Complaint volume
421 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Honda Pilot Complaints
421 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Honda Pilot, grouped by component category.
421 Total complaints
9 Crash reports
2 Fire reports
8 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, fuel system, gasoline, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 9 crash reports, 2 fire reports, 8 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 104 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 57,848 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, fuel system, gasoline, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Honda Pilot?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Honda Pilot
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Honda Pilot complaints?
9 Crash
2 Fire
8 Injury
0 Fatality
18 Towed
3 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Honda Pilot complaint categories?
ENGINE 62
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 53
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 35
POWER TRAIN 31
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 23
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 22
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 19
SEAT BELTS 11
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 10
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 9
421 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2019 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | SIDE DOOR GLASS SPONTANEOUSLY EXPLODING. WE WERE IN MOTION 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. NO OTHER CARS AROUND US OR AROUND ANY HOUSES. WINDOW WENT BOOM AND JUST EXPLODED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 15,000 |
| Feb 2019 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE IN COVERED PARKING GARAGE. CAR ENGINE REVVED WHILE PULLING INTO SPACE. BRAKES APPLIED LEAVING SKID MARKS ON CONCRETE. CAR WAS DAMAGED BE HITTING CONCRETE RETAINING WALL. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 | 5,800 |
| Feb 2019 | SEAT BELTS | THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT IS CONSIDERABLY SHORTER THAN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT BELT. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT IS SO CONSTRICTING THAT YOU CAN'T TURN TO LOOK WHEN CHANGING LANES. SO THE NEED TO DRIVE WITHOUT USING THE SEAT BELT IS AN ISSUE OF SAFETY. I AM AN AVERAGE SIZE PERSON AND THIS HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM IN ANY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE OWNED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 139 |
| Feb 2019 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | IN MAY 2018 I PURCHASED A NEW 2018 HONDA PILOT. UNFORTUNATELY DURING THIS FIRST WINTER I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE A FUNCTIONING HEATER. AS SOON AS THE WEATHER TURNED COLD I NOTICED THAT THIS NEW HONDA PILOT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT HEAT. WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE HEATER FUNCTIONS OK BUT DURING CITY DRIVING, OR ESPECIALLY AT IDLE, THE TEMPERATURE FALLS WELL BELOW ANY ACCEPTABLE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS. BELOW IS A CHART SHOWING A COMPARISON BETWEEN A FUNCTIONING HEATER IN A 2014 CRV VERSUS THIS NEW 2018 HONDA PILOT. PLEASE NOTE THE DIFFERENCES IN OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURES: THE CRV MEASUREMENTS WERE TAKEN AT AN OUTSIDE AIR TEMP OF -8 WHILE THE PILOT DATA WAS RECORDED WITH AN OUTSIDE AIR TEMP OF + 8. THE VENT TEMPERATURE VARIES CONSIDERABLY BASED ON THE ENGINE RPM. WHILE ACCELERATING THE TEMPERATURE IS WARM / HOT BUT WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC OR STOPPED THE TEMPERATURE CAN DROP 80 DEGREES OR MORE IN 1-2 MINUTES. BASED ON THIS DATA, I MADE TWO SEPARATE APPOINTMENTS TO HAVE THE PILOT SERVICED UNDER WARRANTY AT MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER. THE WEATHER ON THE 2ND VISIT WAS COLD (-17 DEGREES F). THEY 'VERIFIED THE COMPLAINT' AND FOUND THAT THE VENT TEMPERATURE FROM A FULLY WARMED UP ENGINE WAS 28 DEGREES (YES, BELOW FREEZING!). THEY SAID THEY HAVE ANOTHER PILOT IN THEIR SHOP THAT DOES THE SAME THING THEREFORE THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MINE AND CONSIDERED MINE AS FUNCTIONING 'NORMAL'. THEY DID NOT DO ANY DIAGNOSTIC WORK AND REFUSED TO DO ANY WORK, EVEN SIMPLE WORK SUCH AS TRYING TO FLUSH THE HEATER CORE OR REMOVE ANY AIR FROM THE SYSTEM. THEY STATED THAT HONDA PUT IN AN UNDERSIZED HEATER CORE IN THE PILOT AND THEREFORE THEY WERE NOT GOING TO WASTE THEIR TIME TRYING TO FIX. SINCE I LIVE IN CHICAGO THERE ARE 5 MONTHS OF COLD WEATHER SO I DO NOT CONSIDER A LACK OF HEAT A MINOR INCONVENIENCE NOR AN ACCEPTABLE TO LIVE WITH. | Crash: No Fire: No | 14,000 |
| Feb 2019 | POWER TRAIN | TRANSMISSION JERKS, HESITATES AND/OR CLUNKS WHEN CHANGING AND/OR ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE TO NEXT HIGHER GEAR, HESITATES AND/OR REVERTS TO NEXT LOWER GEAR WHEN IT SHOULD SHIFT TO NEXT GEAR. THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING ON LEVEL SURFACES AND DOWN HILLS CAUSING PASSENGERS TO JERK FORWARDED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT EXPECTATION. HONDA DEALER KEPT VEHICLE FOR 2 DAYS AND DID NOT FIND ANY ISSUES. PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW IN APRIL 2018, HAD SAME PROBLEM SINCE WEEK #1. WHEN SHIFTING MANUALLY DOES NOT EXPERIENCE HESITATION OR GEAR HUNTING BUT CLANKING STILL EXISTS. THESE EVENTS HAPPEN REGARDLESS OF ROAD SURFACE TYPE, SPEED OR INCLINE OF ROAD. I NOTICED A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK AT THE TRANSMISSION GASKET DURING 1ST OIL CHANGE AT 7500 MILES, UNDECIDES TO , (I.E., FROM PARK TO / FROM DRIVE; INTO/OUT | Crash: No Fire: No | 100 |
| Feb 2019 | SEAT BELTS | WHEN USING THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT, THERE IS NO EXTRA GIVE IN THE BELT. THE BELT IS VERY TIGHT AND THE DRIVER CAN NOT EVEN TURN TO CHECK THEIR BLIND SPOT. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE SINCE SEPTEMBER 2018. I HAVE TRIED ADJUSTING THE SEAT FURTHER AWAY FROM THE WHEEL, HOWEVER, THE BELT SEEMS TOO SHORT. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2019 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | MY 2018 HONDA PILOT ELITE TURNS ON THE "AUTO IDLE STOP" FEATURE EACH TIME I START THE VEHICLE. BASICALLY, THIS MEANS THAT THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHEN I'M AT A COMPLETE STOP. WHEN I RELEASE THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE STARTS AGAIN. HOWEVER, THERE IS LAG TIME BETWEEN THE TIME I RELEASE THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATION. THIS HAS NEARLY CAUSED A DEATHLY ACCIDENT ON MORE THAN A DOZEN OCCASIONS DURING THE PAST 6 MONTHS AT INTERSECTIONS. I'VE NEARLY BEEN T-BONED EACH AND EVERY TIME BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WILL SIMPLY NOT ACCELERATE AT THE PRECISE MOMENT WHEN I NEED IT TO. THERE IS OVER A 1 SECOND LAG BEFORE ACCELERATION OCCURS. PERHAPS THIS IS MEANT TO BE AN EMISSIONS CONTROL FEATURE, BUT IT COMES AT THE PRICE OF SAFETY. THIS "AUTO IDLE STOP" FEATURE MAKES THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE FOR FAMILIES. THERE SHOULD BE A PERMANENT ON/OFF SWITCH RATHER THAN HAVING TO TURN THIS FEATURE OFF EACH AND EVERY TIME I START THE VEHICLE. COMPLETELY UNSAFE! | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,000 |
| Jan 2019 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 2018 HONDA PILOT ELITE-- WHILE DRIVING ON A SMALL, CONGESTED, CURVY TWO-LANE ROAD, IN A POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATION, MY FRONTAL IMPACT SENSORS ALERTED ME TO FRONTAL IMPACT MULTIPLE TIMES BY SHAKING MY STEERING WHEEL. THE DASH LIGHTS ALSO FLASHED THE WORD "BRAKE" IN ORANGE AND BLACK. THIS SO-CALLED "SAFETY" FEATURE ALMOST CAUSE ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES ON THIS ROAD BECAUSE OF THE SHAKING STEERING WHEEL. THIS FRONTAL IMPACT ALERT ALWAYS OCCURRED WHEN A LARGE RV TYPE OF VEHICLE PASSED BY ME. ALTHOUGH I LATER DISCOVERED AN "OFF" SWITCH FOR THIS FRONTAL IMPACT ALERT SYSTEM, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TURN OFF MULTIPLE "SAFETY" SENSORS EVERY TIME I START THE VEHICLE. IF YOU DO NOT TURN OFF THESE "SAFETY" SENSORS, THEY WILL ACTUAL CREATE UNSAFE CONDITIONS BY SHAKING YOUR STEERING WHEEL. | Crash: No Fire: No | 10,000 |
| Dec 2018 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | VEHICLE AUTO LOCKED WITH KEYS IN CAR AND COULD NOT UNLOCK. FORTUNATELY, CAR WAS IN MY GARAGE AND DID NOT CREATE A SAFETY ISSUE. HOWEVER, HAD THIS OCCURRED IN THE SUMMER WITH A SMALL CHILD OR PET INSIDE, IT COULD HAVE BEEN AN EXTREME SAFETY HAZARD, POSSIBLY LEADING TO FATAL CONSEQUENCES. THIS VEHICLE IS NEVER SUPPOSED TO LOCK WITH KEYS IN THE CAR. | Crash: No Fire: No | 5,500 |
| Dec 2018 | SEATS,VISIBILITY/WIPER | DRIVER'S SEAT SINKS AND CHANGES THE SEAT/MIRROR FIELD OF VISION OF THE REAR VIEW MIRRORS. THIS "SINK" HAPPENS SLOWLY (AND WITHOUT NOTICE) CAUSING DANGEROUS BLIND SPOT SITUATIONS WHILE DRIVING AND PARKING. THE "SINK" BEGAN ON FIRST DAY OF OWNERSHIP BUT I DIDN'T REALIZE IT AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE IN SEAT VS REAR VIEW MIRROR POSITION. I AM THE ONLY DRIVER OF SUV. MALE, 69 YEARS OLD. 180 LBS. DRIVER'S SEAT SLOWLY SINKS OVER TIME. APPROXIMATELY 2-5" PER DAY. WHILE DRIVING, IN ALL INSTANCES. ALSO WHEN THE SUV IS SITTING PARKED AND EMPTY OF PASSENGERS, BUT SINK IS SLOWER. DEALER AND HONDA MAIN PHONE COMPLAINT SITE SAY IT IS NORMAL. SERVICE WOMAN AT LOCAL BETTEN-BAKER HONDA SAID SHE HAS 2016 PILOT WITH THE SAME SEAT AND ISSUE. SAID THE SINK IS NORMAL. I BELIEVE IT IS POSSIBLY A LEAKING AIR BLADDER. CAUSE UNKNOWN. LX MODEL WITH 5000 MILES. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2018 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | HIGHWAY DRIVING, APPARENTLY A SMALL STONE HIT THE WINDSHIELD. (PICTURE ATTACHED) AND THE WINDSHIELD CRACKED. THE STONE IN BARLEY 1/4 INCH IN SIZE. THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL SITUATION, A WINDSHIELD SHOULD NOT CRACK, THIS IS A NORMAL DRIVING SITUATION. THE ISM'S WINDSHIELD IS ON BACK ORDER, AND WILL TAKE 4 WEEKS TO RECEIVE, AS ONLY HONDA CAN RECALIBRATE THIS AT THIS TIME, THEY WILL ONLY RECALIBRATE AN OEM WINDSHIELD. | Crash: No Fire: No | 15,000 |
| Nov 2018 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | VEHICLE WAS STOPPED IN A PARKING LOT IN "DRIVE" WITH THE AUTO-IDLE FEATURE IN USE. CAR WOULD NOT RE-START WHEN FOOT TAKEN OFF BRAKE. RADIO CUT OUT BRIEFLY AS WELL. DASHBOARD LIT UP WITH MANY ERROR MESSAGES - ONE OF THEM WAS "COLLISION MITIGATION PROBLEM" OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. PLACED CAR IN PARK AND PUSHED START BUTTON NUMEROUS TIMES. ONLY GOT CLICKING SOUNDS, WITH OCCASIONAL ENGINE TURNOVER NOISE, BUT IT WOULDN'T START. TURNED OFF A/C AND RADIO. CAR FINALLY STARTED AFTER SEVERAL MORE MINUTES OF PUSHING START BUTTON WHILE IN PARK WITH FOOT ON BRAKE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 56,000 |
