2021 Honda Pilot Engine Problems
Owners have filed 108 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2021 Honda Pilot, 24% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 30,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “auto idle” (21% of reports).
- 108engine complaints
- 30,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 50%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Auto idle: mentioned in 23 of 108 complaints (21%)
- Shut off: mentioned in 23 of 108 complaints (21%)
- Restart engine: mentioned in 11 of 108 complaints (10%)
- Start stop: mentioned in 10 of 108 complaints (9%)
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 5 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 108 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Honda Pilot engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Pilot | 33 | 16% | 4,298 |
| 2024 Pilot | 11 | 9% | — |
| 2023 Pilot | 13 | 9% | 36,000 |
| 2022 Pilot | 34 | 21% | 71,551 |
| 2021 Pilot | 108 | 24% | 30,000 |
| 2020 Pilot | 101 | 21% | 11,650 |
| 2019 Pilot | 235 | 26% | 44,298 |
| 2018 Pilot | 157 | 36% | 80,873 |
| 2017 Pilot | 474 | 51% | 43,434 |
| 2016 Pilot | 771 | 45% | 61,700 |
| 2015 Pilot | 22 | 20% | 51,000 |
| 2014 Pilot | 31 | 27% | 27,000 |
| 2013 Pilot | 79 | 29% | 5,500 |
| 2012 Pilot | 35 | 20% | 22,650 |
| 2011 Pilot | 31 | 11% | 66,924 |
| 2010 Pilot | 28 | 25% | 87,500 |
| 2009 Pilot | 35 | 26% | 104,500 |
| 2008 Pilot | 10 | 8% | 99,889 |
| 2007 Pilot | 14 | 7% | 133,532 |
| 2006 Pilot | 22 | 8% | 112,000 |
| 2005 Pilot | 48 | 7% | 107,000 |
| 2004 Pilot | 22 | 4% | 106,650 |
| 2003 Pilot | 25 | 3% | 145,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine for the 2021 Honda Pilot. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My vehicle's auto idle engine stops when brake is engaged, goes into neutral when released instead of restarting causing me to have to turn on the flashers, shift into park, turn off the ignition then restart. I was almost rear ended at an intersection & held up traffic during another occurrence…
Idle auto stop / start - this has repeatedly failed at traffic lights. Vehicle stops dead and will not restart. Taken to 3 dealers over the course of 18 months and finally the 3rd Honda dealership acknowledged this. The problem has been identified and repeated by dealership mechanics. No warning…
While driving with my family in my 2021 Pilot on the interstate at 75mph, I felt a shudder while in traffic. Fortunately, I signaled to get over and cars around me responded, because the check engine light flashed on and off and the car shut off. We had enough time to roll to the side of the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2021 Honda Pilots have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 108 owner complaints about engine for the 2021 Honda Pilot (24% of the 443 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Honda Pilot engine?
No recall currently lists engine for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 30,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2021 Honda Pilot?
The most frequent phrase is “auto idle”, in 23 of 108 complaints, followed by “shut off” (23).
Other 2021 Honda Pilot problems
See all 2021 Honda Pilot problems or engine problems across all Pilot years.