Complaint volume
456 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
2020 Honda Pilot Complaints
456 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Honda Pilot, grouped by component category.
456 Total complaints
10 Crash reports
5 Fire reports
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.
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 143 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 15,413 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?
10 Crash
5 Fire
10 Injury
0 Fatality
11 Towed
6 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Honda Pilot complaint categories?
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 87
ENGINE 38
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 36
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 24
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 21
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 21
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 16
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 15
POWER TRAIN 15
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 13
456 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2024 | FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Honda announced this recall in December it keeps showing up on my HondaLink app. Yet here we are in February nearly 2 months after the recall & they still do not have a fix. How many people are driving their recalled vehicles? Sorry but all Honda is doing is trying to limit their liability by telling owners there is a problem & not offering a solution. They need to be forced to get these vehicles fixed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | SUSPENSION | I am told by Right Honda dealership in Scottsdale, AZ that the "front lower control arms" are tearing open after 3.5 years and approx. 48k miles. This is a premature failure that appears to have affected many other Honda owners. I am told that my steering can lose control as a result of this defect. The dealership charges over $1000 for this repair and it is just outside of warranty. Please investigate this dangerous defect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Passenger side floor soaked. Dealer said it was a grommet that was missing on ac line and was fixed. However the issue is still happening. Had to replace carpet and most likely will have to again. And the problem is still not fixed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Transmission was running hot causing the pilot to have a bad "jitter" when driving. The software had to be updated and transition had to be flushed a few times. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Since I bought the car in 2019, Movie CD does not work all the time. Fixed once. Automatic emergency breaking. It does not stop. Have taken it to the dealership at least 4 times and they say they are not able to replicate the problem. Set the cruise speed control and it does not work. Currently not working for over a month. The engine transmission does not stop the car and if it does work the car does not stop totally and car jumps 2-3 feet while foot is on brake. Dealership say they can not duplicate the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | Auto high bean is not working and no sign of auto( headlight on with letter A) on dashboard is not show. Trying to reset by holding high beam for 40 seconds still not working ( only blinking once), meaning still not working. That problem had after came back from recall on cracking sound inside speakers. Recently brought the car to Honda Beltsville, MD on January 15, 2024 about when stopping at traffic light when pressed the brakes hard the auto on/off engine is not working. Message on dashboard show that( the auto engine idle stop unavailable ). With my vehicle had 2 problems 1- light is not working on auto high beam and no sign on of auto headlight with letter A showing on dashboard. 2- auto on/off is still not working when stop at traffic light( Auto engine idle stop unavailable) massage on dashboard Please check this out, thank you. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | POWER TRAIN | 2020 Honda Pilot had started what was called Juddering by the dealer. Transmission upon acceleration will hesitate and jump hundreds of rpms up and down. I did research and was told also by the dealer Honda had issue with a torque converter within the transmission that I was told a bulletin extended the warranty on the 2017-19 pilots with 6 speed auto transmission. The 2020 I own has the same issue which the dealer confirmed but also told me my vin and model year is not covered. It is the same issue as the 17-19 and I'm concerned for me and my family's safety due to the transmissions' issue. Concern it will get much worse possibly breaking down on a longer highway trip which we will take sometimes 3 times per year. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | ENGINE | While driving the vehicle, it would randomly lose power. This has occurred 6 times in the last 7 months. All of them at an Interstate. Each occurrence has happened when the vehicle has been driven 2 or more hours. While driving, all of a sudden the gas pedal would not produce any power. IE. Could be driving 70 mph, then all of a sudden the gas pedal would stop responding. Each occurrence, would have to pump the gas pedal (1-3x). Eventually the power would kick on and the vehicle would go, sometimes launch you as if the gas pedal is being ‘floored’. After which, the vehicle drives normal again. However, there’s no certain moment to know when the power would cease. It could happen at any time. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | While driving the vehicle, all the aforementioned systems came on the cars dashboard stating that all of them have been turned off, and now there is a brake system issue with the vehicle. The car has 35000 miles and has not been in any accident or collision. Currently there is no warranty on the vehicle, but given that this is something that is impacting the safety of properly operating the vehicle and it’s safety equipment is not being made accessible to leverage is a major concern for a possible accident. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart after being jumpstarted. On another occasion while in reverse(R), the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart after being jumpstarted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2024 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V174000 (Visibility) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the recall repair was completed. The contact stated that after the recall repair was completed, the vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that when the camera system was enabled, the camera was inoperable and displayed a black screen. The dealer was contacted and made aware of the failure however, the contact was informed that the failure would not be honored by the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 44,616. | Crash: No Fire: No | 44,616 |
| Dec 2023 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Visors are defective on both the driver and passenger side. They are flopping down and impeding driver visibility, causing a safety hazard. According to my service advisor at the local Honda dealer, this is a known problem occurring as a result of warping plastic that holds the rod in the visor. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | SEAT BELTS | The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the driver’s side seat belt failed to lock securely in the buckle. The contact called the dealer who was unable to schedule an appointment to diagnose the vehicle until January. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V782000 (Seat Belts) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 30,000 |
