NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Honda Pilot. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
Honda has a TSB for all Pilots on all VINs under TSB 17-014. They are making us pay out of pocket for a known issue on all 2017 VINs. I was quoted a minimum of $700 due to the labor involved. We, as customers, shouldn't have to pay for a known issue with all VINs of 2017 Honda Pilots. It caused issues with cruise control and keeping speed on the road especially uphill. Sometimes it will shift extremely hard.
The front facing camera was working intermittently. When it wasn’t working all the advanced driving features would not work. After several months the car would intermittently go into limp mode per the dealership due to electrical confusion with all the codes/lights from the camera malfunction and shift while driving into neutral nearly causing me to have an accident while making a left hand turn. The camera had to be replaced at a large cost and they said it was not able to be repaired despite the fact that it worked perfectly 10% of engine starts
The auto idle stop feature restart did not work properly and instead the car froze in stop and go traffic on a freeway. Not only did the restart, not work properly in addition the car's electronics froze with multiple error messages on the dashboard coming up. I had to turn the car off by pressing the engine start/stop button, waiting and then restarting it like normal.
My 2017 Honda Pilot touring edition stopped suddenly in a busy intersection causing major traffic back up and dangerous situations until police officers showed up to help. I called road service and it would ne over an hour before i could get help. I was unable to place push button in neutral by several means to get out of traffic and with officers help. No means to override shifter to neutral in cabin. It was discovered on this model you needed to manually place in neutral under the hood after removing several items air filter covers and locating a specail screw which required a special tool to override which none of is had. I am at the dealership now and they are telling me the same thing. Very dangerous situation for me others with same year
Engine spun connecting rod bearing on Cylinder 1 just as described in TSB 23-097. Car shutoff going highway speeds on the interstate. The car is currently at the honda dealer getting an engine replacement. Honda OEM certified powertrain warranty will only put a used engine with potentially the same issue in the vehicle Check engine light, and transmission problem lights all came on. Engine initially reported a misfire and transmission complained of not enough torque coming from the engine.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a pinging noise coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine rod bearings were failing and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Emissions system error
Auto shut down/ restart does not work properly. Car was recalled for this issue and a software update was installed. However, car still will not restart after auto shut off. On several occassions we had to use car stop button and wait several minutes before car would restart. This left us stranded at busy intersections in heavy traffic. Very dangerous situation.
I am writing to file a complaint regarding a potential safety defect in my 2017 Honda Pilot. My vehicle is experiencing issues with the torque converter clutch, resulting in a P0741 error code. I am aware of Honda recall which addresses similar torque converter issues in 2017-2019 Honda Pilots. I believe my 2017 Honda Pilot should also be included in this recall as it exhibits the same defect. I urge NHTSA to investigate this matter and consider expanding the existing recall to include my vehicle.
In April my transmission started slipping and making a whirring noise. I took it to my dealership three times and they could never find a problem. In late June 2024 while driving back from OH to PA, the transmission died and left us stranded on [XXX] in WV with car zipping by. We spent several hundred dollars on towing, hotel rooms and rental cars. Had to leave our car in WV for two weeks for repair. The car was five hours from home. There is a lawsuit for the 9 speed transmission and I am here to confirm there is a problem. There was only 90000 miles on the car and all preventive services have been performed prior to transmission dying. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Late 2023 our Honda Pilot Touring had all lights and dash display systems come on while driving in town. The vehicle became extremely jerky and wouldn’t drive more than 15mph. Major engine vibration and systems failures. Had this happened while on the freeway it could have been a catastrophic accident. There were no symptoms prior to this issue happending. We towed the vehicle to Honda and they told us the cam shaft had worn out and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had just over 100k miles. Cam shaft and the cover were replaced as Honda admitted to poor tolerances in the manufacturing and this being a know issue. They never recalled only made the issue a service notice to dealerships. Well, about a year later and our Honda Pilot experiences the same issue. We have it towed to Honda and they say the engine is a complete loss. Needs a cam shaft again. Has a crack in the engine block. Has a fluid leak into the engine from the rods and piston area. Total loss and they want 15K to replace. We reach out to Honda of America for assistance in July of 24 and it took them over 3 months to respond and offer ZERO assistance or help. This issue is a known problem and we believe our engine is in the situation it is due to poor manufacturing and the previous issue with the poorly machined camshaft. It’s become clear that Honda doesn’t intend to build engines that last long and they no longer intend on supporting their customers who spend hard earned money expecting support.
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding Honda's refusal to address a known issue with my 2017 Honda Pilot Touring AWD, despite the existence of a service bulletin. My vehicle has been consistently experiencing error code P0430, which pertains to the catalytic converter and emissions system. This error happens while driving several times. Honda has issued a service bulletin (NHTSA ID: 10187006) to address this very issue, accessible in the attachement. I scheduled an appoitnment at Honda to request the repair outlined in the bulletin. Unfortunately, they have refused to perform the necessary repairs due to my vehicle having a salvage title. I want to emphasize that although my vehicle has a salvage title, there has never been any engine or mechanical damage that would affect the emissions system or components causing this error code. Additionally, I am not alone in experiencing this issue. Many members of the Honda Pilot community have reported the same problem, and there is a large Facebook group where numerous owners are discussing their frustrations with the P0430 error code. This widespread issue further demonstrates that Honda needs to address the defect, regardless of a vehicle's title status, particularly since it is unrelated to any previous damage or title condition. It is disappointing that Honda is using the salvage title as a reason to deny what should be a covered repair, as the service bulletin explicitly addresses this mechanical defect. Given the direct impact this has on emissions compliance and potentially broader safety and environmental concerns, I am seeking NHTSA’s assistance in urging Honda to comply with their own service bulletin and perform the necessary repairs. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I hope for a swift and fair resolution to ensure my vehicle is properly repaired according to the service bulletin.
Without any indication of a problem, the check engine light came on after turning off the car briefly. The car would not shift and the dash reads transmission problem. We had the car towed and we’re told we need a new transmission. There was 68,000 miles on the car and it has always been maintained.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. The VIN was not available.
Driver seat belt is too short especially when compared passenger seat belt. It's not safe.
Had an “Emission system” problem in Jan. 2024. The Honda services replaced fuel injector and other parts relating to the problem. However, 1,000 miles after the same problem showed up again and was told on 6/10/24 by the Honda services that problem is the same again after running a test. I tried contacting American Honda to check any recall and found out that anything relating to fuel injector has extended warranty. Today, 6/11/24, after I demand for free car loaner Honda services called to tell us that this time it was the catalityc converter fails. I’m very concern whether telling me the truth or not.
My engine seized up and needs to be replaced. There was no warning lights on, no check engine lights, no sounds coming from the engine. It wasn’t overheating. It just suddenly stopped working. It’s been properly maintained & now I have to replace it. There was metal shavings in the oil and I noticed how there were issues with the bearings on the 2016, 2018 & 2019. It’s just fishy that the problem was fixed for one year but then was an issue again for the next 2 years again.
High pressure fuel pump failed at 57,500 miles.
Very loud noise coming from high pressure fuel pump and intake hose (connector) is vibration rapidly. Had to replace high pressure fuel pump. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. was contacted and no help. Case #14731590
Horn stopped working which prevented notice to other car at stop backing up, resulting in a crash. Vehicle started turning itself on in accessory mode, flashing lights, disabling keyless entry and starting the vehicle and smelled of an electrical fire, was unable to disconnect battery due to unpredictable turning on and off at vehicles will. Brought vehicle to dealer who confirmed that it was a bad smart entry main control unit module which caused the horn to stop working and the vehicle to turn itself on.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
See attached document for complaint
Rod bearings failed causing metal fragments to enter causing engine failure. Inspected by local Honda dealership. They recommended that we place a claim with Honda Corporate. Claim was denied. We ended up paying to replace the engine out of pocket.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
The vehicle was driven from my house with a plan to reach destination about 30 miles away. 1st half was on back roads, the 2nd half was on highway. Once the vehicle reached the highway, the pilot started to overrev, loud bang, a bit of smoke from hood. Vehicle was pulled over on closest shoulder which was the left shoulder on highway. I had my 2 twin 4 year olds in the car and had to call someone to come get us safely off the highway with cars passing at high rates of speed while shuffling car seats and children off the highway. I then had it towed to a honda service center. They tried to crank the engine over and couldn't and stated it was seized. Since I was out of warranty by time and mileage (6.5 years and 61K miles), they wanted to charge me $1K for diagnostics and provided the quote for a used and new engine. Since they didn't diagnose first, I had it towed to another mechanic and he took the bottom splash guards off and there was oil all over and a hole in the lower engine block, which appeared to be caused by a broken rod.
I have a recall for fuel pump malfunction that was announced in December 2023. The first time I was notified was in February 2024 and today we are at the end of October 2024 (240 days) and there has been no update. My car failed to start twice and the battery was in good shape in May and July. The car constantly hesitates when trying to accelerate. Every time, I call a Honda dealer they tell me that the replacement for the item is not available. Upon checking for some affects that might be caused as a result of this recall, the fuel filter might get bad due to bad fuel pump, it might also affect the function of the fuel injectors, valves, and the whole fuel system. Honda wants to charge me just to take a look into this incident. I feel unsafe driving on highways or even in local areas as every time I try to accelerate, the car fails to go to full power and I am afraid that the car behind might hit me from the back if my car stops due to fuel pump failure. If the manufacturer or the dealer is unable to replace this part, I feel that they should change my car to a new car as I have been driving with this issue for over 8 months now with no visible progress.
Rod bearing failure, engine replacement required. Recall for 2016, 2018, 2019 Pilots for same issue.
Vehicle started making loud banging noises. Took to local independent mechanic. He said the engine rod bearing is bad and vehicle is unsafe to drive and could cause an accident if completely fails while driving. The car is available at my house. Called Honda of Bartlesville when engine light initially came on with code for engine problem and when I showed up, the one I talked to on phone acted like I never called about it then hid in the back room and wouldn't come out. The car was 150 miles from end of warranty. To drive it there it was over warranty, and this was discussed on phone call. The car was inspected by local mechanic. The first sign was around 50K miles and periodically come on. The dealership wouldn't do anything about it and ignored it when I discussed it. Car now has about 100 miles and is sitting in my driveway as I try to figure out what to do with it. The dealership new there were problems and avoided me and from what I am finding out, others. The mechanic had 4 other pilots same model behind his shop & said Honda's aren't what they used to be.
On April 30, 2024, while sitting at a traffic light waiting to turn, my Honda Pilot experienced a catastrophic engine failure. The driver heard a loud knocking sound and the engine failed. The driver was left to navigate to a safe area through traffic. The vehicle was towed to a nearby auto mechanic for evaluation. It was determined that a connecting rod had penetrated the engine block and that engine would not be salvageable. The vehicle was towed again to another auto mechanic, where the engine was removed and replaced with a used engine of the same make and model with other required support equipment (timing belt, water pump, miscellaneous belts and hardware) at a cost of $8656.00 Given the passage of approximately 15 months since the engine was replaced, the catastrophically failed engine is no longer available to be inspected. Thankfully the vehicle was stationary when the failure occurred or the driver may have been at greater risk. He did need to walk through a busy intersection to get to safety. The engine failure and replacement was performed and documented by an independent service center. The failed engine was not inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance carrier’s representatives. Only observed by the two independent service centers. There were no warning lamps, or no messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. This issue appears to be related to NHTSA investigation: PE25008
After owning 2017 pilot (brand new) for 3 to 4 years, started experiencing intermittent stalling at stops when auto idle engaged. Similar to many other complaints, car would stall out, entering into an accessory mode. At times takes several attempts to restart the car. Have replaced battery and had the software update related to the issue done at the dealer. However, the issue persists and we now much remember to turn off the auto idle feature every time we start the car, or else we will end up stalled after a stop - usually creating a very dangerous situation and infuriating the drivers around us.
Twice in the past week my 2017 Honda pilot equipped with the auto start/stop feature completely shuts off at traffic lights. Usually it turns back on but it completely shut down and would not restart at very busy intersections. I was very afraid of being rear ended while i was stuck there at the light, and this is a known issue that Honda has yet to address.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the failure might be related to Technical Service Bulletin: 17-015. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
When I turned on the engine for me 2017 Honda Pilot, check engine light and every system in the car had a problem. "AWD system problem", "Emissions system problem", "Steering problem" and many more. Went to the local honda dealer and they diagnosed it as a high pressure fuel pump problem. There is a recall for this fuel pump for te 2017-2020 Honda Pilot, but for the VIN # for my Pilot, there is no recall. That does not make any sense. Now I have to spend almost $2,000 to replace the fuel pump, which should be recalled.
The radio intermittently changes volume, brightness level, turns off/on all by itself. This has caused the volume to get so loud I have to take my eyes off the road. There has been several other complaints online about this. It's dangerous to be driving to have the radio all of a sudden startle everyone and the driver tries to fix it while driving
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? THE A/C COMPRESSOR IS BAD, REMOVED DISCHARGE HOSE AND FOUND METAL CONTAMINATION. NEED TO REPLACE ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE A/C SYSTEM. NEED TO REPLACE THE A/C COMPRESSOR, CONDENSER, EXPANSION VALVE, EVAPORATOR, DISCHARGE HOSE AND FLUSH LINES. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The safety of both the driver and passengers was compromised due to the malfunctioning air conditioning system in the 2017 Honda Pilot EX-L. Driving without a functional AC system can lead to discomfort, distraction, and potential health risks, especially during extreme weather conditions. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, problem has been confirmed by Honda of Bay County on 04 April 2024. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No
This vehicle has continued to have faulty fuel injectors. Upon investigation I found that American Honda Motor Inc. submitted a recall and that it was covered under warranty. I am a department of State employee overseas with this American made vehicle which has faulty fuel injectors. I asked that the Honda American company provide the fuel injector parts to the Mexican Honda company so my vehicle could be fixed and they refused. According to their customer service representatives “the warranty does not extend past the United States” and therefore they are not responsible for the faulty fuel injectors.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at 75 MPH, an abnormal, squeaking noise began to emit from the vehicle. As the contact continued to drive, the squeaking noise turned into a rattling noise as several warning messages then appeared on the instrument panel. The contact initially pulled over to call for assistance but managed to reach their destination despite the failure. The next day, the vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic was performed, and the vehicle was then diagnosed with engine failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was notified about the recall and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Over the past couple months, while driving the collision mitigation braking system would activate for no reason. As of 2 weeks ago, now my collision mitigation braking system does not work and on the dashboard display it shows collision mitigation system problem. I have read on multiple Honda boards and general internet search on this issue, many people are having the same issue. This issue has been affecting people for maybe 5 years. I’m wondering why this is not a safety recall for the Honda vehicles.
The engine start/stop intermittently fails to restart after idle stop. Yes, available for inspection upon request. I am unable to restart my car after an idle stop which causes danger by causing traffic jams and my vehicle to be idle on the road. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer or insurance company. There were no messages of failure.
It is the fuel pump recall I am in need of replacement. I have went to Honda and tried to have them look at it and they gave me a complete run around. My car begins to jerk and when I go to speed up the car doesn’t like to go. Honda said it wasn’t the fuel pump but I have had it looked else where and it is the pump. I drive everyday with my kids in the car. I feel like this is causing me anxiety and my safety for me and my kids.
