Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Honda Pilot - part 1

So our family of four, two adults and two kids driving down buford dr in GA on March 29 2026 apparently at 11am found ourselves in a dangerous situation. The oil light on our Honda Pilot came on and the vehicle shut off in the middle of a 3 lane extremely busy road. This is not safe and I am a experience automotive technician for more then 20 years of experience and have not yet found a rod bearing to go bad at 167k with full oil and no oil leaks this is unacceptable for Honda to only recall only some year models knowing the used the same j32 in most of there vehicles.

See all problems of the 2017 Honda Pilot 🔎.

While driving on the interstate I was trying to pass a vehicle and the vehicle all systems but the brake system issue. Check engine, emissions, power steering, hill start assist, traction assist. The vehicle would not accelerate. When I got on the shoulder the engine was struggling to stay on and had a loud knocking sound. Had the vehicle towed to nearest exit and had someone come pick me up with a trailer to take back home 5 hours away. The engine knocking got louder if you press on the gas.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle stalled and failed to return to normal functionality. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the rod bearings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 121,632.

See all problems of the 2016 Honda Pilot 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2021 Honda Pilot 🔎.

I was driving, and my engine died in the middle of highway 40 about 5 miles outside of [xxx] . It was extremely dangerous, and colorado state troopers and colorado division of transportation workers had to stop traffic. The car could not be put into neutral, and towing to a safe location was very difficult and dangerous. The car has less than 76k, and there was absolutely no warning before the car died. No engine lights, no noise. Just died. I have read about rod bearing failures and believe my car is part of this problem. I have had frequent service, and my mechanic has said there was oil in the car, and the engine just seized. The mechanic believes it is a crankshaft rod bearing issue. I could have been hit and was traveling alone in an area that often does not have cell phone service available. This needs to be addressed, and engines should be recalled without delay. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Drive to work suddenly engine show emergency issues many symbols appearing in front of screen and break is not controlled and car is stop running.

I was taking my kids to school and then suddenly a knocking sound started and then a boom. I found out that at 134,000 miles my engine threw a rod and punched a hole in my block. My [xxx] old was freaking out because there was smoke coming from the engine and her sisters said the car was going to catch fire. The [xxx] old was stuck in her seatbelt and couldn't get out. Then as I was calling a tow truck my [xxx] old almost walked out into traffic because she wanted to see what I was looking at. After getting another family member to get my kids to school I was able to get to a repair shop where I was informed that Honda had a safety recall for rod issues and was advised to see if my car was covered. I check and it looked like only the all wheel drive cars were covered but mine was front wheel drive so it didn't fall under the recall. I want to issue a formal complaint to expand the recall on Honda Pilots for rod issues because mine obviously had an issue with the rod and should have been recalled. American Honda refuses to give any good will because I didn't get my oil changes with them, even though it is an hour drive to get to the closest dealership. Engines shouldn't throw rods at 134,000 miles. A car is a big investment and it died after 9 years. I had all my maintenance done as scheduled, this never should have happened. Currently my car is at carson Honda in carson city nv. Also, another issue. I would get transmission system warnings. I did take it to the Honda dealer because I was told there was an injector issue and they looked at the car, reset the code and said there was nothing more they could do. I don't know if the two were connected in any way but wanted to throw that out there. They need to be investigated for crappy parts and scamming customers. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My vehicle was recently serviced at the local Honda dealership within the last 6 weeks for an oil leak at the oil filter. We had the work done and everything seemed fine until 3 days ago when the check engine light started flashing and the car couldn’t accelerate properly. I drove the car to the same dealership and after inspection they notified me that the car needed a new engine because a rod bearing had failed and was causing the engine to seize. We were quoted a price of approximately $10,000 to fix. Upon researching online for a cheaper engine/option I found that Honda had issued a recall for the same issue, but when I checked my VIN it said 0 recalls for my vehicle. Is there anything that I can do to have them honor the recall on my vehicle?.

On 3/16/26 I attempted to accelerate and the vehicle experienced severe "bucking" and gear hunting hesitation before losing all drive power and stalling. Following the stall, the engine would not crank or "catch" despite multiple attempts. State police arrived as I was in an unsafe location (blind on-ramp to highway) they called their tow trucks deeming it hazardous to wait as Honda roadside assistance would not arrive for an estimated 60-90 minutes. It was brought to the local dealership. After an hour from incident to inspection at the local Honda dealership, the vehicle powered on normally of which no codes showed and the vehicle started with no issues. The manufacturer and dealer state they cannot replicate the problem and found no historical or pending diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs). Despite the lack of codes, these symptoms are a direct match for nhsta recall campaign 25v-031 (Honda recall al0) which was officially announced to address torque control failures caused by the fi-ecu software. According to Honda’s safety report, improper programming in the fuel injection unit causes the engine to stall during "sudden changes in throttle opening"—which is exactly what I experienced. As of now, my VIN has not been identified on the current recall list. This loss of power during acceleration creates an immediate safety risk of rear-end collisions and leaves the driver stranded in active traffic.

See all problems of the 2025 Honda Pilot 🔎.

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

When my Pilot is stopped and the engine idles off, you should be able to take your foot off the brake and it start back up. My engine continuously shuts down completely when I take my foot off of the gas and multiple alert lights on the dash come on. About 70% of the time, I can shut the car off completely, breathe a second and then press the ignition button and the car will restart. Now, increasingly it stalls completely and will not crank for several minutes. I have had this happen more than once at busy intersections and once while stopped in traffic on an interstate. I had to put my hazard lights on so cars would go around me. I have taken it to the Honda dealer a couple of times just for this and they say there is nothing showing to be fixed and there is nothing they can do to fix it. They only told me to remember to press the button to turn the feature off. Yes, I know that’s possible but I’m a busy mom and I often forget. What is the point of having the feature if it continuously stalls out? I have searched this problem on the internet and I’ve seen other Pilot owners have had the same problem. Any help you can offer would be appreciated.

See all problems of the 2019 Honda Pilot 🔎.

The engine stopped working while driving. Honda needs to replace the engine due to a known defect. I live in [xxx] and temperatures get very cold. What if we had been on a trip. This is crazy! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Knocking noise from engine, oil light, blinking cel, no acceleration, vehicle stalled. Brought to mechanic, from noise he said it sounds like a rod knocking and advised to contact Honda because on known issues.

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.

Hi, I have a 2020 Honda Pilot that showed signs of stalling. Autonation Honda thornton road checked (03/07/2026) and reported I need an injector kit replaced and sdc gdi -intake throttle body furl injector service. All warning lights were on intermittently (on all day then nothing for 2-3 days then on all day the following day. ) the vehicle vibrates and feels like it's loosing power. Honda's website stated risk as " if the fuel pump module is inoperative, the engine may not start or can stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash or injury. " I have two small kids (18 month and 5 year old) that I commute to and from school every day. Honda's website shows the same issue for Honda Pilots 2016-2021 however, my VIN does not qualify me for the recall. Instead I received an estimate for said repairs for $3,345. 06. Please! I am asking you to intervein as it is unfair to single out some vehicle owner even though they are having the same issue as others. Thanks in advance.

See all problems of the 2020 Honda Pilot 🔎.

While traveling at highway speeds, we experienced a check engine lights with loss of power. After carefully pulling off of the highway, we stopped at a gas station where the engine ultimately stalled. Upon attempting restart, the engine cranked twice and then stopped. Trying to start the engine again. All we heard was a click this time around and the engine is now fully seized. Thank goodness we were able to pull off the highway and the issue happened in a way that my family and I were safe.

The car had a piston rod failure and is available for inspection at the springfield Honda dealership. The car was traveling at 63 mph when the check engine light started flashing along with 6 system errors including the power steering. I had to make an emergency stop on the side of the road. The dealership has confirmed and recommended an engine replacement. They have a video recorded of the sound and error codes. The only person to have inspected the car is the dealership. We were told that it wouldnt be covered because our VIN didnt fall with in the affected vehicles for the piston rod recall. The car was driving normal and had no service lights on prior to the check engine light coming on during the incident.

Pulled up to intersection and check engine light started flashing. Vehicle was approximately 2miles from home. Drove home and parked in driveway. Turned vehicle off. Restarted to see if problem happened again. Check engine light went off but rattle/knocking could be heard upon startup and pressing gas pedal. Code was pulled p0303. Cylinder 3 misfire. Did some research and this has been an issue with 2016 Honda Pilots. We have owned the vehicle for 10yrs4months. Purchased new. 160k miles. Self inspected with experienced mechanic present and diagnosed with a rod bearing issue.

Internal engine damage was determined by a folsom Honda dealer in California. The damage is originating from the primary rod bearings; replacement of the short block is necessary. Folsom Honda also stated the vehicle will need cams and heads of the engine replace. Needless to say, this a major engine failure. The vehicle only has 140k miles mainly freeway. Dealer estimated it will cost from 11k to 15k to repair the problem. We aware of savannah messenger v. American Honda motor CO. Inc lawsuit. We need help from you guys on this…. . Please advice francisco talavera [xxx] [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

This vehicle is facing the common "rod knock" issue known with the 2016-2022 Honda Pilots diagnosis by Honda pending but symptoms present.

The contact owns a 2015 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the error message instructed the driver to pull over immediately. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with piston ring failures. In addition, dtc: p0301 (misfire in cylinder #1) was displayed. The contact was informed that the piston rings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

See all problems of the 2015 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Engine failure, left rear cylinder knocking.

Loud engine knock when starting and when running under light load around 2000 rpm.

The vehicle was had a lower engine knock. When I took the vehicle in I was informed that there is an open recall for Honda Pilots for engine knocking and failure but my VIN number was not included. Because of the knocking I was informed that I needed to replace the engine. The vehicle is approximately 2400 miles over the 100k power train warranty. The engine has been serviced regularly and has had all pm completed. The vehicle is currently in the repair shop waiting for a replacement engine to come in. Since Honda doesn't have rebuilt engines the shop is waiting on a used engine to arrive that has approximately 77k miles on it. Because the engine is still waiting to be replaced I do not have a repair bill yet.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle failed to accelerate, and the rpm became elevated. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where a partial diagnosis was performed, and it was determined that there was a catastrophic failure in cylinder #3. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA campaign number: 23v751000 (engine and engine cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, a case was opened, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.

See all problems of the 2018 Honda Pilot 🔎.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was knocking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with rod bearing failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the vehicle was skipping timing, and the timing chain or belt had slipped from correct alignment, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact became aware of NHTSA campaign number: 23v751000 (engine and engine cooling); and associated the failure with the recall. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 148,850.

The rods on my engine seized while I was driving on [xxx] in south dakota. The car came to rest on [xxx] . The vehicle died on the most-traveled road in brookings. Right off the exit ramp. We had to wait 20 minutes for a patrol officer to park behind us, and we then waited another 20 minutes for the tow truck to take us to a nearby parking lot. The problem was confirmed by an independent service center. There were no warning lamps or symptoms prior to the engine seizing. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I bought my 2015 Pilot in 2024 and since then my local mechanic has told me I am burning oil and I have had to replace several spark plugs. I have had error codes like p0304 come up in conjunction with the replacements. I now have a total engine failure. I looked online after my failure and saw the vcm warranty extension, but I was never notified about it. I saw where the codes could come up as "misfires" but might actually be the engine failing. Component failure - engine safety risk - I was driving when it died. If I had not come to a complete stop I would have hit a snow covered rocky hill. Inspections - awaiting insurance inspector, engine failure confirmed by mechanic. Warnning - no lights were on when it happened.

Currently showing dtc p219b (O2 sensor signal biased/stuck lean – bank 2 sensor 1) along with p0430 . For prior years thru 2019, Honda has issued service bulletins 19-072 and 20-100 covering dtcs p030x, p219a, and p219b, which may involve pcm software updates, a cylinder a/f test, and potential injector replacement. However, they have not issued bulletins for 2020. My car only has 58,000 miles.

The engine began sputtering and then shut off. I had it towed in to a third party mechanic we frequently use, and they confirmed that the engine had seized, and they could not ascertain the cause. It didn't seem to have anything to do with low oil. I wondered if it was an issue with the fuel pumps failing again, because they recently failed and we had to have them replaced. I checked our VIN number to see if there were any recalls for our 2016 Honda Pilot, and there weren't, but I did find recalls for 2016 Honda Pilots related to fuel pump failure (id# 23v858000) and engine damage from connecting rod bearing wear (id# 23v751000). I shared this information with the third party mechanic, and they suggested that this could very well be the cause of engine failure. I'm concerned that my Pilot has suffered related failures but was not included in the recall. I have reached out to the Honda hotline included in this site, and they asked me to have the vehicle towed to the dealership for a diagnostic, after which I can submit a goodwill request to Honda for them to consider covering expenses related to engine replacement, but again, my concern is these issues seem to be related to the relevant recalls that do not technically apply to my VIN number. If helpful, I can file a follow-up complaint once I have documentation from the diagnostic.

Mechanic at lee street garage reported lower end noise issues with engine and told me they don't recommend fixing other issues until I have vehicle looked at by dealership (in case they can address potential engine failure issue linked below). I took vehicle to dealer and they reported $5000 in repairs (to fix other issues) - nothing about a potential recall - [xxx] for this issue. I understand this vehicle is not currently in any recall for this issue. I want to report as I do not want to pay for all the other repairs only to have the engine failure issue as noted above. I asked for trade-in value for vehicle and they said $2000 (blue book value, fair/lowest value estimate is - $6885) link to maintenance advised by Honda dealership. No mention of NHTSA article above nor any follow-up from Honda on the same as it is not in any current recall. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

While driving vehicle downshifted with no warning and went into neutral. Was driving on a busy street. Was not able to shift back into drive. When car stops was not able to put it into park. No previous warning of anything wrong. No engine light, battery etc. Illuminated on the dash. Earlier that day did hear from time to time a tick or tap like noise that had not been heard before. Car had to be towed to auto shop. Upon inspection was told all components are in working order but the engine is not working and needs to be repaired. Given the engine only has 109,000 miles this was odd to them based on condition of the vehicle. There is a known issue with Honda engines similar to this vehicle and asked we check with Honda as to what could be done to diagnose further. This is very concerning as there was no warning. Driving on a busy street with unexpected downshift was almost rear ended.

On Friday, January 30th, I took my car into bill pearce courtesy Honda in reno nv, to get a pretty big service done for $3400. Basically the 100k service with new timing belt, spark plugs, etc. I wanted to make sure that this car would last 3-5 more years. A week later, my [xxx] old daughter took my car to the ski mountain for work and on the way, the car started making a loud knocking sound and started losing power. She called me in fear so I talked her through pulling off on the next exit. I met her up at the mountain and called a tow truck and had them tow to the bill pearce courtesy Honda service department. The following day, which was Monday, I got a call from the service rep and he said they were going to figure out what was going on. At the end of the day I got a call stating that the computer diagnostics said the issue was there rod bearings and they were going to drop the oil pan the following day to see how bad the damage was. As it turns out, Honda said that the short block will need to be replaced. That’s the bottom half of the engine. This will cost more than the car is worth and I just spent thousands on maintenance. So, Honda is giving me a goodwill discount of 50%, but I still have to come up with $3800 for the fix. After doing much research, this is a known issue for other Hondas and Acura's, but my VIN wasn’t under the recall. I feel like this is a miss on Honda’s part and now I’m out of a vehicle and cash to get it fixed. The car hasn’t been fixed yet. They are waiting for the short block part to come in. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Component or system that failed: the engine failed suddenly while driving. The suspected failure is an internal connecting-rod bearing or related bottom-end engine component. The vehicle is currently at a repair facility and the engine is available for inspection upon request. How safety was put at risk: the engine lost power suddenly and became inoperable while driving. This created a hazardous situation because the vehicle could no longer maintain speed or safely continue in traffic. Sudden engine failure without warning increases the risk of a crash, especially at highway speeds or in heavy traffic. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent shop: an independent repair shop inspected the vehicle and confirmed that the engine has experienced a catastrophic internal failure and will not rotate. The timing belt was confirmed to be intact. The shop advised that the engine requires replacement. A dealer diagnostic is pending or in progress. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance, or others: the vehicle has been inspected by an independent repair facility. It has also been presented to a Honda dealership for diagnostic evaluation. The manufacturer has not yet physically inspected the vehicle. Warning lamps, messages, or prior symptoms: prior to the failure, the engine developed a knocking noise between approximately 3,000 and 4,000 rpm. The vehicle was driven approximately 80 miles after the noise first appeared. No check-engine light or other warning messages appeared before the engine suddenly failed and the vehicle became inoperable.

Engine was making a loud grinding noise and when my fiance got home from work it completely died out and will not turn over.