| Nov 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | Car was park after I drop off wife to work after 30 minutes when back to the car started the engine and several warnings lights showed up in my dash check battery and alternator they are working fine. Replace battery and still have the problem .when to dealership and they told me camera in my windshield is bad. Checking in the forums I found out that several owner of Honda the have this issue with their vehicles . Can you guy’s please check into this matter. It will be appreciated no just me but a lot more owners like me thanks . [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | On four (4) separate incidents, my car has either abruptly stopped running (waiting at a stoplight) or not been able to start. When I push the Engine Start/ Stop button to restart the car, it does not start and several random warning and dashboard lights flash on and off like crazy. These incidents occurred twice before the recall was fixed and twice AFTER the recall was (supposedly) fixed. Please help as I don’t want to be stranded AGAIN! This car is only a few years old. Thank you | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | American Honda states they performed NHTSA Recall Number 23V-431 but rear view camera still does not operate correctly. They are stating that I must pay out of pocket to replace a different part to be able to have the rear view camera operational again and per the terms of the recall notice, I am to have this fixed without charge and within a reasonable amount of time. Please help! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | NHTSA Recall Number 23V-431 calls for cable connectors to be changed out due to poor connections resulting in the rear view camera image to function intermittingly or not display at all. Per Honda engineering, this repair is not sufficient to fix the issue and the main head unit has to be replaced too. Please include this as a part of this safety recall because of the safety issues it is causing as it relates to driver safety and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111, "Rear Visibility". | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was driving at low highway speeds when the Collision Mitigation Breaking System had a malfunction and became disabled while driving in traffic. There was an audible alert and visual alerts which popped up and became a distraction while driving as it was sudden unknown what was happening and if the car was safe to drive. I was able to continue to drive home. The next morning I took the car to the dealer. The dealer scanned and checked out the car, but was not able to replicate the problem. The warning disappeared prior to arriving at the dealer. There were no other warnings prior to the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | When stopping at a red light, my vehicle completely shut off (engine stopped, all lights went out, radio went blank) for a few seconds. The car turned back on (except for the engine). I was able to restart the engine after about 10 seconds, but I was stuck in the middle of traffic. I disabled the engine idol-stop feature. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The sensors alerted me to Brake in an emergent flash and then slammed the brakes - when there was nothing in front of me. It happens when the car is going faster than 45 mph. It has happened on three separate occasions and the third time almost caused an accident on a two lane road traveling 55 mph | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The infotainment system that controls all audio and backup cameras to the car has been malfunctioning for years. The problem is the system will shut it self off and remain non functional for long periods of time then will turn itself back on at anytime. The dealer (with aid from Honda Field service tech) have evaluated the car multiple times and addressed the issue. Each time the same issue return. There has been multiple recalls for the issue and they have all been addressed but then the problems always return. While the system is down no audio feature of the car is available such as audible backup warning, audible collision warnings etc. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | as I am driving down a 2 lane road( the road can be flat or hilly or curve right or left) the brake warning light comes on falsely when a car is approaching me from the opposite way and the brake warning light displays and sometimes it shakes the wheel. this falsely is indicating that I am needing to brake to avoid a collision when there is NOT an chance at a collision is going to happen. we were a Honda dealer from 1971 until 2020 with multiple manufacturer's and have NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN on ANY VEHICLE until I bought this 2020 Honda Pilot EXL for my own personal use. I bought my daughter the exact same year make and model and her 2020 Honda Pilot is not doing this and neither are the 2 other cars in our household having this problem (2019 and 2023). I have taken it to the dealer multiple times and a Honda engineer has looked at it but it is my option after many trips to the dealer and phone calls that they do not know how to fix or do not want to fix it. NO ONE WOULD BUY A 2023 HONDA PILOT IF THIS LIGHT WOULD GO OFF ON A TEST DRIVE! please help | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, the Auto START/STOP feature activated; however, after releasing the brake pedal, the engine failed to restart. Additionally, the transmission had erroneously shifted into neural. The contact stated that the vehicle was turned off and shifted into park before pressing the START/STOP button to restart the vehicle. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed a software update, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 20,000 |
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Numerous times while stopped at a red light/stop sign/traffic, the auto idle stop feature will kick in, but then the car will not immediately restart. Most times if the car is then turned all the way off and put in park it will restart. Now two different times, it would not start back up at all causing to car to be stuck in the middle of the road and requiring it to be towed. Prior to the incident occurring there were no warning lights or error messages. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | The engine failed to start after being stopped at a red light. I engaged the gas and the entire car just shut down. I was stuck at the light in the middle lane with cars honking all around me. I attempted to put the car in drive, neutral, park and nothing worked. Somehow I was able to restart the car after many cycles of the light. This came out of nowhere; i.e. - it's never happened to me prior and is a HUGE safety issue. After doing some research, it seems this is an issue many Honda owners are complaining about. The incident occurred to me just as many others are detailing the exact same issue. To date, no one has inspected the vehicle but an appointment with the dealership has been made. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to this occurring. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |