Exterior Lighting Problems of Honda Pilot - part 1

Condensation in headlight assembly impeding forward visibility at night.

See all problems of the 2019 Honda Pilot 🔎.

The issue is that the rear light on both sides has a sharp plastic edge and I’ve actually cut myself on it twice. I took it to the dealer, and they said they couldn’t really replace it because it’s the same on other Honda Pilots, so it seems to be a common issue. Basically, it’s a safety concern with that sharp edge.

I am writing to formally report a safety concern related to a recent maintenance issue on my Honda vehicle. Approximately one month ago, I had my vehicle serviced to address an issue with the rear tailgate lighting. Although the issue was supposedly repaired, I discovered during nighttime driving that the tailgate lights were still not functioning properly. Despite the headlights being on, the rear tailgate lighting failed to illuminate, creating a serious safety hazard. I was nearly involved in a rear-end collision with a truck due to this malfunction. Upon stopping and inspecting the vehicle, I confirmed that the tailgate lights were not working as intended. This problem raises serious concerns, especially considering the dealership performed a multi-point inspection at the time of service. The malfunction was not detected or corrected adequately. Additionally, I question the reliability of these inspections, as there have been inconsistencies in their findings. For example, one inspection indicated that my brakes were fine, but just three weeks later, another inspection claimed they required replacement. The main issue, however, is that the tailgate lights were supposedly repaired but were not correctly configured to turn on automatically with the headlights. This oversight directly jeopardized my safety and the safety of others on the road. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this matter and determine whether there is a broader issue with the repair or inspection protocols being followed by Honda service centers, particularly regarding rear lighting systems and multi-point inspections. Thank you for your attention to this urgent safety concern. Sincerely, michael faltas 23361 butterfly palm CT boca raton FL 33433 faltas. Michael@gmail. Com (734)507-1353.

See all problems of the 2020 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Led headlight burned out and is not possible to change or remove, dealer indicated it is not something that normally goes out, and wants to charge $2,000.

See all problems of the 2021 Honda Pilot 🔎.

While driving the Pilot warning alerts popped up that none of the collision detection, lane assist, cruise control, and seemingly all radar related systems were working. Additionally, the headlights turned off. We have brought this to the Honda dealer on now three occasions, and there doesn’t seem to be any understanding of why this is happening. On the evening of March 11 this issue happened again after the dealership having the car for a week to “fix “this problem and the lights turned off on an unlit road almost causing an accident. The car is again back at the dealer, who apparently is working with Honda again. I have seen this type of problem reported for other 2023 Honda vehicles, including the Pilot, passport, and crv on various internet forums.

See all problems of the 2023 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Headlights were replaced under the 3yr/36k mile warranty just prior to the 3 yr mark due to the clear coat peeling and headlights showing excessive wear and scratching. 6 months after replacement, the replaced headlights are showing the same signs of clear coat peeling and excessive wear and scratching, far sooner than the original 3 yr mark. The headlight condition continues to deteriorate and will eventually need replacement or refurbishment. Now, the Honda emblem on the front, which is covered in clear plastic since it houses anti-collision components, is showing the same signs of wear. This seems premature considering the vehicle was purchased in 2021 and will pose a safety risk soon.

Headlight seal failure resulting in condensation buildup resulting in obstructing light while driving at night.

Both front headlights on low beam suddenly stopped working, high beams work as do the rest of the indicator lights on the vehicle, I have replaced the bulbs, checked fuses and relays and switches and they still do not work. An issue that has been recalled on earlier years and is very common on my model year with no assistance from Honda.

See all problems of the 2007 Honda Pilot 🔎.

I was driving late at night and noticed that the headlights were not lighting the road. Upon inspection, I observed excessive amounts of moisture had accumulated on the inside of both headlight assemblies and was refracting the headlight beam resulting in extremely poor visibility placing myself and other drivers at risk for an accident and injury. It is likely that the moisture entered the headlight assemblies while I was driving in a severe thunderstorm the prior day. Much to my surprise, I learned that this is a known issue to Honda. Please see the attachment service bulletin number 23-024, titled “moisture in the headlights”. Upon review of the technical information from Honda, I learned that the cause of the moisture in the headlight is a broken seal that resulted from improper assembly of the vehicle. Please see the service bulletin for a technical explanation of the root cause and corrective action.

Defective keyless access unit car will completely lose power Honda dealer confirmed defective keyless access unit various problems experienced : a) car is completely disabled b) main battery drained c) flashing external lights d) flashing dashboard cluster lights and indicators e) anti theft security alarm horn will sound f) defective hood latch g) windshield wipers operational compromised.

See all problems of the 2016 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Led headlight has been collecting condensation, presumed by mechanic to be from improper venting of the headlight. Possibly related to Honda technical service bulletin regarding hood positioning keeping headlights from venting properly. The chronic moisture caused the headlight to fail and stop working while driving at night, without warning. This caused a sudden impairment to visibility, creating a safety risk for those in the vehicle and others in the road.

While driving at night, with rain and fog, the low beam headlights became extremely dim which made it impossible to see the road. Surprisingly both low beam headlights went dim, not effective at all, I had to depend on my fog lights for a bit of visibility. Could it be the headlamp, turn signal switch on the column that has gone bad?? so dangerous, my wife was almost shaking as we slowly made our way home, and we live in the country so scary drive home.

See all problems of the 2006 Honda Pilot 🔎.

For no reason the alarm is going off randomly the dash lights, interior lights, driving lights and headlights are flashing and loud clicking noises come from the dash. This happens frequently and has been going on for some time. I have had to remove the fuse from the horn to keep it from waking us up at night which creates a potentially dangerous situation if I forget to plug it back in. Also this keeps running down the battery and when it is doing this, it sometimes won't start. I worry about it damaging other electronic parts and causing a dangerous situation. Honda must be aware of this issue with the Pilots. You can search online and find hundreds of others that have experienced the same issue. The Honda ridgeline has the same issue and they have issued a TSB for it. I find it totally irresponsible that they would try to correct the ridgeline but not also the Pilot. They know the tpms control units are the problem and they need to fix them.

See all problems of the 2017 Honda Pilot 🔎.

The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while waiting in line at a gas station, she smelled a burning odor, and there was smoke coming from the steering wheel. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that upon activating the low beam headlights, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle without activating the low beam headlights, the steering wheel stopped smoking. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 12v136000 (exterior lighting). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 220,000.

See all problems of the 2005 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Wires burnt to headlights as a result of overheating wires; resulted in both low beam headlights going out while driving. It seems like Honda has had this problem previously in older Pilot models. Unsure of why they are making newer vehicles with the same issues.

See all problems of the 2013 Honda Pilot 🔎.

My 2016 Honda Pilot was recently repaired as the cam-shaft had move within the care engine. My car has 109,000 miles on the vehicle, and should not have this issue given the cars age and the way that the car is driven. I am a suburban mom, who drives the car to work and with both of my children within my car. This put my entire family as risk driving within the care and could have hurt other drivers if the malfunction happened in the middle of the free-way or otherwise. The vehicle was inspected by the Honda dealership for the issue. The vehicle has all of the dash lights flashing and the car was driving erratically, so much so that mid driving the car, it we were in a near miss accident due to the mechanical malfunction. The 2nd issue that has presented itself, it the start and stop button within the vehicle. It is a known defect to the vehicle.

Left headlight went out in July 2023 while traveling in oklahoma. I had it replaced at a napa shop in kansas shortly after. The headlight went out again while home in charleston, SC in November 2023. I had it replaced again. 2 weeks later around roughly November 15th 2023 the light went out again.

See all problems of the 2008 Honda Pilot 🔎.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the auto stop idle feature in my 2016 Honda Pilot touring failed to operate correctly. This feature automatically turns off the engine while keeping the electrical systems on. I can make the vehicle available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the malfunction of the auto stop idle feature jeopardized my safety and the safety of others. When I stopped at a red light, the engine turned off as expected, but when I pressed the gas pedal to resume driving, all the vehicle's systems shut down. I attempted to start the car by holding the key fob to the start/stop button, but it would briefly start and then turn back off. The sudden loss of power and inability to restart the engine left me in a precarious situation. As a result, I was unable to activate the hazard lights, putting me at risk of being involved in a collision or not being visible to other drivers. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? at the time of filing this complaint, the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. However, I strongly recommend conducting a thorough investigation by a certified technician to replicate the issue and address it appropriately. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? the vehicle has been inspected by the police who responded to the incident when it occurred at the red light. However, no inspections have been conducted by the manufacturer, insurance representatives, or other parties at this point. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms indicating a problem prior to this failure. The feature had been working.

Car completely shut down while in drive. Towed to dealership where I was told there was a software update that needed to be done. Car working fine now.

When car is locked alarm sporadically goes off on its own also when the headlights are set to auto and the car is turned off the headlights will come on sporadically and drain the battery. Having electrical components come on on their own is obviously a safety concern. The dashboard lights and warning icons will also flicker. There have been numerous complaints of this kind on the Honda Pilot forum Piloteers. Org.

Auto high bean is not working and no sign of auto( headlight on with letter a) on dashboard is not show. Trying to reset by holding high beam for 40 seconds still not working ( only blinking once), meaning still not working. That problem had after came back from recall on cracking sound inside speakers. Recently brought the car to Honda beltsville, MD on January 15, 2024 about when stopping at traffic light when pressed the brakes hard the auto on/off engine is not working. Massage on dashboard show that( the auto engine idle stop unavailable ). With my vehicle had 2 problems 1- light is not working on auto high beam and no sign on of auto headlight with letter a showing on dashboard. 2- auto on/off is still not working when stop at traffic light( auto engine idle stop unavailable) massage on dashboard please check this out, thank you.

Last week the the security alarm went off for no reason. The following day, I arrived to work and parked my car. 45 minutes later, I am notified my headlights were on. I always keep my headlights on auto so they never should have been on. After I started my car for a minute, everything seems fine. 3 hours later, I hear an alarm in the parking lot but did not think it was my vehicle. I leave work and go to outside and realize my alarm has been going off for a couple of hours. I go to open my vehicle and try to start the car but all the whole dashboard lit up and the speakers were popping and making horrible noises. I could not get the car started and my driver seat kept moving on its own. I called Honda of murfreesboro and they advised that I needed to get my vehicle towed. I receive a call the next day and I was told that it had an electrical malfunction and the entire keyless access control unit needed to be replaced along with the connector ends. I have had several issues with the 2021 Pilot and this takes the cake. First it was the auto/stop at a red light and it completely shut off the engine. I had to turn the vehicle off and shift to park and then start the car. Also my "warning brake" lights come on randomly which alarms me and it will shift the car over. I also have had some issues with getting on an entrance ramp and the car doesn't want to pick up speed and I push the gas and the rpm's rev. This vehicle is unsafe.

As I was driving vehicle it shut down. Dashboard went haywire as did the front panel, radio, windows. Could not turn on car at all, not even put it on neutral. Hazard lights did not work either.

Was traveling down the road, had an electrical burning smell coming from my dash and around steering wheel. Low beams then shut off going down road pulled over but still had high beams but no low beams.

The sensor system for my car are malfunctioning when the car is off. This causes the fuse system to malfunction and power the vehicle without keys being located near the vehicle. The car tries to start as well as the lights flash, dash turns on, and also the horn blares. The fuse system located under the steering wheel sounds like it will spark or blow fuses. The dealer is unable to fix the problem until may because the part is backordered due to many others having the same issue. This has been occurring for months. This issue required the removal of the horn fuse which is a public and personal safety hazard to drive without a functioning horn. The technician with Honda also mentioned I should remove the battery cable every night to prevent the car from draining the battery. The technician himself is also experiencing the same problem with his car.

The instrument panel is flashing all alerts when the car is off. I am able to drive the car. It is unknown which component has malfunctioned. Several Honda owners on google say to check the fuel injectors. I am hoping you all can assist me with that. My safety was put at risk as the alarm goes off randomly when the car is off. It is bothersome at my workplace. I am afraid to drive the vehicle. One of the alerts that flashes is the antilock brake system. I am afraid the brakes will go out during driving. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. I hope to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. All warning lamps and messages were blinking after the car was turned off. There were no signs of issues prior to turning the car off. Since the first initial flashing of alerts, the alerts now stay on during driving however not all lights are flashing. Could it simply need a software update? I do feel this needs investigating and a recall issued.

1675 miles- rear taillight including brake light failure 10,094 miles- rear differential oil stain noted 23028 miles- front passenger seat motor and seat frame failure 23258 miles- ac compressor failure 24090- very leaky rear differential noted.

My car (2016 Honda Pilot touring) shuts down due to the auto shut off feature at least once a month and I am very nervous to hand it over to my daughter in a next year when she is old enough to drive. I have been stalled out at intersections. . . It is irresponsible of Honda to not issue a recall. People are going to get into accidents if they can't start their car in the middle of intersections! why is this not being recalled. I understand it will cost Honda a substantial amount of money to correct, but it has to happen. What if you have an older battery that is losing its charge. Does this mean that we are to blame for getting into an accident because the battery is not brand new and can't handle this auto shut off feature? it's totally unacceptable! I realize we can turn the feature off. . . But what happens if my daughter (new driver) forgets to push that button every time she gets in the car. I'm sorry. . . I know some will say it's the driver's fault for forgetting but the potential of that mistake is real and the possibilities could be devastating.

Lights that illuminate the functions/buttons of the climate control system burned out.

See all problems of the 2004 Honda Pilot 🔎.

We were traveling the freeway and as we drove down the road the low beams turned off. Fortunately high beams were still functional.

1. Our 2014 Honda Pilot exl with only 70,000 miles on it needs a complete engine replacement. The cause was determined to be driving with low oil. The oil life gauge read 50% and we had an oil change only 3 months earlier. No check engine light or low oil light came on, so we had no way of knowing the oil was low unless someone qualified had done a manual inspection which ordinary drivers don't/can't do. In our view the warning lights and/or oil life gauge all failed to warn us of any issue of this nature, therefore letting it get to the point whereby the car needs a complete engine replacement. 2. Unknown. We were lucky that we noticed the smell of fuel/burning close to home so we were thankfully not left stranded on the side of the road. But we were left stranded 500 miles from home while on vacation with no car. It was an absolute nightmare. 3. Yes, we had to tow the vehicle 40 miles to the nearest Honda dealership who confirmed that the engine needs replacing. 4. Yes, the nearest Honda dealership inspected the vehicle. 5. No, and that is the issue. No warnings lamps appeared. The smell of fuel/burning coming from the engine alerted us to the fact that there was an issue and the engine fan carried on running even after the ignition was turned off. Prior to this we had no idea there was an issue with the vehicle. We took care of the vehicle, doing regular oil changes and fluid replacement, etc. Fyi - telling someone that they need to manually check the oil level as you should not rely on the oil life gauge and/or the various warning lights that are designed to detect this problem is both devoid from reality and is akin to telling people that they should manually dip the gas tank to check the gas level as you should not rely on the gas gauge etc. That makes no practical sense and the vast majority of car owners don't do it.

See all problems of the 2014 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Rear view mirror is hazy. This is a problem with most Honda Pilots 2011. The problem is most likely with adhesion or the chemicals tat make up the camera screen and electronics inside the mirror. It is too dangerous to drive with a hazy rear view mirror. Also, headlights get hazy on the Honda Pilot 2011. I think problem is adhesion. In other words, Honda is either did not apply adhesion properly on their lights and mirrors or they used poor material. Please issue a recall and fix these issues.

See all problems of the 2011 Honda Pilot 🔎.

When parked, the car begins to try to turn on. The interior lights flash, systems fire and the battery drains. Twice I was left stranded having to rely on tow trucks, replacing batteries that were still functional and running car continuously in order to not drain it since it is my only car and I needed reliable vehicle to get to my kids. I could have been stranded in unsafe areas, thus impacting the safety of myself and family. There was no warnings before this happened the first time. Then, after changing the battery, it went another week without issue and then randomly happened again, without warning or indicators. It was looked at by 2 mechanics, the first (christian brothers automotive) could not find a problem. The second (Honda dealership) diagnosed it as “body control module failure-code b12d3”. They were not able to fix my car after diagnosing the problem today because they didn’t have the part in stock. So, I am now having to disconnect my battery every time I park to prevent it from draining the battery and honking. As a single mom, with only one vehicle, this will be a long wait until the part arrives and can be fixed. On top of the exorbitant wait, the repair quote is $861. 63 to correct. This is a manufacturing malfunction for which I do not believe should be my financially responsibility. Honda cars have had recalls of the bcm modules starting with the 2018 models. It is not a huge stretch to assume the 2017 Pilot bcm was flawed as well. I hope this is made right, a recall issued and my repairs expedited and paid for by Honda.

When parked, the car anti-theft alarms will honk loudly waking up everyone noisily; the headlights will be turn on & keep running (even if it is manually turned off); the dashboard lights will be flickering; relays clicking; and sometimes the car will turn itself on. The noise & lights can't be turned off from the keyfob. The only way to silence it is to disconnect the battery and leave the car unlocked which is not safe when parked in the street or anywhere.

Our 2017 Pilot tries to turn on by itself, with the electronics in the dashboard starting and engine compartment relays firing, along with the exterior lights turning on without any driver being present or attempting to start the car. It happens even without the keys being present. As a result, the battery drains while the car is parked. We took our car to the dealership where we bought it and they confirmed the issue and stated we needed to replace our keyless access/tpms unit to start and that we may need to a new start/stop switch. It cost $190. 83 with tax to access. The car is serviced at klein Honda in everett, wa. The r/o number for the service visit is 652453/1. . Read more...