Electrical System Problems of Honda Pilot - part 1

Drove from branson, mo to nixa, mo. At first stoplight intersection in town, stopped for red light, when light turned green, car died when I released brake pedal to accelerate. Lost all electrical systems like battery was dead. Took several attempts of pushing hazard light button before I was able to turn on my hazard lights. I had to jump start it to get it running again.

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Slowed down to turn right into a parking lot, power steering suddenly disabled and multiple warning lights appeared on dash. Warning messages stating auto brake system disabled, lane departure assist disabled, hill assist and start disabled, and more warning lights. Steering suddenly became difficult and dangerous with moving traffic behind me. Pulled into a parking lot and restarted car multiple times. After more than 10 minutes and restarting vehicle, power steering came back.

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.

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My 2019 Honda Pilot had warnings( see pics). I took into Honda for inspection. We were told it was a radar (sensor). After doing some research online, this is a common issue with Honda vehicles. The cost is $2000 to fix. Why is this not a recall issue???.

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My 2017 Honda Pilot touring has experienced ongoing electrical and battery-related issues for several years and has been in and out of authorized Honda dealerships numerous times. The vehicle has been serviced repeatedly at both fowler Honda in [xxx], and pensacola Honda in [xxx]. Due to the inability to diagnose the problem, the issue was escalated by pensacola Honda to american Honda’s technical line. After extensive diagnostics over two days, the technicians informed me that Honda engineers are aware of an issue but currently do not have a solution, although they are working on one. On xxx, while turning left from [xxx] onto [xxx], I had sufficient time to complete the turn and pressed the accelerator to proceed. However, the accelerator became completely unresponsive and the vehicle would not accelerate. My vehicle was left partially in the intersection while an oncoming vehicle approached. The other driver could have easily struck the driver’s side of my vehicle, creating the risk of a serious or fatal accident. Fortunately, a collision was avoided, but this incident demonstrated a significant safety hazard. In addition to this loss of acceleration, the vehicle has experienced recurring starting problems and electrical malfunctions. Pensacola Honda found that the battery tests normally when removed from the vehicle, but does not function properly when installed. Despite numerous repair attempts and escalation to american Honda, the problem remains unresolved. I believe this defect poses a serious safety risk to myself, my passengers, and others on the road due to the potential for sudden loss of acceleration while driving. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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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.

Engine idle at stop light or start & stop at traffic stop light doesn't work. It does stop completely; however, it didn't start after releasing the brake. You have to put the vehicle back in the parking gear, put the brake to restart the engine. This has happened three times in the last week.

Supplemental restraint system problem deactivates airbags and dealers do not want to fix it under warranty.

On may 23, 2026 I was driving family and friends around san francisco, CA in my 2017 Honda Pilot (48k miles). We were driving up multiple steep hills, up to a 20% grade in some places with a full car of 7 people. The car handled it well. However, as we neared my home 25 miles away, the car started shaking and the check engine light started flashing. We searched online and the advice was to pull over immediately to prevent the car from overheating and causing permanent, expensive damage. We eventually made it home, shaken, and didn't touch the car for a couple days to let it rest. I learned that there is a warranty extension "warranty extension TSB 20-100" for what seems like this exact problem concerning the fuel injectors. The spark plugs have been replaced in the last year, which eliminates that as a potential issue. The next week, I took the car to Honda san carlos where it's been maintained most of its life. I informed them of the symptoms and that the car is eligible for this warranty extension. They tested it and found nothing. I told them that testing it in the shop or driving it around a few minutes on flat ground with one person is not going to replicate the driving conditions we encountered but they didn't seem to care and I had to pay $250 anyway. I took this to another dealership and the guy said it sounded exactly like an warranty extension TSB 20-100 issue. They tested it and also could not find anything. I called Honda corporate and they will also do nothing. This is clearly a safety issue as this problem will happen again at some point. I have a family and young children and do not want to be stuck on the freeway as a road hazard to ourselves and other drivers. Honda has clearly identified this as a problem yet they won't authorize the repair. They are waiting for this to happen again before they'll fix it, and who knows if this ticking time bomb will occur in a safe place or a dangerous one.

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.

Screen speedometer goes blank while driving and crackling speakers. Been to Honda at least 6 times and they can’t fix it. It’s had the recall work done too.

Many times the rear tailgate fails to open completely or close completely when the button is pressed. This has caused me to bump my head on the partially opened tailgate. The dealer has replaced the tailgate motor but it has not fixed the problem.

When starting vehicle after leaving the grocery store, there were multiple fault messages displayed on the dash cluster. They were showing five fault areas, the adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, lane keeping assistance and parking collision warning. When arriving at the Honda dealer service department I was advised that this is a common issue and would most likely be a front camera failure. After the Honda service department diagnosed the issue they confirmed it was a camera failure. I contacted american Honda asking for goodwill assistance and after giving all of my information, I was sent an email to reply to with the same information. Two days later I received a call and had to go over the same information a third time. I was advised this process would be 2-3 days. Three days later I receive a call and was requested to give the same information a fourth time and the told it would be 3-5 days from then to evaluate and I would receive a call. Four days later I called american Honda for status and was offered a partial goodwill assistance that I would be need to pay $955 for the repair instead of $2200+ which was originally quoted. From working for Acura for 17 years it is obvious that american Honda assisted minimally as the warranty rate is around the same cost. They made the dealer take the cut in pay and endured minimal cost to american Honda and a major cut ended by the dealer. Being this is a common issue with a $2000+ cost, there should be more consideration allowed for this failure.

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Component involved: engine lubrication / cylinder head / variable valve timing (vvt) spool valve (solenoid assembly) and electrical charging system (alternator). Vehicle affected example: Honda vehicles equipped with the 3. 5l v6 (j35 engine series) with variable cylinder management (vcm), including the Honda Pilot. Description of the safety defect & failure mechanism: the rear (bank 1) variable valve timing spool valve assembly is mounted directly above the vehicle's alternator. Due to thermal cycling and material degradation, the molded rubber gasket on the upper portion of this spool valve assembly experiences premature compression set and fails, resulting in a pressurized engine oil leak. Because of the physical packaging and architecture of the j35 engine, the oil dripping from this failed gasket falls directly into the open housing of the alternator located immediately below it. The engine oil contaminates the alternator's internal brushes, slip rings, and diodes, leading to a catastrophic electrical short circuit and total failure of the charging system. Description of the safety risk: when the alternator fails due to oil contamination, the vehicle experiences an immediate drop in system voltage, resulting in a sudden and un-warned loss of electrical power while the vehicle is in motion. This triggers a cascade of safety hazards: loss of power steering assist: the sudden loss of electrical generation drops the vehicle into battery-reserve power, frequently causing the electronic power steering (eps) to shut down immediately, drastically increasing steering effort and the risk of a crash. Engine stalling: total depletion of the battery occurs rapidly without alternator output, leading to sudden engine stalling in active traffic without the ability to restart. Loss of safety systems: reduced system voltage disables critical safety components, including advanced driver assistance systems (adas), supplemental restraint systems (airbags).

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This is the recall information on the Honda site. The failure of the backup camera on our vehicle is what is described in the recall, yet the Honda site does not include our vehicle. I request that our vehicle be included in the covered repair. Quoted from the Honda site: 2019-23 passport/pilot most fakra service cables safety recall NHTSA recall number23v-431 mfr campaign xxx campaign description2019-23 passport/pilot most fakra service cables safety recall recall date06/15/2023 recall status17 character VIN required summary american Honda motor CO. , inc. (Honda) is recalling certain 2019-2022 model year Pilot and 2019-2023 model year passport vehicles. The media oriented systems transport (most) communication coaxial cable was improperly designed and manufactured, resulting in deformed terminals and potentially causing poor, or lost, connections intermittently between the audio display unit and the vehicle cable connector. Safety risk if the most communication is lost for more than 20 seconds, the rearview camera function will fail when the vehicle is in the reverse gear, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. Remedy registered owners of all affected vehicles will be contacted by mail and asked to take their vehicle to an authorized Honda dealer. The dealer will install an improved most cable harness between the existing display audio and vehicle terminal connections and a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector to properly connect the audio display unit. Owners who have paid to have these repairs completed at their own expense may be eligible for reimbursement, in accord with the recall reimbursement plan on file with NHTSA. For additional questions, owners may contact american Honda's customer support & campaign center at [xxx] . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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Car has shut off while driving. Check engine light, traction control light, hill assist light, power steering light, and vehicle stability light have all come on causing me to have to pull over on the side of the road.

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My 2022 Honda Pilot failed to engage drive after reversing, despite the drive button being pressed. This resulted in an unintended backward motion & a collision with another vehicle. 1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned…? the electronic transmission shift-by-wire system (push-button shifter) failed to respond to a gear change request. Additionally, related electrical systems including the dashboard infotainment system & the integrated usb charging ports have malfunctioned. The vehicle & its components are available for inspection upon request. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the vehicle experienced unintended motion. While attempting to move forward in a parking lot, the vehicle remained in reverse despite selecting drive. This failure led to a low-speed collision with a truck’s tow hitch. This defect creates a high risk of crashes, injuries to pedestrians, or property damage because the vehicle does not move in the direction the driver has selected. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? the vehicle was previously serviced at a Honda dealership for a radio/infotainment recall. Since that service, the transmission has failed to engage drive multiple times at random. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer…? the vehicle was inspected during the initial recall fix. And brought back because after the fix because the charging port stopped working/continued screen glitches. Following the recent collision, it is awaiting further inspection by a Honda dealership to determine the extent of the mechanical failure. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages prior…? symptoms began after the recall fix & included intermittent electronic failures of the charging ports/screen. There were no specific transmission warning lights prior to the gear selection failure; however, the persistent electrical issues in the dash area suggested a systemic electronic malfunction.

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.

Most network problems continue to persist even after most fakra service cables safety recall work was performed. Typical progression: radio goes silent, infotainment screen displays error message, "network communication lost / most net off", driver information interface display goes blank, then 3 error messages cycle, "blind spot info system problem", "emissions system problem", "transmission system problem", and vehicle enters limp mode (stuck in 3rd gear). Multiple safety issues: rearview camera does not function, vehicle speed is not displayed, vehicle gas gauge is not displayed, blind spot system does not operate, reduced vehicle power.

On April 9, 2026, my daughter came in from school and parked her Honda Pilot at about 5:10pm. At about 7:03pm, my wife and I were sitting outside and heard a loud pop, it sounded like a car backfiring. I went to investigate and saw a little smoke and a small orange glowing piece of something on the ground under the vehicle towards the front of the vehicle. I grab a fire extinguisher from my work truck and went towards the vehicle. The car was locked and I saw flames under the hood standing by the driver door looking down where the windshield wipers are. I used the extinguisher till it was empty and the flames kept getting worse. I just walked away and my wife was already calling 911. No one was hurt no damage to any exposures. My daughter did not indicate that anything was wrong with the vehicle. No lights on, no smells, everything ran fine. It had 154,000 miles on it. I do have ring video footage of the event. I did file a claim with my insurance and sent them the video footage.

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The power steering system software problem undriveable. The awd failed said undriveable. Only 30k miles on it and it just locked and couldnt steering right to left in the middle of traffic. Could have caused a bad accident lycjuly my kids weren't in the car. The computer software took over completely made my car uncontrollable. Have a video of all warnings that came on.

The issue appears to involve the vehicle’s electrical control system responsible for power management and system activation while the vehicle is off, possibly including the Smart power control module and related components. It may be arranged for the vehicle to be inspected. The vehicle behaved as though it had been remote started, initiating engine cranking without any user input while turned off. If this occurs while parked in a garage or enclosed space, it could lead to dangerous carbon monoxide buildup and pose a serious risk to occupants. Unintended engine activation also presents a risk to nearby people or property. The unintended engine cranking event occurred once and was directly witnessed while I was seated inside the vehicle observing other electrical oddities. The issue has not been reproducible on demand. However, related symptoms including the alarm activating on its own and unexplained electrical activity while the vehicle is off have occurred multiple times. The vehicle has not yet been inspected for this issue by a dealership, manufacturer, or third party. No police or insurance reports have been filed. I plan to take it to the dealership tomorrow (4/4/2026). There were no warning lights or messages before or during the event. Prior symptoms include intermittent alarm activation, display flashing, clicking fuses, and electrical activity while off, beginning before the engine cranking incident.

This is a follow up to my previous complaint. 11729106. I brought my Honda Pilot to my local dealer. They confirmed there is a problem with the keyless start system on my Honda. I ended up paying around $1000 to have it repaired. I have great concern that this could have caused a fatality. I park my car in the garage at home, and the car started by itself. I have pets and children.

I was stopped at a stop light on a very busy road. The vehicle went into auto idle shut down. When the light turned green, I attempted to press the gas but the engine was completely stalled and would not restart. I had to put the vehicle in park, turn off the vehicle, and completely restart it for the vehicle to be able to successfully clear the busy intersection. After this incident, the vehicle would inconsistently give me the auto idle system problem warning when first started. I chose to disengage the auto idle system until I was able to take it to the dealer. They claim it is the electrical charging wire which is an 8,000 dollar repair for a 3 year old vehicle. We are currently awaiting the inspection from our extended warranty.

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Car fails to start and warning flashes, keyless start system problem.

I was operating a 2022 Honda Pilot and had just made a left turn into a parking lot. I was slowly pulling into a parking space directly in front of a dance studio with a large floor-to-ceiling window. There were four children and a dance instructor standing inside near the window. As I was coming to a stop to park, my foot was on the brake. At that moment, the engine suddenly revved loudly and the vehicle accelerated forward unexpectedly without any additional throttle input. There were no warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms before this occurred. Despite braking, the vehicle continued forward and struck the exterior of the building. I was able to avoid the window area where the children were standing. The airbag deployed, and the front passenger side of the vehicle was damaged. The building was not structurally damaged, and no one was injured. There were no obstructions such as floor mats interfering with the accelerator, and there was no unintended pedal input. My foot was on the brake at the time of the incident. This appears to be a case of sudden unintended acceleration. The issue has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center, and there were no prior warning signs before the event. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. It has been towed to the body shop. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center at this time. The vehicle was inspected by insurance and they did not total it. It is going to be repaired. The vehicle has been inspected by insurance representatives. The manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle at this time. I did not call police because I was not hurt, the kids were not hurt and the building only had a couple of scratches on the brick.

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.

Infotainment center making popping and cracking sounds during every drive. System will completely shut down and not work at all. No access to navigation, phone or infotainment center at all. Audio will completely cut out during music and phone calls.

Vehicle caught fire and completely burned up. It had no problems, had been serviced and recently inspected for emissions and safety in virginia.

While driving multiple lights came on the dash board showing all driver assistance systems flashing. Vehicle unable to accelerate. Had to parking on the side of the highway turn off vehicle then turn back on to clear. Dealership unable to repeat, no issues found.

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.

I was stopped at a traffic light, and my vehicle would not re-start when the traffic light turned green. It stalled because the auto idle stop/start (ais) function did not work as intended. The dashboard cluster lights were all on (or many of them, at least). I had to collect myself, put the car in park, and wait a couple of minutes to try to restart the vehicle, all while I had a line of vehicles behind me honking. This isn't the first instance. It has happened several times before, and I am familiar with what the Honda service reps say when I have taken the vehicle in for repair, so I'll cut through the nonsense they have told me. I recently replaced my battery with a quality name brand battery, so it's not an issue with the battery. I have had the pgm-fi idle stop software update recall service performed twice, one in response to a March 2023 recall notice, and again from a may 2024 recall notice. There is something seriously and obviously wrong with this ais feature. I have looked on many forums and this is a frequently recurring problem. This shouldn't happen simply because I (or my family member) forget to hit the ais-disengage button. There should be a permanent fix for this feature if it frequently fails.