2023 Honda Pilot Problems & Owner Complaints

Electrical System 26 1 crash

“I wanted to share a very scary incident that occurred while I was slowly creeping into a parking space in a parking garage. With my foot over the brake, as there were children in the area from a car that had parked to the right of mine, my car suddenly surged forward at a high rate of speed. It ultimately crashed into the 3-foot safety wall with tension wires of the parking garage. Clearly there is an issue with the propulsion system that accelerated my car forward. It's unknown to me if there was also an electrical issue involved in this propulsion failure. The car is available for inspe…”
NHTSA complaint #11672012, 2025 · crash

“Unintended acceleration / accelerator pedal stuck. Vehicle accelerated uncontrollably (>75 mph) on two-lane road despite heavy braking. Could not regain control for over 1 minute. This is the second incident (first in Nov 2025, reported to Serra Honda Sylacauga with no issues found per service department). Video evidence available.”
NHTSA complaint #11751137, 2026

“The rear passenger-side (second-row, right-side outboard) seatbelt warning system is defective, repeatedly triggering false "unbuckled" alarms even when a passenger is securely buckled in. This is a known manufacturing defect involving the occupant detection sensor inside the seat cushion frame, which sends intermittent, incorrect signals to the vehicle's computer. The defect presents a severe safety hazard. The continuous, loud chiming distracts the driver and causes immediate "alarm fatigue." This forces the driver to ignore seatbelt warnings, creating a dangerous situation where a rear pas…”
NHTSA complaint #11750710, 2026

Seat Belts 26

“The second row passenger side seat belt continues to give an alert that there is a rider but the belt is not buckled, even though the belt is buckled. The wire running alongside the belt latch can be jiggled to get the alert to stop. Then the alert restarts. Sometimes the alert continues to trigger several times over. Sometimes there will be no alert for several minutes. A local auto shop looked at the seatbelt and said there is a mechanism that is supposed to slide and catch when the belt is buckled. That mechanism is no longer catching. The problem started March 2026. There has not…”
NHTSA complaint #11753692, 2026

“The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the second-row seats which were occupied had properly latched the seat belts; however, the seat belt alarm was activated. The seat belt warning light was illuminated. The failure reoccurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11752353, 2026

“The second-row passenger-side seat belt buckle intermittently fails to correctly detect a latched seat belt. While occupied and properly buckled, slight passenger movement causes the vehicle to generate false seat belt warning messages and chimes indicating the belt is unfastened. Inspection confirms the buckle remains physically latched. The repeated false warnings distract the driver and may reduce confidence in the vehicle's seat belt monitoring system. The condition has been recurrent and is limited to the second-row right-side seating position.”
NHTSA complaint #11751994, 2026

Forward Collision Avoidance 18 1 crash

“Description: While using cruise control at highway speed and winter weather conditions, the cruise control system suddenly and unexpectedly disengaged without adequate warning. The vehicle experienced rapid deceleration and I lost control, resulting in multiple spins, a near collision with a truck, and impact with a curb before coming to stop. The vehicle sustained damage. Fortunately no one was not severely injured. History and safety concern This is not an isolated event. I have experienced similar, unexpected cruise control disengagements multiple times over the past year while driving un…”
NHTSA complaint #11729387, 2026 · crash

“The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was unexpectedly engaged causing the vehicle to abruptly stop in ongoing traffic with no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the front brake sensors had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred on multiple occasions. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The vehicle not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and multiple cases were opened.…”
NHTSA complaint #11737129, 2026

“El carro tiene fallas con el sistema eléctrico de frenos y no arranca.”
NHTSA complaint #11694899, 2025

Unknown Or Other 18 1 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, 2026 · fire

“My husband was driving our family of 6 to [XXX] from the [XXX] area. We were on the highway in [XXX] when we heard a loud pop and the sunroof had randomly exploded. There's a thin cloth like screen between the glass and the inside of the vehicle. Luckily that screen was not open, otherwise, we would've have been cut up by the glass shards coming down. We arrived at our destination in Florida and took pictures of the broken sunroof. I called our insurance to file a claim. I also called American Honda and made filed a case. I was told to take it to the dealership and see if our extended warrante…”
NHTSA complaint #11754174, 2026

“Loose weatherstripping two yrs and a half into ownership. Risk of water damage that can rust and damage electrical. Many complaints online about the roof rails needing to be replaced. Honda hasn’t issue a recall even though is a well known faulty design.”
NHTSA complaint #11741172, 2026

Steering 16

“The car is making a knocking sound while driving at low speeds (ex. Pulling into the garage, reversing into a parking spot) while turning the wheel. The 2023 Pilot is currently at the dealership being inspected. I have come across many other posts, with video, confirming this exact sound with the same assessment - all pointing to the steering rack (although some fixes only being temporary so the part itself might be defective). This is a newer lease and I am not convinced it is safe to drive in with this issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11708497, 2026

“At about 9700 miles I noticed a popping noise in the steering wheel when it was turned left or right after driving for a few miles and it could be felt in the steering wheel. The popping sound got worse and on July 7, 2025 I took the car to the Honda dealership I bought it from at 11, 900 miles and the master mechanic confirmed the sound and stated the steering rack needed to be replaced. That was done over 4 days but several months later the popping sound that could again be felt in the steering wheel returned. I contacted the Georgia Attorney General Lemon Law division and was advised that b…”
NHTSA complaint #11735303, 2025

“When trying to drive my vehicle i noticed the steering wheel became hard to turn. I was able to get a tow truck to drop my vehicle off at the dealership to get it looked at. The dealership is telling me that it is due to a steering problem needing a rack and pinion part. This vehicle is a 2023 Honda Pilot which was just purchased by me in April. There hasnt been any issue until now.”
NHTSA complaint #11686248, 2025

Service Brakes 15

“Seatbelt sensors for the passenger second row dinging off and on when seatbelt is buckled. Also the light coming on that says emergency brake unavailable.”
NHTSA complaint #11716600, 2026

“El carro tiene fallas con el sistema eléctrico de frenos y no arranca.”
NHTSA complaint #11694899, 2025

“While driving on U.S Highway 521 in South Carolina, the vehicle experienced SUDDEN, UNEXPECTED BRAKING AND VIOLENT SHAKING even though there were no cars or obstacles directly in front of me. The sensation was so strong it felt as if the car had been rear-ended, but there was no impact. The issue has happened MULTIPLE TIMES since I purchased the vehicle new in 2023. Each time, traffic was flowing normally, and no immediate hazard was present. The closest car in front of me was several car lenghts away, yet the PILOT suddenly braked on its own. The problem appears to be linked to the COLLISION…”
NHTSA complaint #11689161, 2025

Engine 11 1 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, 2026 · fire

“Car has been serviced at same dealership I purchased from. All service up to date, Gas type shell gas brand used 95% of the time. (Noticed November 2025)issue a month after recommended transmission flush and an engine oil change. Rough idling (especially when temp below 60⁰) and almost like a miss fire when driving. No check engine light, and dealership had vehicle for two days but claimed unable to replicate issue suggested these engines are prone to carbon buildup. But recommended I switch to premium gas. SUV drives rough and then randomly reverts to normal smooth driving, also seems to stru…”
NHTSA complaint #11713169, 2025

“All listed problems act sporadically. Dangerously Defected 2023 Honda Pilot. Numerous problems with vehicle over several months. Kept taking it back to Charlie's Honda and was told they could not reproduce the problems I was stating. The Vehicle will bog, hesitate and jerk while driving. Charlie finds nothing wrong. Actually all items that are functioning incorrectly, Charlie's tell me they cannot repair anything when they can not reproduce the problem. They tell me that the 10 gears are so close that they skip? Sorry, that's ridiculous! Finally I called previous Owners, (Which Charlie's Hond…”
NHTSA complaint #11668149, 2025

Power Train 9 1 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, 2026 · fire

“I had two time between the week of June 30 th to July 4 thank July 13 to July 16 th on the excessive heat days my car was making a lot of sound from driving side as well full vibrations on steering and floor I went to page Honda dealer ship they said short block problem and they they are raising request to Honda my mileage is 58800 2023 Honda pilot bought in May 2023 which is under power train warranty but did not receive any email or any paperwork from Honda dealer ship.”
NHTSA complaint #11751450, 2026

