10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
13,067 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #54

Jan 112023

Pilot

  • miles
Emissions System Problem message and light on after reset 2 weeks ago. Please refer attached jpeg file.

- Auburn, WA, USA

problem #53

Jan 042023

Pilot

  • miles
I had my fuel pump replaced today and there were 3 other cars Hondapilot there for the same reason needing a fuel pump replacement. Person at counter advised there was an unusual amount of request they were getting to replace the fuel pump

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #52

Nov 132022

Pilot

  • miles
On Sun NOV 13th, 2022 I was on I-75 going north and had to slow down and then stop at a 'stop and go' traffic in the beginning of or just before the construction zone. With my foot on the brake, complete stop on the highway, the Honda Pilot suddenly went into Neutral and I was unable to put it in drive mode. I panicked, as there was a lot of traffic behind and I put the blinkers on, put the vehicle in park, tried to restart and didn't work. After a couple of tries, fortunately the engine restarted. In the middle of the one lane construction, I had to stop once again as the traffic was stopped. Once again the Pilot did the same thing. It stalled, and I had to restart the engine. It was very scary and a big safety problem. I have placed a call into Honda service but no response as yet. It is scary now to stop at red lights and stop signs! It happened 2 times in the same construction zone within 5 minutes.

- Freeland, MI, USA

problem #51

Oct 072022

Pilot

  • miles
Multiple times while driving with the auto start/stop engaged, the vehicle will turn off when coming to a stop at a traffic light or stop sign and then need to be restarted with the actual start/stop button. Call to purchasing dealer was met with unrealistic demand that the vehicle be left there for an undeterminable amount of time so that it could be inspected. No other lamps have come on or warned against this. Only way to make it not happen is to turn off the auto start/stop after the vehicle is started.

- River Ridge, LA, USA

problem #50

Sep 262022

Pilot

  • miles
I stopped at a red light and the idle stop function shut down like it should. When the light turned green, I let my foot off the brake and it stalled out. Some of the dummy lights came on and it stated that I needed "To start engine: brake + push" and shows the break pedal and the Start engine button on the dashboard. So I did. It did nothing. I had to turn the car off and try to restart it. I had to do this 3 times for it to finally start back up so I could drive off. This has happened to me a total of 6 times now. All but one time was at a red light, once being at a roundabout as I was slowing down for a car coming toward me. Today I had to restart it 4 times, open my car door, take my seatbelt off and close my door back before it finally started back up. I have taken it to the dealer once before and they told me it was because my battery was weak and would not make the connection when it went to start back up. They said they 'fixed' it to the best of their ability and just basically hoped it would not happen again. Well, it did. I just had my battery checked last week and it is fine. I have a physical video of it as it is happening. As soon as my car shut itself down "stalled out" I grabbed my phone and videoed it. I am keeping the video on my phone. This is NOT safe. If I can't move at all, it will not go into neutral or anything, so I would not be able to physically move the car into the emergency lane out of traffic or anything.

- Shelbyville, KY, USA

problem #49

Sep 192018

Pilot

  • miles
On multiple occasions, the engine idle stop system has failed to restart the engine at an intersection when releasing the brake leaving the car disabled in a dangerous situation. This started after about 20k miles. When it happens the car is fine until brake release. It seems to try to restart but the entire car loses power. No lights, no anything. Won't restart at first either. After a few moments trying to get it to restart it will fire up and you can put it back in drive and continue. I did note it happened less when I replaced the battery for a while. Dealer has replaced fuel rail and ignition switch to no avail. As a car guy I can say when it happens it's almost like there is not enough power to throw the starter. At that moment it's like all the power is sapped away like a bad ground or something. But then it comes back because obviously it restarts after a bit. Battery, Alternator and starter tests are always good. We now turn engine stop off every time we start the car out of fear but there is no permanent off switch.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #48

Aug 232022

Pilot

  • miles
we bought April 2021 and 1st issue not even 60 days after purchase, dealer removed warranty without us knowing! We have had problems ever since with warming lights coming on & flashing on multiple occasions, even while traveling @ 50 mph!. Huge safety issue as the vehicle jolts and then looses power and can't pick up speed and go with flow of traffic! Someone will get in an accident because of it and that will be a HUGE liability for honda as you all are ware of these issues and are doing NOTHING to recall them and fix the problem! This is a problem for many honda pilot owners from all the honda forums i have read and research ive been doing! i want the issue resolved as this is NOT a random. I just read that there was a service bulletin in 8/2019 pertaining to this specific car/VIN and it references faulty fuel injectors. i have no way to know if this was completed. i feel i should be able to have the injectors serviced/replaced at NO COST to me as this is a HUGE problem with 2016-2017 pilots and the fact a honda dealer pretty much sold us a LEMON of a car! I want our pilot fixed as it is a problem that Honda has been having with 2016-2017 pilots and Honda should be liable for this! Happened again today and has been happening more frequent in the past few months but have been dealing with it since we bought the vehicle. recent mechanic said the ECM/PCM may be faulty as you cant get a viable code as everytime it happens it throws all kinds of warning lights & codes that are not accurate.

- Edgewater, FL, USA

problem #47

Aug 042022

Pilot

  • miles
In support of NHTSA Action Number: PE22005 2017 Honda Pilot multiple experiences with the auto idle cutting off and not restarting. 8/4/2022 was worst experience to date. The vehicle cut off at a stop light and would not restart. The ability to roll down the windows and unlock the doors was disabled so 2 occupants were potentially trapped inside. Fortunately a door had just been opened to waive backed up traffic around the disabled vehicle. AAA and Sheriff's were called to the scene. It was successfully jumped and the AAA diagnosis was that nothing was wrong with the battery, starter, nor alternator. This is a major flaw in engineering and a fix has to be developed or the vehicle appropriately replaced.

- Winston Salem, NC, USA

problem #46

Jul 082022

Pilot

  • miles
When auto idle is engaged, the car SHOULD start when the brake is released after stopping. We noticed problems when we released the brake. The radio and A/C shut down and quickly come back on again. So release brake, radio and A/C shut down and then radio and A/C come back. Reported to Jeff Wyler Honda and I believe I have a video. As of yesterday, the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the Auto Start/Stop function engaged. You have to put your foot on the brake, shift to park and restart. This occurred twice in two days. Once at a traffic light and once after a traffic jam on the highway. It is scary especially the first time it occurs. It has the potential of leaving the vehicle in a stopped position in dangerous locations if it can-??t be restarted, I.e. the highway. I-??ve read that a jump is sometimes required.

- Union, KY, USA

problem #45

Jun 292022

Pilot

  • miles
The auto start/stop system on the Honda Pilot is failing at intersections causing the car to stall out and be stuck in traffic. Dealer and Honda does not have remedy for this issue. This is a known problem that is well documented by other owners. This is now happening about three times per week and I am worried that it will cause a major traffic accident and or death if I get stuck in the middle of an intersection.

- Rochester, NY, USA

problem #44

May 132022

Pilot

  • miles
Fuel injection pump makes really loud noise and reduction of engine power. Took it to the dealer for diagnosis and was told the fuel pump needs a replacement. Have been waiting 2-3 weeks for parts, with no loaner or estimated timeline provided.

- Irvine , CA, USA

problem #43

Jun 062022

Pilot

  • miles
I own a 2017 Honda Pilot Elite, with 65000 miles, that was purchased new. The vehicle has repeatedly stalled at various point of operation. Upon stalling, every light appears to activate on the dashboard. The vehicle remains stalled until the computer "recycles." I can usually restart the vehicle within 2+ minutes. The dealer, located in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, has identified the vehicle-??s stop-start as the problem. The dealer suggested to turn off the stop-start while driving the vehicle but that is problematic as this needs to be done each time the vehicle engine is turned off and then restarted. The dealer, upon inspection, found some errors in the ECU, but none that would create this problem. The dealer is unable to recreate the problem and admitted that many Honda Pilots have this issue. To possibly fix the problem, the dealer suggested a valve replacement at a cost of $1000+ and a new battery, even though the battery has been tested and is fine. These vehicles are dangerous, and Honda has done nothing to correct the problem.

- Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA

problem #42

Mar 022022

Pilot

  • miles
Multiple times the vehicle has shutoff when the it has reached a complete stop at a traffic light and has not restarted on its own. Took it to dealer but they could not recreate it supposedly. In addition fuel pump issues and the Honda dealer is not able to obtain parts to the fix the vehicle. Feels like a lemon vehicle.

- Rancho Cucamonga , CA, USA

problem #41

Feb 012022

Pilot

  • miles
Our 2017 Honda Pilot was making some really strange noises under the hood so we took it in to our local Honda dealer service. Dealer said our low-pressure fuel pump needed to be replaced. It has now been nearly four months of Honda telling us the fuel pump replacement part is unavailable. We follow up with Honda weekly and they continue to give us an ETA date, which they push out every time, so the ETA is meaningless. They said we can drive our Pilot "as is" but cautioned us not to take it on a road trip, so we had to pay Honda a daily rate to rent a car from them. They would not provide us with a complimentary rental vehicle, even though this situation is out of our control and this fuel pump will be covered by the Power Terrain Warranty. I drive my three children in our Pilot and I feel it a safety hazard for me to drive it on the freeway when it could break down on us at any time, which would also cause a safety hazard on the highway. There was not ever any type of error code or auto failure alert for this fuel pump problem.

- Sandy, UT, USA

problem #40

Mar 012022

Pilot

  • miles
I returned from work at approximately 5 pm on 03-01-22. As I prepared to enter my garage, I realized I could not pull in due to objects in the way. I put my foot on the brake, and as I planned to reverse, the car lurched forward and into the side of my house! No warnings, no air bag deployment, and a sudden lurch, stopped only by my (less than 2 year old, custom-built) house! Garage door would not close after the car was backed out. Car was towed to Performance Honda in Fairfield, Ohio. No codes were recorded and they did not indicate reproduction or attempt to reproduce the problem. They reset all computer systems in the vehicle. The included photos also show the skid mark on the driveway, indicating to us that the brakes were on when the car "lurched" into the house.

- Hamilton, OH, USA

problem #39

Jan 292022

Pilot

  • miles
There is a strong smell of gasoline inside the cabin. It is very intermittent, but seems to happen most after it is warm and is restarted after sitting less than 1 hour like going in somewhere to shop or eat. Other times it has happened in the summer when idling the car with the air conditioning running for 10-15 minutes. It is not an exhaust smell, but unburnt gasoline. The dealer smelled it when I dropped it off, but couldn't find anything wrong. It has been happening for over a year. After several months we got a check engine light, it was an issue with the evaporative canister. An $1,100 repair was made outside of warranty. We hoped this would at least fix the issue. It did not fix it. The smell happens regardless of gas tank level and is not from over filling the tank.

- Walker, IA, USA

problem #38

Oct 092021

Pilot

  • miles
In my 2017 Honda Pilot Elite the auto idle stop feature has more frequently failed to restart the vehicle when stopped at a traffic light. This leaves the car stalled in traffic instead of restarting after I take my foot off the brake (which is when the system should be restarting the engine). This failure occurs whether I press the gas pedal or just take my foot off the brake. It began happening around the 30,000 mile mark and the vehicle now has 56,000. I notice it most often occurs when the auto idle stop function engages at the first traffic light after a period (approx. more than 20 minutes) of freeway driving. The only way I have found to recover from the stall is to place depress the brake, place the car in Park, press the engine Start/Stop button twice (once to shut off the car then again to restart it), and then place the vehicle in drive and release the brake. Sometimes this process needs to be repeated. My vehicle is almost always in ECON mode. The issue happens whether or not the radio is on. My map is almost always displayed when I am driving.

- Huntington Woods, MI, USA

problem #37

May 132021

Pilot

  • miles
I had started noticing the radio clicking on/off at stoplights. After a while, it progressively got worse and noticed the car was also slightly jerking too as the car re-started. I called the dealer and they said they were not familiar with the issue. Days before my warranty expired in 2020, I took the vehicle in and they said they were not able to re-create the issue and did not see any error codes. I received the mil warranty extension letter recently and wondered if that was the same issue, but it does not appear so. However upon researching that, I found many similar complaints online about the auto idle stop issues. I am grateful my car has never stalled (yet) but that is probably because I have very low mileage. However I am scared to drive the car now and always disable the auto idle stop, hope that I don't forget which I do sometimes and am fearful should my teenagers ever have to drive my car! thankfully their Honda civics don't have this feature. This is a serious safety hazard! there are too many similar complaints so please force Honda to recall and fix the problem. I bought this new car since it was supposed to be more advanced and safer than the 15 year old car it replaced. It does have some great advances but should not be compromised or come at the cost of safety.

- Overland Park, KS, USA

problem #36

Apr 222021

Pilot

  • miles
The auto shut off when the brake is fully deployed fails when pressure is released and the car will not re-energize. Leaving a car dead at a light that just turned green. Requires me to put car in park, then restart then put into drive. This is a safety hazard. No error lights. Auto shop can't fix. Must remember to manually shut off the auto shut off each time the car is turned on. Not safe. I have almost been rear ended several times as the car behind expected to go at the just then green light. At one light no cars were stopped behind me but a car approached a light that had been green didn't realize I was stopped with a failed engine. Scary. It happens everyday.

- Lake Oswego, OR, USA

problem #35

Apr 052021

Pilot

  • 29,000 miles
While stopped at an intersection, the "auto-idle-stop" feature malfunctioned and: 1.) didn't properly "restart" the engine; 2.) caused the electrical systems in the car to turn off and essentially stalled the car; and 3.) made it difficult to restart the car using the ignition button as it wasn't clear what gear the car was in. Once the car was in park, it was able to be restarted using the ignition button. This occurance has happened several times. For safety (when we remember to), we now make a point to turn off the auto-idle-stop feature when using the car as the scenarios in which the issue appears could be at an intersection or situation with cross traffic.

- Longmeadow, MA, USA

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