Vehicle Speed Control Problems of Honda Pilot - part 2

In many instances (perhaps 30 in the five years) while driving on the highway I will depress the accelerator to pass a vehicle but instead of accelerating the engine revs drop and the speedometer goes blank. This is very dangerous as you are expecting to accelerate - especially when changing lanes to pass someone - but instead of accelerating the car starts to slow down for a few seconds and then, after the revs drop, they pick up again. I have a video of this but I can't upload it below. Please let me know where to send it. The first time I brought it to a Honda dealer they said they had to remap the "software". The second time they had no idea why it was happening or how to fix it. I would like to get this fixed but am flummoxed.

See all problems of the 2016 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Driving down the highway at 65mph the car started bucking and losing acceleration leaving almost no control to the driver to maneuver effectively and avoid other cars. After a terrifying experience of losing control of the car my wife and children stranded on the side of the road for hours in sub 32 degree weather. The vehicle goes into limp home mode on the highway causing her to pull off with little to no acceleration control. Barely avoiding other commuters she was able to pull the vehicle to the side of the road. Once stopped the vehicle locks itself in park and will not go into gear or neutral so the vehicle cannot be pushed when needed. Had to have the vehicle towed. After diagnosis and thorough investigations the following information was collected. The 9 speed automatic transmissions are "lifetime" meaning there is no dipstick for fluid checks. No external sensors or actuators can be replaced when they fail. The transmission failed internally (p0841) because all solenoids sensors and switches are internal non serviceable parts. No electronic part lasts forever understandably. However this means when one small item fails the entire transmission is to be replaced with the same part number and no new fixes or remedies. They seem to all fail right around 60,000 miles or after. Seems to be a very common issue with no recall or fixes listed. Meaning even with a new transmission installation the transmission is still a ticking time bomb. Leaving the customer on the hook for several thousand dollar repairs every 60k. A class action lawsuit has been filed in California for these exact reasons and I would hope that Honda makes and effort to have a redesign, fix, or full recall.

See all problems of the 2017 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Hello, twice in the past two months, my car's engine has lost power while driving on the highway. First, while entering and merging onto the highway, and once while exiting the highway. Both times, the check engine light came on, pressing the gas pedal had no effect, and we could only coast to the side of the road. Both times we had to restart the vehicle. After the first incident, I went to the dealership. They "fixed" the vehicle, replacing gaskets that Honda knew might fail but didn't issue a recall (only fix if there is an issue). This obviously did not fix the issue. Thankfully we did not have an accident, but complete loss of power could have been disastrous. I now have to go back to the dealership.

See all problems of the 2021 Honda Pilot 🔎.

My 2019 Honda Pilot is repeatedly having problems, when the vehicle is started and running, first thing in the morning. There is hard jerking when the vehicle is shifting on low speed (from first to second to third gear). This happens repeatedly in the morning start, then doesn't occur again on that day. It reoccurs again, the next day. Have taken the vehicle to the dealer service, they notice the issue but are unable to find the root cause. There is no error code generated. . Read more...

See all problems of the 2019 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Failed torque converter/software results in car surging during moderate acceleration. This is unsafe when vehicle will not accelerate properly under load. The problem was repaired by the dealer who indicated this issue to be a widespread problem with this car. There were no warning messages.

Continued from previous submitted complaint: driver window will not stop when trying to stop it forcibly with hand. I was told that the window will not stop until the window is almost closed at the top. Hope a 4 year old's arm isn't in it. Front passenger window will raise 1/4 of the way up, then fall back down and rock on it's cradle. I took a video of it happening but charlie's Honda, augusta, maine did not want to see it. The key fob is a nightmare. It tells me it won’t lock because key is in vehicle. The key is in my pocket as I walk away. It also tells me that “no key detected” I’m sitting in the driver’s seat with the vehicle’s engine physically running. Rear hatch will not open when physically pushing release button. Much more reported but charlie's Honda has an excuse ready at all times. I bought this Pilot on 10/02/2023 and have nothing but problems with it up to date 6/20/2025. Previous owners kept it for 4 months then traded because they felt very unsafe in it. Which I didn't know this info until 6-15-2025.

See all problems of the 2023 Honda Pilot 🔎.

While driving at freeway speeds of 80 mph, and while passing a vehicle, engine wants to temporarily slow (like it's dropped a cylinder or two), and the car will not speed up. Then engine warning light starts to blink, emissions problem light starts to blink, then car downshifts several gears and slows dramatically - or will rev at 4500-5000 rpm. On the interstate! dramatically unsafe. I've reported this to my dealer, penske Honda in carmel, in - and they can't resolve any issue or see a stupid "error code". This has happened three times in past 3 years. It"s terbbyly unsafe. Car goes from 80 to 60 and engine and transmission go on the blank.

My rear camera does not work in my car. I received a recall notice regarding this. It was unable to be completed because my infotainment system is completely non functional at this point. This is an on going issue that I have had with this car almost immediately after purchase. My speedometer also disappears while driving… the screen goes completely black and I have no idea how fast I’m going. It happens numerous times a week at this point.

Since the purchase of my vehicle I have noticed from time to time it will accelerate when I’m pressing on the brakes. Recently, this issue has gotten worse. I have almost drove my car in to our garage doors, or come close to hitting someone in front of my vehicle, because of its unpredictability. There are also issues with a delayed acceleration when accelerating from a stop. I will press on the gas and the car will not move for about 2 or 3 seconds and then accelerate very quickly as I’m pressing the gas all the way down. I believe these problems are related. I’ve taken my vehicle in twice to the dealership with no remedy as they claim they can’t reproduce what I’m talking about. Stop and go traffic is the best way, but not the only way, to reproduce the problems. This is dangerous, in my opinion, and unfortunately I’m stuck with this vehicle that I don’t feel safe in anymore and I don’t want my child, who is learning to drive, to take this vehicle out once she gets her drivers license as I believe an inexperienced driver is in more danger with these issues.

See all problems of the 2018 Honda Pilot 🔎.

I was at a stoplight at a busy intersection (car previously running well) & when I went to accelerate as the light turned green, my car leaped/jerked forward & would only accelerate to 5-8 mph. All of the warning lights on the dash lit up at the same time. I slowly got out of the traffic & onto the side of the road. I turned the car off & back on. All the warning lights were still on. The car went into drive, but would not accelerate past 25 mph & was jerking. Honda evaluated the car & determined that it was the camshaft that wasn't manufactured correctly. Honda stated that this is a known Honda defect & already had parts packaged to fix the problem. I have all of the paperwork provided to me when the repairs were made. However, this is not acceptable. A known Honda issue like this should be recalled & repaired ASAP. This is a huge safety concern for the Honda driver & those on the road around them. I was lucky that mine went out at a stoplight, but had I been driving & it shut down it would have been hazardous. As well, if I'm stopped & all of a sudden unable to accelerate that puts me at a very high risk for injury in an accident.

Car keeps going into limp mode. The vtm and vsa light flash on and the car will not accelerate. Happens at different occasions. It has happenstance while driving on highway and I’m traffic. The only way to reset is to cut car off and turn on. Sometimes, it doesn’t work with that and you have to sit and wait. It has been checked but no one see no faults and it’s never on the dashboard if you cut off then cut back on. This is becoming a huge risk when driving with children and family. Also, electrical issues has been going on and no one can figure out. Have been looked at and even quoted for new pets but no fox for why the electrical is not working. One side of car has no electric and nobody knows why. My car was taken apart and still no fix for electric. This effects the passenger side windows and turn signals. The vehicle is forcing me to have to look for another one even though it’s paid off and has done well for me and my family. Please help and assist thanks.

See all problems of the 2006 Honda Pilot 🔎.

A few months ago, car started alarming randomly. Upon entering vehicle all lights on dashboard were going on and off, screen was going through each system followed by "problem" and repeated clicking heard in steering column and captured on video for 1 minute. This continued for several days but car drove okay. Alarming bouts came and went for a few days. I researched and found that it was probably the keyless access control unit based on other owners of similar years/models. Took to dealer and showed my video. After inspecting they came back saying that they called Honda and it was a different part (unknown) but described as more of the control computer for the car. They placed the part on order, but said that another customer had the part on order for over 4 months at that time with no eta. Six weeks later, without an incident, the car started alarming again on a hot day. Dashboard lights lighting up, clicking in steering wheel, etc. I drove the car for a few errands just fine, until I went to pull out onto a us hwy and the clicking began, lights flashed, and the car felt as if it stalled as I was entering the road. Suddenly, it couldn't go more than 2 or 3 mph, although speedometer wasn't working. I was able to stop it and reverse back (2-3 mph) into the driveway quickly just before oncoming traffic hit me. When the clicking and flashing stopped, the info screen went through every car system alphabetically and listed "problem" afterwards. I couldn't get the car to drive normally after turning it on/off several times. I disconnected the battery and that stopped the problem. Two weeks later, dealer said part was in so I scheduled replacement. Dealer replaced "keyless access control unit" despite telling me 2 months beforehand that it was something different. Car has been problem free since replacement, but it has not been long. Additionally, my neighbor has Pilot of similar year, and has the same exact problem of alarming/clicking, etc.

My wife was pulling into the dentist parking lot, made a slow right hand turn to a parking space when the vehicle suddenly and violently accelerated. Depressing and pumping brake had no effect and the car slammed into a tree destroying the right front of the vehicle. She assured me that she did not depress the accelerator. She is a very safe driver, never received a ticket nor involved in an accident. Research into similar accidents showed multiple cases where this occurred with Honda Pilot vehicles.

When I was parking my Honda Pilot 2019, the car suddenly accelerated on its own without pushing the gas pedal and hit the wall of a building. This accident caused head, neck and back injury for myself. Fyi, there was not any warning lamps or messages or other symptoms. I have also reported this incident to american Honda motor but no one has inspected my car yet.

Honda has a 2 tsbs for all Pilots on all vins having a transmission juddering issue. They are making us pay out of pocket for a known issue on all 2017 vins. I was quoted a minimum of $700 due to the labor involved. We, as customers, shouldn't have to pay for a known issue with all vins of 2017 Honda Pilots. It caused issues with cruise control and keeping speed on the road especially uphill. Sometimes it will shift extremely hard. It happens at all speeds when partially on the accelerator. It has been reproduced at Honda dealerships but they will not fix it unless the vehicle produces a code. I fear driving this in the wintertime with the pulsating accelerations possibly causing me to slide. It is unknown if the manufacturer has looked at this actual park on this vehicle. But they do know about it on all 2017 Honda Pilots. There is no warning prior to failure and it appeared over a year ago.

Often times when accelerating the car has issues and will sometimes feel like it is dropping down a shift while I am in the middle of accelerating. Also, if idle stop is left on, the car will sometimes shut off completely before turning back on. Yesterday, the car shut off completely then turned back on but I could not get it out of neutral. When I tried to shut the car off nothing would happen and when I tried to put it in park to then try and shut the car off still nothing happened. Finally, after a few minutes it turned off and I was able to start it back up and put it in drive. This is while I was coming off of the interstate and going into a round about. I only stopped for a second to merge onto the roundabout so this was a potentially dangerous situation.

I drive a 2017 Honda Pilot touring 9-speed and I’ve been dealing with some frustrating issues for last 3 years. The car has sudden loss of power, jerking, harsh shifting, and acceleration problems. I’ve done all the dealer-recommended maintenance (timing belt + water pump, spark plugs, valve adjustment, fuel injector cleaning, regular oil and transmission fluid changes), but the problem still hasn’t gone away. I feel unsafe to drive the car on freeway due to sudden loss of power and then sudden acceleration. Sometimes it feels like the gears don’t shift when they should, I am not a mechanic and not sure if it’s an engine issue or a transmission issue. I checked for recalls but didn’t find any. First I thought it has to do with driving on eco mode but it seems like it does not matter which mode I drive. It still gives me the same issue.

