10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 4
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
1,400 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2020 Honda Pilot engine problems

engine problem

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2020 Honda Pilot Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #52

Jun 072024

Pilot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When the vehicle comes to a stop and the auto-engine-start-stop feature is engaged, the vehicle will shift itself into neutral and will not disengage until you shut off the vehicle and turn it back on.

- Youngstown, NY, USA

problem #51

May 022024

Pilot

  • miles
My fiancé and children were driving our 2020 Honda pilot on May 2, 2024 when she started hearing a clunking noise and the vehicle, lost power as she was driving on interstate 70 she was able to get the vehicle to the side of the road safely, but the Indian was making loud clocking grinding sound with very little power to move This was very unsafe in a scary situation for her and the kids The car is not safe to drive like this

- Hagerstown, MD, USA

problem #50

Oct 102019

Pilot

  • miles
Since I bought the car in 2019, Movie CD does not work all the time. Fixed once. Automatic emergency breaking. It does not stop. Have taken it to the dealership at least 4 times and they say they are not able to replicate the problem. Set the cruise speed control and it does not work. Currently not working for over a month. The engine transmission does not stop the car and if it does work the car does not stop totally and car jumps 2-3 feet while foot is on brake. Dealership say they can not duplicate the problem.

- Lebanon, IL, USA

problem #49

May 102023

Pilot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Auto high bean is not working and no sign of auto( headlight on with letter A) on dashboard is not show. Trying to reset by holding high beam for 40 seconds still not working ( only blinking once), meaning still not working. That problem had after came back from recall on cracking sound inside speakers. Recently brought the car to Honda Beltsville, MD on January 15, 2024 about when stopping at traffic light when pressed the brakes hard the auto on/off engine is not working. Message on dashboard show that( the auto engine idle stop unavailable ). With my vehicle had 2 problems 1- light is not working on auto high beam and no sign on of auto headlight with letter A showing on dashboard. 2- auto on/off is still not working when stop at traffic light( Auto engine idle stop unavailable) massage on dashboard Please check this out, thank you.

- Burtonsville , MD, USA

problem #48

Jan 132024

Pilot

  • miles
While driving the vehicle, it would randomly lose power. This has occurred 6 times in the last 7 months. All of them at an Interstate. Each occurrence has happened when the vehicle has been driven 2 or more hours. While driving, all of a sudden the gas pedal would not produce any power. IE. Could be driving 70 mph, then all of a sudden the gas pedal would stop responding. Each occurrence, would have to pump the gas pedal (1-3x). Eventually the power would kick on and the vehicle would go, sometimes launch you as if the gas pedal is being -??floored-??. After which, the vehicle drives normal again. However, there-??s no certain moment to know when the power would cease. It could happen at any time.

- Ladson, SC, USA

problem #47

Nov 192023

Pilot

  • miles
On four (4) separate incidents, my car has either abruptly stopped running (waiting at a stoplight) or not been able to start. When I push the Engine Start/ Stop button to restart the car, it does not start and several random warning and dashboard lights flash on and off like crazy. These incidents occurred twice before the recall was fixed and twice AFTER the recall was (supposedly) fixed. Please help as I don-??t want to be stranded AGAIN! This car is only a few years old. Thank you

- Elmhurst, IL, USA

problem #46

Oct 272023

Pilot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When stopping at a red light, my vehicle completely shut off (engine stopped, all lights went out, radio went blank) for a few seconds. The car turned back on (except for the engine). I was able to restart the engine after about 10 seconds, but I was stuck in the middle of traffic. I disabled the engine idol-stop feature.

- Ashburn, VA, USA

problem #45

Sep 112023

Pilot

  • miles
The engine failed to start after being stopped at a red light. I engaged the gas and the entire car just shut down. I was stuck at the light in the middle lane with cars honking all around me. I attempted to put the car in drive, neutral, park and nothing worked. Somehow I was able to restart the car after many cycles of the light. This came out of nowhere; i.e. - it's never happened to me prior and is a HUGE safety issue. After doing some research, it seems this is an issue many Honda owners are complaining about. The incident occurred to me just as many others are detailing the exact same issue. To date, no one has inspected the vehicle but an appointment with the dealership has been made. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to this occurring.

- Durham, NH, USA

problem #44

Sep 172022

Pilot

  • miles
Honda Auto-Idle Start/Stop system does not restart. Auto-Idle system will engage and sometimes not restart. This happens while at intersections (red lights/stop signs) and in traffic. Vehicle cuts off and can take several minutes to get the vehicle to turn back on. When it happens, it puts my safety at risk, along with any passengers, and any other vehicles nearby that might not notice my vehicle is disabled. Dealer is unable to replicate the issue. Honda America is aware of the issue. First occurrence 9/17/2022. 6/24/2023, 7/19/2023, 8/16/2023, 8/23/2023 all additional occurrences of same issue. Several of these I have video evidence of.

- Auburn, AL, USA

problem #43

Mar 152023

Pilot

  • miles
When auto start/stop feature engages at times vehicle does not restart and will not restart. This has happened 5-6 times in heavy traffic leaving the car dead in the middle of the road until we repeatedly try to reset and restart.

- Byron, IL, USA

problem #42

Aug 232023

Pilot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was stopped at a stop light with my auto-idle system engaged. When the light turned to green the auto-idle would not disengage leaving me stalled in traffic. When I pressed on the gas I got an error message about the 'anti-collision system' being offline. I had to restart the car to resolve the issue. The dealer/service center states no known issues.

- Sharpsburg, GA, USA

problem #41

Aug 132023

Pilot

  • miles
July 21,2023 Pulled of highway and car went idle at a light car turned off completely and didnt turn on car turned on after 2 minutes. August 13, same situation happened car didnt turn on for 3 minutes. In May car was serviced forr idle recall and I never had this issue until now. The dealer says its a weak battery. But it only happened when it was on idle and not when I turn it on. I had kids in the car and just got off highway. I could have had an accident. The 2nd time it happened it said to put the car in park and restart the car. There were no issues prior to the failure.

- Garfield, NJ, USA

problem #40

Jul 262023

Pilot

  • miles
The stop/start function for the engine engaged 3 times now when stopped at a stop sign on a hill incline. When I released the break for the car to start back up, the car went into neutral and shut off. I immediately put my foot back on the break so I did not roll backwards into another vehicle. This has happened 3 times now with near collisions so I am trying to drive with the feature turned off which is an inconvenience to turn it off every time I start the vehicle.

- Douglasville, GA, USA

problem #39

Jun 112023

Pilot

  • miles
Car completely shut down while in drive. Towed to dealership where I was told there was a software update that needed to be done. Car working fine now.

- Kemah, TX, USA

problem #38

Jul 032023

Pilot

  • miles
The Auto Idle Stop system was engaged at a red light after exiting an expressway. When the light turned green, and I removed my foot from the brake, the transmission moved to neutral, and the engine would not start up again. I was unsuccessful in getting the car to start again by either pushing the start/stop button or adjusting the transmission to park. The battery indicator light was illuminated during this process, but no other errors were displayed. I connected a battery-powered jump starter within 3-5 minutes of the failure, and the vehicle started on the first attempt. The Auto Idle Stop system had worked as expected earlier in the drive and there were no other indications of any issues with the vehicle prior to the incident. My entire family's safety was at serious risk since we were stalled on a busy 6 lane road with no ability to move the vehicle to the shoulder and I had to avoid traffic to get to the trunk and under the hood and spend time connecting the jump starter and subsequently attempting to start the vehicle. We are yet to bring the vehicle to the dealership for inspection.

- La Grange Park, IL, USA

problem #37

Jun 092023

Pilot

  • miles
One six different occasions the vehicle has shut off while sitting at a red light. On four of the occasions I had the auto off but disengaged. When foot removed from brake car shuts down, dash lights up with every indicator light and a message to shift to park and restart. It takes about three minutes with repeated attempts to engage park to get the vehicle to restart. Dealer service has performed a -??computer update-?? that was suppose to fix. Incident still occurring, more frequently. Taking car back to dealer again.

- Inverness, FL, USA

problem #36

Mar 092023

Pilot

  • miles
My Honda Pilot when in the start/stop idle mode is completely stalling at stop lights. in these cases, I-??m having to put the car in park, hit the button to turn it off, turn it back on, which takes up to 30 seconds and then I-??m able to put it in drive. I can turn off the automatic idle, but it has to be done every time I get in and turn it on so it-??s easy to forget. This is a safety concern for myself, my children, my spouse, and others on the road

- Concord, NC, USA

problem #35

Jan 192023

Pilot

  • miles
We parked the vehicle in a hospital parking structure in order to meet an appointment at the hospital. We were in the hospital for about an hour or so when we headed back to the vehicle in the parking garage. We were stopped from getting there because of police and fire trucks. Then we got a call from the local police on our cell phone, telling us that our vehicle was on fire. We couldn't get into the parking structure because no one was allowed, but we did get to talk to the police and some fire personnel. Apparently, the parking structure had its own sprinkler system which was able to keep the fire under control until fire trucks and personnel arrived. The vehicle was a total loss, as per the insurance appraiser and our insurance company.

- Chester, VT, USA

problem #34

Jan 022023

Pilot

  • miles
My 2020 Honda Pilot Touring was not starting the engine back up after stopping at the traffic light and having the start/stop system stop the engine. I took my car to the dealer, and they disabled the start/stop system. This temporarily resolved the issue. But if a recall is issued for this problem, I-??d like to have my start/stop system fixed, since it is part of the emissions system. Thanks, Carlos.

- Herndon, VA, USA

problem #33

Dec 292022

Pilot

  • miles
While driving with auto-idle on the car, I stopped at the red light on the left lane by stepping on the break and Auto-idle comes on and the engine stopped while continue to step on the break. When the green lights comes back on, I release the break, but the car completely shut down and require me to power off the car completely and push the start button on the car again. It took a few tries for the car to start. All while there were trucks passing by and cars behind me are honking at me for stopping at a Green light, by the time I got the car to start again, the light turned RED again. I feel like it is very dangerous for me as all the cars behind had to go around me to continue their way, as result, accidents can easily cause because cars on the right side are driving faster than the left lane and cars in the left lane had to move to the right lane in order to continue. With more blind spots on the right of all cars, it is more dangerous to shift lanes where right lane are going faster.

- Oakland Gardens, NY, USA

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