , auto emergncy breaking ,lane departure warning failed with lights coming on with various failure warinings, it fails ,then works randomly then fails again. I have taken my vehichle in starting in 2022 for the dash instruments and entertainment going out . The transmission has rough shifting multiple times, I have brought for diagnostic service 4 times on transmission, they cannot find the causes. I have had transmissions serviced and flushed as required.

While driving on highway 35 in olathe traffic came to a crawl and vehicle automatic idle caused vehicle to stop. Luckily vehicles were slow and was not hit in the rear. Had to place vehicle in park and restart. Several other times while at stop light vehicle just shuts down and fails to restart. We are just manually turning off auto idle on every start. If we forget the vehicle will start to shut down and we quickly turn off. Safety concerns while having grandkids in vehicle so we usually just take the 2014 Honda odyssey which does not have this feature. On going problem.

As soon as my car hit 58,000 miles all of a sudden my transmission is doing a jerking like if it’s trying to fail, which doesn’t make sense because I’ve never heard of transmissions going on a car so young with very few mileage and then I realized, and I looked it up that Pilot from 2018 2017 and 2019 are known to have transmission issues. Why didn’t Honda fix this issue already?.

Hello, I have owned my 2019 Pilot for almost 6 years. From day one, I have had ongoing issues including over 12 situations in which my vehicle would not restart at stoplights, 4-way stops or other areas (my driveway, gas station etc. ). I have had the vehicle jump started multiple times by my extended warranty company, my husband and neighbor and towed to the dealer. My most recent stall when not even let me turn on my hazards as my vehicle completely died at the stoplight. I have called 911 multiple times to protect me from being rear-ended. I fear for my life driving the vehicle. My kids refuse to also drive the vehicle. Honda does not have any answers for the fix. There are over 1,000 complaints from vehicle owners. Let's do something before someone is rear-ended and killed! look at my service history! my car is a lemon, and has lost value. I deserve peace of mind driving this vehicle and compensation for this never ending nightmare.

The Pilot has exhibited unusual behavior that seems tied to the autostop functionality when at a stop light. Three times now I will let my foot off the brake and the car completely shuts down. When I try to restart the vehicle, the accessory power turns on but the vehicle will not start. It will start to turn over, but the turn over terminates abruptly and the car completely shuts off. The behavior seems similar to what is in the NHTSA action number pe22005.

No power it feels like it’s stock.

At random times, but seemingly becoming a more frequent occurence, when the stop/start system engages & shuts the vehicle down at idle (at a stop light for example), the vehicle will not restart for a period of time afterwards. This has also happened on the highway multiple times in traffic in which the vehicle will not start for a short period of time. This is a big safety issue and I was almost rear-ended a couple of times in those highway cases. When the problem happens, the lighting on the meter (indicator lights) will randomly flash & the clicking sound from the blinker will continuously go on/off during the timeframe of when the vehicle will not restart. I've raised this concern to Honda multiple times with no support coming back from them since they can't re-create the issue.

This vehicle continues to have issues related to a problem that was issued for the fuel pump earlier this year. My fuel pump was replaced, but the vehicle continues to do the same thing. It stalls and jerks while I am driving and does not start sometimes after getting gas. When I am trying to accelerate the vehicle does not go at full power. One time I was going out into traffic and had to reverse because I knew that I would not make it and get hit. In addition to this, the vehicle has an issue with the braking system. Other years have been recalled for what they call ghost breaking, and although this one does this, it has not been recalled. I will be driving and the car will all of a sudden just brake on its own as if there is a vehicle/object in front of me. Sometimes this happens in the same location. Honda is supposed to be a reliable car, but it seems they have failed with this year/model of the Pilot because it has been big issue after big issue.

I was coming to a stop at a red light and the car shut off . It flashed a transmission issue and emissions issue on the dash. I tried to restart and it would start but not move or let me shift into gear leaving me stranded in the middle of a busy road. It took for an officer to remove my battery cable and then reconnect for me to be able to move the vehicle out of the road and into a parking lot. I had the car towed to the nearest Honda dealership where they saw the messages on the dash. While they test drove it all errors went away and they can’t locate an issue.

On [xxx] we were driving on [xxx] in nashville and experiencing a sudden loss of power and the check engine light started flashing. Thankfully we were able to exit the interstate without incident and there was a mechanic shop near the exit. He found brass flakes in the oil filter and told us that it was likely a bearing failure. We then had the vehicle towed back to the Honda dealership in louisville ky where we purchased it new. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Acceleration hesitation. Car seems to hesitate when accelerating for a few seconds and then all the sudden will accelerate quickly.

Unknown…. Vehicle slips at certain speeds and repeatedly does so on a trip. If the engine is turned off, this may reset and slippage goes away temporarily. This issue has been brought to the dealers attention on multiple occasions over the past 2 years, but they have been unable to reproduce except on the most recent visit. Occurrence is more frequent now. Wondering why this vehicle is not included with the recall with similar make and model for the same year for torque converter?.

When exiting a highway, my Pilot started to shake and jump. When I pulled to safety, the vehicle was reluctant to shift into park and kept cycling back in to drive. After multiple attempts, it finally stayed in park. Dealership reported the transmission software needed to be updated. I was told this is not covered under my warranty or under a recall as this is not a common problem. After doing more research this does appear to be a common safety problem.

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that he had stopped the vehicle and had depressed the brake pedal. The contact stated that he opened the driver's side door and as he stepped out with his left leg, the vehicle started to move forward, and the engine was still running. The contact stated that the vehicle had a safety feature that automatically placed the vehicle into park (p) when the driver depressed the brake pedal and opened the driver's side door. The contact stated that as he exited the vehicle, it started to roll; he had parked on a slope with the hood of the vehicle aimed downhill. The contact stated that the driver's side rear tire ran over both his legs below his knees. The vehicle rolled downhill into a ravine and was not damaged. The contact stated that he called the police, who arrived and asked if he needed medical attention. The contact stated that no report was issued. The contact declined and later drove himself to a hospital emergency room. The contact stated that he was x-rayed and examined and only had abrasions and bruises. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined it had low battery power and had contacted the manufacturer for further guidance. The contact stated that the vehicle had a 9-speed automatic transmission that used a push button. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

Said 2019 Honda Pilot, maintained per Honda recommended maintenance schedule, experienced engine knock and internal damage at 100k miles. Investigation by Honda certified maintenance (dealership) identified a misfire diagnostic code for cylinder #2, and observed visible metallic debris in the engine oil indicative of bearing failure. Honda certified maintenance suggested internal engine damage and recommended engine/motor replacement. This is premature failure of 2019 Honda Pilot engine, presumably "not included" in the "affected VIN" population of Honda service bulletin #24-001.

The Honda Pilot has a known history of "judder and surge" with the transmission. Which means to shake rapidly or spasmodically; vibrate conspicuously. Honda in America has a TSB/technical service bulletin for this condition and that is to triple flush the transmission and reprogram the transmission computer. This is obviously a serious safety issue and the vehicle does not behave in a normal operating condition and surges and vibrates until service is performed. This is not normal wear and tear, this is bad engineering. Honda is aware of the TSB for judder and surge, but will only correctly repair certain trim levels and model years, although Honda knows that it exist in all configuration of the Pilot 2016 and forward. We have a 2019 Honda Pilot and Honda refuses to fix this vehicle as a TSB, but instead wishes to leave the vehicles on the road and have the unwitting customer pay for this serious repair condition. Honda should issue a comprehensive TSB for all Pilot years and makes for the judder/surge issue.

I brought my 2019 Honda Pilot to son's Honda in mcdonough, GA, for a service diagnosis as my vehicle is not mechanically running smoothly, sputtering. I called Honda dealership knowing there's a current recall for fuel pump motor it thought this might be the problem. Honda asked me if my vehicle engine light was on and after answering "no" was advised that it wasn't available for for replacement at this time due to having limited parts and servicing only vehicles with engine light on or difficulty starting. I advised my vehicle was demonstrating a lack of power, judger and was advised to bring it in for a diagnosis. Charge amount of $159. 00. Upon completion of the diagnosis from Honda it was recommended to have the "torque converter " replaced at a estimated price of $4,700. 00. Upon speaking with the Honda service department manager he suggested I contacted Honda corporate as they have seen this similar issue before and they usually granted financial assistance up to 85% off the repair costs. I contacted Honda Pilot customer service and was assigned case # [xxx]. I was interviewed several times, advised that Honda will review my qualifications based on multiple factors like brand loyalty, years of ownership, service, other related associations with Honda. I advised that this is my second Honda Pilot, my first one I owned from 2007 to 2020 and my second Honda Pilot from 2020 to the present. It's important to know that besides the current recall for fuel pump motor, Honda has a current recall for 2016-2018 Honda vehicles for "torque converter " issues or have extended warranty to 150,000 for some model vehicles up to 2019. This information comes from brad ortloff, manager of auto campaigns and recalls. Subject line : warranty extension:2017- 2019 multi model 6at torque converter, to all Honda sales, service & parts manager's and personnel. This is clearly evidence Honda is fully aware of this defective torque converter problem. Unfortunately, Honda denied my claim. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of in.

Honda Pilot has a known issue covered by american Honda TSB technical service bulletin of "judder" from the transmission. This issue is identified by a extreme and unsafe surging of the powertrain/transmission at all speeds and in all driving conditions. The event happened to us with this vehicle and makes for unsafe operation as the "judder" presents as a lack of acceleration or lack of control. In heavy or light traffic this is not a desirable attribute of a vehicle to have sudden acceleration or deceleration without input from the driver. It is as if the vehicle has a mind of its own. This is covered by numerous technical service bulletins and identified by our local Honda dealer as TSB/judder. The correct fix is a triple flush of the transmission and reprograming of the transmission with more frequent transmission flushes than are recommended by the owners manual. Not all VIN numbers are covered by the TSB for judder and Honda pretends that not all Honda Pilots similarly equipped are affected by this dangerous condition. Instead the Honda dealership service department representatives identify the problem, admit it is a problem and then admit they know the solution and it is a known TSB, they then pretend some VIN are not included as if they are "safe" when they know that they are not "safe". Nhtsa should investigate and force american Honda to recall or TSB all VIN for this judder issue. It is unsafe and unsettling.

The vehicle experiences a persistent stutter/hesitation while driving, which is especially pronounced during acceleration from a stop or at low to moderate speeds. This condition occurs consistently during normal operation and is not a one-time or intermittent event. The hesitation creates a safety concern when accelerating from intersections, merging into traffic, or maintaining smooth vehicle speed. The vehicle feels as though power delivery is interrupted or unstable during acceleration. Multiple warning lights are present. Dealer diagnostics confirmed permanent communication-related fault codes, including can bus communication errors and camera/radar-related safety system failures. These fault codes return after clearing and coincide with the drivability hesitation. During inspection, a transmission fluid service was discussed; however, no transmission-specific fault codes were identified. The drivability hesitation has continued alongside the documented electronic and communication-related faults. The issue has been inspected and documented by a dealership. No crash, fire, or injury has occurred, but the condition remains unresolved and continues to affect drivability and safety-related systems.