2017 Honda Pilot Owner Complaints

Component/system that failed: The audio/infotainment system (radio), rear DVD entertainment system, and backup camera all fail together while driving. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Description of the problem: While driving, the radio works normally for approximately 10-30 minutes, then begins developing static that gradually worsens until the audio cuts out completely. At the same time, the rear-seat DVD entertainment system stops functioning, and the backup camera also fails. This appears consistent with a known defect in the MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) bus and FAKRA connectors that Honda has already acknowledged and recalled on 2019-2022 Pilot, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2018-2023 Odyssey models (NHTSA Campaign 23V431), but my 2017 Pilot Elite with the same Navigation/rear entertainment head unit is not covered by that recall despite the identical failure pattern. How safety was put at risk: Loss of the backup camera while driving/reversing removes a safety feature I rely on to see behind the vehicle, increasing risk of a collision when backing up, especially around pedestrians or in tight parking situations. This mirrors exactly the safety concern Honda cited in its own recall notice for later model years — that loss of MOST communication causes rearview camera failure.

NHTSA ID

11755780

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

Component/system that failed: The audio/infotainment system (radio), rear DVD entertainment system, and backup camera all fail together while driving. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Description of the problem: While driving, the radio works normally for approximately 10-30 minutes, then begins developing static that gradually worsens until the audio cuts out completely. At the same time, the rear-seat DVD entertainment system stops functioning, and the backup camera also fails. This appears consistent with a known defect in the MOST (Media Oriented Systems Transport) bus and FAKRA connectors that Honda has already acknowledged and recalled on 2019-2022 Pilot, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2018-2023 Odyssey models (NHTSA Campaign 23V431), but my 2017 Pilot Elite with the same Navigation/rear entertainment head unit is not covered by that recall despite the identical failure pattern. How safety was put at risk: Loss of the backup camera while driving/reversing removes a safety feature I rely on to see behind the vehicle, increasing risk of a collision when backing up, especially around pedestrians or in tight parking situations. This mirrors exactly the safety concern Honda cited in its own recall notice for later model years — that loss of MOST communication causes rearview camera failure.

NHTSA ID

11755779

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the engine made a knocking sound while being started and while driving. The knocking sound became louder while driving to the residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who replaced the timing belt, timing belt tensioner, idler pulley, and water pump, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was determined that the connecting rod bearing had failed and the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: PE25008 (Engine). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 56,908.

NHTSA ID

11755483

Incident

Jan 15, 2026

Mileage

56,908 mi

2026-08-06 ~7:50AM check engine light came on/flashed while entering freeway, car generally ran as normal though felt as if cylinder was not firing (two weeks prior had regular maintanance and all spark plugs were replaced, assumed this was related to that). Dropped daughter off at camp turned off vehicle. 2026-08-06 ~8:05AM restarted vehicle, check engine light did not come on. Engine ran as normal, proceeded to drive towards dealership. 2026-08-06 ~8:25AM entered freeway, check engine light and many other warnings came on (rolling display of errors), engine limited to low RPMs and ~30MPH. 2026-08-06 ~8:30AM called honda dealership to let them know I was coming in. 2026-08-06 ~8:40AM Service manager utilized OBD port which provided initial code of misfire on cylinder 5. 2026-08-06 Dealership subsequently determined the engine had "spun a rod bearing". Honda recommended service "Replace Short Block"

NHTSA ID

11755334

Incident

Aug 6, 2026

The back up camera every so often will be blank. Other times the dashboard warning lights will go on effecting the cruise control, lane assistance, and break assistance. According to the Honda dealership it is the back up camera that is causing all of these problems because there are some parts that are defective because of heat and weather. There are thousands of complaints by Honda owners claiming to have the same issue. The solution is a part that costs over $2000 with a high chance of the part needing repair in a few years. Honda knows about this issue for cars 2015-current. There is a current class action lawsuit as well. We just want it fixed without further issues.

NHTSA ID

11751774

Incident

Jan 9, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while idling at a red light and then attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to respond, and the vehicle shut unexpectedly. The contact was assisted with pushing the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed it with connecting rod bearing failure. The mechanic informed the contact that it was a known issue and that there was a previous recall for the issue. Upon research, the contact became aware of NHTSA ID Number: PE25008 (Engine). The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who confirmed the failure and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer located a used engine, but the vehicle was not repaired because the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The manufacturer was informed of the issue and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

NHTSA ID

11751525

Incident

Jul 20, 2026

Mileage

92,000 mi

Lane keeping assist problem light on, collision mitigation system problem light on, road departure mitigation system problem light on, adaptive cruise control problem light on. brake sy stem light on. The vehicle’s multiple camera has failed and it is a common occurrence with this vehicle. Honda has not recalled this and is charging customers upwards of $2500 to replace the camera behind the windshield and recalibrate it. This isn’t an issue based on miles there have been incidents with it happening as early as 30,000 miles. I bought my vehicle used and about 113,000 this started happening

NHTSA ID

11751382

Incident

Jul 15, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 to 60 MPH, the emission warning light illuminated. The contact was concerned about the vehicle stalling while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the fuel injector, torque converter, and front and rear catalytic converters needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was contacted and offered goodwill assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

NHTSA ID

11750790

Incident

Jun 29, 2026

Mileage

127,000 mi

Digital speedometer stop working. It won’t display. It has happened before, and it’s happening again. This is dangerous to my driving as I have no idea how fast I’m driving when there is no display of my speed. I read from Honda Pilot community there are many others Honda Pilot owners have this same issue. This should be safety recall as it’s driving safety issue. Thank you for looking into my concerns.

NHTSA ID

11750083

Incident

Jul 10, 2026

On XXX, while my wife was driving our 2017 Honda Pilot Elite (VIN: [XXX]) southbound on [XXX], approaching the intersection with [XXX], the vehicle experienced a complete engine stall due to the Auto Idle Stop feature. The engine shut off at a stop but failed to automatically restart when she released the brake to proceed. All dashboard warning lights flashed, and the vehicle became inoperable in the middle of traffic, creating a significant traffic jam at a busy intersection. My wife was able to restart the vehicle manually by shifting to Park and pressing the engine start/stop button. This is part of a persistent safety defect with the Auto Idle Stop (Idle Stop-Start) system. The vehicle has stalled multiple times in traffic and on highways since new. Honda performed TSB 23-008 (PGM-FI Idle Stop software update/product update campaign) on XXX at Autopark Honda in Cary, NC, but the issue was not resolved. I also replaced the battery in November 2024 at the dealership's recommendation, but the no-restart/stall problem continues. I normally keep the Auto Idle Stop feature disabled for safety, but my wife forgot on this occasion. **Cause:** UNKNOWN (per Honda TSBs 23-008 and 23-009, the issue relates to excessive cylinder pressure and/or low cranking torque after Idle Stop engages; prior fixes have not resolved it). This defect creates a dangerous situation where the vehicle can unexpectedly lose power in traffic, increasing collision risk. I have reported this to the dealership multiple times and am seeking resolution under TSB 23-009 (warranty extension). INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11748740

Incident

Jun 29, 2026

DRIVING HOME FROM CHURCH SUNDAY JUNE 28TH DOWNSLOPE OF A SMALL HILL SMELLED HOT METAL; WASN'T SURE IF THE ODOR WAS FROM US, THE LARGE TRUCK THAT JUST PASSED US OR ENVIRONMENTAL; SUDDEN "POP" WAS HEARD ACCOMPANIED BY A "JERK" IN THE VEHICLE; LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES; DASH WAS LIT AND SHOWED RPM/MPH/ETC THEN BATTERY LIGHT CAME ON SMOKE BILLOWING FROM ENGINE FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY COMPLETE FIRE FROM ENGINGE; ALL 4 PASSENGERS EVENTUALLY GOT OUT; POLICE AND FIRE DISPATCHED; COMPLETE LOSS; TRAUMATIC TO SAY THE LEAST; ONLY LIGHT PREVIOUS WAS SERVICE SOON AS OIL LIFE WAS AT 15%; BELIEVE TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2017 PILOTS RODS BEND AND BREAK BUT NOW WARNING (RESEARCHED AFTER THE FIRE)

NHTSA ID

11748455

Incident

Jun 28, 2026

My speedometer display keeps going blank in the instrument cluster. I will be driving and it would go blank, and stay blank in extented periods of time. This is a car not driven much due to this reason. The milage is still 70k. The speedometer gage goes blank and does not turn on.

NHTSA ID

11747687

Incident

Jun 1, 2023

my connecting rod bearing wore are ruined my engine. this is addressed in 23v-751 for 2016, 2018, and 2019 Honda Pilots, but not 2017 for some reason. could you please see why this year is not included on the recall.

NHTSA ID

11747629

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

My son was driving the car and the engine started knocking and engine shut off.

NHTSA ID

11747093

Incident

Jun 29, 2026

Since purchasing this vehicle new, the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) system on my 2017 Honda Pilot has intermittently failed during the engine restart sequence after the vehicle comes to a complete stop. When the AIS system shuts the engine off and I release the brake to resume driving, the vehicle intermittently fails to restart properly or does not restart at all, preventing the vehicle from moving as expected. In some instances, warning messages, including a collision mitigation message, has appeared on the dashboard before the car restarts. This condition has occurred repeatedly over several years and has happened at intersections, while stopped in traffic, and while stopped on highways. The inability of the vehicle to restart and move creates a safety risk because the vehicle may remain disabled in active traffic when acceleration is needed. The issue was reported to the selling and servicing Honda dealership (Cambridge, Honda in Cambridge MA) multiple times over several years. In August 2025, the vehicle received Honda's prescribed repair under Service Bulletins 23-008 and 23-009, including replacement of the starter assembly, starter relay, and battery. Despite these repairs, the same condition returned less than one year later and has occurred at least seven additional times. The vehicle stalls and sometimes displays the collision mitigation/crash warning message before restarting. In June 2026, the vehicle was inspected again by the dealership. Technicians were unable to reproduce the condition during testing and declined to perform additional repairs. The defect remains unresolved. The vehicle has already received Honda's recommended AIS repair, yet the same stalling and crash mitigation message continues to occur. The intermittent nature of the defect makes it difficult to reproduce during short dealership evaluations, but it continues to occur during normal operation and presents an ongoing safety concern.

NHTSA ID

11746194

Incident

Jan 1, 2020

All of a sudden, the car began to make a ticking noise (it sounded like a playing card was in the spoke of a bicycle). I brought the car home and took it to the Honda dealership in Poway, CA. They diagnosed the car with pitting in the rod bearings in cylinder 4. They told us that this can cause engine failure (do not drive the car) and that the engine needed to be replaced. There were no error messages or warning lights. This could have been extremely dangerous for those around us had the engine failed while my daughter and I were driving, or if the car had stopped suddenly. The three options given were to replace the engine with one with 20,000+ more miles than the original engine, replace the short block and associated gaskets with a new one, or $2500 (as-is) for the car. We replaced the short block and associated gaskets at a cost of approximately $ 8,500. As my husband was doing his research, he found that there had been a recall for the 2016 and 2018-2020 Honda Pilots for the same issue. Please be aware that this has happened to our car too, and it is very dangerous and expensive to repair. Honda should be held responsible for ensuring that all Pilot engines are safe and that the defective rods are replaced free of charge to owners under a recall.

NHTSA ID

11746063

Incident

May 30, 2026

I have been frequently getting the message on my dash "Keyless Start System Problem" This message appears when starting or stopping the vehicle and while driving. The message does not stay on the dash it eventually disappears.

NHTSA ID

11745193

Incident

Jun 2, 2026

We have a 2017 Honda Pilot EXL. It had approximately 163,000 when the engine seized.

NHTSA ID

11742606

Incident

May 4, 2026

There is a loud metallic knocking sound coming from my engine. I have lack of acceleration power, and the check engine light came on. You are more than welcome to come inspect the car. My safety was placed at risk as my engine can blow up, and/or I lose acceleration while driving and cause an accident. The sound is continuous and will be until the Rod Bearing is fixed so it’s easily reproducible. Yes it’s been looked at by a mechanic.