“All listed problems act sporadically. Dangerously Defected 2023 Honda Pilot. Numerous problems with vehicle over several months. Kept taking it back to Charlie's Honda and was told they could not reproduce the problems I was stating. The Vehicle will bog, hesitate and jerk while driving. Charlie finds nothing wrong. Actually all items that are functioning incorrectly, Charlie's tell me they cannot repair anything when they can not reproduce the problem. They tell me that the 10 gears are so close that they skip? Sorry, that's ridiculous! Finally I called previous Owners, (Which Charlie's Hond…”
NHTSA complaint #11668149, 2025

Seats 8

“I am writing to formally express my concern regarding a safety issue with my 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport. The driver’s seat has become loose, and upon inspection, I discovered that a bolt has come out of the seat frame assembly. This creates noticeable movement in the seat while driving and raises serious concerns about the structural integrity and safety of the seating system. What is particularly concerning is that this issue appears to be similar to a seat-related recall affecting other 2023 Honda Pilot models. Although my vehicle is experiencing what appears to be the same defect, I have b…”
NHTSA complaint #11752641, 2026

“The driver seat has come unsecured from the vehicle and has been loose and rocky like a rocking chair . Was at the dealer twice for repair”
NHTSA complaint #11720573, 2026

“Seatbelt sensors for the passenger second row dinging off and on when seatbelt is buckled. Also the light coming on that says emergency brake unavailable.”
NHTSA complaint #11716600, 2026

Structure 6

“The driver seatbelt was soaking wet after a rainstorm. The vehicle does not have a sunroof. Upon further inspection the airbag and its electronics were also soaked in water. It has never been in an accident or had any work done to it. There is a factory installed roof rack(Sport model). I am concerned for the safety in the function of the airbag and seatbelt tensioner in the event of an accident after being soaked in water an unknown amount of times. Secondary, possibly related issue. The rear drivers side door will randomly not unlock/open from the exterior(have to reach through and use th…”
NHTSA complaint #11712295, 2025

“1. Rear tailgate latch will not always release when pressing the dashboard button or remote fob button. The tailgate will attempt to rise, go about 1/2 inch, stop, beep 3 times and then close again. It can only be opened after this by manually pulling on the outside handle and giving it a sharp jerk upwards. 2. While trying to investigate a metallic tapping sound in the rear of the vehicle, I looked under the rear bumper and located a wiring bundle that had lost its support from a plastic clamp. The bundle was frayed, and there were exposed and frayed wires visible showing the copper insid…”
NHTSA complaint #11660239, 2025

“The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse, there was an abnormal popping and cracking sound coming from the driver’s side roof. The failure became worse over time. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the struts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that there were improper welds underneath the third-row seats on the cross member, and that the cross member needed to be properly welded. The vehicle was taken to a body shop and the vehicle was repaired. The manufa…”
NHTSA complaint #11676179, 2024

Visibility 6 1 injury

“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, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rearview mirror console located near the front windshield became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon inspecting the area, the rearview mirror console was extremely hot to the touch. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,071.”
NHTSA complaint #11721531, 2026

“The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the support from the moon roof was torn. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that without the supports, the moon roof would not be able to be covered. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle with fractured supports, enabling the curtain to move. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11656160, 2024

Fuel/Propulsion System 5 1 crash 1 injury

“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…”
NHTSA complaint #11677820, 2025 · 1 injury(ies)

“I wanted to share a very scary incident that occurred while I was slowly creeping into a parking space in a parking garage. With my foot over the brake, as there were children in the area from a car that had parked to the right of mine, my car suddenly surged forward at a high rate of speed. It ultimately crashed into the 3-foot safety wall with tension wires of the parking garage. Clearly there is an issue with the propulsion system that accelerated my car forward. It's unknown to me if there was also an electrical issue involved in this propulsion failure. The car is available for inspe…”
NHTSA complaint #11672012, 2025 · crash

“Vehicle when entering traffic hesitates for 2 to 3 seconds and then surges forward real fast. No warning lights or or messages. Very scary and dangerous . feels like you do not have control of vehicle....This has happened only twice since I have owned the vehicle. I purchased the vehicle new from a dealer...”
NHTSA complaint #11675835, 2025

Air Bags 4 1 crash 1 injury

“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, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the message "Secondary Restraint System Failure" was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,100.”
NHTSA complaint #11603442, 2024

“The vehicle is reporting an error on the display. "Supplemental restraint system problem. See your dealer" a quick Google search in Honda Pilots forum confirms numerous vehicles experienced this same issue. Seems like we have multiple failures for tge air bag or restraint systems.”
NHTSA complaint #11585923, 2024

Lane Departure 4

“If there is rain, snow, fog, moisture or salt from the roads builds up or collects on the emblem of my pilot, I get a warning saying something to the effect of “ Some Driver Assist Systems cannot operate clean area shown”. This is quite dangerous when you live in the Midwest snowbelt. You can’t always pull over and clean it. The system will repeat the message even after acknowledging the issue, if it clears itself or improves, which is equally alarming.”
NHTSA complaint #11638566, 2025

“I have a 2023 Honda Pilot Elite. I have noticed a few times that the driver assist system doesn't work as intended during driving in snow or just rain. I will get an error message on my dash, "some driver assist systems cannot operate, clean area shown." Honda wants the driver to pull over and clean the snow off of the H in front of the SUV. This also happens when it's raining and no snow. The driver assist sensors must be located there. What happens if I should get in an accident when this malfunction goes off and I get hurt or even kill someone? I see this complaint all over the internet fro…”
NHTSA complaint #11631917, 2024

“Failure Brake System, Failure Anti-lock Brake System, Failure Hill Start Assist, Failure Adaptive Failure Cruise Control, Failure Lane Keep Assist, Failure Collision Mitigation, Failure Breaking System, Failure Road Departure Mitigation System, Failure Low Speed Braking, Failure Auto High Beam, Failure Parking Sensor and No AWD only FWD. I have picture of dashboard with each failure listing when changes. We live in NY we had big snowstorm and car failed on road. Dealer refuse to send loaners and also back order to end of March. Car is defective”
NHTSA complaint #11566857, 2024

Vehicle Speed Control 4 1 crash

“I wanted to share a very scary incident that occurred while I was slowly creeping into a parking space in a parking garage. With my foot over the brake, as there were children in the area from a car that had parked to the right of mine, my car suddenly surged forward at a high rate of speed. It ultimately crashed into the 3-foot safety wall with tension wires of the parking garage. Clearly there is an issue with the propulsion system that accelerated my car forward. It's unknown to me if there was also an electrical issue involved in this propulsion failure. The car is available for inspe…”
NHTSA complaint #11672012, 2025 · crash

“Unintended acceleration / accelerator pedal stuck. Vehicle accelerated uncontrollably (>75 mph) on two-lane road despite heavy braking. Could not regain control for over 1 minute. This is the second incident (first in Nov 2025, reported to Serra Honda Sylacauga with no issues found per service department). Video evidence available.”
NHTSA complaint #11751137, 2026

“Slow acceleration at the speed between 0 to 30 mpg. Doesn’t shift smoothly and hesitate. Not enough power on the highway”
NHTSA complaint #11643062, 2025

Visibility/Wiper 4

“A few moments after I purchased my 2023 Honda Pilot I noticed that I began getting car sick while driving. I purchased the car at night and it was a long drive home, so I figured it was due to dehydration or something else. During the day however, I noticed it again. Upon careful inspection I noticed the entire windshield had a distortion, it appeared as if one was looking through a pair of eyeglasses that had a very strong prescription. I am in the process of creating an incident with Honda and have already contacted my local dealership, who was not very helpful in this matter. I am still…”
NHTSA complaint #11702505, 2025

“While parked, I heard a pop. Later on there was a crack in the windshield around the camera. Nothing impacted the windshield this looks definitely like a stress fracture but the dealership was not helpful.”
NHTSA complaint #11681875, 2025

