2020 Honda Pilot Powertrain (other) Problems

I am reporting a severe safety defect regarding the automatic transmission on my 2020 Honda Pilot AWD (VIN: [XXX]). The vehicle experiences a violent and constant transmission vibration/judder under light throttle acceleration. On XXX, at 127,073 miles, an authorized Honda dealership officially diagnosed the vehicle under Repair Order # XXX, confirming the presence of "shudder at light throttle". Despite changing the transmission fluid as required by maintenance schedules, the issue persists. This failure causes unexpected vehicle hesitation and jerky shifts while driving at highway speeds, creating a high risk of rear-end collisions and posing an immediate safety hazard to my family and other drivers on the road. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11754200

Incident

Mar 5, 2026

MOST Network problems continue to persist even after MOST FAKRA Service Cables Safety Recall work was performed. Typical progression: Radio goes silent, Infotainment Screen displays error message, "Network Communication Lost / MOST Net Off", Driver Information Interface Display goes blank, then 3 error messages cycle, "Blind Spot Info System Problem", "Emissions System Problem", "Transmission System Problem", and vehicle enters limp mode (stuck in 3rd gear). Multiple safety issues: Rearview camera does not function, vehicle speed is not displayed, vehicle gas gauge is not displayed, blind spot system does not operate, reduced vehicle power.

NHTSA ID

11738554

Incident

Apr 13, 2026

2020 Honda pilot will sporadically turn off at highway speeds and at stop lights and will not turn back on until placed in park with foot on the brake. This is not to be confused with the start/stop feature used to save fuel. Additionally the 2020 pilot will lurch forward (like stuck in drive) while still in park.

NHTSA ID

11708440

Incident

Jul 31, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that an ABS message was frequently displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was informed that there was a miscommunication error with the front camera, which caused the failure. The contact was informed that the failure was not a safety issue and was given an estimate for the repair; however, the contact declined the repair. Since the failure, the contact received various messages on the instrument panel, with one message related to the transmission. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who confirmed the miscommunication error and that if not addressed, the failure could lead to other major safety issues. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

NHTSA ID

11702933

Incident

Nov 1, 2024

Mileage

125,000 mi

My battery died while the vehicle was parked. I needed to physically move the vehicle but could not because the electronic button shifter would not allow me to put the transmission in Neutral. The only way to move it out of Park is a lengthy process requiring tools, engine component removals and a manual shifting of the linkage using a long wrench. My solution, was I had to leave the vehicle unattended, call a friend, get tools and replace the battery while blocking traffic. Safety concerns were that the vehicle was blocking traffic at a business and no documentation by Honda of how to fix or even shift the vehicle into Neutral. Now consider if someone has to try and manually tow the vehicle while in Park! I replaced the battery myself, but this is a well documented issue with electronic shifters, that will never make a dealership or service departments records or statistics! There was no warning of the failure, or battery light illuminating. Previous vehicle inspections at the dealership gave no indication that the battery was failing.

NHTSA ID

11694216

Incident

Oct 12, 2025

The torque converter has a shutter and has had a shutter since the day I bought it. All they want to do is flush the transmission fluid they didn't want to change the torque converter or whatever it's causing the shutter when it was under warranty. They just wanted to continue to keep flushing the transmission to give the torque converter thinner fluid so that way it would continue to run properly instead of actually changing the problem. The started to happen when I had 60,000 mi on the car cuz I had them their way of fixing the transmission first. Then it happened again at approximately 80,000 mi. Have them fix it again. Then it happened again at 115,000, mi The transmission will slam into gear around 19 mph and then it will fluctuate and slam into gear around 30 to 40 mph as well and then once you get past those two spots the transmission seems to run normal.

NHTSA ID

11692664

Incident

Oct 11, 2025

The auto stop/start idle function does not re-engage after stopping the engine. This has happened at least 4 times in the last 3weeks with my vehicle. When stopped in traffic or at a light and stop sign the engine idle engages and stops running the engine, when releasing the brake pedal the engine does not turn on as it should and the car stalls. This requires the operator to engage hazard lights, shift into park and repeatedly try the push start button to turn on the vehicle to proceed. The passenger safety of myself and children are of concern. While having to wait on a car function, that is the core operation of the vehicle, it is dangerous to shut off a vehicle while in operation. Having other vehicles honking and trying to pass or even stopping at a highway entrance ramp then trying to engage the car to meet highway speeds is a dangerous time for an engine to stall and not re-engage. Yes, the issue has been reproduced and a dealer has already addressed the issue with a software update. This update has not resolved the issue. There are no current recalls on my vehicle. There are no warning signs or messages or the ability to turn off the function permanently. In addition, there a times during the operation of the vehicle where the engine stop/start function works after many stops but then randomly does not start. It is an inconsistent feature.

NHTSA ID

11691145

Incident

Sep 30, 2025

Transmission shuddering 55,000 miles and 3 months beyond warranty. Quoted a $221 diagnostic fee to “maybe tell me it needs a software update.” Dealer also said when transmission was serviced at 30k it should have been drained and filled 3 times not once as the book calls for. They are doing their damndest to hide a major problem.

NHTSA ID

11691019

Incident

Oct 2, 2025

Since I purchased the vehicle it has had a miss, lunging forward, a lag and stall. Appears to be transmission related. Also, all lights related to the CMS suddenly came on. Car only has 59,000 miles and 5 years old and shouldn’t have these kinds of issues. The transmission problem has been from the start…. Two years now. Probably why original owner traded. From what dealer said these are common problems with this vehicle, should definitely be part of a recall. Wanted 3000. to correct issues. Below date is estimate since problems started soon after purchase and have continued. Ongoing issue.

NHTSA ID

11690028

Incident

Jan 30, 2023

Last time I changed my oil I had bronze colored flakes of metal in my oil. It looked like parts of the main connecting rod bearing material. No running problems YET, but will likely fail soon. I've kept up on oil changes every 5-7K. 89K on vehicle. Please do something about a full recall on this issue and include this report into the affected VINs.

NHTSA ID

11685430

Incident

Jun 8, 2025

I’m reaching out regarding a persistent and hazardous issue with the Auto Stop/Start function on my vehicle. The system routinely fails when stopping at lights and stop signs, causing the engine to shut off and not restart. On several occasions, the vehicle has shut off while in motion—on highways, at intersections, and in the middle of roadways—putting me and others at serious risk. I brought the vehicle to John Eagle Honda of Dallas on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. The dealership diagnosed two recall-related issues (Recall #23-008 and #21-012), temporarily resolving the problem. However, the failure returned just five days later and has persisted ever since. I purchased the vehicle in May 2020, practically new from the dealership. This issue began roughly a year after purchase and has only escalated. I’m requesting further review and a permanent resolution, as this continues to be a severe safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11674773

Incident

Apr 5, 2021

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle shifted into park independently. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while restarting the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated to restart for approximately 90-seconds, and then operated as intended. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where was it diagnosed, and the dealer determined that the the front camera needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure, and informed the contact that the failure was not covered under warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

NHTSA ID

11674106

Incident

Jun 15, 2025

Mileage

78,000 mi

2020 Honda Pilot has acceleration issues also. I forgot to list it in my last post. loss of power is evident. shaking, cruise control won't stay engaged. has trouble climbing incline roads. gas mileage is crap now. the 2020 Pilots should absolutely be included in the recall.

NHTSA ID

11652774

Incident

Jan 1, 2025

1.)Transmission!! Problems such as Transmission fluid overheating, RPM's boggle up & down while on flat roads at steady speeds, cruise control wont stay activated, shaking or vibration while stopped and while driving. 2.) mine and my kids safety is at risk when we have to pull over to let the transmission cool and are on a busy interstate. It also risks us breaking down while we are traveling long distance and being stranded in the middle of nowhere. 3.) I had my vehicle worked on at a Honda dealer in the past 2 months for the shaking, but they did not resolve the shaking or cruise control issue. 4.) March 30th was the first time the Transmission fluid to hot warning has come up. The other symptoms listed above started in December of 24. my vehicle isnt listed as a recall but everey symptom it list i have.

NHTSA ID

11652769

Incident

Mar 30, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road. The vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair was performed. The contact stated that the failure ceased; however, the message "Emissions Problems" was displayed, and the AWD warning light was illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,300.

NHTSA ID

11652722

Incident

Oct 30, 2024

Mileage

84,300 mi

This vehicle has shown juddering and difficulty with shifting gears, especially on an incline, although it RPMs will speed up and slow down even while traveling on a flat road at a consistent speed. The Honda dealership stated that the course of action is to drain and fill the transmission 3 times to the tune of $550+ and Honda Corporate claims this is "Routine Maintenance", which it is not. I have an extended warranty which would cover the torque converter but will not cover this fluid. As many other posts have indicated, this is not an issue limited to the 2016-2019 Pilots, but that it extends to 2020s as well. Continuing to escalate this with Honda Corporate, and will pull in my state's Attorney General for these unfair practices of lack of warranty coverage for a known issue that is due to manufacturing.

NHTSA ID

11635795

Incident

Jan 14, 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 30 MPH, several unknown warning lights flashed on the instrument panel and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that the message "Pull Over When Safe" was then displayed and the contact's wife pulled over, restarted the vehicle, and drove to the residence. The following day, the vehicle was taken to a dealer who discovered a misalignment between the 4th and 5th gear, causing the transmission failure. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the transmission was replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ID

11634403

Incident

Dec 8, 2024

Mileage

130,000 mi

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled; the vehicle returned to normal operation several minutes after the failure had occurred. No warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission fluid needed to be flushed and refilled. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 35,987. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11633982

Incident

Jan 3, 2025

Mileage

35,987 mi

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after shifting into reverse to reverse out of the driveway, the contact had forgotten an item on the outside of the vehicle; the contact opened the door; however, while reaching outside the vehicle to retrieve the item, the contact released the brake pedal unintendedly and the vehicle rolled backwards, causing the contact to fall out of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle continued rolling backwards and struck the sidewalk and the neighbor’s garden wall. The contact stated that the vehicle then rolled forwards and rolled over the right feet to the right shoulder of her body and then struck the garage door and garage door frame to her residence and came to a stop. There were damages to the garage door and garage door frame. The contact became immobilized and yelled for help and a neighbor ran over to assist. The contact stated that the neighbor had a difficulty in shifting to park and turning off the vehicle. The vehicle was eventually shifted to park and the vehicle was turned off. The air bags did not deploy. The contact was taken to urgent care by her mother for X-rays. The contact suffered no broken bones but did sustain mild bruising to the right side of the body. A Police report was not filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.

NHTSA ID

11627332

Incident

Oct 3, 2024

Mileage

15,000 mi

2020 Honda Pilot with 80000 miles. A car i loved and had for over a year. I was driving from Florida to Texas. Everything was fine when I started. About 600 miles down I was at 70 mph and had to go little faster to overtake a truck because the shoulder was too small and my lane is about merge in to truck lane. There were at-least 10 vehicles behind me. I hit the accelerator pedal all the way until it touched frame but the engine is not at all responding and slowly losing power. The lane I was in was about to merge in to truck lane. I had to hit brakes with vehicles behind me but some how i managed to not get hit by them. It could have gone worse.

NHTSA ID

11621313

Incident

Oct 12, 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but had become a recurring failure. Additionally, the transmission warning light was illuminated, and the vehicle was jerking into gear and the vehicle hesitated before responding as needed. The vehicle was driven to a local dealer and was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11609778

Incident

Mar 20, 2024

Mileage

81,000 mi

I am experiencing recurring issues with my vehicle that closely mirror the problems described in complaints with NHTSA IDs 11565876, 11490438, and 11489885. In July 2023, while driving through an intersection after stopping at a traffic light, I heard a loud clunking noise. Over the next 45 minutes, I noticed at least six additional clunk sounds at low speeds. I took the vehicle to the dealership at 51,244 miles, where I was informed that the transmission fluid was both dark and low. The dealership inquired if I had used the vehicle for towing, despite there being no tow hitch assembly. They recommended a transmission flush service, but within 2 to 3 weeks, I began experiencing transmission juddering at constant speeds and harsh shifting during acceleration. Despite multiple visits to the dealership, where I was advised that the vehicle needed time to "re-learn" driving patterns and that nothing was wrong, the issues persisted. Although the problem seemed to lessen, it reoccurred in 2024. At 73,656 miles, I returned to the dealership, where I was informed that the transmission fluid was once again dark and that the torque converter needed replacement. Throughout the period before the 60K powertrain warranty expired, I was repeatedly told that there are known issues with the 6-speed transmissions and torque converters, but since no "error codes" were present, the dealership could not authorize a warranty repair. Now that the vehicle is out of warranty, I am being advised to replace the torque converter at my own expense.

NHTSA ID

11609314

Incident

Jul 26, 2023

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.

NHTSA ID

11565876

Incident

Dec 21, 2023

Rear differential driveshaft seal leaking fluid on driver side

NHTSA ID

11542308

Incident

Sep 2, 2023

On three separate occasions, after stopping at a traffic light or in a parking lot, I was unable to move my car. The first time, the transmission dropped into neutral and I was unable to get it to any other gear . I had to turn off and restart the car multiple times to get it into gear. I was on a heavily trafficked road with multiple cars behind me at the light. Turned my flashers on and prayed to not get hit. The second time. I was in a parking lot and was leaving. I pulled into a space to look for something and got a message to put the car in park. I was unable to do so. Had to turn off and restart the car twice before It would go into park. I then turned it off and back on and was able to get it into gear. Happened again on a 55 MPH road with my grandkids. Very scary. Honda dealer said that for a tiny second after the auto idle engaged the battery power was too low to restart the car. Their solution was for me to purchase a new battery. I feel this is an engineering and safety issue and was not properly addressed during the auto idle recall.

NHTSA ID

11534629

Incident

Jul 16, 2023