2018 Honda Pilot Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Pilot years
- Far more complaints than other years 9th of 24 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 7 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 440 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Honda Pilot. That ranks 9th out of 24 Pilot model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (157 complaints, 36%), typically at around 80,873 miles. Complaints mention 9 crashes, 2 fires, 11 injuries. There are 7 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 440owner complaints
- 7safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 9complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2018 Honda Pilot problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 157 | 36% | 80,873 | “idle stop” (12%) | — |
| Electrical System problems | 85 | 19% | 51,250 | “shut off” (20%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 78 | 18% | 51,000 | “torque converter” (18%) | $2,400 |
| Unknown or Other | 74 | 17% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 63 | 14% | — | “fuel pump” (44%) | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 62 | 14% | 79,250 | “fuel gasoline contacted” (29%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 23 | 5% | 19,600 | — | — |
| Structure | 17 | 4% | 22,500 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 12 | 3% | 139 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 10 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 10 | 2% | 14,055 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 9 | 2% | 13,350 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 2% | 116,744 | — | — |
| Seats | 6 | 1% | 15,920 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 5 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 1% | 13,018 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 1% | 11,675 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 4 | 1% | 51,050 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 1% | 167,320 | — | — |
| Suspension | 4 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 0% | 28,495 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 20,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2018 Honda Pilot recalls (7)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Structure:frame and members; suspension:rear
Problem: American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
Risk: Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
Risk: A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch; structure:body:hood
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Passport, 2016-2019 Pilot, and 2017-2020 Ridgeline vehicles. The hood latch striker may become damaged and separate from the hood, which can result in the hood opening while driving.
Risk: A hood that opens while driving can obstruct the driver's view and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will either repair the hood latch striker, or replace the hood if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 18, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is PBV.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:belts and associated pulleys
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot vehicles and 2019 Acura RLX, RLX Sport Hybrid, TLX and Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline vehicles. The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt.
Risk: Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.
Seats
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018 Honda Pilot and Ridgeline vehicles and 2018 Acura MDX vehicles. The front driver and passenger powered seats in the Honda vehicles and the driver powered seats in the Acura vehicles may have been assembled with improperly manufactured rivets. In the event of a crash, the rivets can break causing the seats not to be secured to the floor. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the floor, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver seat frame assembly in Acura MDX vehicles, and replace the driver and front passenger seat slide rail frames in Honda Pilot and Ridgeline vehicles, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall is D0S, and T0T.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine failure (PE25008) — opened Aug 20, 2025, still open.
- No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages (EA25004) — opened Mar 26, 2025, still open.
- Engine failure (RQ24013) — opened Nov 8, 2024, closed Aug 20, 2025.
- No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages (PE22005) — opened Jun 3, 2022, closed Mar 26, 2025.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owned a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was knocking very loudly, and the vehicle lost driving power. The contact attempted to contact the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired.
Auto restart issues. I have reported this before. When coming to a stop and the engine shuts off it does not automatically restart. It has left me sitting at a light having to sit and wait before I am able to turn my car back on. This can be a huge safety issue when in traffic or when a line of…
All safety features turned off. I had a professional mechanic shop inspect. Since this happens randomly, they cannot provide exact diagnosis. This is a major safety risk! After I picked it up from the mechanic, I drove approximately 200 miles before the next occurance, while on a major interstate…
High Pressure Fuel Pump fails after implementing recall listed below. See recall information: December 18, 2023 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 23V858000 Fuel Pump May Fail Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. NHTSA ID Number: 23V858000 Manufacturer…
The vehicle started to make some strange noises coming from the engine area. I brought the vehicle to our mechanic, who stated that the engine needs to be replaced. He described the problem as an issue with the piston that is appearing to be common with the shut off system, causing it in this…
Other Honda Pilot years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Pilot | 23 | 1 |
| 2025 Pilot | 209 | 4 |
| 2024 Pilot | 116 | 6 |
| 2023 Pilot | 146 | 5 |
| 2022 Pilot | 164 | 5 |
| 2021 Pilot | 443 | 10 |
| 2020 Pilot | 492 | 11 |
| 2019 Pilot | 912 | 13 |
| 2018 | 440 | 7 |
| 2017 Pilot | 933 | 4 |
| 2016 Pilot | 1,712 | 8 |
| 2015 Pilot | 109 | 4 |
| 2014 Pilot | 116 | 3 |
| 2013 Pilot | 271 | 6 |
| 2012 Pilot | 171 | 9 |
| 2011 Pilot | 293 | 11 |
| 2010 Pilot | 111 | 10 |
| 2009 Pilot | 134 | 9 |
| 2008 Pilot | 133 | 7 |
| 2007 Pilot | 211 | 7 |
| 2006 Pilot | 268 | 8 |
| 2005 Pilot | 679 | 13 |
| 2004 Pilot | 544 | 12 |
| 2003 Pilot | 720 | 13 |
See all Honda Pilot problems by year, every Honda model, or the Honda VIN decoder.
Similar Honda models
Embed this 2018 Honda Pilot badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Honda Pilot?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, power train problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 157 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2018 Honda Pilot?
Yes, 7 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2018 Honda Pilot a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Pilot model years, the 2018 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.