NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Honda Pilot. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving on the freeway at approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, the instrument panel and radio flashed then the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle was taken to the residence. The failure recurred while driving on the freeway. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the buyback was denied. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
I am told by Right Honda dealership in Scottsdale, AZ that the "front lower control arms" are tearing open after 3.5 years and approx. 48k miles. This is a premature failure that appears to have affected many other Honda owners. I am told that my steering can lose control as a result of this defect. The dealership charges over $1000 for this repair and it is just outside of warranty. Please investigate this dangerous defect.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
complaint of water leak from the front windshield, water leaks into the front floorboard. It is a known 2023 Honda Pilot issue dated 5.18.23, but the 2020 has the same leak
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
While driving the vehicle, it would randomly lose power. This has occurred 6 times in the last 7 months. All of them at an Interstate. Each occurrence has happened when the vehicle has been driven 2 or more hours. While driving, all of a sudden the gas pedal would not produce any power. IE. Could be driving 70 mph, then all of a sudden the gas pedal would stop responding. Each occurrence, would have to pump the gas pedal (1-3x). Eventually the power would kick on and the vehicle would go, sometimes launch you as if the gas pedal is being ‘floored’. After which, the vehicle drives normal again. However, there’s no certain moment to know when the power would cease. It could happen at any time.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V174000 (Visibility) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the recall repair was completed. The contact stated that after the recall repair was completed, the vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that when the camera system was enabled, the camera was inoperable and displayed a black screen. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure however, the contact was informed that the failure would not be honored by the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 44,616.
In late December of 2023, our 2020 Honda Pilot began showing a "brake system" warning light, as well as numerous dashboard warnings indicating that automatic cruise control, lane keeping assist, collision mitigation, automatic high beam, and lane departure were not functioning properly. Our local Honda dealer diagnosed the vehicle as having a multipurpose camera failure. There were no accidents or damage of any sort that preceded this incident, and replacement of this camera cost us nearly $2000 out of pocket (invoice attached). There appear to be numerous similar reports on Honda internet forums, such as this one [XXX] ). Given the proven benefit of advanced safety systems, this failure absolutely increased the risk of collision. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
2020 Honda Pilot had started what was called Juddering by the dealer. Transmission upon acceleration will hesitate and jump hundreds of rpms up and down. I did research and was told also by the dealer Honda had issue with a torque converter within the transmission that I was told a bulletin extended the warranty on the 2017-19 pilots with 6 speed auto transmission. The 2020 I own has the same issue which the dealer confirmed but also told me my vin and model year is not covered. It is the same issue as the 17-19 and I'm concerned for me and my family's safety due to the transmissions' issue. Concern it will get much worse possibly breaking down on a longer highway trip which we will take sometimes 3 times per year.
Windows Down and Sunroof Open randomly if the unlock button on the FOB is pushed too long. This can happen then the FOB is in your pocket. I have found my car with the windows all open. Casuing the possiblity of the car being stolen, or worse this can happen and if it rains it an damage the car. Dealer says this cannot be disabled
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart after being jumpstarted. On another occasion while in reverse(R), the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart after being jumpstarted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
We received a recall notification in December 2023 for fuel the pump on this vehicle. Now we’re being told that a replacement may not be available until fall which means it could be a year since the notice until the repair. With the possibility of an instant failure (as the notice said was possible) how is this vehicle safe to drive at freeway speed in let’s say WV with the power brakes, steering, etc. out of commission? Suppose it breaks down in Elko, NV? There’s no dealer for 200 miles. These repairs need to be made immediately or Honda needs to buy the vehicle back. The issue is beyond a possible inconvenience it’s dangerous.
While driving the vehicle, all the aforementioned systems came on the cars dashboard stating that all of them have been turned off, and now there is a brake system issue with the vehicle. The car has 35000 miles and has not been in any accident or collision. Currently there is no warranty on the vehicle, but given that this is something that is impacting the safety of properly operating the vehicle and it’s safety equipment is not being made accessible to leverage is a major concern for a possible accident.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the driver’s side seat belt failed to lock securely in the buckle. The contact called the dealer who was unable to schedule an appointment to diagnose the vehicle until January. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V782000 (Seat Belts) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.
On four (4) separate incidents, my car has either abruptly stopped running (waiting at a stoplight) or not been able to start. When I push the Engine Start/ Stop button to restart the car, it does not start and several random warning and dashboard lights flash on and off like crazy. These incidents occurred twice before the recall was fixed and twice AFTER the recall was (supposedly) fixed. Please help as I don’t want to be stranded AGAIN! This car is only a few years old. Thank you
Car was park after I drop off wife to work after 30 minutes when back to the car started the engine and several warnings lights showed up in my dash check battery and alternator they are working fine. Replace battery and still have the problem .when to dealership and they told me camera in my windshield is bad. Checking in the forums I found out that several owner of Honda the have this issue with their vehicles . Can you guy’s please check into this matter. It will be appreciated no just me but a lot more owners like me thanks . [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Visors are defective on both the driver and passenger side. They are flopping down and impeding driver visibility, causing a safety hazard. According to my service advisor at the local Honda dealer, this is a known problem occurring as a result of warping plastic that holds the rod in the visor.
NHTSA Recall Number 23V-431 calls for cable connectors to be changed out due to poor connections resulting in the rear view camera image to function intermittingly or not display at all. Per Honda engineering, this repair is not sufficient to fix the issue and the main head unit has to be replaced too. Please include this as a part of this safety recall because of the safety issues it is causing as it relates to driver safety and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111, "Rear Visibility".
American Honda states they performed NHTSA Recall Number 23V-431 but rear view camera still does not operate correctly. They are stating that I must pay out of pocket to replace a different part to be able to have the rear view camera operational again and per the terms of the recall notice, I am to have this fixed without charge and within a reasonable amount of time. Please help!
I was driving at low highway speeds when the Collision Mitigation Breaking System had a malfunction and became disabled while driving in traffic. There was an audible alert and visual alerts which popped up and became a distraction while driving as it was sudden unknown what was happening and if the car was safe to drive. I was able to continue to drive home. The next morning I took the car to the dealer. The dealer scanned and checked out the car, but was not able to replicate the problem. The warning disappeared prior to arriving at the dealer. There were no other warnings prior to the issue.
When stopping at a red light, my vehicle completely shut off (engine stopped, all lights went out, radio went blank) for a few seconds. The car turned back on (except for the engine). I was able to restart the engine after about 10 seconds, but I was stuck in the middle of traffic. I disabled the engine idol-stop feature.
The infotainment system that controls all audio and backup cameras to the car has been malfunctioning for years. The problem is the system will shut it self off and remain non functional for long periods of time then will turn itself back on at anytime. The dealer (with aid from Honda Field service tech) have evaluated the car multiple times and addressed the issue. Each time the same issue return. There has been multiple recalls for the issue and they have all been addressed but then the problems always return. While the system is down no audio feature of the car is available such as audible backup warning, audible collision warnings etc.
Transmission was running hot causing the pilot to have a bad "jitter" when driving. The software had to be updated and transition had to be flushed a few times.
The sensors alerted me to Brake in an emergent flash and then slammed the brakes - when there was nothing in front of me. It happens when the car is going faster than 45 mph. It has happened on three separate occasions and the third time almost caused an accident on a two lane road traveling 55 mph
Numerous times while stopped at a red light/stop sign/traffic, the auto idle stop feature will kick in, but then the car will not immediately restart. Most times if the car is then turned all the way off and put in park it will restart. Now two different times, it would not start back up at all causing to car to be stuck in the middle of the road and requiring it to be towed. Prior to the incident occurring there were no warning lights or error messages.
The engine failed to start after being stopped at a red light. I engaged the gas and the entire car just shut down. I was stuck at the light in the middle lane with cars honking all around me. I attempted to put the car in drive, neutral, park and nothing worked. Somehow I was able to restart the car after many cycles of the light. This came out of nowhere; i.e. - it's never happened to me prior and is a HUGE safety issue. After doing some research, it seems this is an issue many Honda owners are complaining about. The incident occurred to me just as many others are detailing the exact same issue. To date, no one has inspected the vehicle but an appointment with the dealership has been made. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to this occurring.
Rear differential driveshaft seal leaking fluid on driver side
Another vehicle pulled out in front of me, I had to slam on my brakes to prevent accident. The second row passenger seat unlatched and slammed forward. Had my daughter been with me she would have been seriously hurt or worse. Her seat slammed forward and was lodged into the back of the front seat. I honestly do not believe this was related to her seat not being locked in place well on my behave. Anytime one of the second two seats are moved I make sure they are pushed back as far as they will go to give the kids the most leg available. I truly believe I had to hit my brakes so hard the seat latch/lock failed and released the seat.
I was stopped at a stop light with my auto-idle system engaged. When the light turned to green the auto-idle would not disengage leaving me stalled in traffic. When I pressed on the gas I got an error message about the 'anti-collision system' being offline. I had to restart the car to resolve the issue. The dealer/service center states no known issues.
