10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 1 / 1
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 9,323 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
« Read the previous 20 complaints
Emissions System Problem On 8-11-2022, multiple lights came on the dashboard with multiple systems errors. Brought to dealership and they replaced the fuel injectors. The dealership stated that this was a known problem with the 2016-2017 Honda Pilot's. Honda is giving a 10-year, 150,000 mile extended warranty from the date of purchase to cover fuel injectors and pipes leading up to the fuel injectors. On 9-27-2022, dash lit up with another Emissions System Problem. Brought to same dealership and they stated that the vehicle needed a software update. On 10-31-2022, dash lit up for the third time showing Emissions System Problem. Brought to same dealership. Currently waiting on diagnosis.
- Carencro, LA, USA
Car alarm keeps going off randomly and the electronic dashboard flickers repeatedly while the car is parked. I recently left the car at a parking garage and apparently the alarm was triggered and ran all day - I came back to the car that evening and there was clicking sound coming from the engine (not turned on, of course). The battery was drained and when I got a jump start, the alarm went off and the dashboard went crazy again. I wonder what would might happen when the car is being driven. There's clearly something wrong with the electronics. The dealer said I needed a new body control module (BCM), but the part is hard to come by apparently. Having done some research on the the issue, this appears to be a common problem with Honda Pilots. My car only has 50k miles on it and seems out of character to have this part fail. The short-term solution is to leave the car unlocked which in turn disarms the car alarm, but I've seen the dashboard and cabin lights flicker off and on in this state. This problem has been ongoing for months now.
- Chevy Chase, MD, USA
Auto Start/Stop feature malfunction. Vehicle fails to restart after shutting off using Auto Start/Stop feature.
- Chincoteague, VA, USA
This is my third incident of being stopped at a red light and the auto idle turns on. When the light turns green, and I release my foot from the break, my car stalls and tells me put it into park. My car essentially stalls out and I have to shut it off and on. Usually takes about 30 seconds to a minute for it to start up again. I almost got rear ended today at a light and I am concerned for my safety. How can we turn this into a recall and get this fixed before somebody gets injured?
- Westborough , MA, USA
I am the owner of a 2017 Honda Pilot Touring.? My car has been dealer maintained.? It was most recently in for routine maintenance less than 3 weeks ago.? On October 7, 2022 at approximately?2:00pm I was stopped at a major intersection. My?Auto Idle Stop engaged and my engine went idle.? When the light turned green, I let off the brake my car jumped 2-3 times and went dead.? The dashboard showed the car to now be in Neutral and the battery indicator?was lit.? I quickly attempted to restart the car and/or put the car in Park.? Over the course of 30+ seconds, I tried various combinations pushing the Start button or the Park button. There was no response.? I attempted to call my husband, he was unavailable, so I tried again and the car started immediatley (while in neutral).?? I have had numerous instances of the Auto Idle Stop not responding quickly when it should restart.? The delay can be up to 4 seconds after lifting my foot or turning the wheel.? It has become my habit to turn off Auto Idle Stop when starting the car.? I believe?90%+ of my driving is without it due to the unreliability.? However the latest incident has me very concerned about driving the car.? This along?with other transmission/computer issues have been mentioned to my dealer during routine service. Many of those issues were corrected, however an issue with the Auto Idle Stop has not been discovered and I was advised to deactivate it when starting the car.? Please keep in mind that the default setting is on. If I forget to deactivate or when someone borrows my car, this becomes a concerning issue.?? I contacted my Honda dealer and made an appointment to have it looked at again.?
- Midlothian, VA, USA
Vehicle idle or auto start /stop is not functioning.. It has happened multiple times incluiding today 09/23/2022, were the vehicle shuts of and it doesnt start.. All this codes and instructions come up to try to turn the vehicle back on... It always happens is a street light and most of the time is a busy intersection with cars honking and the vehicle is off... IT IS VERY UNSAFE... It takes a couple of minutes to start the car on.. My wife has been stranded for 10 minutes in the middle of traffic going by trying to start the car.. I had this issue at 40k miles and took it to the dealership and paid $746.96 to get the Valve adjusted to correct auto start... Now at 73k miles is happening again... It started at 60k.. Today 09/23/2022 im at the dealership and they say the cant find any code THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE...
- Orlando, FL, USA
The car sometimes fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or stop sign with the Auto Start/Stop function engaged. Furthermore, on two recent occasions the car would not start at all after it was turned off to get gas. One of those times it sat for 40 minutes at the gas pump while waiting for a jump start (it eventually started on its own), and the other it had to be towed to the dealer. After the first incident, we were told there was nothing wrong with the battery and a month later, when the car had to be towed, we were told the battery was completely dead. The concern with the start/stop trouble has been reported to the dealer and we were told there was nothing they could see. There have been no warning lights, lamps or messages. The start/stop problem began approximately a year ago, and we have tried to turn that feature off when driving, due to the problems that occur, since we were told there wasn't a problem that could be seen. On the occasions we forget to take this step, it always struggles at a stoplight or intersection and if not caught in time, the car will stall out, sometimes taking 2-3 tries to restart. The vehicle is currently in the shop, awaiting a battery replacement as we have been told that is what is causing the start/stop issue.
- Warrenton, VA, USA
Twice now and it seems to be worse in the summer when the air conditioning is running the auto shut off at a stoplight fails to restart the engine and the car dies at an intersection. This feature is dangerous and very frustrating to the point where I turn this feature off every time I get in the car now. This is happened both to me and to my 16-year-old son. Many times when it tries to reengage it has a hard time starting right back up. This is in addition to the two times it completely died.
- Kennewick, WA, USA
The start- stop function will turn the vehicle off at a light, stop sign, or while stopped in traffic. Once the brake is released the vehicle fails to restart. The vehicle is now obstructing traffic and vulnerable to a rear in collision. Took the vehicle to the dealer five times and the were never able to reproduce the problem. The dealer replaced the battery staying out was low thus it was unable to restart the vehicle once it stopped. There had been not warnings when the start-stop was going to fail. It randomly happens in multiple driving conditions, i.e. highway or city driving conditions. For the vehicle to malfunction at random times puts my family and other drivers at risk each time it happens. Currently the Dealer can not find or duplicate the problem. They have been made fully aware of the problem.
- Kokomo, IN, USA
Vehicle failed to restart when stopped at signal light the idle function shut the vehicle down but I had to completely restart the engine rather than it automatically restart as usual. A real traffic hazard
- Stillwater , OK, USA
My 2017 Honda Pilot has intermittent issues with the automatic idle feature at stops. It will sometimes stall out completely, requiring me to shift to park and restart the car completely. This feature has never worked properly; therefore, I have to shut the feature off everytime I drive for safety. I have told my dealer about this problem numerous times and they have -??not been able to replicate-?? the problem. They have replaced battery for this reason at least once but it did not fix the problem.
- Jacksonville, FL, USA
While driving in the highway, took an exit and slowed down and stop in a traffic and the car -??s engine stop suddenly and Iam unable to restart it, the brake pad feels stuck and the neutral and drive button does not work, when you turn it on the other electronic still works like the audio and air conditioning but the engine will not turn on. It took us about an hour before the car start working again, causing a long traffic jam in the highway due to we can-??t even put the car on neutral for other cars to help us move it on the side, 2 police officers came to the rescue to help us but it didn-??t work until we tried again and for some divine intervention the engine start working again. I will have my car check at the honda service in the next few days.
- Folsom, CA, USA
The auto start/stop on my vehicle doesn't always work. I come to a complete stop, the vehicle turns off and when I pick my foot up off the brake to restart the car sometimes it will stall. There is no warning message or indication whether or not the car is about to stall, it just happens randomly. We cannot consistently replicate the issue. In order to restart the car I have to hit the start button, wait for the car to completely shut off and then turn the car back on creating a huge safety issue especially if I'm in the middle of an intersection waiting to make a left-hand turn. This is an accident waiting to happen. I brought my car to a Honda dealership approximately 6 months ago and brought the issue up to them. They told me they could find no issue with the car, couldn't replicate it and told me they had never heard of it before. It wasn't until I did an online search a few days ago that I realized that I wasn't the only one having this issue. I drive my children in this car and would be willing to allow anyone to inspect my vehicle to try to get to the root of the issue. This is a huge safety issue for what is supposed to be a safe family vehicle.
- Chagrin Falls, OH, USA
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
I have a 2017 Honda Pilot Elite. My car has had issues since I purchased with the stop/start feature and it-??s progressively gotten worse. It-??s currently failing every day. In 2017, it was the automatic stop not working right. It would intermittently come on/off when at a complete stop. It never quite functioned properly. It-??s so bad, that I turn feature off when I start the car. Unfortunately, I can-??t have it default to off so if I don-??t remember to turn off auto-start every single time, then I have issues. My son was 3 years old when I bought my car. I would be at stops and the car would shut off. Then, it wouldn-??t start. It would require me to press brake+gas+start button to reset car. I have come very close to getting into accidents while at stops and have had drivers with road rage come after me since I made them miss the light while my car restarts. I have been in the turn lane with heavy traffic and my car stops in the middle of the intersection. In 2018-2020, it progressively gotten worse. I took to Southeastern Honda to get looked at and was told that-??s just how it works. After 2020, the car stops and will not restart at all. It would intermittently happen where I would need to get a jump start to get car running. I took to Space Coast Honda thinking it was my battery or starter. I was told that it tested fine, but still does it. In 2022, my car progressively got worse and requires a jump start. I since purchased a jump starter that is portable. I have to use it every single day. I have narrowed down the symptoms. If I drive 30 minutes and turn car off and immediately back on.. it will not turn over. I have to wait 4 hours and it works. I have measured my stop battery at 11.7 when it doesn-??t work. If I wait 4 hours or jump start.. then it requires a 12.6 to start. I researched and found article that is exactly what happens https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2016-2020-honda-pilot-nhtsa-investigation-engine-failures/#ftag=COS-05-10aaa0j
- Viera, FL, USA
When my auto stop idle engine kicks on, and stalls when I try to depress brake and press gas. It has happened approximately 10 times over the past year and a half, always in an intersection when it-??s dangerous. I have taken to the dealership more than once and they have been unable to resolve and recommended I replace my battery which I did which has not made the situation better. I also just filed a complaint with Honda but this is very dangerous and needs attention.
- Cranston, RI, USA
On multiple occasions, while the auto idle was one, I stop at a red light or intersection and when I lift my foot off the brake the vehicle shuts completely off. One time, I called 911 for police officer assistance to alert that I was stranded in the middle of the highway. I was so afraid I was going to be rear ended by fast moving traffic. Just yesterday, while stopped at a red light, a fire engine stopped and 4 fire fighters got out to offer assistance while I sat there stranded alone on this busy highway trying to get my vehicle to start back up. The brakes lock up and the vehicle completely shuts down. Each time I try many times to get my car started and it takes many attempts to crank the vehicle. I asked my service agent about the problem and he was unaware. He said they would have to drive the car to see if it happens with them and there is a diagnostic fee for this. I declined because it does not happen every time and I felt quite sure it would not happen when they were looking for it. This malfunction is sporadic.
- Richmond Hill, GA, USA
The car will completely shut off at a light or stop sign, where there is no lights on no radio nothing. It-??s does it all the time. The repair shop said it was my transmission so got it replaced, it just made it worse it does it more often than before, what scare me the most is that it happen to my kids while they was driving and it shut off in middle of a 4 way. They don-??t know why it keeps happening. No explanation at all. They need to recall all they ones that are having trouble with them.then sometimes after you park it, it doesn-??t want to start.
- Cincinnati, OH, USA
The auto engine idle stop fails to restart the engine after stopping at stop lights, stop signs, in traffic, etc. Even after repeatedly "working" to turn off the car and turn it back on, it can take up to 2 minutes to effectively turn off the car so it may be restarted. This feels extremely dangerous at stoplights, but especially when caught in stop and go traffic on the highway or on a bridge. Cars go around into the intersection, honk, and when traffic picks up from the stop-and-go situation, cars drive by at high rates of speed while I sit motionless in the middle of the highway. While I more often than not remember to turn off this "feature" when starting the car, there are times that I forget. It has been horrible for my newly licensed driver. The anxiety and stress this has caused has led to learned anxiety while riding in and driving other cars that do not have this "feature." The problem was first reported to my local dealer in 2021. Today I asked the dealer to look at it again, while the SUV was undergoing a fix for the hood recall, and I was informed it would be a $140 diagnostic fee and then whatever the cost would be to "fix" observed problems. The dealer has not documented my complaints about said problem, though they ran diagnostics and indicated that the starter and battery were operating according to spec. They "reset" the system in November, but it did not help with the problem quickly reappearing.
- Annapolis, MD, USA
- Rochester, NY, USA