NHTSA ID

11742492

Incident

Jun 6, 2026

My 2017 Honda Pilot Touring has experienced ongoing electrical and battery-related issues for several years and has been in and out of authorized Honda dealerships numerous times. The vehicle has been serviced repeatedly at both Fowler Honda in [XXX], and Pensacola Honda in [XXX]. Due to the inability to diagnose the problem, the issue was escalated by Pensacola Honda to American Honda’s technical line. After extensive diagnostics over two days, the technicians informed me that Honda engineers are aware of an issue but currently do not have a solution, although they are working on one. On XXX, while turning left from [XXX] onto [XXX], I had sufficient time to complete the turn and pressed the accelerator to proceed. However, the accelerator became completely unresponsive and the vehicle would not accelerate. My vehicle was left partially in the intersection while an oncoming vehicle approached. The other driver could have easily struck the driver’s side of my vehicle, creating the risk of a serious or fatal accident. Fortunately, a collision was avoided, but this incident demonstrated a significant safety hazard. In addition to this loss of acceleration, the vehicle has experienced recurring starting problems and electrical malfunctions. Pensacola Honda found that the battery tests normally when removed from the vehicle, but does not function properly when installed. Despite numerous repair attempts and escalation to American Honda, the problem remains unresolved. I believe this defect poses a serious safety risk to myself, my passengers, and others on the road due to the potential for sudden loss of acceleration while driving. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11742090

Incident

Jun 4, 2026

On May 23, 2026 I was driving family and friends around San Francisco, CA in my 2017 Honda Pilot (48K miles). We were driving up multiple steep hills, up to a 20% grade in some places with a full car of 7 people. The car handled it well. However, as we neared my home 25 miles away, the car started shaking and the check engine light started flashing. We searched online and the advice was to pull over immediately to prevent the car from overheating and causing permanent, expensive damage. We eventually made it home, shaken, and didn't touch the car for a couple days to let it rest. I learned that there is a warranty extension "Warranty Extension TSB 20-100" for what seems like this exact problem concerning the fuel injectors. The spark plugs have been replaced in the last year, which eliminates that as a potential issue. The next week, I took the car to Honda San Carlos where it's been maintained most of its life. I informed them of the symptoms and that the car is eligible for this warranty extension. They tested it and found nothing. I told them that testing it in the shop or driving it around a few minutes on flat ground with one person is not going to replicate the driving conditions we encountered but they didn't seem to care and I had to pay $250 anyway. I took this to another dealership and the guy said it sounded exactly like an Warranty Extension TSB 20-100 issue. They tested it and also could not find anything. I called Honda Corporate and they will also do nothing. This is clearly a safety issue as this problem will happen again at some point. I have a family and young children and do not want to be stuck on the freeway as a road hazard to ourselves and other drivers. Honda has clearly identified this as a problem yet they won't authorize the repair. They are waiting for this to happen again before they'll fix it, and who knows if this ticking time bomb will occur in a safe place or a dangerous one.

NHTSA ID

11741799

Incident

May 23, 2026

The paint is peeling on the pearl white color. This is a known issue and it is large sections that could cause a hazard while driving

NHTSA ID

11741112

Incident

May 31, 2026

Engine Idle at Stop light or Start & Stop at Traffic Stop Light doesn't work. It does stop completely; however, it didn't start after releasing the brake. You have to put the vehicle back in the parking gear, put the brake to restart the engine. This has happened three times in the last week.

NHTSA ID

11740676

Incident

May 27, 2026

The car began making a knocking noise when it was turned on and began moving. The noise continued every time the car was started until the engine light turned on and began blinking. We pulled the car over immediately. After turning the engine off and letting the car rest, we tried starting the car again and the light was off. Roughly 20 minutes later, the engine light began to blink again, followed by all the lights on the dashboard blinking. We had the car towed to a local Honda dealer. After being inspected, the dealer said the car needed new fuel injectors and an "Engine rebuild/replace: the engine rod knocking during start up and shutdown, drained oil sample and found excessive mental particles suspended in oil."

NHTSA ID

11740486

Incident

May 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 60-65 MPH, the check engine light was blinking. The vehicle began to jerk. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with faulty fuel injectors. The injectors were replaced. After further evaluation, it was determined that the engine and knock sensor needed to be replaced Additionally the rod bearing was blown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but declined the repairs. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

NHTSA ID

11740385

Incident

May 9, 2026

Mileage

135,000 mi