2018 Honda PILOT

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2018 Honda PILOT has 630 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 7.9x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (25% of all complaints), specifically: vehicle was stopped in a parking lot in "drive" with the auto-idle feature in use. car would not re-start when foot taken off brake. radio cut out briefly as well. dashboard lit up with many error messages - one of them was "collision mitigation problem" or something similar. placed car in park and . ⚠️ 2 fire reports filed.

2 fire reports 11 crash reports 13 injuries

630

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

7.9x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

156 complaints

25%

• VEHICLE WAS STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT IN "DRIVE" WITH THE AUTO-IDLE FEATURE IN USE. CAR WOULD NOT RE-START WHEN FOOT TAKEN OFF BRAKE. RADIO CUT OUT BRIEFLY AS WELL. DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH MANY ERROR MESSAGES - ONE OF THEM WAS "COLLISION MITIGATION PROBLEM" OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. PLACED CAR IN PARK AND
• THE VEHICLE WOULD "STALL OUT" AT A STOP LIGHT OR STOP SIGN WHEN I WAS IN "AUTO IDLE-STOP" AND PRESSED ON THE GAS. I FIRST NOTICED THAT THE AUTO IDLE-STOP WAS HESITATING WHEN IT WOULD START UP. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE RADIO WOULD "CUT OUT". AFTER THAT, THE VEHICLE WOULD JUST STALL OUT AND I WOULD HAV
• CAR STARTS TO STALL WHEN ACCELERATING AND WHEN I LET GO OF THE ACCELERATION PEDAL. *TR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports

“VEHICLE WAS STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT IN "DRIVE" WITH THE AUTO-IDLE FEATURE IN USE. CAR WOULD NOT RE-START WHEN FOOT TAKEN OFF BRAKE. RADIO CUT OUT BRIEFLY AS WELL. DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH MANY ERROR MESSAGES - ONE OF THEM WAS "COLLISION MITIGATION PROBLEM" OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. PLACED CAR IN PARK AND ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

FUEL SYSTEM

123 complaints

20%

• While stopped at a stop light/sign the engine stalls, dies, shifts to neutral (push button shift) leaving me disabled in the middle of the road. This issue has also occurred while slowing to take a sharp corner. The engine died at approximately 25 mph while slowing for the corner. I had taken it to
• The Auto Engine Idle feature does not work properly. When the car is at a light, the engine idle is activated and the car is put into a slumber mode, when the brake is depressed. On occasion, when it is time to go, the car then turns off when the gas is depressed. This is extremely dangerous as t
• Hello, below are answers to suggested questions to help describe what happened. -What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Unknown but a constant "chirping" sound is heard from the car engine area when car engine is on or "running similar to

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“While stopped at a stop light/sign the engine stalls, dies, shifts to neutral (push button shift) leaving me disabled in the middle of the road. This issue has also occurred while slowing to take a sharp corner. The engine died at approximately 25 mph while slowing for the corner. I had taken it to ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

82 complaints

13%

• VEHICLE WAS STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT IN "DRIVE" WITH THE AUTO-IDLE FEATURE IN USE. CAR WOULD NOT RE-START WHEN FOOT TAKEN OFF BRAKE. RADIO CUT OUT BRIEFLY AS WELL. DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH MANY ERROR MESSAGES - ONE OF THEM WAS "COLLISION MITIGATION PROBLEM" OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. PLACED CAR IN PARK AND
• ON SATURDAY I WAS DRIVING MY 10 MONTH OLD 2018 HONDA PILOT WITH APPROX. 7,000 MILES ON IT TO AIRPORT TO PICK UP MY DAUGHTER. MY HUSBAND AND 3 YOUNG KIDS WERE MERGING ONTO AIRPORT PROPERTY ON A EXTREMELY BUSY AFTERNOON, MY VEHICLE STALLED. IT WAS LIKE A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE. I WAS LEFT STRANDE
• 2018 HONDA PILOT. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO MALFUNCATIONS WITH THE VEHICLE THAT PREVENTS IT FORM START UP. *AS *JS

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

77 complaints

12%

• TRANSMISSION JERKS, HESITATES AND/OR CLUNKS WHEN CHANGING AND/OR ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE TO NEXT HIGHER GEAR, HESITATES AND/OR REVERTS TO NEXT LOWER GEAR WHEN IT SHOULD SHIFT TO NEXT GEAR. THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING ON LEVEL SURFACES AND DOWN HILLS CAUSING PASSENGERS TO JERK FORWARDED SUDDENLY AND WI
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD VIOLENTLY AND MADE A LOUD NOISE. ALSO, THE RPMS INCREASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HEADQUARTER HONDA (17700 FL-50, CLERMONT, FL 3471
• 6/13 5:10 PM ON I-95 N 30 MINUTES SOUTH OF FREDERICKSBURG, VA WAS GOING 78 MPH WHEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN 'BLIND SPOT SENSOR ERROR' APPEARED ON DASH AND WITHIN 10 SECONDS TRANSMISSION ERROR - SEE OWNERS MANUAL - GET SOMEWHERE SAFE APPEARED ON THE DASH. THE 2018 HONDA PILOT ELITE IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED I

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“TRANSMISSION JERKS, HESITATES AND/OR CLUNKS WHEN CHANGING AND/OR ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE TO NEXT HIGHER GEAR, HESITATES AND/OR REVERTS TO NEXT LOWER GEAR WHEN IT SHOULD SHIFT TO NEXT GEAR. THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING ON LEVEL SURFACES AND DOWN HILLS CAUSING PASSENGERS TO JERK FORWARDED SUDDENLY AND WI”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

70 complaints

11%

• WHILE DRIVING ON A STATE HIGHWAY, TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, I HEARD A LOUD 'POP' AND SAW DEBRIS FLY IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A TIRE, BUT FOUND MY SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED. THERE WERE NO ROCKS, PROJECTILES, ETC, AND NO OVERHEAD STRUCTURES WHERE SOMETHING COULD HAVE FA
• VEHICLE AUTO LOCKED WITH KEYS IN CAR AND COULD NOT UNLOCK. FORTUNATELY, CAR WAS IN MY GARAGE AND DID NOT CREATE A SAFETY ISSUE. HOWEVER, HAD THIS OCCURRED IN THE SUMMER WITH A SMALL CHILD OR PET INSIDE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD, POSSIBLY LEADING TO FATAL CONSEQUENCES. THIS VEHI
• IN MAY 2018 I PURCHASED A NEW 2018 HONDA PILOT. UNFORTUNATELY DURING THIS FIRST WINTER I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE A FUNCTIONING HEATER. AS SOON AS THE WEATHER TURNED COLD I NOTICED THAT THIS NEW HONDA PILOT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT HEAT. WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE HEA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“WHILE DRIVING ON A STATE HIGHWAY, TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, I HEARD A LOUD 'POP' AND SAW DEBRIS FLY IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A TIRE, BUT FOUND MY SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED. THERE WERE NO ROCKS, PROJECTILES, ETC, AND NO OVERHEAD STRUCTURES WHERE SOMETHING COULD HAVE FA”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

FUEL SYSTEM(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 630 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: VEHICLE WAS STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT IN "DRIVE" WITH THE AUTO-IDLE FEATURE IN USE. CAR WOULD NOT RE-START WHEN FOOT TAKEN OFF BRAKE. RADIO CUT OUT BRIEFLY AS WELL. DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH MANY ERROR MESSAGES - ONE OF THEM WAS "COLLISION MITIGATION PROBLEM" OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. PLACED CAR IN PARK AND
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
FUEL SYSTEM: While stopped at a stop light/sign the engine stalls, dies, shifts to neutral (push button shift) leaving me disabled in the middle of the road. This issue has also occurred while slowing to take a sharp corner. The engine died at approximately 25 mph while slowing for the corner. I had taken it to
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: VEHICLE WAS STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT IN "DRIVE" WITH THE AUTO-IDLE FEATURE IN USE. CAR WOULD NOT RE-START WHEN FOOT TAKEN OFF BRAKE. RADIO CUT OUT BRIEFLY AS WELL. DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH MANY ERROR MESSAGES - ONE OF THEM WAS "COLLISION MITIGATION PROBLEM" OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. PLACED CAR IN PARK AND
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: TRANSMISSION JERKS, HESITATES AND/OR CLUNKS WHEN CHANGING AND/OR ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE TO NEXT HIGHER GEAR, HESITATES AND/OR REVERTS TO NEXT LOWER GEAR WHEN IT SHOULD SHIFT TO NEXT GEAR. THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING ON LEVEL SURFACES AND DOWN HILLS CAUSING PASSENGERS TO JERK FORWARDED SUDDENLY AND WI
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)