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.
Complaint records
2020 Honda Pilot Complaints
469 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Honda Pilot, grouped by component category.
469 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 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?
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 88
ENGINE 41
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 37
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 25
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 21
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 21
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 16
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 16
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 15
POWER TRAIN 15
469 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Sep 2023 | POWER TRAIN | Rear differential driveshaft seal leaking fluid on driver side | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | SEATS | Another vehicle pulled out in front of me, I had to slam on my brakes to prevent accident. The second row passenger seat unlatched and slammed forward. Had my daughter been with me she would have been seriously hurt or worse. Her seat slammed forward and was lodged into the back of the front seat. I honestly do not believe this was related to her seat not being locked in place well on my behave. Anytime one of the second two seats are moved I make sure they are pushed back as far as they will go to give the kids the most leg available. I truly believe I had to hit my brakes so hard the seat latch/lock failed and released the seat. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I received a recall notice from NHTSA about my Pilot. The MOST cable connected needs to be replaced. I am writing because I have contacted two different dealerships. They are unable to address the defect until January 2024 or April 2024 respectively. You letter said that if the repair could not be done within 60 days of receiving the letter, to contact the NHTSA. The second dealership informed me that they only schedule one recall appointment per week, and that was why they can't fix it until April of next year. Please advise what I should do. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | Honda Auto-Idle Start/Stop system does not restart. Auto-Idle system will engage and sometimes not restart. This happens while at intersections (red lights/stop signs) and in traffic. Vehicle cuts off and can take several minutes to get the vehicle to turn back on. When it happens, it puts my safety at risk, along with any passengers, and any other vehicles nearby that might not notice my vehicle is disabled. Dealer is unable to replicate the issue. Honda America is aware of the issue. First occurrence 9/17/2022. 6/24/2023, 7/19/2023, 8/16/2023, 8/23/2023 all additional occurrences of same issue. Several of these I have video evidence of. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | When auto start/stop feature engages at times vehicle does not restart and will not restart. This has happened 5-6 times in heavy traffic leaving the car dead in the middle of the road until we repeatedly try to reset and restart. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I was stopped at a stop light with my auto-idle system engaged. When the light turned to green the auto-idle would not disengage leaving me stalled in traffic. When I pressed on the gas I got an error message about the 'anti-collision system' being offline. I had to restart the car to resolve the issue. The dealer/service center states no known issues. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | There have been a total of 11 (since 2020) incidents when I applied the brakes they did not engage fully and the SUV surged forward 2 feet and the engine was still trying to go forward even with brake pedal to the floor. I have had it looked at the dealership but they say nothing is wrong. They said the battery was not talking to the brakes and I got a new battery but the brakes are still not dependable. When I apply the brakes they still surge forward 1 - 2 feet the engine revs up trying to go forward. The music CD player works sometimes but not all the time. The brakes do not work all the time. The electrical system did not work - it wouldn't show the dash board. The dealership said they fixed it. Both side mirrors never stays where they are set. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Last week, my wife was picking up our 2 year old son from daycare in our 2020 Honda Pilot. She secured him in his car seat and placed her purse with the Honda key fob on the back seat and closed the door. The car somehow locked itself between the time she closed the door and attempted opening the front door, leaving my son locked in the back seat. The key fob battery had just recently been replaced so we are certain this is not a matter of the key fob battery being low. We needed to call the fire department to come and emergency open the car for us. Today, we did have a second key fob made at Honda for our vehicle so that we have a spare in the event this happens again closer to home. We are hoping to be reimbursed for this cost and the "diagnosis" fee we are being told by Honda Customer Support we need to pay for in order to diagnose what the issue might be. This is a MAJOR safety concern that Honda needs to review IMMEDIATELY. The key was inside of the vehicle while the vehicle was not on or in motion. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | July 21,2023 Pulled of highway and car went idle at a light car turned off completely and didnt turn on car turned on after 2 minutes. August 13, same situation happened car didnt turn on for 3 minutes. In May car was serviced forr idle recall and I never had this issue until now. The dealer says its a weak battery. But it only happened when it was on idle and not when I turn it on. I had kids in the car and just got off highway. I could have had an accident. The 2nd time it happened it said to put the car in park and restart the car. There were no issues prior to the failure. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | There is an intermittent problem with loud crackling noises coming from the speakers. The information center is turned off, but the crackling continues. It is either an electrical malfunction or a short of some sort. It is a distraction when driving and therefor a safety issue. There is a recall open with regards to the MOST cable for the camera but the camera does not have audio so it doesn't make sense that these would be related. We do not have many miles on the car and the information center is used primarily for navigation. Shutting it down in traffic is a safety issue because the driver is distracted. If this is an electrical short then there could also be a fire issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | BACK OVER PREVENTION | The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V431000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the contact drove her vehicle to a dealer prior to receiving the recall letter due to the failure of the camera image. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired, however, the rear view camera failure reoccurred. The contact was in reverse (R) and backing the vehicle up at approximately 3 MPH when the camera failed and she crashed into her mail box at the end of her drive way. The damage to the rear bumper was light. There were no injuries, the police were not called. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure. The failure mileage was 35,000. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: Yes Fire: No | 35,000 |
| Aug 2023 | ENGINE | The stop/start function for the engine engaged 3 times now when stopped at a stop sign on a hill incline. When I released the break for the car to start back up, the car went into neutral and shut off. I immediately put my foot back on the break so I did not roll backwards into another vehicle. This has happened 3 times now with near collisions so I am trying to drive with the feature turned off which is an inconvenience to turn it off every time I start the vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |