Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Honda Pilot - part 1

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.

See all problems of the 2021 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Engine blew up and forced the hood open while driving, obstructing view, and then started smoking black smoke. The engine is ruined and all of the oil drained from it. Pieces of pistons were laying on the oil tray. The car had been inspected with an oil change within 1k miles.

See all problems of the 2016 Honda Pilot 🔎.

The contact owned a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was knocking very loudly, and the vehicle lost driving power. The contact attempted to contact the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired.

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2017 Honda Pilot 3. 5 l v6 170,000 miles has mechanical "knock" noise corresponding to engine rpm at start, idle, and acceleration. Knock comes from engine block and can be heard from top and bottom of the engine bay, louder from underneath, clearly coming from the rear bank of cylinders. Possibly connecting rod bearing failure. General routine maintenance and oil changes have been completed consistently. If the connecting rod bearing were to fail while running, metal fragments would damage and seize the engine. If this would occur while driving, vehicle would unexpectedly lose engine power, crippling other systems like power steering, electrical, and possibly controlled braking. This could result in a serious or even fatal collision. Me and my children rely on this car for our transportation needs and no longer trust its reliability. I'll have the dealership inspect the engine components according the the 2023 recall campaign, even though my specific VIN, model, or year are not included.

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Random complete engine failure while driving due to connecting rod bearings. Mechanic diagnosed and shows damage. Car will not start or run at all.

I recently purchased this car from a Nissan dealership a week after we purchased it the emissions system problem light came on took it back they replaced a catalytic converter it was ok for a couple weeks and all of a sudden it showed up again my VIN doesn’t show any open recalls but I have a feeling this is a part of the recall that affects the certain years of affected vehicles.

The car stalled in an intersection. The auto idle function had engaged when the car came to a full stop, but when I took my foot off the break it did not restart. It took a couple of tries to get it to restart, leaving my car in the intersection. This problem has been happening on and off since I bought it used in 2022. In may 2025, a Honda dealership near me made a valve adjustment and replaced the starter, which was supposed to have fixed the issue. However, it recently started occurring again.

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The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle lost automotive power, and the battery, oil, and information warning lights remained illuminated. Several minutes later, the vehicle was restarted, and the contact continued driving. Another failure occurred while attempting to accelerate from a stop, and the transmission shifted into neutral, the brake pedal became stiff, and the contact was forced to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was 98,512.

Our Pilot is experiencing similar issues found online with catastrophic engine failure due to a misfire caused by a knocking rod. Honda so far has not responded to our claim despite it being a known issue around the same time ours was manufactured.

I am having transmission issues with my 2019 Honda Pilot. There is an extended warranty service bulletin out, Honda USA claims my vehicle does not fall under that extended warranty based on the VIN. I am experiencing all of the symptoms of the fuel injector issues that they report in the bulletin. I am unable to get anybody at Honda to help me.

Very well maintained 2016 Honda Pilot oil changes done on time only 149k miles started it up labor day weekend to a sound of engine knock. It ran for a min or two before I turn it off oil was full. It is not the failed timing the belt tenisoner. . . . I called my local Honda dealership where they said my VIN was not included in the crank/engine bearing recall. I have no warranty and the dealership of course wants me to tow it there to pay their tech their diagnostic fee. I have read so many stories of this happening to the Honda Pilot and ridgeline vehicles. This is a shame. . . . Honda needs to step up & double check their manufacturer dates & add more VIN to this recall ASAP.

The car is having issues with the idle stop. It started taking longer to restart after a stop and now it turns completely off. It happened today in a traffic light in a big intersection.

Engine fails to restart after stopping at stop lights or stop signs when auto start stop feature is engaged. My safety as well as others pasenger was drivers safety was at risk since incidents occured on busy exit ramps in dallas, TX and southlake texas. The problem has only been verbally confirmed by the dealer and Honda corporate that it is a know defect and will only be handled as an extended warranty.

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While driving car it lost power and was going only 35 mph then shut off completely while driving. Would not crank had car towed to Honda dealer and they said the engine was seized up. The car is at the Honda dealer now. No warning lights that I'm aware of. Honda dealer stated I would need a new motor.

While driving car it made some noise from engine area and only would drive about 35 mph. The car then shut off and had to coast off highway into parking lot. Luckily it didn't stop in middle of 4 lane highway. Car would not crank and had it towed to Honda dealer. Upon inspection from walker jones Honda dealer the following diagnosis. Verified motor locked up. Dropped the oil pan and inspected. Found bearing material in the oil caused by bearing slippage. Pictures were taken. There was no warnings or lights when this event occurred. The car has been taken care of and regular oil changes made through the Honda dealership. We are having to pay to get the engine replaced. The car has 103,965 miles on it.

Severe metallic engine knock, metal debris found in drained oil pan by perfection Honda, pre-intake dtc codes p2651, and active dashboard alert ("emissions system problem"). Safety hazard: sudden engine stalling/seizure and loss of power steering/braking assistance at highway speeds.

The vehicle experienced a check engine light with code p0430 and a failed air/fuel ratio test due to defective fuel injectors leaking raw fuel into the exhaust bank. This failure completely mirrors the factory defect in Honda service bulletin a21-010 (NHTSA 10187008), which extends the fuel injector warranty to 10 years/150,000 miles. A certified Honda dealer verified the exact codes and components but explicitly denied the mandatory corporate warranty extension, attempting to charge $1,804. 51 out-of-pocket and ignoring subsequent communication. Unburned raw fuel dumping into the catalytic converter presents a progressive engine failure and exhaust safety hazard.

We have had the car since bought new in 2019 and has about 105k miles. Since then it has had 4 new batteries and going to the dealership again for the same issue. The car struggles to start sometime and other we have to take multiple sttemps to hit the start button. Even then it feels like it is struggling to start. Also if we leave the start/stop fucnction "on" it stugggles to start at stop lights and in the most recent case it did the start at a stoplight once again. This has happened multiple time since we got the car and the dealership has done all the recalls and repalced the battery multiple time. This newest case the battery is new from Honda and less then a year old. We are afraid and concerned if the car will turn on anytime we go somewhere and trust my 2012. No warning light or anything comes on. If stopped in the wrong place this can cause a serious accident or injury.

Unknown.

I am a [xxx] female driver in northern [xxx], and I am driving a 2016 Honda Pilot that is suffering from severe, documented engine failure symptoms that Honda refuses to address. The vehicle is producing a distinct squeaking and chirping sound from the engine bay, and a recent inspection of my engine oil revealed magnetic metal flakes. This indicates that critical internal engine components — likely the connecting rod bearings or camshaft—are rapidly tearing themselves apart and grinding down into the oil stream. The check engine light continuously comes and goes. When taken to the dealership, instead of diagnosing this severe mechanical hazard, the dealership completely neglected the issue, stated they did not know why it was happening, and simply cleared the light, sending me back out on the road in a ticking time bomb. Although my specific VIN is currently excluded from Honda's active rod bearing recall, my vehicle is exhibiting the exact textbook symptoms of the manufacturing defect currently under NHTSA investigation. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

It first started having an engine light on that came back to emmission errors. It was intermittent though and didnt cause mucj issues. The shop said if it kept up to take it somewhere for that . Then on xxx all the engine lights, brakes everything just came on and seized up and it stopped working completley. Trying to restart just dies once you try to drive it. This should have been recalled with the other engine years. The shop is saying it needs a brand new engine. . Please advise. [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The engine started throwing emissions codes and running rough about 6 mo ago but it was very sporadic and always cleared on their own. However on 8/23 my husband was driving it, all the lights started coming on and it froze up and died while he was driving it. We had taken it to the shop where they confirmed that the whole engine was dead that its a known problem with these years Pilots and would require a new engine.

My 2016 Honda Pilot elite has developed a loud, heavy metallic knocking sound coming from the engine block that increases in speed with engine rpms. Despite strict regular maintenance and oil changes, the engine noise is getting progressively worse, creating an immediate risk of catastrophic engine failure, stalling, or seizing while driving on the highway. While this vehicle matches the exact failure symptoms of NHTSA recall 23v751 for connecting rod bearing failure, my specific VIN is currently excluded from the recall scope. I am reporting this as part of the ongoing investigation into underreported v6 engine batches.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? per the quote from the dealership where the issue was diagnosed: looks like you are going to need a new engine due (to a) bad cylinder 5 misfire and the main bearing spun causing internal failure. It is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the engine could have failed during driving causing an accident. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? the check engine light was blinking when I parked it within 3 minutes of seeing it (xxx at approximately 8:30 am) and drove no further. I had it towed to the nearest dealer, which is thelen Honda of bay city, mi.

A critical failure in the direct fuel injection system caused severe engine misfiring, sudden loss of drive power, and a cascade failure that disabled safety systems during vehicle operation. Diagnostic scan confirmed dtcs p0172 (fuel system rich) and p0301 (cylinder 1 misfire). In response to the misfire, the vehicle's computer automatically disabled the electronic power steering (eps), vehicle stability assist (vsa), and sh-awd systems (diagnostic codes u0401-68, u0416-68). This is a known manufacturing defect involving internal injector wear and high-pressure fuel pump debris (detailed in Honda TSB 20-100). The sudden loss of engine responsiveness paired with the simultaneous disengagement of traction and steering assists while driving creates an immediate crash hazard. Because Honda currently limits this repair to a 10-year warranty extension rather than a mandatory safety recall, vehicles with low mileage are experiencing sudden safety-assist shutdowns on the road without manufacturer remedy.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke inside the vehicle. There were several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the contact's son noticed an abnormal sound. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was a hole in the rear of the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle received an oil change forty days prior to the failure. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

On Friday August 21,2026 at approximately 10:00am I departed my house. Approximately 4 minutes later while traveling the engine lost power and began misfiring. Steering and braking capabilities were both reduced. Numerous system failure lights were flashing. The vehicle is currently at the dealership awaiting Honda repair plan.

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The contact owns a 2019 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while merging onto the highway at 40 mph, the vehicle lost power and several warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact coasted the vehicle to the shoulder of the highway, and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic diagnosed that an unknown engine component failed, causing the timing belt to snap and resulting in engine failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA action number: pe25008 (engine). The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no open recalls associated with the VIN. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Started the car check engine lights and all the other lights came tire pressure, abs,acc, break, emergency break, collision mitigation system problem, road departure mitigation,vsa. Turned off the car, the lights and check engine lights went away and a few days later while driving car did that again and then it engine decline in speed and died on highway.

The vehicle started to make some strange noises coming from the engine area. I brought the vehicle to our mechanic, who stated that the engine needs to be replaced. He described the problem as an issue with the piston that is appearing to be common with the shut off system, causing it in this vehicle. He classified as. ’engine has internal knock from wrist pin/rod bearing’. I’m looking at recalls and there are 2018s that appeared to have some sort of rod or piston issue that is under recall. Our particular VIN does not show a recall. This does appear to be a relatively common problem occurring with our model year though.

The connecting rod on my 2017 Honda Pilot is coming apart and metal is present in the oil. The engine began knocking and progressively got louder. The sound was coming from the bottom of the engine around cylinder 1. We shut the car off and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. The dealer service center confirmed that the connecting rod on cylinder 1 was coming apart and found metal in the oil and filter. The vehicle has not been inspected by any other parties. There was a warning lamp that came on saying there was a fuel emission problem. That lamp has come on intermittently since we had recall service done on the transmission 6 weeks ago (June 2026). We did have that looked at, but were told they could not reproduce the issue. A check engine lamp also appeared just after the noise first appeared. I included the dealer repair center diagnosis and estimate of repair. I also included documentation that their records for our maintenance are incorrect. We took immaculate care of that vehicle from the day we purchased it.

The auto idle stop/start system on my 2019 Honda Pilot has failed at least a dozen times. When the vehicle is stopped and auto idle stop shuts off the engine, the engine sometimes fails to restart when the driver attempts to proceed. The dashboard lights illuminate, but the engine does not restart. The driver must turn the vehicle completely off and manually restart it. The vehicle is available for inspection. This has created a serious safety concern. On multiple occasions, the failure happened to a young driver in my family while stopped at a busy intersection. When traffic began moving, the Pilot would not restart and remained unexpectedly stopped in an active traffic lane. There was no warning that the vehicle would fail to restart, leaving the driver trying to shut down and restart the vehicle while traffic was moving around them. I have taken the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealer multiple times regarding this issue. This is now my third attempt to have the problem addressed. The dealer is now performing the applicable Honda warranty work related to the auto idle stop no-restart condition. There have been no warning lamps or messages immediately before these failures. The auto idle stop system appears to operate normally until the engine is supposed to restart. At that point, the engine fails to restart and dashboard warning lights illuminate. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives.

My ac went out and upon taking it to the dealership, it was determined that my clutch and coil are melted into my compressor. They ordered the part but there were over 1,000 other dealerships that put in an order for the same part so I was told it could take over two months to get this sort in. They also said this was highly abnormal and it normal wear and tear so it definitely feels like a malfunction of the equipment Honda has that should be considered a recall.

When trying to accelerate car is yanking very bad seems like it is a very bad shutter or something with the transmission there is also a very bad squeak when you drive under the car.

The engine required a short block replacement at approximately 40,000 miles. There was a severe knocking sound and the dealer diagnosed heavy scoring and abnormal wear present on the front bank cylinder walls. The result was excessive internal engine clearance and cylinder wall damage. Engine cylinder piston block holes were worn beyond spec. After 33 days the vehicle was returned and developed a growling/grinding noise when the ac was in operation and at lower speeds that followed the rpms. Vehicle was returned to dealer and told sound was normal operation for this model and stated it was coming from ac compressor. Independent shop verified 2 days later ac compressor was failing and possible metal contamination. Ac compressor is backordered with no eta. Advised to not use ac or defroster to avoid seizing and causing serpentine belt to snap. Advised Honda customer care and assigned case manager who was made aware of knock and compressor failure and contacted dealer who stated vehicle could not be seen for 7 days due to being booked. Advised case manager of vehicle safety concern with internal engine failure damage and failing ac system and was denied emergency loaner or assistance and told it was all they could do. Vehicle now unsafe due to both with no timeline for fixing and known hazards due to severe engine failures and associated issues with main systems.

See all problems of the 2023 Honda Pilot 🔎.