Honda Pilot owners have reported 251 problems related to vehicle speed control (under the vehicle speed control category). The most recently reported issues are listed below. Also please check out the statistics and reliability analysis of Honda Pilot based on all problems reported for the Pilot.
The 3. 5l v6 engine in this vehicle suffered a sudden, catastrophic internal mechanical failure due to premature connecting rod bearing wear. The engine stalling occurred abruptly while actively driving, which created an immediate safety risk as the vehicle lost propulsion, power steering assistance, and power braking assistance. This forced a dangerous emergency maneuver to navigate through moving traffic to get to the side of the road. Prior to the engine failure, there were no persistent dashboard warning lights or clear messages indicating an imminent mechanical failure. The first distinct symptom was a brief, sudden metallic knocking sound from the engine bay immediately before the vehicle lost all power and stalled. An authorized dealership has since inspected the vehicle and dropped the oil pan, physically confirming a massive accumulation of metal shavings and bearing debris inside the block. The dealership verified that the complete destruction of the engine block is identical in nature, symptom, and cause to the manufacturing defects described in NHTSA recall campaign 23v-751. However, this vehicle's specific VIN was excluded from that original recall parameter. This catastrophic failure directly corresponds to the ongoing office of defects investigation probe pe25008 regarding extensive v6 engine rod bearing failures. The failed engine block remains fully intact at the service center and is available for regulatory inspection upon request.
See
all problems of the 2016 Honda Pilot
🔎.
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).
See
all problems of the 2017 Honda Pilot
🔎.
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while attempted to park the vehicle into a park spot occupied with her husband and granddaughter in the vehicle, the vehicle acceleratored independently causing the vehicle to crash into a brick wall. The contact stated that no air bags were deployed in her vehicle. The contact stated her granddaughter sustained a cut near her right eyebrow. No medical attention was required. The contact stated that a police report was filed. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was towed to a collision center. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and they are investigating the matter. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.
See
all problems of the 2025 Honda Pilot
🔎.
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.
See
all problems of the 2022 Honda Pilot
🔎.
Acc and road departure mitigation system would become disabled for no apparent reason. A message would display on the instrument panel that there is a problem, to see your dealer. Also, a collision mitigation braking system problem would display on the instrument panel with a brake system warning light. A display on the instrument panel would show an area to clean (Honda emblem on front grill). I tried to clean this area several times to no avail. The weather was clear and warm when this occurred. The system has returned to normal on its own.
The vehicle previously experienced a steering wheel locking issue and was taken to the dealer for repair. The dealer stated the issue was repaired on December 11, 2024. On February 24, 2026, while driving on a public street, the vehicle hesitated or jerked slightly during acceleration and then appeared to operate normally. After a few minutes, multiple warning messages suddenly appeared on the dashboard, and the steering wheel became extremely difficult to turn and effectively locked while I was driving. I immediately activated my hazard lights. I was unable to safely pull over because the steering wheel would not respond properly, which placed me and other drivers at risk. I had to continue driving slowly until I found a side road where I could safely stop. I turned the vehicle off. When restarting, the warning messages reappeared. After several minutes, the warning lights cleared, and the steering wheel was no longer locked but felt loose and unstable ("wobbly"). I cautiously resumed driving. After several minutes, the steering began to feel normal again. The following warnings were displayed: hill start assist problem, trailer stability assist problem, hill descent control problem, adaptive cruise control problem, lane keeping assist problem, collision mitigation braking system problem, road departure mitigation problem, low speed braking control problem, auto high-beam problem, electric power steering system problem – steering assist not available, and "stop. Steering assist reduced. Stop driving when safe. " the failed component appears to be the electric power steering system and related driver-assistance systems. The vehicle is available for inspection. The problem was previously addressed by a dealer but has reoccurred. No prior warning lights were present before this incident. The failure occurred suddenly while driving.
See
all problems of the 2024 Honda Pilot
🔎.
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 fuel injector failed which cause safety issues such as reduced speed, failing safety issues, and the car is misfiring and not running safely. When driving the car started to misfire and was not running correctly. It then reduced speed and the safety features were disabled. Yes this issue was confirmed by ken vance Honda in eau claire WI. There was a flashing check engine light, hill start assist problem, emissions system problem, power steering system problem, trailer stability assist problem, and vehicle stability assistance problem lights that came on. This is a known safety issue with 2016 Honda Pilot as Honda America did an extended warranty to cover the expense to replace the injectors. Unfortunately, our car missed the deadline by a few months to get this covered. Since this was a known defective part from the factory this should have been taken care of by Honda as a full recall. There are many cars like this that are going to have safety issues and not realize what is happening.
Some drive assist systems cannot operate: clean area shown. This message keeps appearing without any weather factors or anything to cause it. Happens nearly daily while using adaptive cruise. Then the next day without doing anything (like cleaning area) it starts working.
While driving my 2017 Honda Pilot elite, the vehicle has experienced four separate incidents of sudden and complete loss of power, including while traveling at highway speeds and during rush-hour traffic. The engine shuts off without warning, causing the vehicle to stop in traffic. In multiple incidents, the vehicle would not restart for several minutes. These incidents occurred on u. S. 19 and interstate 275 in heavy traffic, creating an immediate risk of collision. In one incident, the vehicle died while traveling at highway speeds. In another, it shut off at a red light and blocked traffic during rush hour. The vehicle has been taken to an authorized Honda dealership multiple times. Diagnostic testing initially found no issues. Later visits attributed the problem to the battery, despite the battery being recently replaced and the condition recurring after replacement. The symptoms exactly match Honda Pilot start/stop engine failure recalls affecting nearby model years. However, because my model year is not included, the dealership refused to repair the vehicle in accordance with the recall, even when I offered to pay for the repair. I believe this represents a safety-related defect involving sudden engine shutdown while driving. The vehicle is unreliable and unsafe to operate. Furthermore, given the repeated failure of this vehicle, the dealership’s inability to permanently repair the condition after multiple attempts, and the ongoing safety risk, I am concerned this matter may meet the criteria for a nonconformity under florida’s motor vehicle warranty enforcement act. I am hopeful Honda will resolve this matter cooperatively and without the need for further regulatory or legal action.
I was pulling into an open available parking space in a hospital parking garage and the car just all of a sudden accelerated on its own and hit the wall of parking spot. I tried to apply the brake several times before I could finally get it to stop and during this time the car was slamming into the wall area and slinging me back and forth a few times before it stopped. My life was put at risk because I got hurt badly I am brusied all over my neck, chest, legs and lots of internal brusing from the hitting of the wall repeatedly. If anyone else would've been in the car they would've been hurt as well but luckily I just dropped a passenger right before the incident. The car speeding up without warning is very dangerous! there were no warnings. I just bought the car 2 weeks before this happened and now I am scared to drive this vehicle! vehicle has been inspected unknown if anything was found yet. I need to get the black box checked out to find out what caused this to happen.
When driving and wanting to accelerate at 65mph car just because limp, won’t go when accelerating for a few seconds, speed drops, then you press back on the accelerator and after a few times the car goes back to normal. So, you loose control of the accelerator for a few seconds and you cant go faster, it just freezes and speed drops. This has been happen g for awhile. I even called Honda corporate to advise them. It’s been happening for over 2 years. It comes and goes. We are starting to hear a clunk noise now.
See
all problems of the 2021 Honda Pilot
🔎.
The contact owned a 2022 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while reversing into the garage, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle continued to accelerate before crashing into the garage. On another occasion, while driving into the parking lot, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into a store. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver was not injured but sought medical attention at the hospital and was treated for three days. A police report was filed. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The contact was informed by a friend that the failure was related to the throttle body. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location and deemed a total loss by the insurance provider. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.
Whining noise during acceleration in any gear, gets louder as acceleration advances.
This car loses speed when passing while highway driving. Car decelerates and throws you into neutral throws dash errors of "blind spot" & "transmission problem". I was luck to be able to get over 2 lanes to break down lane without being hit from behind on several occasions. Car message to put in park and turn off. Car was in neutral and wound not go into park. I had to put emergency break on and power down car in neutral. Waited a few minutes then restarted and no errors on dash. Car back to normal. Car has major faults and you can't show the codes when you get to dealer because they are gone then they also want to charge you $175 diagnostic fee. Car also has issues with the stop light idle turning off feature and not turning back on for 5-10 minutes yet another way someone can hit you from behind. I am stuck with this unsafe car and Honda never has to recall anything. I am going tomorrow yet again to try and get the service bulletin 23-078 warranty extension for the torque converter covered to see if that will resolve issue.
While driving, the vehicle occasionally experiences a momentary loss of power, reacting as if the engine turned off. Power is restored after a few seconds, no longer than 10. The loss of power places everyone in the vehicle in danger, as well as surrounding vehicles. This is especially true when it occurs at interstate highway speeds, as it has done in the past. I called the dealership (johnson Honda of stuart FL - 772-600-4342) and they said there was nothing they could do because there is no active recall associated with this vehicle. There were no symptoms prior to the failures. The failure has occurred approximately 6-8 times over the past couple of years.
See
all problems of the 2019 Honda Pilot
🔎.
The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that shortly after refueling, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration, causing the speed to increase to approximately 45 mph while approaching stopped traffic. While pressing the brake pedal to avoid a collision, the vehicle continued to accelerate and crashed into the rear of a second vehicle. During the air bag deployment, the air was deflated, causing the driver's head to contact the steering wheel. Also, the contact indicated that metal fragments were present during the air bag deployment. The contact sustained a lacerated left wrist and lacerations to the chest area. The driver also sustained contusions and bruised to the head, ankles, and legs, along with neck and back stiffness, which will all require medical treatment. No other injuries were known regarding the second vehicle occupants. A police report was taken at the scene, and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failures was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failures, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 150,000.
See
all problems of the 2005 Honda Pilot
🔎.
Engine failure while on highway traffic in construction zone caused engine shut off, losing power steering and odd braking. I was driving on a split 4 lane highway (2 lanes each direction), with a large ditch median between the directional lanes. My direction had construction cones for several miles limiting traffic to 1 lane, still at a 65 mph speed limit with heavy semi traffic. The right lane was closed for construction, so all traffic was lined in left lane, though maintaining the speed limit. A few hundred yards into the construction my check engine light came on, and then after a minute or so it started blinking but there was no place to pull over safely. I reduced speed and semi traffic was lining up behind me. Then the engine and rest of car shut off, losing power steering. I ended up weaving into the construction part and was finally able to stop but not without danger to myself and others. Motor would restart but sounded terrible and I did not feel safe driving further and did not have faith it would make it far, especially since I'd have to re-enter the highway construction traffic. I had it towed to local mechanic, who diagnosed the problem as a piston rod bearing spin/stuck, or in other words a spun/slipped rod/crank bearing.
Vehicle adaptive cruise control and emergency braking completely stopped working.
When I stepped on the gas after starting the car, my car suddenly accelerated and there this 25 mph warning popped up in my dashboard. After stepping my brake the car slowed down but I can still see the 25 mph on the dashboard.
Leaking front shock, front differential, and transmission.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated without the driver depressing the accelerator pedal. The security alarm randomly activated while the vehicle was parked and turned off. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The message "emissions system failure" and a key fob error message was displayed, and the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,000.
The vehicle stability assit (vsa) system in activating inappropriately causing the vehicle to brake unexpectedly. There is a Honda service bulletin (13-026) for this problem for 2005 Honda Pilots. Well, the same problem is happening to my 2006 Pilot.
See
all problems of the 2006 Honda Pilot
🔎.
The vehicle has started displaying numerous codes/error messages on the display. Vehicle jerks while attempting to accelerate and loses power. Dealership diagnosed the problem as a camshaft, stating the camshaft, timing belt, camshaft thrust cover, and spark plugs would all need to be replaced. They also said this may have caused damage to the converter, which will not be known until other repairs are made. This is apparently a common and widespread issue with these Hondas despite no recall being issued.
I wanted to share a very scary incident that occurred while I was slowly creeping into a parking space in a parking garage. With my foot over the brake, as there were children in the area from a car that had parked to the right of mine, my car suddenly surged forward at a high rate of speed. It ultimately crashed into the 3-foot safety wall with tension wires of the parking garage. Clearly there is an issue with the propulsion system that accelerated my car forward. It's unknown to me if there was also an electrical issue involved in this propulsion failure. The car is available for inspection. The Honda dealer examined the vehicle but was unable to reproduce the issue, indicating that there was nothing wrong with the car, no codes stored of any relation to this incident, and that it was safe to drive. Additionally, I would like to mention that there was no warning lamps lit up on my dashboard before the incident and none appeared after the crash. My insurance was notified, and they deemed the car undrivable. The insurance representative is scheduled to inspect the car tomorrow. This is the first time my car accelerated on its own at a high rate of speed.
See
all problems of the 2023 Honda Pilot
🔎.
While driving on the highway my vehicle out of nowhere activated the automatic collision break system. The breaks were activated or pressed automatically and my vehicle had a sudden jerk becase of the quick, sudden drop in speed. The car had an immediate drop in speed about 20-30 mph then resumed to pick up speed to the original speed eventually picking up to normal speeds.
Adaptive cruise control fails nearly every time the car is driven more than 40 minutes with acc activated. Failure indicated by warning lights and statement on dic. Dic instructs operator to clean the front "h" emblem on grille, however, the emblem is always completely clean. The failure has been reported 4+ times to the dealership. Dealership reports the failure is a known problem and there is no fix available from Honda. Upon system shut down the vehicle disengages cruise control and has rapid deceleration causing unsafe driving conditions while in traffic. System usually resets itself without cleaning or other remedies within 10-20 minutes after fail, and will usually fail again +/- 40 minutes later. Acc is marketed as part of the driver safety system and is unreliable. First occurrence was at 670 miles since new. Car now has < 10k miles and has failed 12+ times.
Without any advance warning, at times our lane departure warning system turns off with occasionally having the cruise control suddenly disengage. This could be a real problem when your not expecting it. Emailed Honda and they stated that there was no fix for it.
Transmission seems to be slipping the truck in getting louder when I switch gears it takes a min to take off.
1. )transmission!! problems such as transmission fluid overheating, rpm's boggle up & down while on flat roads at steady speeds, cruise control wont stay activated, shaking or vibration while stopped and while driving. 2. ) mine and my kids safety is at risk when we have to pull over to let the transmission cool and are on a busy interstate. It also risks us breaking down while we are traveling long distance and being stranded in the middle of nowhere. 3. ) I had my vehicle worked on at a Honda dealer in the past 2 months for the shaking, but they did not resolve the shaking or cruise control issue. 4. ) March 30th was the first time the transmission fluid to hot warning has come up. The other symptoms listed above started in December of 24. My vehicle isnt listed as a recall but everey symptom it list I have.
See
all problems of the 2020 Honda Pilot
🔎.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that there was an abnormal smoke odor coming from the vehicle and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the following day, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
Slow acceleration at the speed between 0 to 30 mpg. Doesn’t shift smoothly and hesitate. Not enough power on the highway.
Shifts hard and accelerates too fast between gear 1 and 2. Dtc permanent codes are p2638 and p170b.
Shifting from 1st, 2nd, 3rd gears is delayed/hesitant. Extremely noticeable at low speeds when releasing accelerator or braking. Unable to predict speed when coming to a smooth stop, occasionally feels like it lurches forward when it tries to downshift upon braking. Desperately needs software update to tcm, as mentioned hundreds of times elsewhere online. Does not 'train' itself to mitigate this problem.
2020 Honda Pilot has acceleration issues also. I forgot to list it in my last post. Loss of power is evident. Shaking, cruise control won't stay engaged. Has trouble climbing incline roads. Gas mileage is crap now. The 2020 Pilots should absolutely be included in the recall.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | |
| Car Accelerates On Its Own problems | |
| Cruise Control problems | |
| Accelerator Pedal problems | |
| Accelerator Stuck problems | |
| Speed Control Cable problems | |
| Fail To Accelerate problems | |
| Speed Control Springs problems |