Table 1 shows one common engine and engine cooling related problems of the 2026 Honda Pilot.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling problems |
I picked up a brand new 2026 Honda Pilot xle with 10 miles on it. I drove it about 22 miles on my commute that evening and noticed the acceleration to be sluggish and shifting hard. I also noticed when I turned up the audio system the sound would skip out and make a crackling noise as if a wire wasn?t attached to a speaker. I parked the vehicle overnight and then began my commute the next morning with my 12yo. Less than a half mile from our home, upon acceleration of the vehicle in rush hour traffic it began to bog. It immediately shut down and threw the vehicle into neutral as I was attempting to accelerate. No warning lights initially came on. I could not figure out what was happening. I attempted to pull off but the car wasn?t running despite the dash being lit. The car put itself into park. I attempted to restart the vehicle to get off the road (thankfully I did not get hit from behind when the vehicle went into neutral. I repeatedly attempted to turn on the vehicle and it would immediately shut off. The indicator to turn off the vehicle by pushing the button twice came on. When I attempted to do this the vehicle would attempt to restart and then shutdown again. I could not change gears or turn the engine over. It would start and turn off on its own. Eventually had the vehicle towed back to the dealer where I refused to take the vehicle back. Safety was compromised when the vehicle automatically shifted into neutral then park while driving. With my 12 yo child in the vehicle we had almost been hit multiple times because I could not get the vehicle onto the shoulder due to this malfunction. Even when I called Honda roadside assist they refused to send a tow unless I had called emergency personnel and I “got to safety”-which, of course, I couldn?t do because the vehicle was completely disabled. Dealer was unable to replicate issue. No warning lights or indicators appeared until multiple on/off then the battery light came on when attempting to turn over.
This is the description from my wife, who was driving the vehicle at the time. I was driving and the check engine light came on and the car started to violently shake. I lost the ability to accelerate. Fortunately, I was able to steer the car to safety and use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. I called the nearest dealership and they told me to turn it off and if they engine warning light came back on, to contact Honda to tow it. The light did not come back on so they suggested that I drive it to them, which was only 7 miles away. Within 1/5 of a mile, they same thing happened- check engine light came on, I lost the ability to accelerate and all warning lights came on including brake system failed. I was again able to pull over safely and stop the vehicle. Honda corp. Had it towed to the dealership. It was there for 5 days. It was an engine problem. I have uploaded detailed reports for you. After Honda shipped the car back to me, the gas pedal was acting strange. There was a grinding/vibrating sensation upon acceleration. Sometimes it does hesitate to accelerate. I brought it to the dealership closest to me. They kept it for 5 days. They told me that the engine misfired but that could be from anything. They were in contact with Honda corp. No codes happened even when they drove it 115 miles. I was told to pick it up and return the rental they provided. My concern is for my safety. The cause of the engine issue initially has not been identified to me and I do not feel safe driving this car. Fortunately, both times I could not accelerate there were no other vehicles behind me and I was able to get to safety very quickly and stop the vehicle. However, this was engine failure and should not have happened on a brand new car. We do have a case # with Honda corporation and have not heard back from them. They are only reimbursing us for car rental and hotel.