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the vehicle experienced an increased rpm while the brake pedal was depressed. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard and the vehicle then unintendedly accelerated. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact made a local dealer aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 149,400.

See all problems of the 2012 Honda Pilot 🔎.

1) engine failure - several times our 2016 touring has stalled at a stoplight. It takes time to start back up. I have to turn on hazard light, and it is getting worse every occurrence. This has happened since I bought new, and when it happens, all of the lights come up on the dash. There is a investigation in the state of California, but nothing in ohio yet. 2) I just had to replace my drive shaft that goes from from to back on center bottom of the car. They said the rear is failing, and that may be part of the problem with sluggish acceleration. 3) transmission: sluggish acceleration is this zf 9 speed (outsourced) by Honda issue. I will be accelerating on the freeway, and all of the sudden, it would down shift to like second gear, causing me to slow down suddenly. Dangerous if cars are behind in rush hour. I also had 4 incidents where I could have lost my life because I could not accelerate (the gear would not engage). Dealer informed me that all of the updates are uploaded, and it should be okay. But it's not okay when you are carrying your children, spouse, or CO-workers. I have informed the dealer many times that this car is not safe. I personally ran a business as tier 1 supplier to Honda and visited many Honda factories. Nothing ever got done. It will be too late before they can help us. All of the data and information is at Honda marysville (ohio) dealership. All of my services (including oil change) are done there.

The vehicle is showing the same issues as found in the Honda service bulletin 20-029 for "9-speed a/t hard upshift with steady acceleration", and an occasional hesitation or slip. Our Honda Pilot has a Honda 6-speed automatic transmission and awd. The transmission has just had a full service, which included a "transmission fluid exchange to include torque converter lines" and replacing the transmission filter. When watching the vehicle shift, the tachometer will spike rpms, then drop well below, and rise to settle in-between with a hard upshift. This issue was extreme prior to the transmission service, especially given the vehicle has only 49k miles and was purchased brand new. The constant hard shift and slip is a safety hazard.

See all problems of the 2020 Honda Pilot 🔎.

While driving at highway speed and applying the brake the car independently accelerated. Vehicle continued to accelerate while applying greater brake pressure in an attempt to slow down. Vehicle had to be driven onto shoulder to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of it. Acceleration stopped after several attempts at braking.

5 times we have experienced p2135 code. 4 times this year, causing the dash warning lights to flash numerous warnings and the vehicle goes into immediate limp mode. Unable to accelerate normally and unable to drive faster than 30-35 mph on the freeway causing us to drive on the shoulder until we are able to safely exit the freeway . This has occurred while on a hill going up to an intersection not allowing me to accelerate to get through intersection safely. Unable to recreate the situation at the dealership, they see the code but unable the diagnose the root cause. We had the throttle body replaced at our expense per dealership recommendation. It reoccured again within 200 hundred miles. Dealership has had it for 2 days and they are unable to reproduce or diagnose the problem.

In two, separate, instances the vehicle exhibited sudden acceleration with the brake pedal depressed. The first instance was, as the 2020 Honda Pilot was pulling into a driveway and was approximately 10 feet behind another vehicle parked in the driveway. With the brake pedal being depressed, as one does when parking, the 2020 Honda Pilot suddenly accelerated and struck the rear of the other vehicle. The automatic braking system was never deployed. The second instance was when the 2020 Honda Pilot was on a city street and was parked behind another vehicle on the right side of the street against the curb. The 2020 Honda Pilot was approximately 10 feet behind another vehicle parked against the curb. With the brake pedal being depressed, as one does when parking, the 2020 Honda Pilot suddenly accelerated and struck the rear of the other vehicle, driving it over the curb and into the yard of a house. The automatic braking system was never deployed. These incidents happened, almost exactly, one year apart on clear summer days when the temperature and humidity were almost identical. The 2020 Honda Pilot was inspected by a private crash expert company to obtain any crash data but found none, as the data is not recorded unless the air bags are deployed. An incident was reported to Honda who had a representative drive the 2020 Honda Pilot and "could not replicate the sudden acceleration". All safety features were running at the time of both crashes. The crashes occurred on 7/24/21 and 7/13/22.

Unresponsive dash control screen. Hands free bluetooth disconnects. Popping sound through speakers. Carplay option disappears. Am/fm radio muffles while error message states no audio available. Restarting car fixes these issues for short while. Turning off radio while engine is on does not work. Gear hunting in transmission 2,3,4 fourth gear.

When driving on highways and interstate the vehicle flashes brake when the is no reason to brake. This happens multiple times per day, in our commute. The 2nd thing (and most dangerous) is the auto braking. Several times on the interstate the car has done a hard brake while going interstate speeds, only there wasn’t a reason for it. No other vehicles were in front of us at the time. It has also happened several times on the state road that we drive daily. We have taken it to the dealership and were told it is functioning normal. It’s not. I have contacted Honda and I have a case number with them, but they have failed to contact me when they said they would (2 weeks late) we see this as an absolute danger to our family. We need an advocate. The issue is ongoing.

See all problems of the 2022 Honda Pilot 🔎.

Vehicle stutters and shakes violently when accelerating. And there's noise from the transmission.

I leased a brand new 2022 Honda Pilot and after two weeks of leasing it developed a severe leaking problem with the transmission. The Pilot was taken to a local dealer, the local dealer refused service. It was then taken to the original dealer, and the original dealer replaced the transmission. There was some sort of metallurgical fault or defect with the transmission casing, necessitating replacement of the entire transmission. The vehicle had less than 500 miles when this happened.

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated. The vehicle jerked and then lunged forward. The rpm decreased from 3,000 rpm to 0. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Honda of serramonte (485 serramonte blvd, colma, CA 94014) who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer suggested trading the vehicle. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was no longer covered under the warranty and provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

Check engine and vsa light on. Vehicle jerks and shakes/ rough when slowing down. Diagnosis misfire in cylinder two- foul plug ( that was just replaced), burning up oil rapidly. Piston rings are defective on a car with 75000 k miles. The repair is $5k after I just spent $2k on plugs, coils, replaced again, alternator. Undsafe and feels like car will crash. This was recall on 2013 and class action suit. Not on 2014 after they knew about issue!! wreckless.

See all problems of the 2014 Honda Pilot 🔎.

I drove our Honda Pilot during a moderate snow storm. The collision avoidance system repeatedly recognized the snow as a vehicle and repeatedly applied the brakes at highway speed in heavy traffic. It happened from davenport, IA to des moines, IA on 14 Jan 22. It also repeatedly tried to steer because the lane keeper assist kept malfunctioning. On Sunday 16 Jan 22 we returned from des moines to davenport and it repeatedly happened again. On Sunday the roads were clear and there wasn't any precipitation in the air. I washed the windshield and wiped off the sensor panel but it didn't stop. The Honda dealer in moline, IL told me that there was nothing they could do. They said that happens in snow and rain and that I should wash the vehicle. The vehicle is malfunctioning and dangerous. It randomly applies the brakes and tries to steer itself at highway speed if there is any obstruction to the sensors. I had to fight the steering wheel to keep it on the road when driving down the middle of the lane. Having the car applying the brakes randomly at highway speed is also incredibly dangerous. I can't control how close semi trucks follow and several almost rear ended me. They also got very upset because they thought I was doing it on purpose. I can't wash the vehicle every time it snows or pull over every time it rains hard. The dealers suggestions are not practical. The malfunctioning lane keeper assist and automatic breaking on this vehicle is an accident waiting to happen. Or it's already happened and isn't getting the credit it deserves. The lane keeper assist and automatic breaking also can't be turned off, and shouldn't have to be.

Since purchasing new in 2013, experienced ongoing issues with vcm. Noticable vibration/shudder at all speeds except during heavy acceleration. Taken to dealer mant times. They are able to reproduce but state no fix available. It's how the car was made. In addition to vibration, engine makes a chirping noise when accelerating through vibration. I believe they are related although neither have been able to be fixed. No warning lights illuminate. I purchased this car for the 4wd as I live in snow/ice climate. However, excessive vibration/shudder makes driving in these conditions (any conditions) unsafe due to constant need to fluctuate acceleration/ deceleration to help minimize vibration/shudder to regain sense of control. If you maintain speed while vibrating on snow/ice you feel like you are losing control. This vibration has to have a long-term effect on engine/car integrity. It's strong enough that some day I imagine I'll come to a stop and at that very moment, every screw will have come loose/undone from years of vibrating and I'll be left sitting in the seat holding just the steering wheel with the car in parts all around me.

See all problems of the 2013 Honda Pilot 🔎.

The information board goes out frequently and does not stay connected with phone. It started with the appleplay and the bluetooth dropping my phone and saying there was nothing connected. Then it would not connect at all. My infoboard behind the steering wheel then started to go on and off. There was one time that I was driving and the entire system went out and I had no idea where to turn and how fast I was going. The heating on the steering wheel does not work and does not warm up or just warms to the 1 I have called and taken my car in 2 times. They said this last time that it was fixed. It does not recognize my phone again and starting to drop calls. There is also loud static when you do get access to bluetooth or the sound goes muffled.

When driving on the interstate, car automatically applied breaks at 70+ mph bringing speed down to 55 or less as it sensed a car in the right lane. However, there was clear lanes and no potential impact for a crash. The breaking almost resulted in me getting rear ended. Also, there have been numerous instances where the car has had sensors go off for collision warnings when I am driving in the city and there is no car in sight or I am turning left at a stoplight. This is not safe and needs to be addressed.

Travelling on interstate w/ cruise speed set @ 70 mph. Vsa (vehicle stability assist) engaged with a brief grinding noise & pulled to the right. Very startling event. Vsa activation indicator triangle light came on, as well as, the vsa system indicator light. Have experienced the event a dozen or so times on both the interstate and roads with a speed limit of 35/40 mph, without use of the cruise control. We are original owners of the vehicle and it has been diligently worked on throughout & currently has 230,000 miles on it. Awaiting delivery of a new vehicle, but intend for my newly licensed son to drive the vehicle. Took it to my repair shop, but they couldn't replicate the issue. Replaced both front speed sensors, but the issue occurred on the interstate drive home immediately after. Hope to be able to drop the vehicle off for an extended period once I take delivery on my new vehicle. Worried the issue will occur in rain or snow & be even more dangerous. Repair shop ran diagnostic showing the yaw issue, but said the Honda generated code report only went up to 25 mph. Has always pulled to the right during activation and the grinding noise is very evident & startling. Kinda feels like maybe the abs anti-braking system engages on 1 tire for a brief few seconds in my non auto mechanic analysis.

See all problems of the 2005 Honda Pilot 🔎.

I was driving my kids to school when I stopped at the school intersection. I go to press on the accelerator as I normally would and it would not drive, so I pressed on it a little harder as I was turning left since there were cars approaching. My vehicle suddenly jolted, making myself and the kids shift/jump from the force. I then proceeded driving down the road and let go of the accelerator, and my SUV suddenly started to feel like it was slowing itself down instantaneously. It felt like it was trying to make the vehicle's speed go down to 0. I then pressed on the accelerator again to prevent it from happening, but it continued to do so whenever I let go. I had to stop at the school's parking lot and turn off the SUV completely. When I turned it on again and began to drive, it was functioning normally. Since then, it has happened about 3 or 4 times, 1 of which happened on the expressway, which was way scarier. I had to get out of the expressway as it was dangerous. Just yesterday, I had a separate issue with the SUV that may seem related in retrospect. My SUV did not want to turn on. I experienced all of the dashboard lights flickering, and being unable to start it. It was not the battery because at some times, the radio would turn on, the lights, and the windows/locks would function normally. I was unable to get the vehicle to go to neutral, or anything then on. When the lights were not flickering, it presented me with the Smart entry system light problem. Soon after, all the lights on my dashboard turned on and stated there were air bag problem, brake problem, abs problem, and etc. . . My vehicle is currently being looked at.