A complaint is an unverified report a driver files with NHTSA about a problem they had. It is not a recall or a proven defect, and a popular model on the road in large numbers naturally collects more of them. Still, a cluster of complaints about one part is often the earliest public signal of a problem, sometimes years before a recall. Here is how the Honda Pilot complaints break down.

Of those complaints, 291 mention a crash, 75 mention a fire, and 273 report an injury. These are owner-reported and not confirmed by NHTSA, but they are worth knowing when you weigh up a vehicle.

Most-reported Honda Pilot problem areas

Honda Pilot complaints by model year

2010
142
2011
390
2012
228
2013
368
2014
153
2015
138
2016
2350
2017
1316
2018
637
2019
1397
2020
773
2021
685
2022
231
2023
184
2024
162
2025
301
2026
16

How to read these complaints

A few things are worth keeping in mind when you read these numbers. Complaints are self-reported and unverified, so they lean toward the problems owners noticed and bothered to report, not a clean sample of every vehicle. A model that sold in big numbers will gather more complaints than a rare one, even at the same defect rate, so the raw totals say as much about popularity as reliability. What is genuinely useful is the shape: a tight cluster of complaints about one part, especially one that also shows crashes, fires, or injuries, is the kind of pattern that sometimes turns into a recall or a federal investigation later.

What to do about a Honda Pilot problem

If you own a Honda Pilot and recognize one of these problems, start by checking whether it is already covered by a free recall repair, then look the vehicle up by its VIN to see what is open on your exact car. It is also worth filing your own complaint with NHTSA: complaints are how defects get noticed in the first place, and enough of them about the same part can trigger an investigation. Keep your repair records either way, since they matter for warranty and lemon-law claims. Start with the Honda Pilot recall history, then run a VIN recall check for your specific vehicle.

Common questions about Honda Pilot problems

What are the most common problems with the Honda Pilot?
Across 9,471 complaints to NHTSA for the 2010 to 2026 Honda Pilot, the most-reported areas are the engine, electrical system, and power train. A complaint is an owner report, not a confirmed defect, but the busiest categories point to where owners run into trouble.
How many complaints does the Honda Pilot have?
NHTSA has 9,471 complaints on record for the Honda Pilot across the 2010 to 2026 model years. Owners file these directly with NHTSA, so the count grows over time and tends to be higher for popular models.
Have any Honda Pilot crashes or fires been reported?
Of those complaints, 291 mention a crash, 75 mention a fire, and 273 report an injury. These are owner-reported and not confirmed by NHTSA, but they are worth knowing when you weigh up a vehicle.
Are complaints the same as recalls?
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A recall is an official action by the manufacturer or NHTSA to fix a known safety defect, with a free repair. Complaints can be an early warning, but only a recall obligates a fix. The Honda Pilot recall history is on its own page.

Complaints come from NHTSA's consumer complaints database and are reports filed by owners, not confirmed defects. See the methodology and data sources for detail. This page is a reference, not legal or safety advice.