There are 2 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2018 Honda Pilotin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Unknown. I was using cruise control maintaining approx 60mph. The car in front of me started to slow and I tapped the brake to disengage cruise control. The car lunged forward and the accelerator went towards the floor. I tried to turn the car off and the push button did not respond. As my speed increased I narrowly missed rear ending cars in front of me as I swerved in and out of lanes, with the brake pedal not responding. I drove into the dirt medium of the road on the left and pushed the shift into park and the car eventually slowed to a stop. I was very shook up and sat in this dangerous area until I was calm enough to start the car and see if I could get across the highway to an exit. I tried turning the car off twice before attempting this to see if I could get it to respond. Both times it responded and the light on the dash indicated to put it into Park. I made it across the highway to an exit where I drove around a parking lot for 1/2 hr turning the car on & off to see if it was safe to get it home. I did not touch cruise control again. It was nothing short of a miracle that I didn’t kill anyone on the road or myself.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE IN REVERSED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY TO GO ON THE MAIN ROAD, WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHEN HE DEPRESSED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE CONTINUE TO ACCELERATED AND WAS UNABLE TO STOP, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL THE VEHICLE WENT UP ON THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD AND CRASHED INTO A POLE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE BRAKING THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAINED INJURIES BUT STATED THAT THE NEXT DAY HE EXPERIENCED DIZZINESS AND BACK PAINED. THE CONTACT DID NOT SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WILL GET BACK TO HIM. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAVE NOT YET CONTACT HIM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 35,000.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026