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2021 Honda Pilot Problems & Owner Complaints

412 NHTSA owner complaints
12 crash 1 fire 8 injury

Age-normalised, this year draws ~68.7 complaints per year on the road — ranking 1 of 12 Honda Pilot years we track (1 = most complaints per year).

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What owners report

Electrical System is the most-reported problem area on the 2021 Honda Pilot, cited in 119 of 412 filed complaints (29%).

Engine is next (96 complaints, 23%), followed by Forward Collision Avoidance (92), Lane Departure (39), Air Bags (30).

Across all complaints, 12 report a crash, 1 report a fire, 8 report injuries.

The most safety-critical cluster is Air Bags: 5 crash, 3 injury report(s).

Complaints by vehicle system

Owner complaints filed with the U.S. NHTSA for the 2021 Honda Pilot, grouped by the vehicle system each cites. A single complaint can name more than one system, so the group totals can add up to more than 412.

Electrical System 119 1 crash 1 fire 1 injury

“The side curtain airbags deployed while I was sitting in the passenger's side of the car looking into the glove compartment for about ten minutes with the car being completely off and parked in the driveway. The Ignition was off and there was glitching and clicking sounds seconds before the airbags deployed. This could have happened at any point while driving on the street or the freeway. It could have caused an accident and could have killed me if it happened elsewhere. It could have been the passenger's side airbag that deployed and I could have been seriously injured. This incident happene…”
NHTSA complaint #11645676, 2025 · 1 injury(ies)

“Vehicle spontaneously caught fire. There were no known/indicated issues with the vehicle. Vehicle was eventually extinguished by the fire dept. It took them 45 mins to render it extinguished. Vehicle was parked in my driveway at the time of the incident.”
NHTSA complaint #11613057, 2024 · fire

“Auto braking applies randomly cause brakes to lock up happens when driving in any conditions. This problem has already caused a minor accident with my vehicle due to brakes locking up and no throttle”
NHTSA complaint #11478123, 2022 · crash

Engine 96 1 crash 1 fire 1 injury

“2021 Honda Pilot is subject to "rapid acceleration". We had no notification of this issue until the vehicle drove itself into our home on its own causing damage to the car and our home. Only after we did some research did we know Honda had this issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11553197, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Vehicle spontaneously caught fire. There were no known/indicated issues with the vehicle. Vehicle was eventually extinguished by the fire dept. It took them 45 mins to render it extinguished. Vehicle was parked in my driveway at the time of the incident.”
NHTSA complaint #11613057, 2024 · fire

“When at a stop, the automatic idle stop shuts off the engine and doesn’t come back out of that to start back up. Have to put the car in park to restart. This is a major safety issue especially when vehicles are behind me beeping the horn. Happened on several occasions.”
NHTSA complaint #11752970, 2026

Forward Collision Avoidance 92 4 crash 2 injury

“On October 18, 2023, at about 11 am, I was approaching to enter our driveway with my foot on the brake system when all of the sudden the car sped up at a very high speed that I was unable to control. The speed was so forceful that the car crashed unto the house resulting in a lot of damage to our house, all this happened in less than one second. I had a next door neighbor in the car with me and thankfully neither of us was hurt, I like to mention at this point that neither air bag deployed to issue protection to us. Of course the safety of both of us was put at risk. We called the insuranc…”
NHTSA complaint #11553630, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Car slammed on breaks for no reason. Good thing I was paying attention and was able to keep my vehicle under control. My neck hurt for the rest of the day and is Sore today. Now my cars system says the system isn’t working correctly after my car slammed on the breaks for basically no reason. I know this is an ongoing problem certain Honda models already. I believe every Honda with this system should be recalled.”
NHTSA complaint #11617921, 2024 · 1 injury(ies)

“Car in front of me stopped. My vehicle did not causing a rear end collision. I do not recall the brake warning flashing to alert me to brake. The automatic braking system did not seem to engage. Even though I pressed the brake pedal the vehicle did not seem to want to stop. It reminded me of a vehicle without power brakes. Nor did the wheels lock up or leave any skid marks from hard braking.”
NHTSA complaint #11613185, 2024 · crash

Unknown Or Other 80 1 crash 1 injury

“On October 18, 2023, at about 11 am, I was approaching to enter our driveway with my foot on the brake system when all of the sudden the car sped up at a very high speed that I was unable to control. The speed was so forceful that the car crashed unto the house resulting in a lot of damage to our house, all this happened in less than one second. I had a next door neighbor in the car with me and thankfully neither of us was hurt, I like to mention at this point that neither air bag deployed to issue protection to us. Of course the safety of both of us was put at risk. We called the insuranc…”
NHTSA complaint #11553630, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The car shut off and put itself in neutral in the middle of the road. It seemed that the automatic shutoff glitched and caused the car to shift to neutral. We had to shut it off then start it back. It didn’t start right up. We had to try a couple of times. It was very scary being stranded in the middle of the road and not knowing how to correct the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11750794, 2026

“2021 Honda Pilot with 9,800 miles. Failed VSA Modulator directly related to the braking system. Warning lights: Vehicle stability assist, trailer stability assist, collision mitigation system, adaptive cruise control problem. Problem confirmed by Pensacola Honda Service Center and awaiting repair assistance from American Honda as they refuse to offer goodwill credit for repair due to being out of warranty, despite extremely low mileage and excellent condition of vehicle.”
NHTSA complaint #11747625, 2026

Lane Departure 39 1 crash

“The car's steering wheel got locked out and air bags came out suddenly while car is still moving on the road and driver blocked and not able to do anything and hit the parked car on the street due to car's system malfunction. Since incident happened in the housing community area with speed 20-25 miles and not majorly hit anyone but reported to and inspected by city police inspected. This was the first time this situation happed and however, had other incidents with the car auto feature malfunction, when stop on the red signal and suddenly the card shutdown with lot of beeps. This mentioned to…”
NHTSA complaint #11677635, 2025 · crash

“My Honda has recently began displaying ADAS Failure where none of the features work including cruise control. I took to a mechanic and they displayed code U3000. This seems to be a common issue that Honda is not addressing. The fee to repair is over $1500 and the car is less than 5 years old. This is a safety issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11754390, 2026

“I am having these problems with my 2021 Honda Pilot Touring causing intermittent sudden braking. The dealership is quoting me a lot of money to fix them. Collision Mitigation System problem Road Departure Mitigation System Problem Auto High Beam Problem Lane Keep Assist Problem Adaptive Cruise Control Problem These problems should not be occurring to a an expensive vehicle worth over $45,000 for no reason. The dealership mentioned that they are caused by a failed battery fan.”
NHTSA complaint #11753380, 2026

Air Bags 30 5 crash 3 injury

“I am submitting this letter as an official complaint regarding a potential safety defect involving the airbag system in my 2021 Honda Pilot. I was involved in a motor vehicle accident on February 3, 2026 in Atlanta, GA. The collision was a direct frontal impact with another vehicle at approximately 35 mph. The vehicle sustained damage with repair estimates over $8,000. Despite the nature of the crash, the airbags did not deploy. However, post-accident diagnostic information reported by the auto body repair shop indicates that the vehicle’s computer system recorded the airbags as having deploye…”
NHTSA complaint #11725688, 2026 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“On October 18, 2023, at about 11 am, I was approaching to enter our driveway with my foot on the brake system when all of the sudden the car sped up at a very high speed that I was unable to control. The speed was so forceful that the car crashed unto the house resulting in a lot of damage to our house, all this happened in less than one second. I had a next door neighbor in the car with me and thankfully neither of us was hurt, I like to mention at this point that neither air bag deployed to issue protection to us. Of course the safety of both of us was put at risk. We called the insuranc…”
NHTSA complaint #11553630, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The side curtain airbags deployed while I was sitting in the passenger's side of the car looking into the glove compartment for about ten minutes with the car being completely off and parked in the driveway. The Ignition was off and there was glitching and clicking sounds seconds before the airbags deployed. This could have happened at any point while driving on the street or the freeway. It could have caused an accident and could have killed me if it happened elsewhere. It could have been the passenger's side airbag that deployed and I could have been seriously injured. This incident happene…”
NHTSA complaint #11645676, 2025 · 1 injury(ies)

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Service Brakes 26 4 crash 2 injury

“The contact owned a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while her friend was driving at an undisclosed speed, with the brake pedal depressed all the way to the floorboard, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. As a result, the vehicle left the roadway, hitting a stop sign before coming to a complete stop after colliding with a concrete wall. The driver and passenger side air bags did deploy. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The vehicle occupants transported themselves to an area hospital for treatment. The driver was treated for a head contusion and pain in her le…”
NHTSA complaint #11552722, 2023 · crash · 2 injury(ies)

“Car in front of me stopped. My vehicle did not causing a rear end collision. I do not recall the brake warning flashing to alert me to brake. The automatic braking system did not seem to engage. Even though I pressed the brake pedal the vehicle did not seem to want to stop. It reminded me of a vehicle without power brakes. Nor did the wheels lock up or leave any skid marks from hard braking.”
NHTSA complaint #11613185, 2024 · crash

“The accelerator on my vehicle malfunctioned and got stuck. While making turn with no acceleration, the acceleration of the vehicle got stuck and the brakes did not respond causing the vehicle to hit a sidewalk and breaking the passenger side suspension and control arm and axel of the vehicle. Airbags deployed. Controlled the vehicle until it stopped completely. When vehicle was completely stopped the passenger side still sounded like that gas pedal was fully pressed when the other tires were not moving.”
NHTSA complaint #11600229, 2024 · crash

Power Train 24 1 crash 1 injury

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while the engine was idling and with the gear shifter in the park position, the contact reached into the vehicle from the front driver's door, and suddenly the vehicle began to slowly roll backwards. The contact was pushed to the ground, causing the front driver's side wheel to roll over the contact's right leg. The vehicle continued to roll backwards before making a U-turn and then rolling forward down the inclined street and increasing speed. To avoid having the vehicle roll down hill into a crowded street with pedestrians, the fro…”
NHTSA complaint #11713859, 2026 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“I am having an issue with the start stop function on my 2021 Honda Pilot. When active, the start stop struggles to restart after it is engaged at a stop light. There have been two instances in the last two weeks where the vehicle did not restart on its own and needed to be restarted manually. Spoke to the dealer service team and they indicated there were no known recalls and it would be out of pocket for me to diagnose and repair.”
NHTSA complaint #11740001, 2026

“Engine started knocking and within a couple days my wife was left stranded. The vehicle went into limp mode with check engine light flashing, and would not accelerate. The vehicle stopped completely in the middle of the road and lost all power, which could’ve caused a major accident. Scheduled maintenance and oil changes has been kept up by me. I had the vehicle towed to a trusted shop and was informing that there were metal shavings in the oil filter. They inspected the top end of the engine and everything was normal. The only indication is that the problem is internal to the engine. There is…”
NHTSA complaint #11730077, 2026

Fuel/Propulsion System 21 1 crash 1 fire 1 injury

“2021 Honda Pilot is subject to "rapid acceleration". We had no notification of this issue until the vehicle drove itself into our home on its own causing damage to the car and our home. Only after we did some research did we know Honda had this issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11553197, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“Vehicle spontaneously caught fire. There were no known/indicated issues with the vehicle. Vehicle was eventually extinguished by the fire dept. It took them 45 mins to render it extinguished. Vehicle was parked in my driveway at the time of the incident.”
NHTSA complaint #11613057, 2024 · fire

“My current 2021 Honda Pilot (purchased used May 2024) is stalling out in live traffic - the most recent on XXX creating a massive safety hazard. (In addition, the engine is making the same exact clicking noise that the 2015 Honda VIN:[XXX] made right before the engine catastrophically seized on my way to work. That 2015 Honda Pilot seized due to a defective Variable Cynlinder Management (VCM) system. This defect was covered by a court-ordered federal class-action settlement warranty extension (Alex [XXX] v. American Honda, Case No. XXX), extending coverage to 10 years/150,000 miles. While tha…”
NHTSA complaint #11752657, 2026

Visibility/Wiper 20

“My 2021 Honda Pilot has a recurring electrical/network communication failure that causes “Network Communication Lost” and “MOST Net Off” messages to appear on the infotainment screen. When this occurs, the infotainment system malfunctions, audio becomes unavailable, and the backup camera display is lost without warning. The problem is intermittent, unpredictable, and has occurred numerous times. The loss of the backup camera is a serious safety concern because it occurs while the vehicle is otherwise operating normally. During reversing, rear visibility is reduced, increasing the risk of strik…”
NHTSA complaint #11751970, 2025

“Last year my Honda dealership, Honda of Harvey in Harvey, Louisiana did the recall of the falling side view mirrors on my 2021 Honda Pilot. This is recall 23V174000. Year later my driver side view mirror is doing the same thing. It is moving around and vibrating. Making it hard to see the traffic to the side and behind me. The service dept explained to me that the glue is coming apart. I told them that was what the recall was for. They said they did the recall once and are not doing it again. So it seems the fix honda had for this situation was not a fix but just a band aid. I did call Honda c…”
NHTSA complaint #11655767, 2025

“After having recall work done on the vehicle, the recalled driver side mirror is now not able to be to view roadway safely. The mirror is projecting duplicate images in a single lane and is impossible to view out of. In the photo you can see how the newly installed Honda side mirror is distorted.”
NHTSA complaint #11647124, 2025

Back Over Prevention 17 2 crash

“The car's steering wheel got locked out and air bags came out suddenly while car is still moving on the road and driver blocked and not able to do anything and hit the parked car on the street due to car's system malfunction. Since incident happened in the housing community area with speed 20-25 miles and not majorly hit anyone but reported to and inspected by city police inspected. This was the first time this situation happed and however, had other incidents with the car auto feature malfunction, when stop on the red signal and suddenly the card shutdown with lot of beeps. This mentioned to…”
NHTSA complaint #11677635, 2025 · crash

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera failed to turn on, causing the vehicle to hit another unoccupied parked vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the VIN was not included in a recall. The contact stated that the failure recurred while reversing on another occasion, and the vehicle hit another unoccupied parked vehicle. The contact stated that both incidents were fender-benders. There was no injury sustained. The contac…”
NHTSA complaint #11549607, 2021 · crash

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle's rear brakes rub significantly to the point of prematurely wearing out the brake pads. Additionally, the instrument panel is failing and displaying all warning lights, and the side mirrors flicker while driving. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed to be NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V439000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) however, the VIN was not included in the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the fail…”
NHTSA complaint #11737767, 2026

Tires 13

“I am reporting a safety defect involving Continental CrossContact LX Sport tires, size 245/50 R20 used on my 2021 Honda Pilot. These tires are not currently included in the existing Continental recalls, but they are showing the same types of failures described in NHTSA recall 21T‑001 and related Continental bulletins. Specifically, my tires developed cracking/localized tread wear/vibration and visible separation in the tread/sidewall area. This matches the recall descriptions of carcass breaks and belt‑edge separations that can cause sudden air loss or partial/full tread and belt loss, leading…”
NHTSA complaint #11727765, 2026

“Size of tires: 245/59 R 20, 102H DOT serial #: [XXX] The 2021 Honda Pilot came equipped with the tires in this discussion. At 30,000 mile check up at dealership, we were informed the 3 tires with this DOT number had “dry rot” and needed replacing. A fourth tire with a different number is in excellent shape. These tires are NOT on a recall list. Many of the Continental tires of this type have been recalled. Obviously since 3/4 tires are falling apart, it is not environmental or from road conditions or driving. These tires should be included in a recall. They are not safe and should last much…”
NHTSA complaint #11635585, 2025

“Traveling at 35mph in village. my passenger and I attest there was no road hazard. The tire popped and I managed to drive about 70 yards to a parking lot to change my tire. it had a clean tear on the inside sidewall. The tear had no marks made against it. I'm complaining since I see there have been 2 other similar complaints about this tire on this website.”
NHTSA complaint #11592933, 2024

Visibility 10

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The vehicle was serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V174000 (Visibility), but the failure occurred. The contact stated that the first time the driver's side mirror was replaced, the image in the mirror was distorted, severely compromising driver visibility. The contact stated that the mirror looked like it was made of plastic and not glass. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The driver's side mirror was replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the driver's side mirror was replaced. The…”
NHTSA complaint #11705289, 2025

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V174000 (VISIBILITY), 24V064000 (AIR BAGS), and under TSB: 0101T0. The contact stated that the dealer did not repair all the recalls. The contact stated that in the driver’s side mirror, the image appeared wavy and resembled a funhouse mirror. The TSB regarding the coaxial cable terminal (FAKRA) was not repaired properly. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started there was an abnormal popping and crackling sound coming from the speakers. The contact returned the vehi…”
NHTSA complaint #11700685, 2025

“The sunroof of my 2021 Honda Pilot spontaneously shattered while driving down the highway with my family inside the car. There is a class action lawsuit against Honda for this issue at the moment as well.”
NHTSA complaint #11537096, 2023

Vehicle Speed Control 8 2 crash

“The contact owned a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH and while attempting to stop depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact confirmed that the accelerator pedal was not depressed accidentally. No air bags deployed. The contact crashed into unknown private property in a parking lot. No injuries were sustained. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the diagnosis was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, offered no assistance, and referred to the NHTSA Ho…”
NHTSA complaint #11632504, 2024 · crash

“The accelerator on my vehicle malfunctioned and got stuck. While making turn with no acceleration, the acceleration of the vehicle got stuck and the brakes did not respond causing the vehicle to hit a sidewalk and breaking the passenger side suspension and control arm and axel of the vehicle. Airbags deployed. Controlled the vehicle until it stopped completely. When vehicle was completely stopped the passenger side still sounded like that gas pedal was fully pressed when the other tires were not moving.”
NHTSA complaint #11600229, 2024 · crash

“I am having these problems with my 2021 Honda Pilot Touring causing intermittent sudden braking. The dealership is quoting me a lot of money to fix them. Collision Mitigation System problem Road Departure Mitigation System Problem Auto High Beam Problem Lane Keep Assist Problem Adaptive Cruise Control Problem These problems should not be occurring to a an expensive vehicle worth over $45,000 for no reason. The dealership mentioned that they are caused by a failed battery fan.”
NHTSA complaint #11753380, 2026

Seats 6

“There is already an active recall , OHB 24V-064, on this vehicle for a seat weight sensor circuit board. I have made numerous inquiries at two local Honda dealerships in Phoenix over the last 9 months about getting this fixed, but they never have the part(s) available. One dealership, Bell Honda, promised six months ago to call me when they got the parts; I have not heard back from them. I went to another dealership, Right Honda in Scottsdale, yesterday for some other maintenance. They just told me that the parts were not available and could not tell me when or if they would have them.”
NHTSA complaint #11682069, 2025

“I would like to present an issue with the third row seat headrest in my 2021 Honda Pilot. After stowing the third row seat to utilize the rear storage area the third row driver side head rest on the seat would not return to the upright position. After a few attempts to fold the seat/reset the position of the seat and still the headrest not folding up - took to dealership and upon their inspection determined the seat folding mechanism (which also folds the headrest) needed to be replaced. This was not covered by the factory warranty nor the extended warranty company which the dealership uses…”
NHTSA complaint #11642151, 2025

“Third row seat headrest on passenger side will not stay up, so actually does make the seat unusable. Numberous complaints have been posted on line as a manufacturing defect, and a service bulletin was issued. I do not think it has ever worked I purchased the car in March of 24 with only 27,000 miles still under Honda Warranty. Discovered the issue when trying to use the third row seat. Dealer said there are no parts to fix it. Another dealer said they can fix it $650.00. Should not be responsible for paying for this to be fixed. On line states there is a recall number Y7Y. Honda C…”
NHTSA complaint #11639669, 2024

