2021 Honda Pilot Complaint Log

I have had two major problems with this car. At approximately 84,000 miles, the engine started making a very loud noise, regardless of speed. It was first diagnosed by an independent service center as a control arm bearing failure. I contacted Honda Corporate and was told that it had to be diagnosed by a Honda dealer/service center. It was then diagnosed as a failure of the control arm bearing by a Honda dealer/service center. I was told the engine had to be replaced. Honda Corporate offered a 50-50 split, leaving me with a bill of $8480. This is completely unfair and unjust for me to have to pay this for a manufacturer's defect. In the second incident shortly thereafter, I was on the highway in traffic when the automatic stop-start function failed, and the car stopped and did not re-start. I had cars backed up behind me, and it was a very unsafe situation. After turning the car off completely, I managed to restart it, and got off the highway. The problem continued afterwards, and I had to turn off the function manually in order to drive the car at all.

My 2021 Honda Pilot AWD (40,200 miles) shifting from Drive to Neutral at intersections by itself, then Engine dies. It happened multiple times. If you need more information, pls contact me at [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My Honda Pilot experiences a serious safety issue with the Auto Idle Stop feature. When the system engages at a stop (such as a red light), the vehicle sometimes fails to restart, leaving me stalled in traffic. This creates a dangerous situation for myself and other drivers. The problem appears to be related to the Auto Idle Stop system and/or the auxiliary battery. Many other Honda owners are reporting similar issues, which suggests this may be a widespread defect that needs investigation. I just dropped the car at Honda dealership for further inspection

The front camera which controls all of the safety features went out! 1 week ago. It has been confirmed and I am now having to pay almost $2700.00 to have it fixed. I am really upset to see how many issues this year of the car has. And the fact that Honda has known about it since 2019 and did nothing to fix them. There are 318 complaints on this car and I’m guessing over half of them have to do with the front camera. It is showing 5 safety codes.

Vehicle: 2021 Honda Pilot VIN: [XXX] Complaint: My 2021 Honda Pilot continues to have the same issues described in NHTSA Recall 23V-431 (backup camera / infotainment coaxial cable defect). The recall was marked “completed” about two years ago, but the safety problem persists. Symptoms include: •Infotainment screen going black •“Network communication lost” error messages •Backup camera flickering or failing to display Because the backup camera is federally required under FMVSS 111, my vehicle is not compliant with safety standards. The dealership told me that since the recall was already performed, I would now have to pay out of pocket for further repairs. This means the original recall remedy either failed or was not effective. I am filing this complaint because Honda and its dealership are refusing to correct an unresolved safety defect, leaving my vehicle unsafe to operate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

when stopped at a stop light the engine idle kills the engine and want start back up causing traffic backups...have to go through process to setting back to park and trying to start which does not happen quickly leaving people behind you frustrated and honking. This needs to have an option to disable it if you don't want that function as it's very frustrating and dangerous. Please get honda to fix issue. Thanks for your help.

AFTER I had the softwear update! When idle at stoplight, auto idle feature kicked on. When light turn green and I pushed gas, car shut off entirely. This happened on multiple occasions. While waiting for an appointment to get this issue looked at, my car failed to start after being parked. It would not start after a jump from another vehicle. The tow truck driver was able to bet it jumped using a battery pack case. At the dealership, battery failed load test. Waiting to see if starter needs to be replaced and valves adjusted under extended warranty.

When using Apple CarPlay (wired or wireless), audio intermittently skips and stutters like a skipping CD or static AM radio. This only occurs on CarPlay, not Bluetooth. The skipping can make navigation prompts and hands-free calls unintelligible. Bluetooth audio works fine. Concern: The infotainment/head unit system may be part of the known MOST bus / FAKRA connector issue documented in Honda TSB A20-058 (which covers 2019-21 Pilot/Passport). Although my VIN shows no recalls, the behavior suggests a communication defect in the infotainment system. Safety relevance: This impacts driver attention and safety, since distorted CarPlay audio interferes with navigation directions, voice calls, and Siri prompts. It forces the driver to look down at the phone more frequently, which increases distraction.

I have two issues. First issue is the car will hit an intermediately not start once shut off and will take a few times of making sure the car is completely shut off opening your doors letting it power down before being able to restart. The next issue is the forward collision notification will randomly beep at every car that goes by specifically white cars. And also the adaptive cruise control brakes a little bit harder than expected.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (Air Bags). The local dealer was contacted regarding the recall and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.

rearview camera images ot appear on the dashboard screen

On the afternoon of Friday, August 29, 2025 while driving the Honda Pilot on a US Highway, the "Check Engine" light came on and the vehicle immediately experience a decrease in speed. Top speed on the highway suddenly became approximately 25 MPH and the Pilot became sluggish and was shaking. We had to drive with the vehicle's "flashing hazard lights" on due to the low speed on the 55 MPH highway speeds. Multiple alerts appeared on the vehicle information display panel. I was just able to get the vehicle home. Due to the Labor Day Holiday, we were not able to get the vehicle scheduled to go into the shop until the Tuesday following the Monday Labor Day holiday. It was very difficult to get the Pilot to start on the Monday "Labor Day" to drive to the automobile shop for them to look at it the next morning (Tuesday, September 02, 2025). Once it did start, it again displayed multiple alerts on the vehicle information display panel behind the steering wheel. Speed was again limited to a maximum of 25 MPH. While driving to the shop (less than 5 miles away), the engine stopped completely and the car shifted out of the "Drive" mode and switched into Neutral without any action of the driver to do so. We had to coast into a nearby parking lot to get the vehicle out of the active city road. All attempts to restart the vehicle in the lot failed. We had to call for a tow truck with a flat bed to take the AWD Pilot to the local shop. While in the shop the codes were diagnosed by the attached "Full Diagnostic Report" via "TOPDON". The shop owner called us saying that the fuel pump had failed and that there was an active NHTSA recall for this issue with Pilots. We called the local Honda Service Department and they stated that our VIN number was outside of the current recall for the same Fuel Pump issue. We feel that the VIN coverage for the already Active Recall for the Honda Pilots should be expanded to include our VIN for the same reasons as the Active Recall.

Dash warning lights come on for Lane keeping assist, collision mitigation, ACC, brake system, auto high beam.

Car does not restart after auto start stop is engaged, car stalls at intersections, causing dangerous conditions.

The following warning lights: adaptive cruise control problem, lane keeping assist, collision mitigation system, road departure mitigation problem, auto high beam problem. Honda estimates over $2000 to repair? From what I understand there are many other Honda's with these issues! With these items not functioning, it defeats many of the safety features we bought the car for. Exact date of when it began was last summer.

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.

1. ABOUT A YEAR AGO THE ENGINE STOP/START FUNCTION STARTED TO FAIL INTERMITTENTLY. I WENT TO THE HONDA DEALER WHO THEY CHARGED US ABOUT $500 FOR A BATTERY AND NEVER MENTIONED A RECALL OR REPAIR. 2. ABOUT SIX WEEKS AGO THE AUTO ENGINE STOP/START FUNCTION FAILED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AFTER STOPPING. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE BATTERY AGAIN AND WENT BACK TO THE HONDA DEALER. THEY CHARGED ABOUT $1,500 FOR VARIOUS THINGS BUT STATED THAT THE AUTO STOP/START FUNCTION SOFTWARE HAD BEEN UPDATED AND IF THERE ANY FUTURE PROBLEMS TO RETURN. 8/19/2025. WE WERE ON THE INTERSTATE HWY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC. WE WERE STOPPED IN THE LEFT LANE AND THE TRAFFIC STARTED GOING AGAIN. THE CARS IN FRONT OF US STARTED GOING AND WE WERE LEFT BEHIND. THE CARS BEHIND US WENT AROUND AND WE WERE LEFT STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSTATE HWY. AFTER A FEW MINUTES I GOT THE CAR RUNNING. BEING STALLED ON THE INSERSTATE HWY IS A LIFE THREATING ISSUE! I TOOK THE 2021 HONDA PILOT TO THE HONDA DEALER ON 8/20/2025 WHO STATES THAT THEY CANNOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE NOTE THIS THE THIRD (3RD) TRIP TO HONDA FOR THE SAME ISSUE. NO RESOLUTION THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OTHER TIMES WHERE THIS OCCURED AND I JUST TURNED THE FUNCTION OFF WHICH ONLY WORKS TILL THE NEXT TIME YOU DRIVE THE CAR. PLEASE HELP WITH THIS ISSUE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT...

When stopped at a stop light the auto idle stop turned the car off. When we tried to go at the green light the car wouldn't move. The transmission shifted to neutral and was stuck. We couldn't put the car in park, we couldn't turn the car off, we couldn't put it in gear. We considered calling the police for help since we were stuck in an intersection. The car eventually turned off and we tried pushing all the buttons to do something it finally allowed us to turn the car 100% off and restart it. Then we could go.

My 2021 Honda Pilot SE has developed a failure of the forward-facing Multipurpose Camera Unit (mounted behind the rearview mirror). A scan with a professional tool confirmed Diagnostic Trouble Code U3000-49 – “Multipurpose Camera Unit Internal Electronic Failure.” When this occurs, the vehicle immediately displays multiple warning lights at every startup: Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Lane Keeping Assist (LKAS), Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), and Automatic High-Beam/Dimming headlights. In addition, the dashboard shows a “brake system failure” message, although the brakes continue to function normally. This single camera failure disables all of Honda’s Honda Sensing crash-avoidance features, leaving the driver without forward collision prevention or lane-keeping systems. The failure is persistent, and the DTC remains “Current” after clearing. I took the vehicle to a Honda dealer, but because the car is out of warranty they refused to perform diagnosis or provide a repair estimate, essentially telling me it was my responsibility to resolve. This problem is widely reported by owners of Pilots, Odysseys, CR-Vs, Accords, and Passports, all showing the same U3000-49 code and symptoms. Independent shops confirm they often see these failures, and forums show repeated cases of owners paying high out-of-pocket costs, sometimes with parts on back-order. Honda has recalled less serious issues, such as rearview camera display faults, while this defect disables forward collision prevention and lane safety systems—far more critical to protection. Other automakers (Toyota, GM, Subaru) have recalled forward cameras and radar modules under similar conditions. This is a major safety defect that removes federally promoted crash-avoidance systems with no fallback. I urge NHTSA to investigate and require Honda to issue a recall at manufacturer expense, and please advise how long the process may take, as my vehicle is less safe to drive

While driving on the highway, I heard a loud whirring noise then my vehicle started to decelerate. After continuing to push on the accelerator, an error message appeared that stated something to the effect of "move vehicle from neutral to park". I tried to put the vehicle back into drive but my car had thrown itself into neutral and would not go back into drive. Another error message came up and indicated something about the transmission and that I should pull over to safety and put the car in park (or something of that nature). I was able to pull over but the car was frozen and I could not put the car back into drive, only into park. The vehicle was towed to a dealership where I was told the car needed to have the transmission replaced and that the Carfax report showed the transmission fluid had never been changed/replaced. The car is only four years old and I have never received an error or warning on the vehicle that there was an issue with the transmission fluid.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the START/STOP function activated and turned the vehicle off; however, while attempting to drive from the stop, the engine failed to restart. After waiting 5-10 minutes, the vehicle was able to restart and returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 44,000.

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 engine. The contact was advised by the dealer that the engine oil level was very low. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, neither the VIN nor the model year was included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

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 the service center where normally go for servicing activities like oil change etc.

My 2021 Honda Pilot SE FWD would not restart after the auto off/on turned my engine off at a stop light. Of course this happened at a busy intersection causing backup and an unsafe environment to get out and inspect the vehicle. The car had to be jump started by a kind individual.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while at a complete stop with the START/STOP feature activated, the engine shut off while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. After waiting for several minutes, the contact had to perform several procedures to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer where a software update was performed; however, the failure returned weekly. Recently, the contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle after the failure, the vehicle began to jerk while accelerating, with an abnormal tapping sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with a defective engine rod bearing. The contact was informed by the mechanic that the repair could not be warranted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

As I was driving, I had to press on my break fairly firmly for about two seconds due to a car in front of me making a left-hand turn. I released the break, and the car in front of me was completely out of my lane. There was about a 2 to 3 second span of time ,after I released the break and in which I was coasting, before the automatic breaking system pressed hard on the break for at least one second and then it released. I had not placed my foot near the brake or accelerator at that time.

All I did was simply change my battery. Up until this point the car had run perfect and no issues or warnings. Now after placing the correct AGM battery the dash has lit up like Christmas. I am getting ACC, LKAS, Auto Head light, forward collision and Brake System warning lights. I was informed that this is a very costly repair, a camera needs to be replaced and recalibrated, $2000 estimate. This should be a recall based on the other numerous complaints I'm seeing. I reached out to Honda with no response as of yet.

The Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on my 2021 Honda Pilot intermittently causes the engine to shut off at a stop and fail to restart. When this happens the vehicle remains completely unresponsive until I shift into Park and manually restart the engine.This has happened multiple times in traffic and at intersections, creating a huge safety risk. I have already replaced the battery and had the latest software update installed at my local Honda dealership, but the issue persists. The problem is intermittent and difficult for the dealership to replicate. The auto idle stop issue is a known problem with Honda even extending a warranty coverage for the starter assembly and starter relays. The NHTSA number EA25004 addresses this yet the local dealership will only update the software and change the battery. They are failing to honor the second stage of the repair calling out specifically replacing the starter assembly, starter relays and adjusting the valves.

I have photos, but unable to up load at this time. Suddenly, 9 different consecutive warning messages with bell associated with each, appeared on the instrument panel. The barrage of these 9 messages continued until I shut the engine off. I was in a very congested parking lot when this began. The Pilot was subsequently checked for codes and battery condition. The evidence suggests the VSA Modulator. The Messages continue when powered up with or without the engine running. Lane keep assist problem. LKAS All wheel drive system problem. VSA problem. ACC Adaptive cruise control problem problem. Road departure mitigation system problem. Collision mitigation system problem. Collision mitigation system problem. TSA trailer stability assist problem. Hill start assist problem. Power steering system (EPS) problem. Plus: AWD, Brake System and steering caution lights remain on continuously. I am very glad we were not towing our travel trailer this week.

The 2021 Honda Pilot would randomly flash brake, which would lock up the steering wheel, electronic warnings going off when nothing was there, and then all of the CMBS warnings came on. Dealer charged for diagnosis, and requires $2,300.00 to fix the sensor. The vehicle was never in an accident, and various ghost electronic issues would be present over the last few years before the system failed with multiple warnings.

The following warning lights: adaptive cruise control problem, lane keeping assist, collision mitigation system, road departure mitigation problem, auto high beam problem

On multiple occasions, when sitting at a stop light and then attempting to drive as the light changes, the engine just shuts off as I take my foot off the brake. It then takes several attempts to get the car started.

Recently , I stated seeing CMBC failure in my 2021 Honda Pilot 2wd. My car has 41500 miles in it. I took car to dealer ship and dealer ship says they are no recalls i need to change my camera. i am not understanding it's like brand new car and not driven many miles. i research on google and there are so many pilot owners having same problems. Can this be recall?

Here it is over two years later and passenger seat switch has not been replaced I was At Gunn Honda in 2/2024 and 6/2024 requesting an update of replacement answer was no parts. Here it is 5/2025 and I have nothing can you get this resolved asap? Recall: #OHB 2020-22 Multi-Model Seat Weight Sensor Safety Recall

Auto start/stop feature turned off the engine at a stoplight. When the light turned green and the brake pedal was released, the engine did not restart. There also appeared to be some sort of electrical malfunction since the start stop button would not turn off the ignition system in an attempt to reset the vehicle. This happened on a light regulated highway with a posted speed limit of 55 mph.

I closed my back door and my back hatchback window shattered outwards. It isn’t winter and nothing hit window. The entire window shattered at same time. Not a crack and then shattered.

The BCM body control module is not working. My wife is scared to drive thinking it can turn on lights wipers and other components. For being a Farley new car it’s crazy to think it’s defected. I had no warning prior to the incident. Honda dealer says they don’t know what caused it The alarm goes off all the time so I have to have it in the driveway with the battery unplugged Honda charges me $2,100 to fix it which is absurd

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while temporarily stopped at a traffic light or a stop sign, the vehicle occasionally shifted into neutral, or the vehicle shut off unintendedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.

No FIRENo INJURIES0 DEATHS0 The collision mitigation braking system problem, adaptive cruise control problem, lane keeping assist problem, road departure mitigation system problem and auto high-beam problem. All these are keep showing on my dashboard. It is stated that this is the Multi Point Camera RADAR avg cost repair 2000.OO

I notice there is an investigation on the Honda Pilot Stop and start shutting off the engine this also happen to my car twice this week and also once prior to this. There are also issue where the radio will restart when the auto stop and start restart. In the report I don't believe the 2021 Honda Pilot was included.

The Auto-Idle-Stop system in my Pilot just shut off my engine and then failed to restart. The engine finally restarted after multiple attempts and finally holding the start button for 5 seconds. This happened in traffic and could have caused an accident.

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 another occasion, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The contact stated that while idling in line at the airport Arrival and Pick-Up level, the rattling sound became louder, and the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound. The contact stated that the engine started overheating. The contact pulled over to a safe location and inspected the underhood. The contact noticed that the passenger's side cooling fan had separated. The contact was able to drive to the destination. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

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

Vehicle when trying to start locks up, have had the battery alternator starter checked, changed the brake switch and still having issues with hard start to my 2021 Honda Pilot. When this happens all the lights come on. I push the Idle/Start switch when I do get it started so that it does shut off when I’m at a red light or stop sign. Because I’m afraid it will not start. Dealership could not find any issues with the vehicle, I’ve taken it to another mechanic and they could not. It has been put on diagnostics several times. I keep putting money into trying to find out what the issue is!!!

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the idle STOP/START system suddenly activated while idling at a stop sign, stop light, and driving at slower speeds of approximately 5 MPH. The vehicle stalled while the failure occurred, causing the contact to make several attempts to restart the vehicle. The failure was more persistent. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the diagnostic test and repair were not covered under the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

This is another incident of the auto start/stop system failing to restart the engine after a stop in traffic.

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 customer service and they blamed the dealership. No one wants to take the blame for this.

This seems to be an on going problem for many Honda owners according to the forums. My Adaptive Cruise Control, lane keeping assistant, collision mitigation, road departure mitigation, and auto high beams have all gone out after going to the car wash. I have cleaned the windshield but I find it crazy that this is a common problem and there is no recall.

We've been having a continuous issue and taken it to out Escondido Honda dealership, to the service department. Our service department advisor named Omar had his tech look at it awhiel ago but they couldn't come up with anything. I recently saw the 2 million vehicle recalls on including the Honda Pilot, which we have a 2021 Special Edition. When I put in my VIN it says that there are no recalls as of right now. However, our vehicle is exhibiting the same exact mechanical failure as described in the NHTSA recall. The auto start stop is failing to reengage when trying to start going after the stop light turns green, it completely dies out and won't restart, leaving us stopped and stranded at the stop light or wherever we are at, at that time. We've also had issues that when it does reengage the auto stop/start it sounds like it was struggling initially before it started to just not reengage at all and started leaving us stranded. Then we would have to press on the button to put it back in park and then push the start/stop button. Which wouldn't always work, then we'd have to keep pushing it and eventually started. Please assist and thank you for your time.

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.