| Nov 2018 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | WHILE DRIVING ON A STATE HIGHWAY, TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, I HEARD A LOUD 'POP' AND SAW DEBRIS FLY IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR. AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS A TIRE, BUT FOUND MY SUNROOF HAD EXPLODED. THERE WERE NO ROCKS, PROJECTILES, ETC, AND NO OVERHEAD STRUCTURES WHERE SOMETHING COULD HAVE FALLEN. THE GLASS BLEW OUT AS IT MAY HAVE BEEN UNDER STRESS AND NOT IN AS IF SOMETHING MAY HAVE HIT IT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,700 |
| Oct 2018 | SEAT BELTS | DRIVER'S FRONT SEAT BELT IS DRASTICALLY SHORTER THAN PASSENGER FRONT SEAT BELT. I AM RESTRICTED IN ABILITY TO LOOK AROUND AND MAKE SURE THERE IS NO OTHER VEHICLE IN MY BLIND SPOT. THERE IS NO FIX FOR THIS PER THE DEALER AS HONDA DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE AN ERROR. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE MANUFACTURER. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2018 | SEAT BELTS | THE DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT ON MY 2018 HONDA PILOT IS NOT THE STANDARD SIZE AND IS SHORT. IT DOES NOT EXTEND LIKE THE PASSENGER SEATBELT AND PREVENTS THE DRIVER FROM LEANING FORWARD TO CHECK OUT IT IS SAFE TO TURN. THE DRIVER SEATBELT DOES NOT LOCK IN PLACE WHEN STOPPING VEHICLE. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2018 | SEAT BELTS | DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT IS SHORT LOCKS. IN ADDITION, IT PROHIBITS AND RESTRICTS DRIVER FROM LEANING FORWARD. THIS CAUSES AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2018 | STRUCTURE | THE MOONROOF SHATTERED EXPLODING GLASS. THE VEHICLE WAS ON A HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT 60MPH. THERE WAS JUST A LOUD NOISE AND BOOM. WE OWNED THE CAR JUST FOUR MONTHS AND IT HAS ONLY 6,200 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 6,200 |
| Aug 2018 | STRUCTURE | ON MY 2018 HONDA PILOT - EXL, THE SUNROOF EXPLODED TWICE (SHATTERED). THE FIRST TIME WAS ON FEB 2018 AND THE SECOND TIME WAS ON JULY 2018. | Crash: No Fire: No | 23,000 |
| Jul 2018 | SEAT BELTS | THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT IS TOO SHORT. IT IS TIGHT ACROSS MY CHEST AND THE LEFT SIDE OF MY NECK. THE DEALER OFFERS NO FIX FOR THE OTHER THAN A SEAT BELT EXTENDER WHICH HONDA DOES NOT SELL. I AM 5'2' TALL AND 220 LBS. YES I AM OVER WEIGHT BUT I'VE OWNED 8 OTHER HONDA'S AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. I AM NOW STUCK WITH A BRAND NEW VHICLE I DON'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING. | Crash: No Fire: No | 250 |
| May 2018 | SEAT BELTS | DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT IS TOO SHORT, NOT AS LONG AS PASSENGERS SEAT BELT. IT PROHIBITS / RESTRICTS LEANING FORWARD TO CHECK ONCOMING TRAFFIC (BOTH LOOKING LEFT AND RIGHT) AT INTERSECTIONS AND MERGING SITUATIONS. I BELIEVE THIS CAUSES AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2018 | SEAT BELTS | THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT BELT IS MUCH SHORTER THAN THE PASSENGER SIDE. UNLESS YOU ARE AN EXTREMELY SMALL PERSON IT IS DIFFICULT TO MOVE OR CLEARLY LOOK AT YOUR BLIND SPOTS WHEN DRIVING. THE SEAT BELT SITS ACROSS YOUR NECK AND BREAST WHICH WOULD CAUSE MAJOR DAMAGE IN AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS A DESIGN FLAW. THIS SEAT BELT WAS MADE TOO SHORT. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |