general problems of the 2021 Honda Pilot - part 1

2021 Honda Pilot ex-l, 3. 5l v6. The engine cranks slowly and is sluggish to start when restarted after a short stop of roughly 10-30 minutes (for example, running errands). After the vehicle sits an hour or more, it starts normally. The condition appears tied to engine heat-soak. The battery has been tested and ruled out as the cause. This is a repeat of a prior problem. The vehicle previously received Honda's repair for the idle stop no-restart condition under service bulletins a23-010/23-009, including starter assembly and starter relay replacement and a valve adjustment. The slow hot-restart symptom has returned since that repair. This matches the condition under NHTSA investigation ea25004, where owners report the problem returning after the campaign repairs. Safety risk: slow or failed restarts when the engine is warm could leave the vehicle and occupants stranded, including in traffic or unsafe locations. With auto idle stop, a weak restart could also cause the engine to fail to restart at an intersection. Dealer: scott clark Honda performed the work the first time. I have an appointment with hendrick Honda for Tuesday 11/10 warning lamps or messages: none the vehicle is available for inspection on request. Video of the slow crank can be made at any point as it’s every time I drive.

The car alarm goes off on its own,and the dashboard lights flash even when the car is turned off ,this continues until the battery dies and the car won’t start. I’ve taken it to the mechanic several times and no codes come up; I’ve replaced the battery with a new one twice.

The information screen goes blank. Then at that point the backup camera will not show on screen when backing up. Creating a blind spot and hazard.

To whom it may concern: I am requesting immediate escalation of a serious safety concern involving my 2021 Honda Pilot touring, which I purchased as a Honda certified pre-owned vehicle directly from tempe Honda. I also purchased additional warranty coverage at the time of sale. I have owned this vehicle for less than two years, and it has already required service for an issue involving the automatic idle-stop system. That issue remains unresolved. More recently, the vehicle has begun unexpectedly shifting into neutral without any action on my part. This has occurred on multiple occasions, including when transitioning from reverse into drive and, most alarmingly, while attempting to accelerate from a complete stop at a traffic light. During these incidents, the neutral indicator actually illuminates on the dashboard. This is not simply an inconvenience or a minor performance concern. It is a potentially dangerous malfunction that places me, my passengers, and other motorists at risk. I am particularly concerned because I am a single mother who relies on this vehicle for daily transportation, including transporting my child.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced several electrical failures and the alarm activated unexpectedly, and the radio and instrument panel turned on unintendedly. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the keyless asset control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was scheduled for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 798.

The electrical for the infotainment system cuts out and the rear camera is no longer on the screen, it will cause loud popping while driving as the most net system is failing. There is also poor gas mileage and reads the gas tank contents incorrectly while displaying incorrect mpg typical with the fuel pump recall for this generation of Honda Pilot, but both of these recalls removed my specific year shortly after they were announced.

This complaint is being filed regarding a failed remedy for NHTSA safety recall 23v-431 (Honda campaign zem) on my 2021 Honda Pilot touring. Although the vehicle history shows that the recall repair for the most fiber-optic wire harness was previously performed, the authorized remedy has completely failed to fix the safety defect. The central infotainment dashboard screen regularly displays a "network connection lost" error message before freezing or shutting down entirely. This failure causes an immediate, total, and unpredictable loss of the backup camera display while the vehicle is in operation. Because the backup camera is a federally mandated safety feature, its random failure creates an active safety risk for myself, my passengers, and pedestrians during reversing maneuvers. Honda customer service has refused to provide further diagnostic or repair assistance because the recall is already marked as "completed" in their database. However, the safety hazard remains active and unresolved. I request that the NHTSA investigate this failed remedy and compel Honda to provide an effective, lasting repair for this defective system.

Multiple times, when stopped (I. E. , red light) and auto-idle engaged, the car has not come out of auto engine stop, but instead has shifted into neutral upon releasing the brake pedal. Furthermore, the car cannot be put into drive from that state, but instead must be fully turned off, and then restarted, often after a pause, and a cranking challenge. Car has a new battery (8 months old) and weather is mild/warm. This problem is unpredictable, and has happened in busy traffic situations, resulting in both a personal and physical safety issue.

Idle auto stop / start - this has repeatedly failed at traffic lights. Vehicle stops dead and will not restart. Taken to 3 dealers over the course of 18 months and finally the 3rd Honda dealership acknowledged this. The problem has been identified and repeated by dealership mechanics. No warning lights at all.

Multiple times at a stoplight, car switched into neutral I have to turn on my hazard lights, turn off the car and restart it.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle had caught on fire while parked in the driveway. The vehicle was last driven at 12:51 pm in the day; however, at approximately 9:00 pm, after the vehicle had sat for over eight hours, the vehicle suddenly caught on fire. The local fire department responded to the scene and extinguish the fire. The vehicle was inspected and stated that the fire had originated from the battery or an electrical part inside the engine compartment. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000.

The infotainment system and rearview backup camera malfunction continually. While driving or attempting to reverse, the infotainment system frequently shuts off entirely and loses its fiber optic network connection. When it attempts to reboot and turn back on, loud popping and crackling noises emit from the vehicle speakers. Additionally, the backup camera regularly glitches and displays a message stating that the system is "too hot," causing the rearview monitor to go entirely blank. These issues are especially severe on hot days. This creates an immediate safety hazard, as it unexpectedly eliminates rear visibility while backing up, increasing the risk of a collision. It also causes distracted driving conditions due to the sudden, loud audio popping and screen blackouts. This failure mimics the exact symptoms outlined in Honda's active most bus coaxial cable recall, yet my vehicle is experiencing the same severe safety defects. Rear view camera does warn it no longer works due to heat. No inspection done as of yet but plan on taking it to dealership.

On at least 5 occasions this vehicle has gone completely dead as slowing down to stop or being completely stopped. Nothing electrical is available. No tail lights, headlights, or emergency flashers. After a long waiting period it has suddenly re-energized so far. This was purchased as certified Honda used car and never serviced anywhere but a Honda delaership. They allegedly replaced the start/stop system under "extended warranty". The occurence is random. The dealership pushes back on taking any action because they can't repeat the problem on the spot. The car has staranded us at very major interesections twice and had to be towed. The risk driving this car is unacceptably high. We have video evidence of the failure. There may be a police report as we called them to control traffic.

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.

Since 2023, this car’s auto start/stop feature has malfunctioned. Honda keeps replacing the battery and saying nothing else is wrong. It has had 4 battery replacements since 2023. Now they are saying I need to replace the starter. I no longer use the start/stop feature, but if I forget and it engages, my car will not restart leaving me in an intersection trying to get the car to restart, which in a large city is scary. They did adjust the controls one time under an extended warranty, but it did not help. The service manager says nothing else can be done, but I’m reading this is an open investigation on this issue and Honda should be replacing the starter as well. My car has had all scheduled maintenance done at the dealership and only has around 56,000.

Vehicle stalls when the car shuts off from the auto engine idle shut off feature. The concern was allegedly resolved twice with an update but the issue persists. My battery died in December 2025, when asked if it was a result of the recall causing repeated start failures, the dealership denied. Recently my vehicle shut off from the auto engine idle stop feature and completely died, I had to push to start my vehicle several times to start it back up and this was after replacing my battery 7 months ago. A heavy duty battery was purchase to meet my vehicle needs.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that at all times during the use of the vehicle, the infotainment display system goes blank. The contact also noticed a popping and crackling noise coming from the audio speakers. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 23v431000 (back over prevention) to have already been performed on the vehicle, but the issue has since recurred. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a factory defect involving a dashboard wiring harness that was physically bent at a 90-degree angle from the production plant. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.

My current 2021 Honda Pilot (purchased used may 2024) is stalling out in live traffic - the most recent on xxx creating a massive safety hazard. (in addition, the engine is making the same exact clicking noise that the 2015 Honda VIN:[xxx] made right before the engine catastrophically seized on my way to work. That 2015 Honda Pilot seized due to a defective variable cynlinder management (vcm) system. This defect was covered by a court-ordered federal class-action settlement warranty extension (alex [xxx] v. American Honda, case no. Xxx), extending coverage to 10 years/150,000 miles. While that vehicle was fully within this window - Honda of [xxx] wrongfully denied this legal warranty. ) the current 2021 Honda Pilot (purchased used) VIN: [xxx] suffers from intermittent engine stalling in live traffic. The dealership has failed to resolve this issue across three separate visits, while exploiting the emergencies. The timeline of failed repairs includes: 2/14/ the vehicle stalled in live traffic. The dealership charged me $420. 48 for diagnostics and a failed repair. 8/13/the dashboard lit up and the vehicle suffered engine failure leaving my family stranded for 9 hours waiting for Honda assist. It was brought to the Honda of new rochelle service center where they exploited this emergency to charge me an exorbitant $1,300. 00 out of pocket for unrelated work financed via sunbit loan. 9/24/2025: the vehicle stalled in live traffic for a third time. The dealership charged me an additional $572. 00 for another failed repair. They reguse to give me the ro's and the car has 29 active codes including u3006-16 (ecu power source failure), proving a severe electrical or fuel delivery hazard remains completely unresolved. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The multipurpose front camera just went out and a series of many warning lights came on in my Honda Pilot. The camera just stopped working for no reason, with no warning and never an issue before. I took my Honda Pilot to the Honda dealership service department to have it checked and resolved. The dealers resolution was quoting me $2,000. 00 just for the camera, with no labor or calibration, that is extra. They told me its a glitch in the Honda's system and that's probable why the camera stopped working. They told me they are not responsible for the camera and won't replace it. They showed no concern for safety and I had to pick up the vehicle if I did not replace, at my cost, the $2000. 00 camera plus labor and calibration which may be around $3000. 00 all told. I can't believe that if this is a known problem to Honda and Honda is aware of it in their system, why aren't they responsible to replace a faulty manufacturing problem. Honda is passing their problem to consumers at a cost of $2000. 00 just for a camera. This should be unacceptable and it is outrageous the fact that Honda knows of a problem in their system that creates a safety problem and still are allowed to have the financial burden put on the consumer with no accountability. I had 2 other recalls on file and nothing was done. With the warning lights on, I am very concerned of the major safety issue. I don't believe, I as a consumer, should be responsible for the cost of a manufacturing issue. Now I have a vehicle with a safety issue and an extremely high cost resolution. I wanted to inform you because I believe that I am not the only person this has happened too and hopefully you can address this issue with Honda. Thank you.

While operating with the auto shut off enabled, vehicle stalled. Warning lights came on directing the driver to put into park. Vehicle would not turn off/on, could not take out of park. At the time, vehicle was in bumper to bumper traffic in a construction zone causing a very dangerous situation for the driver. Vehicle was towed and 10 minutes after the incident, the vehicle could be restarted. This is the second time this has happened in the last 9 months. Unfortunately the first was not reported. This is completely unacceptable. Honda knows this is an issue and refuses to address it.

Refer to [xxx]. My Honda Pilot started having electrical issues where the car alarm would go off randomly, radio would play at volumes randomly, dashboard lights would flicker on and off, interior lights would turn on, headlights would turn on. This resulted in multiple drained batteries and left the car inoperable until it could be jump started. This is a safety issue because if we drove somewhere without cell reception, could be stranded with a dead battery. Not to mention, it disturbed our neighbors when this occurred in the middle of the night. This is a known issue with various Honda vehicles from this timeframe. It is know as a problem with the "remote access control module," aka the "keyless access control unit," located behind the glovebox. Even though it is a known issue, Honda was unwilling to repair it at their own cost. We paid $903. 22 to get it fixed. References: [xxx], [xxx], [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

This is the major safety issue while driving with my family on a highway. Keyless control unit is failing when car stops. While on a highway, all the lights on the dashboard start flickering, alarm went off brake system got locked. I need to pull over, stop the car and restart the car again. The flickering dashboard problem persisted the whole day and alarm went off intermittently till it drained the battery. Problem is reproducible.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle's rear brakes rub significantly to the point of prematurely wearing out the brake pads. Additionally, the instrument panel is failing and displaying all warning lights, and the side mirrors flicker while driving. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed to be NHTSA campaign number: 20v439000 (back over prevention, electrical system) however, the VIN was not included in the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,670.

My 2021 Honda Pilot has repeatedly failed to restart after the auto idle stop system shuts the engine off while the vehicle is stopped. When the system activates, the engine can fail to restart when I need to move, leaving the vehicle stalled in active traffic. This has happened multiple times and creates a serious safety risk, particularly at busy intersections. Honda previously performed the software update intended to address the auto idle stop failure-to-restart condition, but the problem continued after the update. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealership because the problem persisted. The dealership has now diagnosed the starter as the cause of the failure-to-restart problem and recommended starter replacement. The vehicle and affected components are available for inspection. Honda has acknowledged auto idle stop failure-to-restart problems on Honda Pilots and has extended warranty coverage for starter replacement on certain affected vehicles. However, american Honda has informed me that my specific vehicle is not included in the starter warranty extension, despite experiencing the same failure-to-restart condition, despite Honda's software update failing to correct it, and despite the Honda dealer diagnosing the starter as the cause. American Honda is considering partial goodwill assistance toward the starter repair but has told me that the repair will not be covered at 100%. I am reporting this because the auto idle stop system can intentionally shut off the engine and the vehicle can then fail to restart, leaving the driver unable to move out of the way of traffic. I am concerned that Honda's existing remedy and the VIN population included in the starter warranty extension may not adequately address all vehicles experiencing this safety-related failure.

The vehicle has routinely had issues restarting from auto idle. When the vehicle turns off in traffic at a stop or stopped at a red light, then it will not restart and the vehicle will essentially be dead for several minutes and unable to be turned on or moved.

When driving. Car I hear crackling noice. I did research it has to do with electrical wiring under the dash. It effects all information on the display screen can not access maps direction phone calls won't work,effect radio from working,causes panel lights not to work heater & ac display information won't work caused ac & heater not working. Defrost won't work caused windshield to fogged up could not see through windshield lucky I did not crash or harm any cars it doesn't happen everyday but it has been happening more it could catch on fire. Problem been occurring since 2023. Happens all the time at least 3-5 times a week.

Auto idle stop activated at a stop light for the 2nd or 3rd time over a few years. Lifted foot off the break and stalled, the car went into park and I could not put it into neutral or drive. The odometer screen looked like it does when the engine is on. The battery light was on. I tried to turn down the radio and the volume didn't work. I tried pressing the ignition button to turn off the car entirely but it didn't work the first couple of tries. Once I was able to completely turn it off, it struggled to turn over when I tried to start the engine, which I've never had happen, but did turn over. Dealership wanted to charge $325 for a few hours of diagnostics which we declined.

There is an electrical malfunction which causes all of the electrical components to flash on/off, glitch. This has occured while driving but primarily when the vehicle is parked and unattended. I’m afraid it can short and cause a fire. The vehicle will turn istelf on and off repeatedly and rapidly while unattended. This has been going on for 2 years with our vehicle and not under warranty.

Auto idle stop stalled at a red light causing my car to not move and having to shut off my car in the middle of traffic. Once I tried to turn back on it wouldnt start at first. I had to do this twice in order for the car to come back on.

The car engine autorestart causes all sorts of problems. We have repeatedly had the warning come on and the engine stop while at a light or paused in moving traffic. We have replaced the battery and other parts. The safety issue is that the car totally stops while in traffic and we have almost been hit multiple times as we try to restart the car. You have to put the car in park and restart the engine due to "compression issues" or something else. That has nothing to do with being a branded title and everything to do with a safety issue. The car just stops and won't autorestart. This has happened several times in the last week and then yesterday other warning lights came on resulting in the car then not accelerating beyond 25 mph initially and then 45 mph. Imagine this happening on a highway. This is really scary as it has happened on an interstate when traffic stopped and at a traffic light. I called Honda and they acknowledged it was safety issue but written up as a warranty extension so they refused to cover the repair of the vehicle. I am therefore escalating what I believe you are already investigating according to articles I have seen.

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).

I am filing this complaint regarding a recurring “network communication lost” issue with my Honda Pilot. I am aware that Honda has issued a recall related to network communication issues; however, when I checked my vehicle’s VIN, it is not included in the recall. My vehicle is experiencing the same network communication problem described in the recall. I am concerned that my vehicle may have the same underlying defect but is not currently covered by the recall. I believe this issue should be investigated because a loss of communication between vehicle systems can potentially affect the operation, reliability, and safety of the vehicle. I should not have to wait until my vehicle experiences a more serious failure before this issue is addressed. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether the recall should be expanded to include additional Honda Pilot vehicles, including vehicles with vins that are currently excluded but are experiencing the same defect. I would also like this complaint documented as part of any investigation into Honda’s network communication system issue and any related safety defects.

We were driving our 2019 Honda Pilot and at a traffic light the car failed to restart after the auto stop-start system shut off the engine. This happened when I started to step on the gas so we could have been rear-ended by the car behind us. The brakes also appeared stuck when I tried to depress them so I could restart the car. There was no warning until the car refused to start, but the computer system did appear to do some sort of a reboot sequence.

Car does not want to start even though the batter and alternator are good (tested by tow truck company). Restarts fine once batter is disconnected and then reconnected again. This has now happened twice.

While stopped at an intersection, the car died, the transmission shifted to neutral automatically and the radio would not turn on. The agm battery was replaced approximately one year ago when a similar situation took place.