469 Total complaints
10 Crash reports
5 Fire reports
10 Injury reports
Quick answer: The 2020 Honda Pilot has 469 consumer-submitted complaints in our database. The most common complaint categories are electrical system, engine, unknown or other. Enriched records show 10 crash reports, 5 fire reports, and 10 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.

Complaint volume

469 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.

Pattern to inspect

The most common categories are electrical system, engine, 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 10 crash reports, 5 fire reports, 10 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.

Mileage clue

Mileage is available on 144 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 15,993 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.

Questions to ask the seller

  • Have you had any problems related to electrical system, engine, 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 2020 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.

2020 Honda Pilot
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.

How severe are the 2020 Honda Pilot complaints?

Enriched complaint indicators from official bulk records.

10 Crash
5 Fire
10 Injury
0 Fatality
11 Towed
6 Medical attention

Mileage at failure is available on 144 complaints ; average reported mileage is 15,993 miles.

Most common incident states: TX (7), NC (5), GA (4), CA (3), OH (3), NJ (2), TN (2), IL (1).

What are the most common 2020 Honda Pilot complaint categories?

469 total complaints on record

Latest complaints

Showing 226-250 of 469 complaints.

Date Component Summary Severity Mileage
Aug 2023 UNKNOWN OR OTHER The adhesive that holds Headliner on this vehicle is causing it to separate from the ceiling and I’m concerned that it will fall and block my view when driving. Can cause a serious accident. We recently had a recall problem with the adhesive on the side view mirrors .
Incident: Jul 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2023 POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER On three separate occasions, after stopping at a traffic light or in a parking lot, I was unable to move my car. The first time, the transmission dropped into neutral and I was unable to get it to any other gear . I had to turn off and restart the car multiple times to get it into gear. I was on a heavily trafficked road with multiple cars behind me at the light. Turned my flashers on and prayed to not get hit. The second time. I was in a parking lot and was leaving. I pulled into a space to look for something and got a message to put the car in park. I was unable to do so. Had to turn off and restart the car twice before It would go into park. I then turned it off and back on and was able to get it into gear. Happened again on a 55 MPH road with my grandkids. Very scary. Honda dealer said that for a tiny second after the auto idle engaged the battery power was too low to restart the car. Their solution was for me to purchase a new battery. I feel this is an engineering and safety issue and was not properly addressed during the auto idle recall.
Incident: Jul 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2023 STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE The vehicle pulls hard to the right when the driver lets go of the steering wheel for a few sseconds. this happens with LKA on or off. This happens no matter which lane is being driven in or what speed. The alignment has been verified 4 different times at both an independent mechanic and Honda dealer. Honda is unwilling or unable to remedy the situation. New tores did not fix the pull, rotation did not correct it. They basically told us there was nothing wrong with the car. This is dangerous because the car will end up in the ditch if the driver is incapacitated or distracted for just a few seconds. This is an expensive vehicle that we were confident was safe. Our oldest will be driving this car in a few short weeks. Not sure we feel safe letting him.
Incident: Jun 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2023 FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the message "Brake" was displayed, and the vehicle shuddered while there was no vehicles or objects in front of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds with the Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control Mode activated, the collision mitigation braking system (CMBS) engaged abruptly while there were no vehicles or objects in front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer contacted the manufacturer, and a Honda engineer was sent to assist the dealer in diagnosing the vehicle; however, the engineer could not determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the Forward Collision Avoidance system malfunctioned due to the positioning of the Forward Collision Avoidance sensor in the front grille of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100.
Incident: Mar 2020
Crash: No Fire: No 100
Jul 2023 POWER TRAIN Vehicle suddenly looses power/shuts off at highway speed without warning. Vehicle starts and runs normally after incident. This incident has happened at speeds from 5 - 50 mph. Dealer was unable to retrieve any error codes. This stalling problem has occurred 7 times over the last 12 months.
Incident: Jun 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2023 SEAT BELTS In the third row seating, on the driver side, the seat belt buckle latch does not catch or secure the buckle.
Incident: Jul 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2023 STRUCTURE When driving, the driver and passenger side mirrors shake impairing the driver visibility. On many occasions it has become dangerous to see in the driver’s mirror because the images look distorted. I checked with Honda and they said only certain models have a recall on the same mirror issue.
Incident: Jan 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2023 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES My husband was getting off the highway when a car ahead of him braked suddenly. He attempted to hit the brakes, but the car did not stop. The automatic stop crash feature did not turn on. The abs did not work. Ultimately, crashing into the car ahead of him. Manufacturer Safety-related recall issued NHTSA #23V-174 Recall #FE5 2020-22 Multi-Model Door Mirror Glass Safety Recall Status: Remedy Available
Incident: Jul 2023
Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 2 Towed Medical attention Unknown
Jul 2023 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE 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.
Incident: Jun 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jul 2023 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 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.
Incident: Jul 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jun 2023 ENGINE 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.
