10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
10,179 miles

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« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #58

Jun 072022

Pilot

  • miles
Auto engine idle stop not working correctly. Have seen others online with same issue.

- Grand Rapids, MI, USA

problem #57

Jul 262021

Pilot

  • miles
While driving I first noticed the radio would shut off- almost like an electric surge (Spring 2021). I brought in to local dealer to assess. Dealer couldn't replicate so was dismissed. Car slipped into "sport" mode randomly (July 2021). Brought in to dealer and couldn't be replicated.Then the car would take longer to start at a stop light. Eventually, at times, the car would NOT START when the brake was released and gas paddle depressed (August 2021). There is no warning or indiction that this will happen. It is periodic, random and unpredictable. The stall out has happened on long and short rides. This has occurred at stop lights, stop and go traffic on a busy highway and entering traffic circles. I could have easily been rear-ended at any of these stalls. I am afraid when driving this car. The dashboard lights up with alerts and the car must be put in park and the start button used to get the car turned on. This takes time to restart the car- further increasing chance of an accident. I have brought the car to the dealer on at least 5 service visits and the problem persists. The dealer reports they were able to reproduce the stall at most recent service visit (6/16/2022). Fuel injector replacements (8/2021), PCM software reboot (10/2021), battery replacement (3rd battery in life of car), and now awaiting valve adjustment (part on national back order). Battery #1 replaced 3/2020, battery #2 replaced 1/2022. The problem persists despite these "fixes". I have requested that the dealer escalate this problem to Honda Corporate.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #56

Jun 112022

Pilot

  • miles
The auto start\stop feature doesn't work and is extremely unsafe and dangerous. I will be sitting at a stop light and when the light turns green I take my foot off the break and the car will completely turn off and error messages will appear. Multiple times it has completely turned off the car and the car couldn't be restarted right away, leaving us stranded in the middle of the street trying to restart the car while cars are going by me. It takes at least a minute for the car to restart once it turns itself off. This has happened at least 10 times. We always turn the feature off when we drive now but sometimes we just forget because it's extremely inconvenient and difficult to remember that we have to turn off the feature every single time we start the car. When we took it to the dealership mechanic they told us we needed a new battery and that would fix the problem. Our battery was still at 50% and yet we still changed it but the problem has never gone away.

- San Pedro, CA, USA

problem #55

Jan 222022

Pilot

  • miles
Automatic shut off and car would not turn back

- Laplata, MD, USA

problem #54

May 142022

Pilot

  • miles
The idle shut off feature has shut the car off and then not restarted when it was supposed to. This has happened in two intersections and a stoplight. When it doesn-??t restart, I am unable to do anything, shift in to park or restart the car. It is extremely unsafe as it leaves you sitting in the middle of traffic or wherever it decides to leave you and you can-??t do anything with the vehicle. There is no warning when it does it. I have not approached the dealer since there is a button to override the feature I figured they would not listen. However I think it is ridiculous that you have to push a button to make sure your vehicle doesn-??t die on you while driving. I would like to see the auto idle feature removed from the vehicle.

- Warrenton, VA, USA

problem #53

May 042021

Pilot 6-cyl

  • miles
There is a major and potentially dangerous issue with the idle stop/start feature. When the car is at a stop and the engine shuts off (gas saving feature) and sometimes the car will fail to start again, leaving me stranded in the middle of an intersection or whatever road I'm on. Sometimes all of the collision systems fail to start again (dash warning), sometimes it takes minutes to get it restarted which results in angry drivers behind me and the potential to create an accident. This issue began within a few months of buying the car. I had informed the original Honda dealership where I purchased the car but they failed to properly document the issue because there were no error codes populated by the on-board computer. After it happened dozens of times I took the vehicle to a different dealership and was able to demonstrate the problem directly to a technician after two separate appointment attempts. They then agreed to replace the battery. This helped for a time period of about 9 months and then it started again. I believe there is a wide-spread issue with the computer's ignition system and I'm not alone, although Honda seems to pretend they've never heard of the issue. I have attached my first 'documented' (although it was reported YEARS before this) service report followed by the second in which they finally replaced the battery and admitted fault. I am hopping the NHTSA can investigate and help the owners of these Pilots come to a permanent resolution. Thank you for your time. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #52

Sep 282020

Pilot

  • miles
The auto engine idle engaged when car came to a stop and then stalled out my car. This has happened about 4 times. I am unsure of the exact date of first incident but this has been happening for a couple of years. This required me to turn off the car and then restart. Usually at a red light causing the driver behind me to be confused and angry. Usually I will turn off this feature when I turn on the car but if I don-??t remember and this feature engages it it doesn-??t always stall out the car but the sound of the engine sounds like it-??s having a hard time restarting and sometimes the radio will cut out (like the battery is off for the car) for a second. This was reported to my dealer a couple years ago and they found no issue (took it out for one test drive) and had never heard of this happening as they say.

- Altamont, NY, USA

problem #51

Nov 042020

Pilot

  • miles
i was stranded multiple times at redlight signal and while taking left on yeild due to idle stop and it took me 30 seconds to start the vehicle. When i went to show room they replaced the battery which fixed the problem. Problem is everything else work fine except idle stop start and it caused lot on anxiety when i got stuck in middle of intersection.

- Surprise, AZ, USA

problem #50

May 212022

Pilot

  • miles
Our car is 1,100 miles over warranty and the air conditioner system broke. The dealer cannot tell me anything about why it happened, just that they need to replace the entire system, including the compressor and condenser. Our AC is blowing hot air now (and we live in Georgia and it's the summer), so the car is basically undriveable. It's going to be $5900 to replace.

- Decatur, GA, USA

problem #49

Jun 032022

Pilot

  • miles
The auto stop/start feature does not always restart the car when I release the brake after stopping. Mostly in town at stop signs and red lights but recently it happened while I was in stop and go traffic on an interstate. At all locations I was blocking traffic (flashers on of course) and hoping no one hit me while I sat for a few minutes trying to restart my car. From experience I have found that I have to release the brake and push my engine start button a couple times to completely turn off everything then push the brake and button to start the car. A few times it I had to do that cycle several times before it actually restarted. Meanwhile I am in the middle of the road completely blocking traffic. My dealer was -??unable to replicate-?? so my solution has been to turn off that feature. Unfortunately, auto stop/start is automatically on every time I start my car -?? so this happens when I forget to turn it off. There are times that it works and the car restarts but even then the electrical system shuts down. Radio turns off and back on as the car is restarting and dash lights turn off then on, which reminds me to once again turn the feature off. I have had a lot of electrical issues with this car due to a sunroof leak so I chalked it up to my ongoing electrical problems until I saw the article today about other complaints from people having the same issue. The date listed below was the most recent incident but it has occurred many times.

- Centreville , MD, USA

problem #48

Aug 012018

Pilot

  • miles
2017 Honda Pilot does not restart when auto idle feature is engaged. The engine idles, as designed, but does not restart. Instead, the engine shuts off entirely and we lose all power features. On one occasion, we were stopped on hill on a coastal highway and began rolling backwards. Fortunately, I was able to stop our Pilot before it rolled into the vehicle behind us but it was difficult as the power brakes were not working. This has been an issue since we purchased the car new and the dealership has not been helpful in the least. We've taken it to them several times and they had it for roughly a month on one occasion. They've told us repeatedly that they haven't heard of this issue before (a simple Google search will show that other consumers have experienced the same thing) and are now telling us the issue is no longer covered under the vehicle warranty. Since the dealership was unwilling to help us, I opened cases with Honda America but they, too, have been unresponsive.

- Longview, WA, USA

problem #47

Apr 302022

Pilot

  • miles
The automatic start/stop killed the engine at a stop light, and took several tries to restart the engine. I always disengage this feature now to avoid being stranded.

- Lincoln, NE, USA

problem #46

Jun 052022

Pilot

  • miles
We have had several instances when our Honda shuts off and will not restart. Several times we either a) have to leave it sit for hours b) press really hard on the brake pedal and hold the start button down for an extended period of time c) get the other set of keys which seems to then allow the vehicle to start or d) jump it to reset the issue so it will start and run. We also think this is somehow tied to the auto start stop or restart function.

- Keller, TX, USA

problem #45

Jun 052022

Pilot

  • miles
The engine won-??t restart on its own from a complete stop, have to disable the auto engine shutdown due to concerns of car not re-starting.

- Santee, CA, USA

problem #44

Mar 142022

Pilot

  • miles
While driving, I noticed a stall with the speed then I immediately noticed that the shift gear was on N position, apparently the shift gear was pushed accidentally even without pushing the button on the side to change gear. Also, my car kept randomly alarming and with static flashing on the dashboard while on park. I already changed the battery thinking its the battery problem but the alarming persisted. I took it to Honda and was told it's the keyless unit system, needs replacement and will cost around $900. Upon checking online, I learned that there was a recall for 2016-2017 Honda Pilot in 2020 for the same problem but when I called Honda I was told my car VIN was not part of the recall. How is that possible when my car is showing the same problem and also manufactured in 2017? How can my car's VIN be included in the recall. Pls help me have my car fixed.

- Richmond, TX, USA

problem #43

Apr 112022

Pilot

  • miles
When parked, the car anti-theft alarms will honk loudly waking up everyone noisily; the headlights will be turn on & keep running (even if it is manually turned off); the dashboard lights will be flickering; relays clicking; and sometimes the car will turn itself on. The noise & lights can't be turned off from the keyfob. The only way to silence it is to disconnect the battery and leave the car unlocked which is not safe when parked in the street or anywhere.

- Baltimore, MD, USA

problem #42

Apr 302022

Pilot

  • miles
On Saturday, 30 April 2022, While driving approximately 65 mph on a state highway in Alabama from Florida, the sunroof spontaneously exploded. Thankfully, at the time of the incident the sunroof and shade were both closed. However, had the shade been open, all of the glass would-??ve shattered on my two children, my husband, and myself. Being that this occurred while I was driving, it could have resulted in a serious accident. I have never had any issues with the sunroof up until this incident. There were no warning lamps or system messages that there were any problems with my vehicle. My vehicle has always been regularly serviced at a certified Honda dealership service center since I purchased it in 2017.

- Niceville , FL, USA

problem #41

Mar 232022

Pilot

  • miles
Vehicle randomly does not automatically restart after the auto engine idle stop engages when in stop-and-go traffic or when stopped at an intersection, resulting in a stalled vehicle in the middle of traffic. Takes multiple attempts of hitting the start-stop button to restart the vehicle. Have taken the vehicle to the dealer numerous times and each time told they can't figure out what causes the problem, but they replaced the battery at a cost of $500...didn't fix the problem. No warning indicators before the vehicle stalls, the engine simply doesn't start again after the brake is released, which should disengage the auto idle.

- Auburn, AL, USA

problem #40

Mar 152022

Pilot

  • miles
My car keeps stalling after being in the idle engine mode. At intersections waiting to turn left, or sitting in traffic on the freeway, at a 4 way stop, it has happened numerous times in the past year where the engine is in idle mode while my foot is on the brake, and when my foot comes off to switch to gas, the gear shifts to N automatically. It's seizing up and I can't hit the button to switch back to Drive or Park. I have to turn the whole car off and that takes awhile to do that too. Every time I go to the dealership, they do a quick battery test and it's been in the normal range. They cannot replicate the issue. There have been so many times I've created a traffic hazard, stalled traffic, and almost been hit by a car. They finally advised I turn off the engine idle option but then it defeats the whole purpose to be environmentally friendly. There is something wrong with the electronics or battery with the car. It is a huge safety issue that is not being taken seriously at the dealership.

- Naperville, IL, USA

problem #39

Dec 232021

Pilot

  • miles
I was driving down the highway and heard a loud noise. After a couple of minutes, I realized that my sunroof had shattered.

- Portland, TX, USA

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