Last week, my wife was picking up our 2 year old son from daycare in our 2020 Honda Pilot. She secured him in his car seat and placed her purse with the Honda key fob on the back seat and closed the door. The car somehow locked itself between the time she closed the door and attempted opening the front door, leaving my son locked in the back seat. The key fob battery had just recently been replaced so we are certain this is not a matter of the key fob battery being low. We needed to call the fire department to come and emergency open the car for us. Today, we did have a second key fob made at Honda for our vehicle so that we have a spare in the event this happens again closer to home. We are hoping to be reimbursed for this cost and the "diagnosis" fee we are being told by Honda Customer Support we need to pay for in order to diagnose what the issue might be. This is a MAJOR safety concern that Honda needs to review IMMEDIATELY. The key was inside of the vehicle while the vehicle was not on or in motion.
There is an intermittent problem with loud crackling noises coming from the speakers. The information center is turned off, but the crackling continues. It is either an electrical malfunction or a short of some sort. It is a distraction when driving and therefor a safety issue. There is a recall open with regards to the MOST cable for the camera but the camera does not have audio so it doesn't make sense that these would be related. We do not have many miles on the car and the information center is used primarily for navigation. Shutting it down in traffic is a safety issue because the driver is distracted. If this is an electrical short then there could also be a fire issue.
July 21,2023 Pulled of highway and car went idle at a light car turned off completely and didnt turn on car turned on after 2 minutes. August 13, same situation happened car didnt turn on for 3 minutes. In May car was serviced forr idle recall and I never had this issue until now. The dealer says its a weak battery. But it only happened when it was on idle and not when I turn it on. I had kids in the car and just got off highway. I could have had an accident. The 2nd time it happened it said to put the car in park and restart the car. There were no issues prior to the failure.
I received a recall notice from NHTSA about my Pilot. The MOST cable connected needs to be replaced. I am writing because I have contacted two different dealerships. They are unable to address the defect until January 2024 or April 2024 respectively. You letter said that if the repair could not be done within 60 days of receiving the letter, to contact the NHTSA. The second dealership informed me that they only schedule one recall appointment per week, and that was why they can't fix it until April of next year. Please advise what I should do.
The adhesive that holds Headliner on this vehicle is causing it to separate from the ceiling and I’m concerned that it will fall and block my view when driving. Can cause a serious accident. We recently had a recall problem with the adhesive on the side view mirrors .
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V431000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the contact drove her vehicle to a dealer prior to receiving the recall letter due to the failure of the camera image. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired, however, the rear view camera failure reoccurred. The contact was in reverse (R) and backing the vehicle up at approximately 3 MPH when the camera failed and she crashed into her mail box at the end of her drive way. The damage to the rear bumper was light. There were no injuries, the police were not called. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure. The failure mileage was 35,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
The stop/start function for the engine engaged 3 times now when stopped at a stop sign on a hill incline. When I released the break for the car to start back up, the car went into neutral and shut off. I immediately put my foot back on the break so I did not roll backwards into another vehicle. This has happened 3 times now with near collisions so I am trying to drive with the feature turned off which is an inconvenience to turn it off every time I start the vehicle.
I am experiencing recurring issues with my vehicle that closely mirror the problems described in complaints with NHTSA IDs 11565876, 11490438, and 11489885. In July 2023, while driving through an intersection after stopping at a traffic light, I heard a loud clunking noise. Over the next 45 minutes, I noticed at least six additional clunk sounds at low speeds. I took the vehicle to the dealership at 51,244 miles, where I was informed that the transmission fluid was both dark and low. The dealership inquired if I had used the vehicle for towing, despite there being no tow hitch assembly. They recommended a transmission flush service, but within 2 to 3 weeks, I began experiencing transmission juddering at constant speeds and harsh shifting during acceleration. Despite multiple visits to the dealership, where I was advised that the vehicle needed time to "re-learn" driving patterns and that nothing was wrong, the issues persisted. Although the problem seemed to lessen, it reoccurred in 2024. At 73,656 miles, I returned to the dealership, where I was informed that the transmission fluid was once again dark and that the torque converter needed replacement. Throughout the period before the 60K powertrain warranty expired, I was repeatedly told that there are known issues with the 6-speed transmissions and torque converters, but since no "error codes" were present, the dealership could not authorize a warranty repair. Now that the vehicle is out of warranty, I am being advised to replace the torque converter at my own expense.
On three separate occasions, after stopping at a traffic light or in a parking lot, I was unable to move my car. The first time, the transmission dropped into neutral and I was unable to get it to any other gear . I had to turn off and restart the car multiple times to get it into gear. I was on a heavily trafficked road with multiple cars behind me at the light. Turned my flashers on and prayed to not get hit. The second time. I was in a parking lot and was leaving. I pulled into a space to look for something and got a message to put the car in park. I was unable to do so. Had to turn off and restart the car twice before It would go into park. I then turned it off and back on and was able to get it into gear. Happened again on a 55 MPH road with my grandkids. Very scary. Honda dealer said that for a tiny second after the auto idle engaged the battery power was too low to restart the car. Their solution was for me to purchase a new battery. I feel this is an engineering and safety issue and was not properly addressed during the auto idle recall.
In the third row seating, on the driver side, the seat belt buckle latch does not catch or secure the buckle.
My husband was getting off the highway when a car ahead of him braked suddenly. He attempted to hit the brakes, but the car did not stop. The automatic stop crash feature did not turn on. The abs did not work. Ultimately, crashing into the car ahead of him. Manufacturer Safety-related recall issued NHTSA #23V-174 Recall #FE5 2020-22 Multi-Model Door Mirror Glass Safety Recall Status: Remedy Available
The Auto Idle Stop system was engaged at a red light after exiting an expressway. When the light turned green, and I removed my foot from the brake, the transmission moved to neutral, and the engine would not start up again. I was unsuccessful in getting the car to start again by either pushing the start/stop button or adjusting the transmission to park. The battery indicator light was illuminated during this process, but no other errors were displayed. I connected a battery-powered jump starter within 3-5 minutes of the failure, and the vehicle started on the first attempt. The Auto Idle Stop system had worked as expected earlier in the drive and there were no other indications of any issues with the vehicle prior to the incident. My entire family's safety was at serious risk since we were stalled on a busy 6 lane road with no ability to move the vehicle to the shoulder and I had to avoid traffic to get to the trunk and under the hood and spend time connecting the jump starter and subsequently attempting to start the vehicle. We are yet to bring the vehicle to the dealership for inspection.
Vehicle suddenly looses power/shuts off at highway speed without warning. Vehicle starts and runs normally after incident. This incident has happened at speeds from 5 - 50 mph. Dealer was unable to retrieve any error codes. This stalling problem has occurred 7 times over the last 12 months.
The vehicle pulls hard to the right when the driver lets go of the steering wheel for a few sseconds. this happens with LKA on or off. This happens no matter which lane is being driven in or what speed. The alignment has been verified 4 different times at both an independent mechanic and Honda dealer. Honda is unwilling or unable to remedy the situation. New tores did not fix the pull, rotation did not correct it. They basically told us there was nothing wrong with the car. This is dangerous because the car will end up in the ditch if the driver is incapacitated or distracted for just a few seconds. This is an expensive vehicle that we were confident was safe. Our oldest will be driving this car in a few short weeks. Not sure we feel safe letting him.
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH and accelerating to merge onto a highway, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact pulled off the highway and drove to the residence. The contact stated that the failure occurred several more times. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a fuel sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact drove the vehicle to a different dealer who advised that the fuel pump was failing but that the part was not available to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Car completely shut down while in drive. Towed to dealership where I was told there was a software update that needed to be done. Car working fine now.
One six different occasions the vehicle has shut off while sitting at a red light. On four of the occasions I had the auto off but disengaged. When foot removed from brake car shuts down, dash lights up with every indicator light and a message to shift to park and restart. It takes about three minutes with repeated attempts to engage park to get the vehicle to restart. Dealer service has performed a “computer update” that was suppose to fix. Incident still occurring, more frequently. Taking car back to dealer again.
We had the recall repair done for the crackling speakers issue but it started again and is worse. The crackling sounds like rocks hitting the windshield and scares the heck out of everyone in the vehicle. Now when it does this we also get a network failure notice on the infotainment screen and then the infotainment system shuts down. Sure wouldn't expect these issues with a $50 K dollar vehicle barely over 3 years old with only 24 K miles on it. This has happened 4 times since it started again. That's 4 times in the past 3 weeks.
On multiple occasions the FOB randomly locks the car. Last time this happened on this past Friday it was hot outside and I had to frantically break out the window to get my baby out.
There is a crackling/popping noise coming through the speakers and then a sudden loud noise and the audio system will shut off. The warning sounds from the safety features also stop working when the loud noise happens. The noise is quite shocking when you are driving. The audio system has to be restarted to work again.