2023 Honda Passport Owner Complaints

Purchased this 2023 Honda Passport on January 31, 2026 as a certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicle from Venice Honda, Venice Florida. On July 15, 2026, I noticed condensation inside the entire lens of my left headlight. The attached pictures will show no damage at all to the headlight. Venice Honda examined the vehicle and headlight on July 27, 2026 and upon completion the service tech stated that the CPO warrantee will not cover this headlight replacement. I advised the tech that on March 3, 2023, Honda released Technical Service Bulletin 23-024 regarding moisture in the headlights on 2019-2023 Passports. I am deeply concerned that enough moisture inside the headlight would cause corrosion leading to shorting out the headlight. Attached is Technical Service Bulletin 23-024.

NHTSA ID

11753370

Incident

Jul 15, 2026

these cars require a seat calibration after a deer collision. they say your seat sensors are shot and want $900 to fix your seat and recalibrate the system. they also say your passenger airbags will not work without fixing the seat. pure safety for ransome. two seat belts also exploded and the deer walked away. zero body damage to car. this stuff is a joke.

NHTSA ID

11753116

Incident

Sep 1, 2025

Auto braking same location regardless of traffic

NHTSA ID

11745489

Incident

Jan 8, 2024

I already took my car to honda dealer to fix the brake from shaking when it was around 10k miles. It is now happening again.

NHTSA ID

11743491

Incident

Apr 7, 2026

Sunroof while driving exploded - the boom was extremely scary

NHTSA ID

11741878

Incident

Jun 2, 2026

Air conditioning not working. 3 years 15,000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11738962

Incident

May 13, 2026

• Component/system that failed: A/C compressor (shaft seal leak confirmed by Mt. Kisco Honda dealer diagnosis). The vehicle is available for inspection. • Safety risk: No direct crash risk, but loss of A/C in hot weather (NY summers) reduces driver comfort and can cause fatigue or window fogging in certain conditions (e.g., defrost mode struggles when compressor doesn’t engage). No warning lamps or messages appeared. • Problem reproduced/confirmed: Yes — intermittent since the vehicle was new (~2 years). It was noticeable during summer months (works some days, fails others). In March 2026 it became consistent hot air. Dealer performed diagnostic (evacuate/recharge) and confirmed compressor leak. They recommend full compressor replacement (~$1,580). • Inspections: Inspected and diagnosed by Mt. Kisco Honda (Service Advisor [XXX] ). No police, insurance, or other third-party inspections. • Prior symptoms: Intermittent A/C failure (cold some days, warm/hot others, recirculate button resets) since purchase. Progressively worsened. No other warning lights or symptoms. Additional Details: This is a known issue on 2019–2025 Honda Passports, Pilots, and Ridgelines with the 3.5L V6 and R-1234yf refrigerant (oil causes premature shaft seal wear). Honda issued TSB 23-050 and 10-year warranty extensions for the identical problem on CR-V and Civic models. At only 37,000 miles, this appears to be a manufacturing/design-related defect present or developing from new. I have attached the dealer diagnostic paperwork. Please investigate for a potential recall or extended coverage. Case # with Honda Corporate: XXX INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11737955

Incident

Jun 12, 2024

When both the left and right rear passenger seatbelts are in use independently from each other, the seatbelt warning signal is initiated when a passenger is seated in the respected positional location. The warning signal is both visible and audible when a passenger is buckled in and seated.

NHTSA ID

11728429

Incident

Oct 3, 2025

Was driving through highway construction site. One lane, jersey walls close on both sides. A lane shift was forced by the jersey walls and my vehicle slammed the brakes causing me to need to very accurately control steering during this unnecessary emergency braking situation. Cars behind me had no way to drive around or a shoulder for an out. Traffic was heavy, lucky that no accident occurred. Other less dramatic events have occurred with the auto braking as well. The front collision warning without auto-braking occurs on nearly every drive.

NHTSA ID

11725541

Incident

Jun 12, 2024

Problem started at 11,000 miles as very minor and has become progressively worse up to the now 32,000. Vehicle has been to dealerships 5 times with no repair performed. THE MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE: Hesitation and gear searching on acceleration. Intermittent acuity. 3 times I needed to accelerate quickly in order to merge with 40 mph traffic from a stop sign. I stepped on the throttle and the vehicle lurched into traffic then lost power and gear searched for 3 seconds creating a potentially very serious incident. Once the gear engaged, the vehicle took off at a high rate of acceleration and speed causing yet another unsafe condition and making me look like a maniac. THE OTHER SYMPTOMS: 1) Hard Starting, sometimes vehicle seems to sputter, sometimes it revs hard on startup 2) Vehicle sometimes enters some kind of error state similar to the vehicle not being in park when the engine is shut down. An audible alarm sounds, like when the lights are left on or a key is left in the car, and the vehicle refuses to lock the doors on its own as usual. Visual inspection by the driver reveals nothing appears to be wrong. Lights are off, no key left, vehicle is in park. Powering back on, checking park indicator and turning back off seems to reset this condition. 3) Inconsistent accelerator pedal input. Sometimes the vehicle goes much harder or seems to be held back by something at other times. 4) Erratic torque distribution for AWD. Viewed from dash torque distribution readout. AWD engages 100% at all wheels at times of very light throttle on dry pavement. 5) Engine just sounds terrible at idle and at times of hard acceleration. 6) Rough acceleration. Choppy gear shifts. 7) Vehicle continues to push forward under power when throttle is lifted and brakes are applied causing harder than usual brake pedal pressure to be necessary and inconsistent vehicle slowing. 8) No CEL is on. 9) Constant minor weaving due to inconsistent AWD torque delivery. PROBLEM IS ONGOING

NHTSA ID

11725537

Incident

Aug 15, 2024

The contact owns a 2023 Honda Passport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) engaged while there were no vehicles or objects nearby. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the message "BRAKE" was displayed, the steering wheel vibrated, and the vehicle quickly decelerated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the dealer was not aware of the failure. The dealer advised the contact to deactivate the CMBS as needed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11721424

Incident

Jun 27, 2023

The push button gearshifting. I have accidentally hit reverse about 100 times since I’ve owned this car in six months. It ended up in a rear end collision with a parked car. Then when I tried to drive forward, I backed up again. The first time was intentional backing and I didn’t see the car behind me… the second time I was attempting to drive forward and I hit the reverse button again. It was instinctual. I hit the car twice.

NHTSA ID

11713498

Incident

Jan 19, 2026

While driving at highway speeds, I experienced multiple loud, intermittent double-knocking noises within a short period of time, followed by an additional grinding/rotational noise at low speeds. These noises were abnormal and raised immediate safety concerns, prompting me to bring the vehicle to a dealer that day. During inspection and test driving, the noise condition was confirmed. Further inspection revealed that a front brake caliper (flange) bolt was missing, and the brake caliper had shifted out of position. This bolt is a critical fastener that secures the brake caliper to the brake assembly and is available for inspection through service records. This condition posed a serious safety risk, as a shifted or unsecured brake caliper could result in reduced braking performance, brake failure, or wheel lock-up, potentially endangering vehicle occupants and other road users. The issue was confirmed by an authorized Honda service center, and the vehicle was inspected by manufacturer-authorized personnel. The vehicle was repaired at no charge by reinstalling the correct hardware and restoring the brake caliper to its proper position. One week later, I have come to find out this is a known issue, and Honda has issued a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) for 2023–2024 Honda Passport vehicles addressing loose or missing front brake caliper/flange bolts. I never received a recall notice or voluntary letter from Honda notifying me this might be an issue or to have it inspected. No warning lights or messages appeared prior to the incident; the only symptoms were the knocking noises at highway speeds and grinding noise at low speed.

NHTSA ID

11709507

Incident

Dec 29, 2025

my 2023 Honda passport is having shifting problems (high revs, slow nd unpredictable power to wheels)   harsh acceleration (not easy to safely /smoothly gauge power and speed from acceleration to wheel) high revs "stuck" --not shifting down smoothly/safely These issues are on going. I also researched and saw this has been reported b y other Honda Passport( 2023)  owners. I contacted dealer 10/16/25 to document the complaint and asked dealer to call me back if any service advisories or recalls, they said no, but a service advisor wuld contat me if they felt a follow up was needed.    Also, the vehicle had 'catastrophic' computer failure with power lost and warning lights within first 2 years --transmission lost power/engine still ran and forced into the breakdown lane and have vehicle towed.  . Dealer did some type of reset. VIN # 5FNYF8H59PB027063

NHTSA ID

11693792

Incident

Oct 16, 2025

When I'm driving my 2023 honda passport my steering wheel vibrates/shakes feels almost like the wheel is gonna come off. When I turn my steering wheel left or right driving or parked I hear a loud knock noise coming from under the front of my car. I have had multiple things checked and looked at and brand new tires and no matter what. When I get an alignment my car still pulls one way or another. I thinks its the steering gearbox

NHTSA ID

11687576

Incident

Aug 25, 2025

Transmission rolls freely when on an incline. Will roll backward when in drive also will roll forward when in reverse. could easily roll over small children or animals. yes problem was confirmed by dealer Has not been inspected by others Dealer tested other new vehicles and found same problem. Insisted this is normal with all electronic transmissions. Although manfacturer has added a button in later vehicles to fix the problem. no warnings or messages

NHTSA ID

11674831

Incident

Nov 30, 2024

Car feels sluggish and delays accelerating when driven. Occasionally will make a strange sounds when trying to accelerate. The automatic brake will engage when there no obstacle in front of me while I’m driving- has happened a few times since I bought the car. At times, the car will not turn on when the ignition button is selected for no apparent reason.

NHTSA ID

11671063

Incident

Mar 1, 2025

On 11 Apr 2025, I was driving my 2023 Honda Passport at night on a toll road in clear weather when my infant son began screaming in distress. I pulled over onto the shoulder, partially onto a dirt area with bushes for more space. I pressed the “Park” button, unbuckled my seatbelt, and opened the driver door to step out. As I did, the vehicle suddenly began rolling forward despite being in Park with the door open and the seatbelt off. I fell trying to exit and had to roll away from the vehicle as it continued moving. A passenger jumped into the front seat and stopped it. This wasn’t a lurch or slight movement the car rolled enough to put me in danger. It behaved as if it were in Neutral, not Park. I later tested the same conditions (engine running, door open, seatbelt off), and the vehicle auto-shifted to Park as designed. This confirms the safety feature failed in that moment. No warning lights, alerts, or error messages appeared before or during the incident. I reported the issue to Honda and asked the dealer to inspect the transmission and interlock systems. No faults or diagnostic codes were found. The service advisor said Park can take a second to engage, but the movement I experienced was excessive and unsafe. This is a serious safety concern, especially with children in the car. I’ve also seen other reports of similar issues in Passport and Pilot forums. I have manageable scrapes and a joint effusion in my knee

NHTSA ID

11654865

Incident

Apr 11, 2025

Tread separation on one of the tires at approximately 34K miles of driving and premature tread wear. 2023 Honda Passport, bought new from Classic Honda in Orlando Florida. Dealer wouldn't report it to Continental Tires and quoted me to install 2 new tires from the same brand (Continental) and after charging me alignment (that didn't solve the problem on my first visit).

NHTSA ID

11640232

Incident

Nov 23, 2024

My Auto-Electronic braking was randomly engaging while I was driving. It was unnecessary, & scary. It would just engage, then stop. Then, My Emissions Systems Light came on, & would NOT go off. I had to get to a safe place. The dealership told me to bring it to them, it NEVER WENT OFF THE WARNING WAS ON CONSISTENTLY. It Never Blinked or went off @ all. I was on the highway, & they kept it overnight. They told me they cleared it & THE EMISSIONS CODE NEVER CAME ON. YES, It DID. They still have it tonight bc I refused to take it back, when I was CLEARLY BEING TOLD I DID NOT SEE WHAT I SAW (EVEN PARKED) WHERE WOULD I GET THAT FROM IF THE LIGHT DIDN’T GO COME ON? They refused to acknowledge what happened, & as of right now I’m in a rental even though they wanted their rental back. It’s a 2023, bought brand new. Full Warranty, & They are putting People @ RISK. I DROVE AS SLOW AS I COULD, & FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS FROM THE OWNERS MANUAL. I Could have been re-ended, due to erratic braking, & my entire vehicle could be destroyed if HONDA REFUSES TO OWN UP TO THE MALFUNCTION. I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS W/THIS SUV SINCE THE 1st Week I bought it. I believe it should be taken back UNDER THE LEMON LAW! IT’S NOT SAFE! NOT even 7,000 miles on it yet. I bought it w/7 miles. IT started by saying I was departing my lane when I wasn’t for about a week, then the brakes would just slam on randomly. THEY SAID THEY RESET IT, they REFUSED TO CHANGE THE OIL @ 70%, had a new guy, who stated the EMISSIONS LIGHT DID NOT COME ON! It Did! I drove as slow as possible on the highway to get it to service bc I had NO CHOICE. They said the the camera was dirty, then the braking was fine, via the code went off, BUT DID NOT DRIVE IT. THEY LITERALLY CALLED ME A LIAR THAT THE EMISSIONS LIGHT DIDN’T COME ON. It was on when I drove it in, & left it. They DID NOT INSPECT EMISSIONS. Emissions has nothing to do with THEIR EXPLANATIONS. I don’t have an invoice yet, I refused taking it back. THEY HAVEN’T EVEN DRIVEN IT

NHTSA ID

11615492

Incident

Sep 18, 2024

The vehicle suffered an electrical failure while driving (55-60mph). During this electrical failure the engine shut off, had no power steering or brakes, and had to get the vehicle off the road and stopped under these conditions. After getting the vehicle stopped, the vehicle would not restart and vehicle ultimately had to be towed to a Honda dealership for diagnosis and repair. This has happened twice, (XXX) and (XXX), since an Electronic Control Unit (ECU) and wiring harness were replaced under a warranty/recall/known defect on (04/12) at Gwinnett Place Honda in Duluth, Georgia. The first attempt to diagnose and repair this issue at Autonation Honda in Columbus, GA didn't uncover any error codes and the issue could not be reproduced so no actual repairs were made. The vehicle is now sitting at Honda in Albany, GA awaiting diagnosis and repair for a second time. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11599704

Incident

Jul 4, 2024

I have a honda passport 2023 that I bought 6 months ago. I was parking into my driveway when suddenly heard a strong noise coming from the back. I looked through my rear mirror and saw all my back windshield shattered without any object hitting it, I'm glad I wasn't driving on the fwy or my son wasn't in the back seat. I reported to honda dealer and even do they agree to do a one time no cost replacement due to low mileage. They said they haven heard any cases of this safety manufacture defect.

NHTSA ID

11595623

Incident

Jun 13, 2024

Unexpected braking when there are no other obstacles on the road. I need to manually turnoff the collision mitigation braking system (CMBS) every time I start the vehicle. I have notified the dealer as well as Honda and have not received any solution.

NHTSA ID

11589228

Incident

Sep 19, 2023

On this day it was approximately 5:45AM my 2023 Honda Passport indicated to Brake in the dash then proceeded to snatch me into a curb at 50 MPH. I have since taken it back to the dealership where they can not diagnose the problem. I have contacted Honda Corp. which they haven't been able to help. The dealership stated that they could not preform an alignment as my frame or suspension may be damaged or bent.

NHTSA ID

11581670

Incident

Mar 27, 2024

Sloppy gear changes/hangs. Popping occasionally occurs when going into park/drive.

NHTSA ID

11581447

Incident

Apr 5, 2024