Engine And Engine Cooling 4

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact heard an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving to the destination, parked the vehicle, and checked under the hood. The contact checked the oil level, which was normal. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a connecting rod had failed and damaged the e…”
NHTSA complaint #11683748, 2025

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the main engine bearings and connecting rods had failed. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 143,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11666769, 2025

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal, loud rattling sound. The contact stated that her husband had noticed that the rattling sound persisted while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that upon opening the hood to inspect the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driver's side engine cooling fan had melted. The contact purchased a new engine cooling fan from O'Reilly Auto Parts, and the vehicle was taken to Four Brothers Auto Services, where the engine cooling fan was replaced. The contact stated that while driving on…”
NHTSA complaint #11658382, 2025

Exterior Lighting 4

“There is an electrical malfunction which causes all of the electrical components to flash on/off, glitch. This has occured while driving but primarily when the vehicle is parked and unattended. I’m afraid it can short and cause a fire. The vehicle will turn istelf on and off repeatedly and rapidly while unattended. This has been going on for 2 years with our vehicle and not under warranty.”
NHTSA complaint #11726753, 2026

“LED Headlight burned out and is not possible to change or remove, dealer indicated it is not something that normally goes out, and wants to charge $2,000”
NHTSA complaint #11659394, 2025

“Headlights were replaced under the 3yr/36k mile warranty just prior to the 3 yr mark due to the clear coat peeling and headlights showing excessive wear and scratching. 6 months after replacement, the replaced headlights are showing the same signs of clear coat peeling and excessive wear and scratching, far sooner than the original 3 yr mark. The headlight condition continues to deteriorate and will eventually need replacement or refurbishment. Now, the Honda emblem on the front, which is covered in clear plastic since it houses anti-collision components, is showing the same signs of wear.…”
NHTSA complaint #11648807, 2024

Steering 4

“Steering rack and pinion worn with approx 38,000 miles. Dealerships (2) advised the” clunking” was “normal” on the model. Another dealership advised it was more likely the CV-axles worn. Took to two independent garages who advised steering rack was bad. I advised them the dealer stated it was CV-axles. They stated the axles were fine. No wrecks, no driving off-road, and no driving in a manner that would cause failure. 2 years of asking about the clunking noise (now at 54,000 miles) and no ownership or accountability by the OEM for garbage parts. A steering rack should not be worn out in 5 y…”
NHTSA complaint #11738631, 2025

“It's been a while my vehicle acting up, the brake is not working the way it was, had complained to the dealer but stating everthing looks ok, but i know how my car drives, steering is getting hard something is wrong its not normal, I have another suv I can tell something mechanical is wrong”
NHTSA complaint #11628090, 2024

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently shifted to the left and right. Additionally, the passenger's side front mirror was shaking abnormally. Additionally, and the driver's side front window made abnormal sounds. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed as needing a wheel alignment. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11501479, 2021

Structure 4

“I have 4 car washed for this car so far Ive only had it for a few weeks. Every time I wash it the dome light/rear mirror leaks water and wets the entire cup holder and center console.”
NHTSA complaint #11589996, 2024

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving over a speed bump at an undisclosed speed, he heard a knocking sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the subframe was damaged. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 7,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11489646, 2022

“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 and or has not been fixed in spite of all the repairs made by the dealerships. I was advised by the dealerships that this is how Honda manufactured the vehicle and that there was nothing else the dealerships could do to fix the problem. Driving the vehicle is now problematic because of the wind nois…”
NHTSA complaint #11437473, 2021

Suspension 4

“Rear sub-frame welds failed. On January 1st 2023 while driving the vehicle a loud noise was observed. We got an appointment at the local Honda service center and we were told in fact it was the sub-frame and that Honda is refusing to cover this under the factory warranty. We are almost 500 miles from home and have a two year old vehicle with a broken sub-frame”
NHTSA complaint #11500030, 2023

“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The stated that the vehicle was pulling to the left or right while driving. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal the vehicle started pulling to the right. Additionally, while driving over rough road surfaces the vehicle was making a loud rumbling sound as if the traction control was failing. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mil…”
NHTSA complaint #11485148, 2021

“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 seconds and then resumes working normally.”
NHTSA complaint #11437486, 2021

Equipment 2

“Unresponsive dash control screen. Hands free Bluetooth disconnects. Popping sound through speakers. CarPlay option disappears. Am/Fm radio muffles while error message states no audio available. Restarting car fixes these issues for short while. Turning off radio while engine is on does not work. Gear hunting in transmission 2,3,4 fourth gear.”
NHTSA complaint #11470125, 2022

“The Information board goes out frequently and does not stay connected with phone. It started with the appleplay and the bluetooth dropping my phone and saying there was nothing connected. Then it would not connect at all. My infoboard behind the steering wheel then started to go on and off. There was one time that I was driving and the entire system went out and I had no idea where to turn and how fast I was going. The heating on the steering wheel does not work and does not warm up or just warms to the 1 I have called and taken my car in 2 times. They said this last time that it was f…”
NHTSA complaint #11439241, 2021

Wheels 2

“I have had numerous issues with the car stalling while in idle- it will shut off but still display all the warning lights on the dash. It would require the car engine to be restarted. Has happened at stop signs, stop lights, carpool lights. This has happened at least 10 times over 3.5 years. Last week I had a similar issue but this time it was much scarier- it did that same shut off but completely shut off the engine. All systems were black and the start button did not trigger a response for at least a minute. Once it finally restarted it displayed a “lost power” message on the screen. More…”
NHTSA complaint #11639753, 2025

“WHILE IN MOTION, GOING STRAIGHT ON A HIGHWAY, MY CAR, 2021 HONDA PILOT TOURING, WITH APPROXIMATELY 1600 MILES ONLY, HAD THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE WALL SEPARATED WITHOUT ANY PHYSICAL AGITATION FROM THE DRIVER. THERE WAS SUDDEN LOSS OF PRESSURE, AND VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. VEHICLE WAS STOPPED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND PULLED OVER, BUT IN THAT SHORT WHILE THE ROLLING OF THE TIRE ON THE GROUND CAUSED BURNT SMELL TO SEEP INTO THE CAR FOR DRIVER TO NOTICE AND "FREAK OUT". THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE MOTOR WERKS HONDA, BARRINGTON, IL, WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE. I WAS ASKED TO PAY FOR THE TIRE REPL…”
NHTSA complaint #11395115, 2021

Other/I Am Not Sure 1

How we read this (methodology)

How to read this: raw complaint totals are not a clean reliability score — a model year with more cars sold, or simply more years on the road, accumulates more complaints regardless of how good it is. So this page leans on two signals that are not distorted by sales volume: the share of complaints falling on each vehicle system (the breakdown above) and NHTSA's own crash / fire / injury / death flags. When we compare model years of the same model, we normalise by years on the road (complaints ÷ vehicle age) rather than comparing raw totals. Age-normalised, the 2021 Honda Pilot draws about 68.7 complaints per year on the road, ranking 1 of 12 among the Honda Pilot model years we have ingested (1 = most complaints per year on road).

Before you buy this Honda Pilot

Don't buy on the strength of a problems page alone. Check the exact VIN of the car you're looking at. The open recalls are free, and the full $19 safety report pulls every complaint, safety rating and a downloadable PDF for that one vehicle.

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Data source: U.S. NHTSA (nhtsa.gov). SaveVIN surfaces public recall data and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NHTSA.

SaveVIN

Free vehicle recall & safety reports using public U.S. NHTSA data.

Uses public U.S. NHTSA data SaveVIN is an independent service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to NHTSA, the U.S. government, or any vehicle manufacturer.
For official recall notices, check nhtsa.gov/recalls and register your vehicle with its manufacturer. SaveVIN alerts are best-effort and do not replace official notices.