10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
249 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.

2021 Honda Pilot miscellaneous problems

miscellaneous problem

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2021 Honda Pilot Owner Comments (Page 2 of 2)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #20

May 102023

Pilot

  • miles

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

The Auto Idle Stop is defective on this vehicle and has resulted in multiple incidents where the vehicle stalls after the break is applied in sitting traffic. I have had near collision experiences that pose a severe safety risk. The car jolts forward after releasing the break at an intersection, and immediately becomes immobile. This has happened in sitting traffic, at intersection and more dangerously, while trying to make a left turn which has left me stranded in the middle of busy intersections at risk of nearly being hit by moving traffic. Honda has done the software update on the vehicle and yet, this continues to happen. Honda needs to be held liable as this will result in injury and/or death to consumers.

- Temple, TX, USA

problem #19

May 102023

Pilot

  • miles
Sunroof exploded while driving down highway.

- Kalkaska, MI, USA

problem #18

Mar 182023

Pilot

  • miles
Loud, consistent, cracking sound along the base of the windshield along dashboard. Sounded as if the entire windshield would crack and shatter. Happened at least 3 separate instances, seems to be temperature related and on longer car rides. Once during NE winter with heat cranking it began to make the cracking sound. It was terrifying as I was unsure if the windshield would shatter and implode on us. I turned the heat off and opened windows to cool interior of the car. That made the sound stop. The car has not been inspected yet and unsure if they could recreate problem in the shop. Would probably need heat of engine over a long period and internal heat turned all the way up for a long period of time.

- Little Falls, NJ, USA

problem #17

Jul 012021

Pilot

  • miles

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

Front windshield broke while the vehicle was sitting in the parking lot. I was staying overnight at a hotel. When I went to bed the car was fine. When I got up the next morning the windshield was broken. The car had been parked all night and it was in a secure area. The windshield broke on its own. My insurance paid for the broken windshield.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #16

Nov 022022

Pilot

  • miles
My 2021 Honda Pilot's Idle-Stop System has been failing at random and dangerous times. The engine shuts off when Idle-Stop is engaged and as expected. However and until recently; when I release my foot from the break, nothing happens. The engine does not start. Restarting the engine has taken me to shift to park, turn the car off, wait a few minutes, and then it starts without any hesitation. Today this happened during a busy stop where I did not feel safe for myself or my passengers. The problem does not reproduce at my will or by performing any specific set of steps. After today, I'm nervous to drive with this system enabled. The problem never happens if I remember to manually disable the Idle-Stop System every time I start my car. Nevertheless, it's not a normal practice for me to have to disengage a feature that should work. This problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or any others. There were no warning lamps, sounds, messages, or other symptoms prior that would indicate an imminent failure.

- Miramar, FL, USA

problem #15

Aug 122022

Pilot

  • miles
When stopped and idling at an intersection (just south of North Avenue on Milwaukee Avenue in the city of Chicago) the vehicle engine turned off and would not restart, as it normally does when the car is idling. A message appeared saying, to -??push the brake and push the start button-?? to restart the car. The battery light came on. I tried twice to start it, with no result. I turned on the hazard lights so traffic could attempt to move around me. I tried twice more. Nothing. I couldn-??t get the Pilot to either start or completely turn off. Finally, while I was thinking about what to do next, the Pilot completely shut down on its own. I was able to restart the car normally. Prior to this there were no warning lights, and no signs of failure. The idle-stop usually works fine. No one has inspected the vehicle yet. This incident put me and my family at risk as I was in the middle lane of Milwaukee Avenue in heavy traffic, with no way to start the car or turn it off. I turned off the idle-stop feature to drive the 100+ miles home. I-??ll call the dealer Monday morning.

- Bloomington, IL, USA

problem #14

Jun 232022

Pilot

  • miles

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

New car battery and car died while waiting at a light. The vehicle idle/stop system kicked in but car was not able to restart. While lights were still available on dashboard, the emergency hazards would not show nor could I put the car in neutral. The dealer looked at this problem twice, first time stating this can just happen and this time they said the new battery was perhaps faulty and replaced the battery. Very dangerous situation as the car just died at the light and cars had no way of knowing the car was disabled as the hazards would not work. Had an emergency jumper pack and was able to move the car to get out of road before it died again- no option to push car as I could not put car in neutral. This is the 3rd time this issue with the battery dying has happened and dealer cannot supply an answer except to swap out the battery. Less than 1.5 years old and <26K miles.

- Center Moriches, NY, USA

problem #13

Apr 162022

Pilot

  • miles
The car's automatic engine shut-off feature when stopped at a red light failed to reengaged after removing foot from break the car shut down and the transmission button shifted into neutral and displayed a message that you must put your foot on the brake and shift the car to Park. The battery indicator light was flashing and everything turned off in the car. After doing this the car told me I must put my foot on the break and restart the car. It then allowed me to shift back into drive. The dealer was not able to recreate the issue, and no other things showed the issue other than the battery indicator lamp flashing on and off until the car was back in drive. The light I lost all power at was on a road with a 55 MPH speed limit. When the light turned green and the car lost all power there was another vehicle approaching, but I was not able to get the car moving fast enough to get out of the way.

- Powell, OH, USA

problem #12

Apr 232022

Pilot

  • miles
The cars automatic emergency breaking system malfunctions and randomly activates and applies the brakes while driving. This specific incident has occurred three times when entering the highway on ramp the "BRAKE" message is displayed in the car and the brakes have been applied as I've attempted to get up to speed entering the highway. There were no cars in front of the vehicle at the time the emergency breaking system applied the breaks. In addition, the braking system has applied when changing lanes on the highway with no vehicles or objects in front of the car and several times on curvy roads. I've taken it back to the Honda dealer and they have stated that no codes were stored and were not able to recreate the problem. However, the service advisor also informed me that they could not reset or make any changes as "there is pending litigation and investigations with the NTSB" I was charged $109 for a 'diagnosic fee' for a car that is still under the manufacturers waranty and told to watch for a recall at some point because their is nothing they are able to do to fix the problem because of the pending litigation/investigation. The incident happened two more times on my drive home from the dealership. There is no warning lamps that have come on or other symptoms that can be isolated, other than the "BRAKE" message appearing and the automatic breaking being applied. This is incredibly dangerous when the car drastically is slowed down for no reason on roads that have 45 + MPH speed limits.

- Powell, OH, USA

problem #11

Dec 142021

Pilot

  • miles
Our Pilot is brand new - we started noticing popping and cracking sounds from the dashboard. It is pretty loud. We thought it was possibly the radio but it continues with the radio off. We thought it was the dashboard contracting/expanding but it happens in all weather. It has become increasing loud and consistent and now any sounds from the stereo, regardless of input, skip and glitch and we turn it off and the popping and cracking sound continues seemingly from the speakers. We took it to the dealership for repair but they said they can't repair it. This is not acceptable for a new car.

- Temecula, CA, USA

problem #10

Dec 012020

Pilot

  • miles

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

I have been harassed and yelled at when driving my Black edition car. People are finding it offensive name and if I would have known this I would not have purchased. I have even got threats of harm due to the name in Atlanta. I can not even drive my car when I am going to certain parts of my job due to the fear that I have from the name and yells that I get.

- Cumming, GA, USA

problem #9

Aug 152021

Pilot

  • miles
At about 8600 miles between speeds of 38 -60 miles per hour, I began to notice and experience a tremendous wind noise coming from both driver and passenger windows. The vehicle has been to (2) two separate Honda dealerships on (4) four different times to address this issue, but the problem remains and or has not been fixed in spite of all the repairs made by the dealerships. I was advised by the dealerships that this is how Honda manufactured the vehicle and that there was nothing else the dealerships could do to fix the problem. Driving the vehicle is now problematic because of the wind noise, as it appears my windows are down, even though they are not. There is a safety concern because I do not know whether a panel, garnish or windshield might come apart, tear away and potentially create a hazardous condition for myself, passengers or even the other motorists.

- Laurel Hill, NC, USA

problem #8

Oct 162021

Pilot

  • miles
Driving down interstate. Sunny day 75 degrees. Moonroof exploded.

- Webb City, MO, USA

problem #7

Jul 302021

Pilot

  • miles
Loud popping and crackling noise emitting from speakers. Cannot turn them off, and causes major interruptions in navigation, radio, entertainment. Dealer said Falkra wiring is faulty, but is back-ordered, and could not even give us an estimate of when it would arrive. Essentially told us to suck it up, but it is more than distracting (my daughter actually said it gives her a headache) and I'm worried about larger (safety) issues if the wiring is indeed faulty. What if my other electrical systems malfunction as well?

- South Riding, VA, USA

problem #6

Jul 012021

Pilot

  • miles
The driver side mirror is loose. This is due to a defective batch of mirrors sold in a large number 2021 Honda Odysseys and 2021 Honda Pilots. Honda is aware of this issue. Other drivers are aware of this issue and the dealer has acknowledged this to me. At highway speeds, the driver side mirror vibrates and becomes unusable or distracting (i.e. unable to focus on objects while changing lanes, etc.) resulting in an unsafe driving experience. Bringing the car back to dealer results in them taking the mirror off, putting on more glue, and reattaching. This works for 1-2 months until the glue becomes loose again. According to the dealer, Honda has not come up with a permanent fix but does is not willing to install an entirely new mirror assembly. I believe this mirror issue justifies a recall for all defective vehicles and a permanent fix which may include an entire new mirror assembly if a permanent glue on the mirror actuator cannot be used.

- Bethesda, MD, USA

problem #5

Aug 242021

Pilot

  • miles
Driving down the road and the sunroof glass spontaneously shattered. Loud band and it just imploded raining glass pieces into the car. Local Honda dealer said they had seen several of these including one the day before. However, Honda would not cover it even though the car is only five months old and purchased brand new, top trim level.

- Easley, SC, USA

problem #4

Jul 082021

Pilot

  • miles
Within one week of purchase, the sideview mirrors were noted as shaking inside the housing. After a week of driving the mirrors are detaching from the housing. This has created a serious issue with visibility because of the movement but it will be worse if the mirror falls out. The Service Manager Douglas Burton and Sales Manager Craig Schwinn said that Honda "does not have a fix" for the issue. Douglas said that the mirrors should be taped down. Honda America has not responded to multiple requests for resolution.

- Gulfport, MS, USA

problem #3

Jan 192021

Pilot

  • 600 miles
When using the handsfree bluetooth function, the recipient cannot hear what was spoken as it makes boisterous/ static noise. This is even severe when the heater fan is on. Both ios and android phones observe the same results. My local Honda dealer says it is the characteristic of this model, and this is not acceptable.

- Scarborough, CA, USA

problem #2

Mar 142021

Pilot

  • 7,850 miles
Driving on 495 in Virginia North toward 66 near annandale at around 55 to 60 miles per hour on the beltway, non-toll portion, we were shocked to hear the sound of exploding glass followed by rushing air, like an open window. We looked all around the windows to see if there had been some sort of impact, but all windows including windshield were intact and free of damage. I realized from the whooshing sound that it was coming from the sunroof. The interior shade was closed at the time, but when I was able to safely stop the car, I realized that the glass had exploded upwards. Some small shards were still inside the shade as in the picture, but most appeared to have shot upward and back onto the highway. Apart from the sunroof, there were no signs of any damage or impact, and at the time that the explosion occurred, we looked all around to try and find any potential source of impact in case something had flown up from the road or fallen from above, but there was none (no debris anywhere nearby on the road, no overpasses nearby, etc.).

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #1

Nov 142020

Pilot

  • 1,500 miles
While driving for about an hour on the freeway the sound to my bluetooth audio quit. Then the apple carplay would not connect. When I got to the grocery store tryin to maneaver into a parking spot the backup camera did not work when I put in reverse. At first I thought I had pressed park instead of reverse but that was not the case. Not until I parked, shut the vehicle off and restarted it did everything start working properly ( at least for now). The vehicle has approximately 1500 miles on it. I have been reading about a recall on newer Pilot (Y7Y) and was wondering why my vehicle is not included since I am experiencing the same issue. I mention also that twice at about 500 miles I experienced the crackling noise in the audio that has been a problem with the 2018 and newer Pilot.

- Pinson, AL, USA

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