Honda Pilot Engine Problems
Owners have filed 2,339 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the Honda Pilot across 23 model years. The 2016 model year has the most (771). The words owners use most often: “idle stop” (9% of reports).
- 2,339engine complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 20mention a crash
- 7mention an injury
- 4related recalls
- $7,800typical repair cost reported by owners
- 43%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.
- Idle stop: mentioned in 213 of 2,339 complaints (9%)
- Rod bearing: mentioned in 183 of 2,339 complaints (8%)
- Auto start: mentioned in 151 of 2,339 complaints (6%)
- Put park: mentioned in 139 of 2,339 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the Honda Pilot at $7,800, and half of them between $4,300 and $10,200.
Based on 90 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2012–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 619 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 2,339 complaints, 20 mention a crash, 39 a fire, 7 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 (4)
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Model years: 2016, 2018, 2019
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.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:belts and associated pulleys
Model years: 2018, 2019
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.
Engine
Model years: 2013
Problem: Honda is recalling certain model year 2013 Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles and certain model year 2013 Odyssey vehicles. During manufacturing of the engine piston, it is possible that the heat treatment process was not properly applied, resulting in the piston having an insufficient hardness level, making it more susceptible to premature wear.
Risk: A worn piston may suddenly fail, causing the engine to stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine short block free of charge. The recall began on September 16, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's recall numbers are JB4 (Honda Odyssey) and JB5 (Honda Pilot).
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Model years: 2003
Problem: On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with v6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.
Risk: If the timing belt breaks, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began august 30, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact honda at 1-800-999-1009 or acura at 1-800-382-2238.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The motor is misfiring on cylinder 5 due to faulty engine components. The vehicle is available for inspection on request. My safety and childrenâs are at risk as the cabin fills up with raw fuel fumes and makes you feel dizzy. It is also a huge safety risk that I have a failed motor and not one…
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…
On [XXX] at approximately [XXX] with my car being at 136,390 miles I was at a stoplight and my engine idle engaged, but when I took my foot off the break, it would not reengage. It shifted to neutral. It took me several tries to get my car to start back up. This is the second time this has happened…
Vehicle just stopped working. It wonât turn on. Engine stopped working without any notice of a problem.
This has happened to me 5 times in the last month or so. It is a safety situation and is scary when it happens. The Idle Stop feature is malfunctioning and could cause me to be rear ended. When I am waiting to turn right at a red light, or waiting for someone to turn at a yellow blinking light, the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Honda Pilots have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 2,339 owner complaints about engine for the Honda Pilot. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Honda Pilot engine?
Yes: 4 safety recalls list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the Honda Pilot?
Owners report a typical cost of $7,800 (half paid between $4,300 and $10,200), from 90 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the Honda Pilot?
The most frequent phrase is “idle stop”, in 213 of 2,339 complaints, followed by “rod bearing” (183).
Other Honda Pilot problems
- Electrical System problems (2,051)
- Power Train problems (1,327)
- Air Bags problems (733)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (630)
- Service Brakes problems (533)
- Forward Collision Avoidance problems (511)
- Structure problems (417)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (376)
See all Honda Pilot problems.