“Vision is severely impaired by optical distortion in the windshield, directly in the driver's field of vision. It is also noticeable from anywhere inside or outside of the vehicle. Some areas magnify the view so it looks as though the road is coming up towards the driver. Other areas warp the view horizontally or vertically. It is unsafe because it changes the way the road and other vehicles appear to the driver. The driver feels as though they are wearing strong prescription glasses. Causes dizziness and disorientation to the driver. Visible rippling/warping of the glass of the windshield. On…”
NHTSA complaint #11675194, 2025

Wheels 4

“Summary of Safety Issue:A franchise dealership delivered an unroadworthy vehicle with a falsified safety inspection checklist, missing critical structural hardware on all four wheels.Description of Incident:On XXX I took delivery of a Certified Pre-Owned 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport from Scott Clark Honda. I drove the vehicle two hours away on the highway to my residence in [XXX]. Upon a detailed inspection at home, I discovered that the vehicle was missing four (4) lug nuts—specifically, one critical lug nut was completely missing from every single wheel hub assembly.A subsequent audit of my h…”
NHTSA complaint #11749722, 2026

“I have reported the issue once before. Took it back to dealer for service. Serviced by Rock Honda on May 28, 2024. They swore issue was resolved and I had to pay out of pocket. Same problem. Loss of All Wheel Drive function, car nearly stalls out while at highway speeds and on surface streets (loss of power and bucks hard). Warning message appears for AWD system advising no power. I am convinced that I got a lemon. This car is absolute trash. Daily occurrence with this problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11595198, 2024

“On May 4, 2024, normal driving conditions, experienced what felt like a loss of power. Warning on dashboard says All Wheel Drive System Problem, Only Front Wheels May Be Powered. See Dealer. Pulled car over to side of road and turned engine off. Turned back on and warning was gone. Occurred again today May 25, 2024 while driving on freeway. Loss of power and same warning message displayed. I do not feel at all safe in this vehicle. I drove straight to dealership for service to look at it. Hopefully have some answers after the holiday weekend. Just purchased vehicle in August 2023 brand n…”
NHTSA complaint #11590771, 2024

Back Over Prevention 1

“Continued from previous submitted complaint: Driver window will not stop when trying to stop it forcibly with hand. I was told that the window will not stop until the window is almost closed at the top. Hope a 4 year old's arm isn't in it. Front passenger window will raise 1/4 of the way up, then fall back down and rock on it's cradle. I took a video of it happening but Charlie's Honda, Augusta, Maine did not want to see it. The Key Fob is a nightmare. It tells me it won’t lock because key is in vehicle. The key is in my pocket as I walk away. It also tells me that “No Key Detected” I’m sitti…”
NHTSA complaint #11668155, 2023

Exterior Lighting 1

“While driving the pilot warning alerts popped up that none of the collision detection, lane assist, cruise control, and seemingly all radar related systems were working. Additionally, the headlights turned off. We have brought this to the Honda dealer on now three occasions, and there doesn’t seem to be any understanding of why this is happening. On the evening of March 11 this issue happened again after the dealership having the car for a week to “fix “this problem and the lights turned off on an unlit road almost causing an accident. The car is again back at the dealer, who apparently is wor…”
NHTSA complaint #11647933, 2025

Other/I Am Not Sure 1

“The car seat snug lock feature in the forward facing position does NOT create a snug fit and becomes loose over time. BOTH of my turn2me seats do this. Purchased on the same day. We recently forward faced my daughter due to maxing out the rear facing limits. We have installed with the seat belt due to being over the limit for the latch. With the seat belt, when installed per the manual, it comes loose almost immediately after install. I noticed the seat starts to wiggle within a couple days and being over the “one inch rule”. I will submit videos of me installing per manual and how it comes…”
NHTSA complaint #11707009, 2025

Tether 1

“The car seat snug lock feature in the forward facing position does NOT create a snug fit and becomes loose over time. BOTH of my turn2me seats do this. Purchased on the same day. We recently forward faced my daughter due to maxing out the rear facing limits. We have installed with the seat belt due to being over the limit for the latch. With the seat belt, when installed per the manual, it comes loose almost immediately after install. I noticed the seat starts to wiggle within a couple days and being over the “one inch rule”. I will submit videos of me installing per manual and how it comes…”
NHTSA complaint #11707009, 2025