Incident: Jun 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jun 2023 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Audio problem and the screen dashboard doesn’t work no connection Bluetooth we stop on the road trying to turn off the car but when we started we have same problem … I have videos I can’t upload
Incident: Sep 2021
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jun 2023 UNKNOWN OR OTHER Sunroof exploded without warning while driving on the highway at 75mph. The explosion was extremely loud and the scare could have caused me to cause an accident with other cars nearby. I had two little children with me in the car. Vehicle has been sitting at the dealership, with not ETA of part due to backorder.
Incident: Apr 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jun 2023 UNKNOWN OR OTHER On multiple occasions the FOB randomly locks the car. Last time this happened on this past Friday it was hot outside and I had to frantically break out the window to get my baby out.
Incident: Jun 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Jun 2023 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM We had the recall repair done for the crackling speakers issue but it started again and is worse. The crackling sounds like rocks hitting the windshield and scares the heck out of everyone in the vehicle. Now when it does this we also get a network failure notice on the infotainment screen and then the infotainment system shuts down. Sure wouldn't expect these issues with a $50 K dollar vehicle barely over 3 years old with only 24 K miles on it. This has happened 4 times since it started again. That's 4 times in the past 3 weeks.
Incident: Jun 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
May 2023 UNKNOWN OR OTHER There is a crackling/popping noise coming through the speakers and then a sudden loud noise and the audio system will shut off. The warning sounds from the safety features also stop working when the loud noise happens. The noise is quite shocking when you are driving. The audio system has to be restarted to work again.
Incident: May 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
May 2023 UNKNOWN OR OTHER I brought the vehicle in on March 23, 2023, the side view mirror has seemed to shake for some time, we were told we just needed a new mirror and at $400, decided to not immediately repair, approximately 2 weeks later I went to the car wash and the sideview mirror came out and smashed against my window. I am told my vehicle is not part of the recall, but I had mentioned the mirror seeming to be not secure in the past.
Incident: Mar 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
May 2023 VISIBILITY While driving on a highway, my sunroof exploded. There were no other vehicles near me and nothing hit the vehicle or sunroof. Shards of glass came loose from the vehicle thankfully my sunshade was closed, or the glass would have entered the cabin.
Incident: May 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
May 2023 VISIBILITY There is an active safety recall for the passenger side view mirrors due to risk of mirrors detaching. I brought my vehicle in to have the recall addressed and the mirror replaced and the mirror that it was replaced with is defective. The images are warped as if you are looking in a fun mirror. It is very dizzying/distracting and I am concerned that is it an extreme safety hazard while driving. The service manager at Honda had told me that he has had multiple customers complain about the replacement mirrors and he is being told by Honda there is nothing that can be done about it. I am extremely concerned about the safety of myself and my small children while driving this vehicle with this faulty mirror. I have attached images that show the distortion of the mirror in still images however, it is MUCH worse while the vehicle is in motion.
Incident: May 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
May 2023 UNKNOWN OR OTHER From the time we purchased the vehicle, the radio suffered from popping and crackling in the speaker. It was repaired but the problem persisted. Starting this year, the center console that controls the radio as well the back up camera will shut down with the following failure "Network Communication Lost, MOST Net Off". This results in unexpected use of our rear back up camera as well as the additional features the center console provides. In total, Honda has attempted to repair this vehicle 4 times and have not been successful. My concern is if the rear camera fails as I am backing out of a parking spot, I do fear in that moment I could hit another vehicle or pedestrian.
Incident: Feb 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Apr 2023 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated with a faint smell of a gasoline odor. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel injectors and joint pipe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact believed that the vehicle was included in an unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.
Incident: Apr 2023
Crash: No Fire: No 34,000
Apr 2023 UNKNOWN OR OTHER Purchased the vehicle in Salisbury, MD, now live in Hagerstown, MD. Between the dealer purchased from (Pohanka Honda) and the dealer where we live (Hagerstown Honda) I can not get the recall corrected. One dealer tells me to call the other then the other dealer tells me to call the first dealer. I’ve tried and tried to get this resolved with no satisfaction.
Incident: Apr 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Apr 2023 POWER TRAIN When driving on ice conditions coating to a stop, my newly perchased used vehicle jerked, transmission stuck on downshifts, so bad it started the vehicle into a slide until antilock breaks engaged while iwasnt breaking. Sometimes the transmission pushes on downshifts on dry ground while breaking. Took it to dealer and they said all normal. This could have caused an accident if other vehicles were nearby.
Incident: Feb 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Mar 2023 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Electrical components for navigation, hand free devices, back Up camera & radio have an advisory from HONDA. Can has been into dealership multiple times claiming to be “fixed” but when delivered it is not. Wiring harness for radio is on back order for 5+ months, but dealership is unsure if this will correct the problem. Another concern is that 60,000 warranty is within 10,000 miles of expiring.
Incident: Sep 2022
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown
Mar 2023 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING As I was driving vehicle it shut down. Dashboard went haywire as did the front panel, radio, windows. Could not turn on car at all, not even put it on neutral. Hazard lights did not work either.
Incident: Mar 2023
Crash: No Fire: No Unknown

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