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Honda · NHTSA safety record

2023 Honda Pilot

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 144 safety complaints about the 2023 Honda Pilot with the US government. Of those, 3 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 3 people were injured and no death is recorded. 5 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the seat belts, named in 34 complaints, 24% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 18,000 miles, the median across the 17 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers May 2023 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

144 complaints on file

144

Complaints

3

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

3

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year. A further 2 defect investigations are open and unresolved.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
SEAT BELTS 34 · 24%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 28 · 19%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 22 · 15%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 20 · 14%
STEERING 18 · 13%
SERVICE BRAKES 17 · 12%
ENGINE 13 · 9%
POWER TRAIN 10 · 7%
SEATS 10 · 7%
STRUCTURE 6 · 4%
VISIBILITY 6 · 4%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 · 3%
0 15 31

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 144.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 58.

64 48 32 16
23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2023 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2023 Honda PILOT, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 14.3% 15.5%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

5 on file

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES

25V391000 · June 12, 2025

The defect
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
The risk
A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 259,033 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM

25V031000 · January 23, 2025

The defect
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Acura MDX Type-S, 2023-2025 Honda Pilot, and 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type-S vehicles. A software error in the fuel injection electronic control unit (FI-ECU) may cause an engine stall or a loss of power.
The risk
An engine stall or loss of power can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy
Dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EL1 and AL0.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 294,612 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP

24V900000 · November 27, 2024

The defect
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Passport and 2023-2025 Pilot vehicles. The fuel filler neck tube and fuel filler pipe may separate, allowing fuel to leak.
The risk
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and repair the fuel filler neck tube and pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is OKM.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 205,760 vehicles across all model years covered

SEATS:CRITICAL FASTENERS

24V859000 · November 14, 2024

The defect
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Honda Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Pilot, and 2024 HR-V, Acura Integra and Acura Integra Type S vehicles. The driver's seat cushion frame may not have been tightened properly, which can result in an unsecured seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."
The risk
An unsecured driver's seat may not adequately restrain the driver during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the driver's seat cushion frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 6, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 121 vehicles across all model years covered

STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK

23V735000 · November 2, 2023

The defect
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Pilot vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the gear box assembly may contain a loose ball bearing, which can result in a loss of steering control or steering lock-up.
The risk
A loss of steering control or steering lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the electric power steering rack, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 18, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FFX.

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) · up to 519 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations

2 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status

PE25017

Still open preliminary evaluation · opened October 28, 2025

the seat belts

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 6 complaints, and multiple Early Warning Reporting (EWR) field reports alleging inaccurate rear seat belt warning status. These allegations concern both false positive and false negative statuses in model year (MY) 2023-2024 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured by American Honda Motor Co. (Honda). The complaints state that the rear passenger seat belt warning system is displaying inaccurate information to the driver for both second and third row seating positions. This can lead to the driver dismissing warnings regarding rear seat belt status. The inaccurate information can also cause the driver to believe rear occupants are buckled when they are not. This reliance on false information presents concerns for the safety of children and child seats located in the rear rows, especially in the third row where the buckled status is more difficult for the driver to visually confirm. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related issues. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages

EA25004

Still open engineering analysis · opened March 26, 2025

the engine and its cooling

On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.NHTSA has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash

i was involved in a fairly significant accident at 55mph and another vehicle pulled out in front of us. Our Honda pilot had significant front and side damage on passenger side and not air bags deployed at all. This is and was alarming to us. So much so we did not feel safe in keeping the vehicle after the $26,000 repair. I did suffer minor injuries with my neck (surgery required and arm issues from hitting the door) Has this been noted in Honda Pilot models?

NHTSA complaint 11752363. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

1 injured · 600 miles

The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while the wife was reversing out of the driveway, the vehicle's glass sunroof suddenly exploded and shattered causing glass shards to fall into the cabin of the vehicle. During the failure, the driver sustained bruising and small lacerations to the neck and back area. The injuries did not require medical attention. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 600.

NHTSA complaint 11527407. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

1 injured

Dear [NHTSA or Honda Customer Service], I am submitting this complaint to raise a serious safety concern regarding the automatic engine shutoff feature in my 2023 Honda Pilot EX-L. While parked and talking to the dealer, I left my vehicle running with the air conditioning on and my older children in the back seat. Despite the key being inside the car and the engine running, the vehicle shut off automatically after approximately 30 minutes, disabling the air conditioning without any clear warning. This happened in the desert heat, creating an extremely dangerous situation for my children, who were sitting in a vehicle that quickly began to overheat. At no point were we warned by the dealer,

NHTSA complaint 11677820, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire

Vehicle had an engine fire yesterday. Inner cv boot is burned. Luckily fire was put out quickly with a fire extinguisher.

NHTSA complaint 11753195. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS
The second row, passenger side seat has faulty seatbelt alarms. When someone is sitting in the seat with a seatbelt on the alert, continually dings. The inaccurate and continuous alarms create a severe driver distraction while driving! Disconnecting the seatbelt while in motion or the passenger moving to another seat while in motion does not stop the alert from that seat. The only way to deactivate the alarm is to turn the vehicle off and restart to clear the alarm. If the passenger in that seat never buckles the seatbelt, the alarm does not go off.

NHTSA complaint 11767095. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS
2nd row passenger occupancy sensor failure. Honda Sercice Bulletin 23-018 describes the issue. It does not register passenger is seating in the seat, when seat belt connected it confuses system and throws lights and alarms intermittently. This effects the SRS as is a distraction to the driver and could potentially confuse SRS into malfunctioning in an accident.

NHTSA complaint 11767123. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
I have this car for more than 3 years now and ever since this sensor problem keeps bugging me out. The brake system hold error keeps on displaying specially on a rainy days, winter season and not only that, the car suddenly stopped in the middle of thw highway while displaying collision error message although there is no collision. This is very dangerous and knowing that it can happen anytime while your are driving on a highway. I am very frustrated and this type of cars is not cheap and they gave as a junk, not safe for driving cars. And jus today, my honda pilot is not starting at all. The engine keeps cranking while showing brake system hold error, collision error messages and a lot

NHTSA complaint 11766265, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS
Within 1 year of purchase, the seat belt sensor on the 2nd row passenger side began malfunctioning. My child who sat in the seat was properly buckled, but the sensor would intermittently indicate the child was unbuckled. This was repaired in October 2024 under warranty. Beginning in August 2026, the same seat began exhibiting the same behavior again. I took the vehicle back to the Honda dealership where I purchased it, and they diagnosed the same issue. They attempted to charge me for the repair, but I pushed back that this should be covered given it has now failed twice and there is an active investigation into this issue. They repaired it at no cost to me. This is a safety issue in two

NHTSA complaint 11765924, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS
I own a 2023 Honda Pilot equipped with second-row captain’s chairs that experiences intermittent false seat belt warnings. The right-side second-row seat triggers the audible chime and red/gray “unbuckled” icon on the driver information display even when the seat belt is fully and securely latched; the warning is frequently activated by normal passenger weight shifting or movement. The same false unbuckled warnings also occur in the third-row seats. These symptoms match the conditions described in Honda Service Bulletin A26-027 and fall within the scope of NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE25017 concerning inaccurate rear passenger seat belt warning status (both false positives and false

NHTSA complaint 11765574, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER
Vehicle was parked on street. My wife got in the vehicle and as she went to start the vehicle she heard a pop and looked behind her to see the rear glass had exploded.

NHTSA complaint 11764101. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Honda Pilot

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 22 1 —
2025 202 4 —
2024 114 6 —
2022 160 5 —
2021 436 10 —
2020 489 11 —
2019 907 13 —
2018 440 7 —
2017 929 4 —
2016 1,709 8 —
2015 109 4 —
2014 116 3 —
2013 271 6 —
2012 171 9 —
2011 293 11 —
2010 111 10 —

Other 2023 Honda models

HR-V 686 CR-V 515 Civic 255 Accord Hybrid 140 Ridgeline 128 CR-V Hybrid 116 Odyssey 99 Accord 86

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Honda on this site — 192 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst