2021 Honda PILOT

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2021 Honda PILOT has 661 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 8.3x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is driver assist/cameras problems (26% of all complaints), specifically: this is new honda pilot 2021 trim ex-l purchase in dec,2020. miles 3300. it seems honda is having software issues. without on of lane keeping assist system (lkas) feature is activating automatically and taking over driving or steering of the vehicle and attempt to steer the vehicle back into the c. ⚠️ 2 fire reports filed.

2 fire reports 22 crash reports 11 injuries

661

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

8.3x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

172 complaints

26%

• This is New Honda Pilot 2021 Trim EX-L purchase in Dec,2020. Miles 3300. It seems Honda is having software issues. Without ON of Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) feature is activating automatically and taking over driving or steering of the vehicle and attempt to steer the vehicle back into the c
• I have a major safety complaint with Honda’s computer system. I understand that Honda works hard to make their vehicles as safe as possible. With that said, on 7/29/21 around 9:40am I was driving on a country style road. Out of no where with nothing around me but trees the auto break safety feature
• Loud popping and crackling noise emitting from speakers. Cannot turn them off, and causes major interruptions in navigation, radio, entertainment. Dealer said Falkra wiring is faulty, but is back-ordered, and could not even give us an estimate of when it would arrive. Essentially told us to suck it

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 8 crashes

“This is New Honda Pilot 2021 Trim EX-L purchase in Dec,2020. Miles 3300. It seems Honda is having software issues. Without ON of Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) feature is activating automatically and taking over driving or steering of the vehicle and attempt to steer the vehicle back into the c”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

109 complaints

16%

• WHILE DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR ON THE FREEWAY THE SOUND TO MY BLUETOOTH AUDIO QUIT. THEN THE APPLE CARPLAY WOULD NOT CONNECT. WHEN I GOT TO THE GROCERY STORE TRYIN TO MANEAVER INTO A PARKING SPOT THE BACKUP CAMERA DID NOT WORK WHEN I PUT IN REVERSE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I HAD PRESSED PARK INSTEAD OF
• The dash crackles sometimes a little and other times it crackles constantly all across the dash. If the radio is playing, it interferes with the radio or using the Bluetooth. At first it seemed like something hit the windshield and now it's worse and crackles all the time. There was a recall on t
• I was about to cross the border I was not driving faster than 3 mph when a few functions stop working

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

“WHILE DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR ON THE FREEWAY THE SOUND TO MY BLUETOOTH AUDIO QUIT. THEN THE APPLE CARPLAY WOULD NOT CONNECT. WHEN I GOT TO THE GROCERY STORE TRYIN TO MANEAVER INTO A PARKING SPOT THE BACKUP CAMERA DID NOT WORK WHEN I PUT IN REVERSE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I HAD PRESSED PARK INSTEAD OF ”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

94 complaints

14%

• We just got the car from the dealer and it is still less than 200 miles and it’s leaking oil. There’s oil leaks in my garage which I thought was water coming from AC. When I check the oil dip stick. It was empty.
• Incident occurred 9/28/21 4:20 - 4:30 pm PST while driving in the 3rd lane of southbound 880 Highway about 1 mile before the the exit of 16th Ave & Embarcadero in the city of Oakland. The speed that the vehicle was moving at the time of the incident was between 50 to 55 MPH. The vehicle has more th
• Twice in the past 4 weeks, while driving, the car switches into Neutral. The car dash still says it is in Drive and the gear buttons still show “D/S” highlighted. However, the car is rev-ing the engine as if it is in neutral and the car is only rolling instead of driving. It lasts for about 10 seco

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

“We just got the car from the dealer and it is still less than 200 miles and it’s leaking oil. There’s oil leaks in my garage which I thought was water coming from AC. When I check the oil dip stick. It was empty.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

79 complaints

12%

• WHILE DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR ON THE FREEWAY THE SOUND TO MY BLUETOOTH AUDIO QUIT. THEN THE APPLE CARPLAY WOULD NOT CONNECT. WHEN I GOT TO THE GROCERY STORE TRYIN TO MANEAVER INTO A PARKING SPOT THE BACKUP CAMERA DID NOT WORK WHEN I PUT IN REVERSE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I HAD PRESSED PARK INSTEAD OF
• DRIVING ON 495 IN VIRGINIA NORTH TOWARD 66 NEAR ANNANDALE AT AROUND 55 TO 60 MILES PER HOUR ON THE BELTWAY, NON-TOLL PORTION, WE WERE SHOCKED TO HEAR THE SOUND OF EXPLODING GLASS FOLLOWED BY RUSHING AIR, LIKE AN OPEN WINDOW. WE LOOKED ALL AROUND THE WINDOWS TO SEE IF THERE HAD BEEN SOME SORT OF IMPA
• WHEN USING THE HANDSFREE BLUETOOTH FUNCTION, THE RECIPIENT CANNOT HEAR WHAT WAS SPOKEN AS IT MAKES BOISTEROUS/ STATIC NOISE. THIS IS EVEN SEVERE WHEN THE HEATER FAN IS ON. BOTH IOS AND ANDROID PHONES OBSERVE THE SAME RESULTS. MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER SAYS IT IS THE CHARACTERISTIC OF THIS MODEL, AND THI

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

— NHTSA complaint filing

SPEED CONTROL

41 complaints

• At about 8600 miles between speeds of 38 -60 miles per hour, I began to notice and experience a tremendous wind noise coming from both driver and passenger windows. The vehicle has been to (2) two separate Honda dealerships on (4) four different times to address this issue, but the problem remains a
• 1. DRIVING ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY, AT ABOUT 65 MPH, USING CRUISE CONTROL. NO VEHICLES AHEAD ON ME IN MY LANE. TRUCK IN ONCOMING LANE CAUSED DASH TO DISPLAY BRAKE WARNING. BRAKE CAME ON MOMENTARILY, WHEEL WAS IN STAIGHT FORWARD POSITION. 2. HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH CRUISE. DRIVING AT 45
• Hello, Twice in the past two months, my car's engine has lost power while driving on the highway. First, while entering and merging onto the highway, and once while exiting the highway. Both times, the check engine light came on, pressing the gas pedal had no effect, and we could only coast to the

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 2 crashes

“At about 8600 miles between speeds of 38 -60 miles per hour, I began to notice and experience a tremendous wind noise coming from both driver and passenger windows. The vehicle has been to (2) two separate Honda dealerships on (4) four different times to address this issue, but the problem remains a”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

SPEED CONTROL(~50K mi)

$500

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

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 661 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS: This is New Honda Pilot 2021 Trim EX-L purchase in Dec,2020. Miles 3300. It seems Honda is having software issues. Without ON of Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) feature is activating automatically and taking over driving or steering of the vehicle and attempt to steer the vehicle back into the c
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: WHILE DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR ON THE FREEWAY THE SOUND TO MY BLUETOOTH AUDIO QUIT. THEN THE APPLE CARPLAY WOULD NOT CONNECT. WHEN I GOT TO THE GROCERY STORE TRYIN TO MANEAVER INTO A PARKING SPOT THE BACKUP CAMERA DID NOT WORK WHEN I PUT IN REVERSE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I HAD PRESSED PARK INSTEAD OF
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: We just got the car from the dealer and it is still less than 200 miles and it’s leaking oil. There’s oil leaks in my garage which I thought was water coming from AC. When I check the oil dip stick. It was empty.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: WHILE DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR ON THE FREEWAY THE SOUND TO MY BLUETOOTH AUDIO QUIT. THEN THE APPLE CARPLAY WOULD NOT CONNECT. WHEN I GOT TO THE GROCERY STORE TRYIN TO MANEAVER INTO A PARKING SPOT THE BACKUP CAMERA DID NOT WORK WHEN I PUT IN REVERSE. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I HAD PRESSED PARK INSTEAD OF
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)