I purchased my 2017 pilot in Oct 2022, when I test drove the car I asked the sales rep is it normal for it to take off like this with a little hesitation. He said yes and I believed him since I was use to CVT transmissions. A month later I had to take it back to the dealership for service with my RPM fluttering. After 8 hours of sitting there I ended up leaving the car and going home and picked up the next day. After all that, they told me that the did several flushes and had a software update. Now fast forward to March 2023, I am having problems again when going into second gear. I have only put 11,386 miles on my car in over a year. This year has a lot of issues with the transmissions. I bought my car certified and I will never buy another Honda. I think it should be some type of recall on this issue. You should not have engine problems on a HONDA (so everyone says they are the best) at this low millage. Not sure how to handle this or who to reach out too. Maybe get a lawyer.
I was driving on [XXX] and I suddenly started seeing that my vehicle gearshifting was a bit and I got a notification that there was a transmission problem. I immediately pulled over and turned off the vehicle for a few mins and then restarted it and the alert icon went away. Then as I was driving, I stopped at the signal and then tried to accelerate when the signal turned green, the gear shifting wasnt working correctly. I eventually took this to a mechanic and he told its a transmission problem. Then I took it to a transmission expert and he said that its something which I should take to a honda service technician since they would have advanced equipment for it. I took it to a dealership and they now said that I have to replace the transmission for the vehicle. Looking up online, there has been plenty of reports of issues with the 9 speed transmission in Honda but there hasnt been a recall for the 2017 Honda Pilot. Here are a few links [XXX] [XXX] https://www.google.com/search? [XXX] Now the dealership is asking me to pay close to $9000 to fix this issue. I tried to reach out to Honda customer support online and they didnt help either. I dont know how I should approach this and hence reaching out to NHTSA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Oil Bank sensors failed, causing the system emissions problem light to come on and essentially disable the vehicle in the middle of driving. It is a 2017 and had routine oil changes on time, there is no reason for the sensors to fail and put my car at risk as well as our lives.
For no reason the Alarm is going off randomly the dash lights, interior lights, driving lights and headlights are flashing and loud clicking noises come from the dash. This happens frequently and has been going on for some time. I have had to remove the fuse from the Horn to keep it from waking us up at night which creates a potentially dangerous situation if I forget to plug it back in. Also this keeps running down the battery and when it is doing this, it sometimes won't start. I worry about it damaging other electronic parts and causing a dangerous situation. Honda must be aware of this issue with the Pilots. You can search online and find hundreds of others that have experienced the same issue. The Honda Ridgeline has the same issue and they have issued a TSB for it. I find it totally irresponsible that they would try to correct the Ridgeline but not also the Pilot. They know the TPMS Control Units are the problem and they need to fix them.
Recall notice received February 2024. Contacted dealership in September 2024 for appointment to have recall completed. I was told no parts would be available in January 2025. Called in January 2025 and cannot get an appointment until May 2025 at two different local Honda dealerships. Outrageous safety neglect!
Passenger Side Front Strut assembly failing. Known issue with this series vehicle (2016-2022).
My 2017 Honda Pilot has a jerking issue when accelerating slowly or fast. It lags to accelerate. You can see the RPM gauge bounce when this happens. The "bucking" or "jerking" can be felt by the driver and sometimes the passenger but its not super noticeable. My vehicle has less than 60,000 miles on it currently. I have not changed the transmission fluid but this issue has only just started recently. My transmission fluid currently does not look brown or smell burnt. It looks the normal red color. There is no warning lights have appeared on the dashboard.
Auto engine idle continues to be problematic. Leaving me stranded in intersections and unable to restart my vehicle for minutes. Today when it happened it turned off my collision detection feature. I have taken to dealership several times, once they replaced fuel injectors due to related recall but since they show no issues.
I was driving in 80 mph traffic in and my car instantly lost all power while alarms starting blaring while I was changing lanes. I was unable to brake or to accelerate and had to coast — over 6 lanes of 5:00 traffic to a stop and was lucky we weren’t killed. According to the dealer, it’s a known issue with the fuel injectors and Honda is planning to repair it at their cost, but have no idea when they can do it because the parts are not available. We absolutely are lucky we weren’t killed.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.