Complaint volume
388 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
2021 Honda Pilot Complaints
388 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Honda Pilot, grouped by component category.
388 Total complaints
12 Crash reports
1 Fire reports
7 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 unknown or other, electrical system, engine. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 12 crash reports, 1 fire report, 7 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 41 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 34,816 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to unknown or other, electrical system, engine?
- 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 2021 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.
2021 Honda Pilot
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Honda Pilot complaints?
12 Crash
1 Fire
7 Injury
0 Fatality
12 Towed
4 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Honda Pilot complaint categories?
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 38
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 35
ENGINE 30
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 27
AIR BAGS 22
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 19
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 16
VISIBILITY/WIPER 16
TIRES 13
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 11
388 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | I have been harassed and yelled at when driving my Black edition car. People are finding it offensive name and if I would have known this I would not have purchased. I have even got threats of harm due to the name in Atlanta. I can not even drive my car when I am going to certain parts of my job due to the fear that I have from the name and yells that I get. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | POWER TRAIN | This vehicle has a pushbutton transmission "gear selector". It is IMPOSSIBLE per the owner's manual, and further confirmed by the dealership, to PLACE THIS VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL without the engine running. This is an unacceptable safety hazard. If the vehicle stops running in busy traffic or in an intersection, or otherwise in a zone such that imminent danger of collision is necessarily introduced, it is impossible to push the vehicle out of danger, off to the side of the road. Further it cannot be towed without necessary imparting damage to the drive train. Honda requires the owner to BUY A SPECIAL TOOL, Lock Release 07AAA-TZ3A100 which requires removal of underhood components to place the transmission in neutral, and it (apparently) cannot be maintained there without an extra person available to hold the tool against spring return pressure. This whole affair is simply UNBELIEVABLE. As I write this, there is NO INCIDENT, as the vehicle is relatively new to us. But I'm 61 years old, and have had to place inoperative cars in neutral to get them out of harms way, at least a dozen times in my life. Note that this shortcoming manifests itself as simply as whenever the vehicle runs out of gas. This cannot be allowed to happen. Are there no adults left in the building designing these cars? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | At about 8600 miles between speeds of 38 -60 miles per hour, I began to notice and experience a tremendous wind noise coming from both driver and passenger windows. The vehicle has been to (2) two separate Honda dealerships on (4) four different times to address this issue, but the problem remains and or has not been fixed in spite of all the repairs made by the dealerships. I was advised by the dealerships that this is how Honda manufactured the vehicle and that there was nothing else the dealerships could do to fix the problem. Driving the vehicle is now problematic because of the wind noise, as it appears my windows are down, even though they are not. There is a safety concern because I do not know whether a panel, garnish or windshield might come apart, tear away and potentially create a hazardous condition for myself, passengers or even the other motorists. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | SUSPENSION,ENGINE | Twice in the past 4 weeks, while driving, the car switches into Neutral. The car dash still says it is in Drive and the gear buttons still show “D/S” highlighted. However, the car is rev-ing the engine as if it is in neutral and the car is only rolling instead of driving. It lasts for about 10 seconds and then resumes working normally. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | TIRES | Purchased vehicle in August 2021. Discovered that driver side rear tire was completely flat while parked in my driveway. Noticeable gash in sidewall of tire Continental Crosscontact LX A376 D3K9 2321; 245/50R20 102H. Dealership had no explanation for the gash and since no recalls, had to pay nearly $300 for a new tire on a vehicle that was driven 2 months since purchased. My other tires are 2321, 2421, 2421, and the new tire is 4720. I saw there were two recalls for Pilot tires in the recent past and these tires should be reviewed as well. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Driving down interstate. Sunny day 75 degrees. Moonroof exploded. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2021 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 - 30 MPH, a loud bang noise was heard. The contact stated that the sunroof glass had exploded, and glass shards came inside of the vehicle and landed on the contact's hair and clothing. There was no impact on the sunroof that could have caused it to shatter. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer informed the contact that a stone must have hit the sunroof and referred the contact to file a claim with the insurance company. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Oct 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, he noticed that several warning lights illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact continued driving to his residence. The following day the warning lights disappeared. Several months later the failure recurred. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic related the failure to an unknown electrical failure and performed a software update to fix the vehicle. the contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,000 |
| Sep 2021 | ENGINE | Incident occurred 9/28/21 4:20 - 4:30 pm PST while driving in the 3rd lane of southbound 880 Highway about 1 mile before the the exit of 16th Ave & Embarcadero in the city of Oakland. The speed that the vehicle was moving at the time of the incident was between 50 to 55 MPH. The vehicle has more than half a tank of gas and the battery has never been discharged. Also all the required vehicle inspections and services has been performed by the same service center of San Leandro Honda since acquiring the vehicle on 2/10/21 from San Leandro Honda. There are 3 occupants in the vehicle; my wife, our 5 year old child and myself (driver). Our 2021 Honda Pilot EX-L with only 9,209 miles without any accident records started to show different kinds of warning signs lighting up on the dashboard, then followed by steering and engine failure. I immediately turn on the hazard lights and pointed the vehicle towards the right shoulder of the freeway. Thank goodness that at the time of the incident the traffic is heavier and moving slower. Also other motorists are accommodating enough to let us get to the shoulder without any accidents. If it was lighter traffic at the time it could have been devasted for us. Tow truck driver Manuel Escalante that works through FSP in partnership with CHP helped us get out of the shoulder of the 880 freeway onto a safer location in the city street to await further towing assistant from my roadside service with Honda. After getting towed by another tow truck driver to San Leandro Honda on 9/28/21, my vehicle still remain there. The service department haven't provided any detail report to why the engine seized from working while we were driving in the freeway. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | TIRES | Tire size 245/50R20102H Cross Contact LX Sport on Honda Pilot 2021. Vehicle was purchased in late June 2021, tire side wall exploded on 8/5/21. There was no pot hole, etc. Just exploded with about a 5 inch gash in the sidewall. There are recalls all around the date my tires were manufactured, however, somehow there is no warranty on mine?? I have a receipt where I paid a Honda Dealership $341.82 for the repair. I did not repair the rim, but it is also slightly damaged. When the explosion happened, I almost hit another car in the lane beside me. I had to really hold onto the wheel to keep it in my lane. I am VERY concerned for my safety and my kid's safety as I now have to ride on the same tires with similar dates of the recalls. I saw where there was a recall of these tires in Nov 2020, and then again in Feb 2021 where thousands more were affected....except nothing about mine. Strange. Attempts at dealing with the dealership or Continental have not worked at all. There were no reports filed, no attempts to even look at the situation. If my tire did the same thing as the recall, then there should be a recall on that tire as well. But how do you start a recall?? You would think if another tire was affected, they would want to know and care. My DOT dates are 0721, 0721, 0621, and 3420 is my new tire for some strange reason. South Carolina does not keep track of DOT dates, so how do I know that my tire before was not affected? I do not even know the date of the repaired one. They told me at the dealership after the fact, that they do no keep records on DOT numbers. Then, how do they keep track of the recall using my VIN number if they don't keep track of it. I am VERY concerned that this is being overlooked by Honda and Continental. I saw they even did a news piece on it. How much does it take? I have all receipts etc, however it will not upload as I have an iPhone and it does not accept HEIC pics . | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | STEERING,SUSPENSION | At accelerating speeds between 37mph and 62mph, the steering wheel trembles and vibrates and shakes profusely. At decelerating speeds between 62mph and 37mph steering wheel trembles and vibrates and shakes profusely. Entire vehicle begin to shake. Driving is hazardous. Vehicle has been and is still been inspected by certified repair centers and there is no solution and the issue remains. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | TIRES | I purchased a new 2021 Honda Pilot in April. The incident occurred on 9/25/2021 at approximately 1:52PM CST. I was driving in Illinois (on I-88 near Exit 132). I was driving at approximately 65 MPH. The road had no debris. The vehicle (tires) was operating smoothly. Then, suddenly, the rear passenger tire ruptured/blewout, making the vehicle dangerous to drive (dangerous for passengers and other vehicles and pedestrians/workers). There was no warning light. I pulled over and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority helped in replacing the ruptured/blownout tire (see pictures of tire to assess damage). Tire: 245/50R20 102H - Contenental CrossContact LX Sport - DOT A376 D3K9 0621. There was a recall on 2021 Honda Pilot tires. These tires may need to be recalled as well. I'm submitting my complaint to NHTSA. I have not yet contacted the dealership where I purchased the vehicle. Nor have I I discussed it with my insurance. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | On 2 different occasions within the last 2 days, the automatic emergency brake engaged for no reason. The first instance, I was driving down the road with a car in front of me about 3 car lengths ahead and a car in a left hand turning lane. For no reason the brake light engaged and the brakes hit hard but not fully. Thankfully the car behind me was far enough to not hit us as I had my child in the car. On the second instance, again with my family in the car, driving down a different road with no cars anywhere around us, going around a bend, the emergency brake engaged again and the brake hit hard but not fully. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Driver side mirror glass distorted and is available for inspection upon request. The driver side mirror distortion is difficult to see traffic causing a safety issue. Dealer has tried twice to repair with no final resolution. Service manager states Honda has inspected the review mirror issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The front end collision camera will register on coming traffic and warn me to brake. On one occasion the vehicle actually braked for me. Luckily I was only driving 25 MPH and there were no vehicles behind me. We took the vehicle to the dealer to have them look into the issue but they informed me that Honda did not currently have a fix for the issue and that I would have to turn the camera off every time I started the vehicle to prevent it from potentially braking for me and bringing me to a complete stop while driving. Our main concern is that the camera picks up an on coming vehicle and stops us while driving on the highway causing us to veer off the road or get rear ended potentially injuring us or other drivers. We have tried several times over the course of several months to contact Honda directly about the issue but they will not return our calls. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | VISIBILITY | The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the driver’s side exterior rearview mirror was shaking forcefully, and the contact was unable to see the road or other vehicles. The contact was able to drive to his destination. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The contact took the vehicle to a second dealer; Honda of Kenosha (12180 77th St, Bristol, WI 53104, (262) 891-6300) where it was diagnosed with needing the driver’s side exterior rearview mirror to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but the repair was pending. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20. | Crash: No Fire: No | 20 |
| Sep 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION | Loud popping and crackling noise emitting from speakers. Cannot turn them off, and causes major interruptions in navigation, radio, entertainment. Dealer said Falkra wiring is faulty, but is back-ordered, and could not even give us an estimate of when it would arrive. Essentially told us to suck it up, but it is more than distracting (my daughter actually said it gives her a headache) and I'm worried about larger (safety) issues if the wiring is indeed faulty. What if my other electrical systems malfunction as well? | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The driver side mirror is loose. This is due to a defective batch of mirrors sold in a large number 2021 Honda Odysseys and 2021 Honda Pilots. Honda is aware of this issue. Other drivers are aware of this issue and the dealer has acknowledged this to me. At highway speeds, the driver side mirror vibrates and becomes unusable or distracting (i.e. unable to focus on objects while changing lanes, etc.) resulting in an unsafe driving experience. Bringing the car back to dealer results in them taking the mirror off, putting on more glue, and reattaching. This works for 1-2 months until the glue becomes loose again. According to the dealer, Honda has not come up with a permanent fix but does is not willing to install an entirely new mirror assembly. I believe this mirror issue justifies a recall for all defective vehicles and a permanent fix which may include an entire new mirror assembly if a permanent glue on the mirror actuator cannot be used. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Driving down the road and the sunroof glass spontaneously shattered. Loud band and it just imploded raining glass pieces into the car. Local Honda dealer said they had seen several of these including one the day before. However, Honda would not cover it even though the car is only five months old and purchased brand new, top trim level. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Both side mirrors on the outside of the car shake and vibrate causing images in them to be blurry and hard to see. This is a safety issue, especially at night, because you cannot see truly where the vehicle beside you is. Only until the BSM comes on can you sometimes tell a car is beside you while driving at night. Notified dealer who said there was no permanent fix as of right now. On 7/3/2021 a service advisor did a band-aid fix of double sided tape on the passenger side mirror, but it is now shaking the exact same as before that was done. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | There is an issue with the electrical system in this car. The radio has intermittent static on any station and hands free calls drop after a short period. I have Googled this and it is a very common complaint on this type/year vehicle. I am concerned there are other electrical issues that may be more safety related. The dealer did a hard reboot of the computer, but nothing changed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | STRUCTURE | The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at high speeds, the driver's and passenger's side mirrors were shaking and vibrating which obscured the view of the driver. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and glue was added to secure the mirrors in place. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | Other/I am not sure | I have no idea | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2021 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | I have a major safety complaint with Honda’s computer system. I understand that Honda works hard to make their vehicles as safe as possible. With that said, on 7/29/21 around 9:40am I was driving on a country style road. Out of no where with nothing around me but trees the auto break safety feature came one. When this occurred I was jerked forward and got whiplashed. The car went from 40mph to 0mph immediately with no reason. As someone who has had concussions in the past this immediately gave me a headache. Thank goodness no one was behind me that would have rear-ended me. This issue with the auto break system occurs a couple times a week. Sometimes the breaks don’t enact but the break warning light comes on and shakes the stirring wheel in which is extremely distracting. With this being said we have brought it up to a Honda Service Member and the response back we got was: “Oh, yeah that happens sometimes. There’s nothing we can do about it”. The car is my leased by my spouse. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Within one week of purchase, the sideview mirrors were noted as shaking inside the housing. After a week of driving the mirrors are detaching from the housing. This has created a serious issue with visibility because of the movement but it will be worse if the mirror falls out. The Service Manager Douglas Burton and Sales Manager Craig Schwinn said that Honda "does not have a fix" for the issue. Douglas said that the mirrors should be taped down. Honda America has not responded to multiple requests for resolution. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |