9.4

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
1,267 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.

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problem #15

Sep 302025

Pilot

  • miles
I am reporting a serious safety issue with my vehicle related to the steering system. The steering cable reel is binding up, causing difficulty or resistance when turning the steering wheel. This issue affects steering at any speed, making driving unpredictable and unsafe. I am very concerned for my safety, as this could lead to a sudden loss of steering control, putting myself and others at risk. I have brought the vehicle to the dealership, and they have confirmed the problem. They will be replacing the steering cable reel. However, I know there has been many issues with the 2025 Honda Pilot's, and I believe this issue could be another potential defect and may affect other vehicles as well. It needs to be investigated to prevent possible accidents.

- Elk Grove Village, IL, USA

problem #14

Sep 142025

Pilot

  • 19,000 miles
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while her husband was driving 5 MPH and making a left turn, the power steering assist failed without warning. The driver attempted to complete the turn; however, excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle while the vehicle was drifting into oncoming traffic. The driver was able to steer the vehicle off to the shoulder of the road, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with a defective inner tie rod and inner tie rod alignment. There were no recalls or warranties on the vehicle for the failure. The contact was provided with an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

- Panorama City, CA, USA

problem #13

Sep 062025

Pilot

  • miles
After driving over a railroad crossing, all driver safety systems disabled, brake system error, AWD torque distribution stopped and stated only FWD worked, and power steering stopped working. Was unable to manuever vehicle and had to ease vehicle over. Was able to stop the vehicle and shut it off. Restarted vehicle and power steering came back but other lights remained. Another few minutes went by and systems all returned to normal. This issue caused driver to lose all control of vehicle and thankfully didn't crash since vehicle was only traveling roughly 20 mph. If this happened at highway speed, there would be no way to safely stop the vehicle.

- Angier, NC, USA

problem #12

Apr 152025

Pilot

  • miles
Steering wheel "clicks" at low-speed turns. This began at 1,500 miles. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership three times for a repair and the clicking returns each time approximately one week after the repair. Concerned that the steering wheel will lose connection with the steering column.

- Layton, UT, USA

problem #11

Aug 082025

Pilot

  • miles
My vehicle begun to make a clicking noise every time when turning the steering wheel. It has gotten worse over time, almost constantly. I took the vehicle for my first service and mentioned this to the service guy. He mentioned that this is a known problem on some of their Hondas, not just my vehicle and that they tried fixing it on another Honda vehicle but that the problem on that vehicle was worse after they tried to fix it. The guy basically said there is a sensor inside the steering wheel that tells the vehicle how much the wheel has turned (I forgot the name of the sensor). He basically admitted this was a known design flaw and recommended I leave the issue alone or it would get worst if they try to fix it.

- Houston , TX, USA

problem #10

Aug 202025

Pilot

  • miles
A few days after I got my new 2025 Honda Pilot Touring, I was turning a corner and the car jerked a bit and several warning messages came up on the dash. I was able to pull the car into a parking spot and I recorded some of the warning messages (a few photos attached). The car worked fine after restarting and when I called the dealer they said that it may have been a sensor and not to worry. Then two days later, I was reversing out of a parking spot and the power steering stopped working. I was able to brake the car and drive it forward to get to a safe place, but the steering wouldn't work after trying to turn the car off and on a few times. There were also other warning messages that were flashing up on the dash. I had to get the car towed to the Honda dealership and am awaiting a report from them. The car is brand new with only 130 miles on it.

- Arlington Heights, IL, USA

problem #9

Jun 112025

Pilot

  • miles
I purchased a brand-new 2025 Honda Pilot Elite, and within the first 1,000 miles of driving, I began noticing multiple concerning noises and performance issues: Steering Noise: At low speeds, particularly while turning, the steering system emits a subtle but persistent creaking noise/noises from the steering wheel area. The creaking is especially noticeable when making slow turns in parking lots or driveways. It appears to worsen in warmer temperatures and is consistent regardless of road condition. I brought the issue to the dealership's attention, and they kept the vehicle for approximately three weeks. They replaced the clock spring and airbag, claiming the noise was resolved. However, the creaking noise returned shortly after I resumed driving the vehicle. Brake Popping: There is also a popping/clicking noise coming from the front left brake area, especially when braking or shifting between drive and reverse. The dealership lubricated the brake hardware but did not resolve the issue. Despite Honda service attempts, the noises persist. Numerous other 2023-?"2025 Honda Pilot owners have reported similar symptoms online, many citing steering rack/pinion defects or unresolved brake component issues. These defects appear widespread and unresolved by standard dealership repairs. Safety Concern: While the issues may currently present as mechanical noises, I am deeply concerned that they may signal underlying defects in critical safety systems-?"such as steering control and braking performance. Unaddressed, these could potentially lead to steering failure, brake failure, or loss of control, especially during low-speed maneuvers where driver response time may be compromised due to mechanical unpredictability. Request for Investigation: I respectfully request that the NHTSA investigate these issues, as they appear to be affecting a growing number of new Honda Pilot vehicles across the 2023 to 2025 model years, the dealership do not know what to do.

- Cambell, CA, USA

problem #8

Jun 232025

Pilot

  • miles
While operating the vehicle under normal conditions, the electric power steering system failed completely. The steering wheel became entirely unresponsive, effectively locking in place. My wife was forced to exert extreme effort to maneuver the vehicle safely off the roadway into a nearby parking lot. This created a serious life safety incident for her and others. Upon failure, the dashboard displayed multiple system errors and safety warnings, including: Auto High-Beam Problem -??Manual controls available. See your dealer.-?? Electric Power Steering System Problem -??Steering assist not available. Do not drive.-?? Brake System Problem -??Brake performance may be reduced. See your dealer.-?? Brake Hold System Problem -??Apply brake when stopped. See your dealer.-?? Vehicle Stability Assist System Problem -??Reduced traction and handling. See your dealer.-?? Hill Start Assist Problem -??Vehicle may roll upon brake release. See your dealer.-?? Trailer Stability Assist System Problem -??See your dealer.-?? Hill Descent Control System Problem -??Apply brake when descending. See your dealer.-?? After turning the vehicle off and restarting it, the steering assist returned temporarily. After arriving to the scene of the incident, I proceeded to the nearest Honda dealership for immediate inspection. The inspection took place on 06/23/2025 and no assignable root cause was found. The dealership attempted to return the vehicle to me at that time, but I refused.

- Pensacola, FL, USA

problem #7

Mar 312025

Pilot

  • miles
While driving at low speeds after the vehicle has warmed up there are popping: clicking sounds while turning. Has the vehicle looked at by Honda and of course they didn-??t hear anything. Other vehicles have needed the steering rack recalled and I need a recall to be issued for my car. Brand new car should be making noise and no car should be making noise while driving like this. Get it together.

- Chelsea, AL, USA

problem #6

May 092025

Pilot

  • miles
Steering will make creaking/knocking noise any time the temp warms to 70 or more or if temp is below, after about an hours drive. Hundreds of reports online about this exact issue with dozens of videos, all with the exact same issue. Yet Honda has done nothing to solve the problem or investigate the safety impacts of leaving this issue unchecked. Happens when turning the wheel whether in motion or parked. Doesn-??t matter.

- Natick, MA, USA

problem #5

Mar 152025

Pilot

  • miles
I have clicking, ticking noise coming from the stering wheel area during low spedd turning. i notice the noise around the front lef and right wheel area when I pulling in or out of parking spot

- Franklin, IN, USA

problem #4

Feb 142025

Pilot

  • miles
Loud popping noise when steering started at about 2000 miles. The entire steering rack was replaced. At 7000 miles the noise is back along with a clicking in the steering wheel. Took it to the dealership again and they adjusted the clock spring, but it is still there. I am worried because I am afraid my steering will fail. The dealer did reproduce the problem both times. No independent inspection. No warning lamps.

- Washington, NC, USA

problem #3

Nov 272024

Pilot

  • miles
I was driving and I began slowing down as I approached a red light. My vehicle suddenly stopped. I was unable to turn the vehicle back on nor change the gear. When I would press the start button while pressing the brakes, some dash lights would turn on but again I was not able to change the gear. After several attempts of turning the car on, the car started and I was able to change gears to Drive. Approximately one or two blocks later, while in motion, the car abruptly stopped again. This time the dash displayed -??Engine Oil Pressure Low-?? Stop Engine. Do not Drive-??. The car was subsequently towed to a nearby Honda Dealership where an inspection was allegedly done and the issue was supposedly fixed. The service notes stated the vehicle was found with low oil levels and that no leak was found. They released the car back to me. Now, one week after I picked the car up from the Honda Service Department, I encountered the same issue again. While stopped in traffic, my vehicle shut down. I was unable to turn it back on nor change the gears. An orange steering wheel with an orange exclamation mark next to it popped up on the upper right hand corner of my dashboard along with a red battery logo below it. I was on the roadway unable to turn the car back on for approximately one hour. After continuous failed attempts to turn the car on and change the gear, at one point it turned back on and I was able to drive the car.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #2

Sep 082024

Pilot

  • miles
New 2025 Pilot with about 3,000 miles, driving in Montana on a level dusty gravel road at about 5,000 feet altitude. Driving into the morning sun for about 20 minutes at a slow speed of about 30 mph all of a sudden multiple warnings flashed, engine, brakes, etc. Steering was stiff and brakes did not feel active, very stiff. I just coasted to a stop on a desolate gravel road, no other traffic. The engine was still running, did not press on the gas for in large red letters the warning panel said "DO NOT DRIVE". The car was very dusty. If we had been on an Interstate at 70 mph that would have been an accident, with steering and brakes inhibited somehow? I shut OFF the engine, waited 10 minutes, started engine again and WARNINGS still active. Shut OFF engine and waited 20 minutes. Restarted engine and looked like warning were starting to clear, and steering and brakes felt normal again. With no WARNINGS showing I drove very slowly for many miles with no further occurrences. Slowly worked my way back across the country to Florida without any further failures. It appears to all be computer related, perhaps sensors failing and the computer shutting down what must be electrical steering and brake assist. At speeds with Interstate traffic, that condition will be an accident. There are no failure codes shown on the access panel. We have an appointment with our Honda service dealer, maybe they will be able to access a computer history to see the failure mode that caused loss of steering and brakes. The fact that a computer can impact those critical systems on a vehicle, is a serious safety issue. Prior to this incident, driving about 30 minutes on a dusty gravel road in Montana, some sensor must have been actuating the rear brake caliper, I could hear the scraping sound of pad on rotor, didn't sense the car slowing. The car was dusty, maybe sensors inhibited, the scraping lasted about 15 minutes, at least that it could be heard in the car. Could be a safety iss

- Sarasota, FL, USA

problem #1

Jul 302024

Pilot

  • miles
I was driving my new 2025 Honda Pilot when I went to make a right turn and the steering system locked on me. I couldn't turn right and was almost in a horrible accident. Thank God that the other vehicles were able to stop in time. But I had to get the car out of traffic with the help of good samaritans. I cut the car off and all the systems dispalyed a error and said to see dealer. It was the most scariest and stressful time. I was late to work, my husband had to leave work to come and get me. I had the car towed to the dealership and was given a rental but I want to know why this happened and what will the Honda do to ensure this won't happen to me or someone else driving that car for it to be a 2025 elite edition. I could have been seriously hurt or killed.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA