Tailgate Problems of Honda Pilot

The 2014 Honda Pilot and potentially all other years with a similar design pose an unreasonable safety risk to occupants seated in the third row, as the rear tailgate cannot be opened from inside or outside of the vehicle under certain circumstances. Two specific scenarios that should be considered but not limit the scope of this concern include the following: 1) the interior of the tailgate does not have an accessible handle for occupants seated in the third row to open the rear hatch and exit the vehicle in a reasonable time frame in the event of a power loss. 2) any door lock failures on the same circuit as the tailgate will cause the rear hatch to become inoperable and not open as intended.

See all problems of the 2014 Honda Pilot 🔎.

I was stopped in a driveway with the vehicle running in park. I used the power liftgate and approached the vehicle's rear storage area. The lift support failed to fully lift the tailgate and I struck my head on the tailgate as I leaned in to retrieve something from the rear area. It beeped as if it was obstructed and the tailgate attempted to lift higher but then began to close while continuing to beep. On subsequent attempts to use the power liftgate (within a few minutes), the lift support failed to keep the tailgate up and lifted the tailgate progressively shorter distances with each attempt. The rear tailgate was extremely difficult to open by hand and would not stay elevated without full support. Both lift supports were replaced at home. The driver's side lift support that was removed has no resistance opening or closing by hand. The passenger's side lift support that was removed still has resistance and appears to have been functioning. There was no difficulty with the liftgate prior to this incident.

White paint on roof, tailgate, and doors is peeling away from primer. Honda has previously repainted the hood and tailgate due to peeling. The door started peeling this month.

I have a pearl white 2014 Honda Pilot touring that has had paint issues that Honda refuses to fix on the hood. I came outside one day to get in my car and noticed that pint was peeling. I took the vehicle in to the local dealership in colorado springs, CO and was directed by them to take it to their collision center to have the paint tested. After the test, the report stated that the paint is indeed factory paint and that Honda didn't put enough paint on the vehicle. I was directed to file a complaint with Honda's corporate office and was told that although they acknowledged that this isn't an isolated incident and that it has been nationwide with this exact model and color, they will not fix the paint unless it was only on the roof or tailgate. This is not the first time this has happened with this car, as I have had the paint redone on the roof in 2017 when I was stationed in killeen, TX. I don't care that the vehicle has a defect, I just want Honda to fix the issue. Simply acknowledging that there isn't enough paint is not good enough. When a customer purchases a vehicle, they expect that the company has provided an adequate product that will last. Spending $45k on a car, then have that cars paint begin peeling, only to be told that I have to pay for their mistake is not only ludicrous but asinine as well. I am wanting Honda's corporate office to issue out an updated warranty that covers the entire vehicle for paint defects nationwide and pay to fix not just my vehicle, but others as well.

Honda is saying the poor paint finish on tailgate is not defective material or workmanship not covered under warranty paint finish has two spots where paint is lighter and clear coat in proximity has failed causing paint bubbled and chipped. Normal driving, no damage.

See all problems of the 2018 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Owner's manual states that motion of the power tailgate can be stopped by pressing any tailgate button. "if you press the button again while the power tailgate is moving, it will stop. " (pages from manual attached as pdf. ) dealer also told me this. This is a lie. The tailgate does not stop until it reaches the full upward position, or until its upward motion hits an obstacle (e. G. Garage door) and reverses direction. Honda lied. After complaining to dealer, I was informed this important safety feature was removed from the 2019 Pilot; yet it is in the manual multile times on multiple pages. Consequently, the vehicle is useless to me; I cannot use the power tailgate while the vehicle is parked in my garage. I want Honda to buy back the vehicle from me or issue a firmware update that restores this safety feature.

See all problems of the 2019 Honda Pilot 🔎.

I purchased my Pilot 4 years ago, it was owned by one person prior to me. About 6 months after purchase it started seeing rusting by my tailgate handle and now its the size of a baseball on both sides. I see that there was an issue with this but was told I do not fall under this due to the time line. Very upset that I will have to pay for it to be repaired when its a known issue through Honda! very frustrating buying a car and seeing the issues and no one can help. I clearly got the lemon Pilot, within the first 6 months of purchasing my Pilot, I needed new exhaust cats and all and then a new motor due to oil issues and a fuel pump, the list goes on. . When will Honda take care of the issues that they know are problems!.

See all problems of the 2009 Honda Pilot 🔎.

The locks work intermittently and the tailgate releases at inopportune times (moving, parking, while unattended). It's inconsistent and extremely challenging especially with small children with the potential of locking them in the car. Proactively, I have to keep one door open to maintain general safety. Additionally, the rear camera is unreliable. It also works intermittently.

See all problems of the 2013 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Was having trouble with the tailgate not registering as closed. Upon inspecting I discovered that the latch on the tailgate was moving freely in the tailgate. It was unsecured. Upon removing the plastic tailgate trim, I spotted three specialized machine bolts. These were trapped by the tail gate trim loose unconnected. I determined that these bolts held the latch in position. I was able to properly secure the tailgate latch to the door and restore proper functionality. I believe that more locks will reveal to be improperly secured from the factory. My vehicle has never been rear ended or had any post factory repairs. The risk of injury due to defective torquing of these machine bolts is real as in the event of a crash the tailgate could come open ejecting people from the rear of the vehicle.

See all problems of the 2005 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Rear tailgate latch mechanism fell out of mount. 2 of 3 screws were found completely loose after partial removal of rear tailgate interior trim. Issue happened in store parking lot loading groceries; tailgate would not latch shut and drove home at slow speed with all dome lights on (Honda does not give a position switch option for door as I have seen in many other vehicles owned). Due to serious safety issue of having unlatched tailgate opted to effect immediate repair upon return to home address. I have reinstalled all 3 screws and used blue loctite thread lock as it appears no thread lock was previously used. I am a mechanical engineer and was concerned that a) very small diameter screws relative to size of item being secured and b) no locking mechanism to hold torque on the screws. There are many complaints of various Honda models with similar issue on internet at Honda owner discussion boards. There are even step by step instructions with photos how to fix posted on a Honda owners discussion board; yet when I check Honda's official TSB list - there is not even 1 TSB for the tailgate latch loose issue; so it is likely many owners (as myself) have opted to take the diy approach for the solution. My professional opinion is this is poorly designed since the attachment mechanism (3 screws) to hold the latch body to the tailgate panel could become loose from nominal in-city daily driving (proof that the torque on the fasteners is not holding under normal use).

See all problems of the 2008 Honda Pilot 🔎.

I had repeated visits to babylon Honda in babylon , NY for a rear tailgate spoiler problem. When opening the tailgate (rear door) the spoiler would hit and grind against the roof panel. Babylon Honda addressed the issue by tightening the spoiler mounts which worked for awhile, but the problem returned. This past July while driving on interstate 91 at 65mph, the spoiler flew off my car and nearly hit the car behind me. I am waiting for babylon Honda's response to repair this problem - the spoiler mounts cracked.

See all problems of the 2003 Honda Pilot 🔎.

When opening the tailgate the consumer noticed that the spoiler hit the rear window and the roof. Consumer notified the dealer about this issue. The sunlight caused heat swelling of the plastic tailgate spoiler. When the tailgate was opened, the spoiler would strike the roof which resulted in scratches and damage to the roof.