Honda Pilot Service Brakes, Hydraulic Problems
Owners have filed 104 complaints with NHTSA about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Honda Pilot across 19 model years. The 2005 model year has the most (37). The words owners use most often: “brake pedal depressed” (8% of reports).
- 104service brakes, hydraulic complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 14mention a crash
- 8mention an injury
- 3related recalls
- 21%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.
- Brake pedal depressed: mentioned in 8 of 104 complaints (8%)
- Master cylinder: mentioned in 7 of 104 complaints (7%)
- Brakes applied: mentioned in 7 of 104 complaints (7%)
- Stability assist: mentioned in 6 of 104 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do service brakes, hydraulic problems happen?
Based on 86 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 104 complaints, 14 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 8 an injury.
Honda Pilot service brakes, hydraulic complaints by model year
| Model year | Service Brakes, Hydraulic complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Pilot | 2 | 1% | 10,000 |
| 2024 Pilot | 1 | 1% | 25,000 |
| 2022 Pilot | 3 | 2% | 19,000 |
| 2021 Pilot | 2 | 0% | 7,650 |
| 2020 Pilot | 1 | 0% | 28,000 |
| 2017 Pilot | 1 | 0% | 12,000 |
| 2016 Pilot | 2 | 0% | 51,185 |
| 2014 Pilot | 2 | 2% | 27,171 |
| 2013 Pilot | 2 | 1% | 117,500 |
| 2012 Pilot | 3 | 2% | 1,780 |
| 2011 Pilot | 1 | 0% | 38,003 |
| 2010 Pilot | 2 | 2% | 490 |
| 2009 Pilot | 1 | 1% | 40,000 |
| 2008 Pilot | 1 | 1% | 72,400 |
| 2007 Pilot | 8 | 4% | 29,938 |
| 2006 Pilot | 9 | 3% | 54,000 |
| 2005 Pilot | 37 | 5% | 88,935 |
| 2004 Pilot | 12 | 2% | 32,000 |
| 2003 Pilot | 14 | 2% | 23,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (3)
Service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages
Model years: 2023, 2024, 2025
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder
Model years: 2021, 2022
Problem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Risk: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Traction control system; service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Model years: 2005
Problem: Honda is recalling certain model year 2005 Pilot vehicles manufactured July 29, 2004, through August 29, 2005; model year 2005-2006 Acura MDX vehicles manufactured September 16, 2004, through September 22, 2005; and model year 2005 Acura RL vehicles manufactured March 1, 2004, through June 29, 2005. An electrical capacitor may have been damaged during the manufacturing of the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) control module causing intermittent, automatic, minor brake application. However, if the driver applies the brakes while the VSA is malfunctioning, the vehicle may come to an abrupt stop. Additionally, due to a loose ground connection, certain model year 2005 Pilots have a VSA system that may apply partial brake force, without the illumination of the brake lights, whether or not the driver is using the brakes.
Risk: Sudden inadvertent braking, especially without illumination of the brake lights, may increase the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Owners will be notified and instructed to take their vehicles to a dealer of their respective brand. The dealer will install a partial wiring harness containing a capacitor for the VSA modulator, free of charge. The affected model year 2005 Pilots will have their ground connection tightened. The recall began on April 22, 2013. Honda owners may contact Honda Automobile Customer Service at 1-800-999-1009, and select option 4 or go to www.recalls.honda.com; Acura owners may contact 1-800-382-2238, and select option 4, or go to www.recalls.acura.com.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle lost automotive power, and the battery, oil, and information warning lights remained illuminated. Several minutes later, the vehicle was restarted, and the contact continued driving. Another…
The contact owned a 2022 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in a parking spot with the brake pedal depressed, the engine revved unexpectedly and independently accelerated and crash into a Ford Bronco, a Jeep Cherokee, another vehicle, and two parking signs. There were…
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while attempted to park the vehicle into a park spot occupied with her husband and granddaughter in the vehicle, the vehicle acceleratored independently causing the vehicle to crash into a brick wall. The contact stated that no air bags were…
The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 25-35 MPH, the vehicle slowed down unexpectedly, and the brake pedal was hard and slow to respond when depressed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was pulling to the left, and it was difficult to correct the…
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V391000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake pedal assembly had…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Honda Pilots have service brakes, hydraulic problems?
No. NHTSA has 104 owner complaints about service brakes, hydraulic 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 service brakes, hydraulic?
Yes: 3 safety recalls list service brakes, hydraulic. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about service brakes, hydraulic problems on the Honda Pilot?
The most frequent phrase is “brake pedal depressed”, in 8 of 104 complaints, followed by “master cylinder” (7).
Other Honda Pilot problems
- Engine problems (2,344)
- Electrical System problems (2,055)
- Power Train problems (1,327)
- Air Bags problems (733)
- Fuel/propulsion System problems (631)
- Service Brakes problems (533)
- Forward Collision Avoidance problems (511)
- Structure problems (417)
See all Honda Pilot problems.