2021 Honda Pilot Driver assistance Problems

My 2021 Honda Pilot displayed a U3000 diagnostic trouble code, indicating an internal electronic failure of the front-facing multipurpose camera that operates the vehicle's Honda Sensing safety systems (Collision Mitigation Braking System, Lane Keeping Assist System, Road Departure Mitigation, and Adaptive Cruise Control). As a result, these safety systems became inoperative. I took the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealer, who confirmed the U3000 code and quoted approximately $2,000 to replace the camera unit. I have since learned this is a widely reported failure across multiple Honda and Acura models (Pilot, Odyssey, CR-V, Accord, Civic, HR-V, Clarity, RDX, MDX) and is the subject of a proposed class action lawsuit alleging Honda knew of the defect and failed to disclose it or issue a recall. I am filing this report to document the failure and its safety impact.

NHTSA ID

11756019

Incident

Aug 5, 2026

The vehicle’s driver‑assist and collision‑avoidance systems began failing simultaneously. Multiple warnings appear on the dashboard every time the vehicle is started, and the cruise control system has stopped functioning entirely. Adaptive Cruise Control cannot be disabled, preventing the use of standard cruise control. Collision Mitigation System Problem Adaptive Cruise Control Problem (ACC) Lane Keeping Assist Problem (LKAS) Road Departure Mitigation System Problem Auto High-Beam Problem The failure of one component impacts multiple vehicle features, the ability to maintain safe following distance, avoid collisions, stay within lane boundaries, and properly manage headlights. The loss of cruise control functionality also affects long‑distance driving safety and consistency. These systems are designed to prevent accidents; their simultaneous failure represents a significant safety hazard. Dealer inspection indicates repairs costing thousands of dollars, often involving replacement of sensors, radar units, or wiring harnesses. No recall or service bulletin has been provided to address this widespread issue. Many Honda owners have reported identical failures on online forums and owner groups. The pattern suggests a systemic defect affecting Honda’s driver‑assist safety systems across multiple models and years. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this issue as a potential safety defect affecting Honda vehicles. The failure of multiple collision‑avoidance and lane‑keeping systems at once poses a serious risk to drivers, passengers, and others on the road.

NHTSA ID

11755694

Incident

Apr 19, 2026

My Honda has recently began displaying ADAS Failure where none of the features work including cruise control. I took to a mechanic and they displayed code U3000. This seems to be a common issue that Honda is not addressing. The fee to repair is over $1500 and the car is less than 5 years old. This is a safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11754390

Incident

Jun 14, 2026

I am having these problems with my 2021 Honda Pilot Touring causing intermittent sudden braking. The dealership is quoting me a lot of money to fix them. Collision Mitigation System problem Road Departure Mitigation System Problem Auto High Beam Problem Lane Keep Assist Problem Adaptive Cruise Control Problem These problems should not be occurring to a an expensive vehicle worth over $45,000 for no reason. The dealership mentioned that they are caused by a failed battery fan.

NHTSA ID

11753380

Incident

Feb 26, 2026

While driving down the road the emergency braking turned on many times when I wasn’t even near a vehicle. It turned on about a total of 10 times without a car being unsafely in front of me. I just got this vehicle today and I’m worried about whether I should keep it or not because of this.

NHTSA ID

11751964

Incident

Jul 21, 2026

Driving on the road and heard static noise from the infotainment system after an update. I pressed the Collision Mitigation Braking System button and the dashboard had multiple warnings and disabling the entire Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). The drive light starting blinking and a message appreaed to get to a Honda dealer. The Honda dealer inspected the front camera in the top of the windshield and said it needed to be replaced.

NHTSA ID

11748553

Incident

Jul 1, 2026

2021 Honda Pilot with 9,800 miles. Failed VSA Modulator directly related to the braking system. Warning lights: Vehicle stability assist, trailer stability assist, collision mitigation system, adaptive cruise control problem. Problem confirmed by Pensacola Honda Service Center and awaiting repair assistance from American Honda as they refuse to offer goodwill credit for repair due to being out of warranty, despite extremely low mileage and excellent condition of vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11747625

Incident

Jun 13, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated without the driver depressing the accelerator pedal. The security alarm randomly activated while the vehicle was parked and turned off. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The message "Emissions System Failure" and a key fob error message was displayed, and the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 98,000.

NHTSA ID

11745929

Incident

Aug 1, 2025

Mileage

98,000 mi

My dash is lit up like a Christmas tree. The CMBS has a serious issue, every safety feature has been disabled. Please refer to the he provided picture.

NHTSA ID

11742351

Incident

Jun 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle's rear brakes rub significantly to the point of prematurely wearing out the brake pads. Additionally, the instrument panel is failing and displaying all warning lights, and the side mirrors flicker while driving. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed to be NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V439000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) however, the VIN was not included in the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,670.

NHTSA ID

11737767

Incident

May 13, 2026

Mileage

75,670 mi

About a month ago, I started my Pilot and the dash lit up. The adaptive cruise control, emergency braking, lane keeping assist, Lane departure, forward collision warnings all flashed on the dash- no previous warnings. Subsequently, the cruise control will not work at all. I had the system scanned by a Honda certified mechanic and it showed and internal cameral failure. This is a known issue across many Hondas and is a very costly repair at close to $2000.

NHTSA ID

11736480

Incident

Apr 13, 2026

I purchased my Honda Pilot 2021 5 years ago. Currently still making payments on it. The Collison Mitigation system warning sign came up on my dashboard about 1 year ago. After that warning sign came on 4 others popped up. Road Departure Mitigation system, Auto high-Beam problem, Adaptive cruise control problem, and lane keeping assist problem. Having all these warning signs come pop up on dashboard is very distracting while driving. Non of these controls are working and I have taken it to Honda to do an inspection. Since, its out of warranty I have to pay out of pocket $2,137.63 to get multipurpose camera unit replaced. Let alone this vehicle is still not paid off. I've also had issues with the starter shutting off while driving. It had a recall and I did get it replaced but I'm still having issues. This is a serious safety problem due to it shutting off while on the street. I been in life threating situations due to this problem. Honda needs to make sure there vehicles are safe for customers. T

NHTSA ID

11735097

Incident

May 1, 2025

Infotainment system doesn't work, including maps, and backup camera. I have read this is a common problem, but Honda isn't doing anything about it.

NHTSA ID

11731533

Incident

Mar 4, 2025

Braking system and cameras defective. Vehicle will flash BRAKE when nothing is in roadway. This will also cause vehicle to hard brake. When on interstate, cruise control no longer functions properly due to camera sensors reading a vehicle is in front of my vehicle when there is no other vehicle near. This causes braking system to activate and/or slow the cruise control down. This is a major safety risk for everyone involved, especially my children in the vehicle. This is a known Honda issue. This needs remedied before someone gets hurt and a lawsuit ensues. Fix the braking system and cameras!

NHTSA ID

11728972

Incident

Apr 2, 2026

Front camera needs to be replaced. According to several Honda forums, this is a very common problem requiring the front camera to be replaced. All safety features requiring the camera no longer work.

NHTSA ID

11728686

Incident

Mar 1, 2026

There is a problem with the camera that is disabled my brake system features. I am hearing this is a known issue with many of these cars

NHTSA ID

11727909

Incident

Mar 1, 2024

The following warning lights: adaptive cruise control problem, lane keeping assist, collision mitigation system, road departure mitigation problem, auto high beam problem

NHTSA ID

11723611

Incident

Jun 11, 2025

The following warning lights: adaptive cruise control problem, lane keeping assist, collision mitigation system, road departure mitigation problem, auto high beam problem. Honda estimates over $2000 to repair? From what I understand there are many other Honda's with these issues! With these items not functioning, it defeats many of the safety features we bought the car for. Exact date of when it began was last summer.

NHTSA ID

11723145

Incident

Aug 22, 2025

The windshield camera has malfunctioned causing 5 different safety warnings to appear and these functions are unavailable now. It has been evaluated by a dealership and they claim that it has to be replaced at a cost of $2100. This is a pretty widespread issue in these Pilots with varying mileage. I would expect much better from a Honda product.

NHTSA ID

11720538

Incident

Dec 24, 2025

Vehicle Information: 2021 Honda Pilot Elite Component: Forward Collision Avoidance: Camera System Lane Departure: Lane Keeping Assist Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Failure Description: The windshield-mounted forward-facing camera (Lane Keeping Assist System / Honda Sensing camera) failed without warning on my 2021 Honda Pilot Elite. This camera is mounted behind the windshield and controls multiple advanced safety systems, including Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, and Collision Mitigation Braking. There were no warning lamps, dashboard messages, or other symptoms prior to the failure. The malfunction appeared randomly approximately one month ago. The issue was diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized Honda dealer service department. I was informed that the windshield-mounted camera system requires replacement and was quoted approximately $1,800 for the repair. Because this repair is extremely expensive and currently unaffordable, I have lost multiple critical safety features. The vehicle no longer has functioning Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, or related Honda Sensing technologies. The sudden and complete loss of these safety systems significantly reduces vehicle safety and increases the risk of unintended lane departure or reduced collision avoidance capability for myself, my passengers, and others on the road. I believe a critical safety system should not fail without warning and should not be this costly to repair, especially when its failure disables multiple core safety features. This is a known issue across multiple threads and owners and Honda should take ownership and recall this issue. The vehicle and failed component are available for inspection upon request.

NHTSA ID

11719655

Incident

Jan 21, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the infotainment screen and the rearview camera screen intermittently failed to activate while the vehicle was shifted into reverse. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V431000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

NHTSA ID

11717058

Incident

Dec 8, 2025

Mileage

32,000 mi

The backup camera feeds to the infotainment screen integrated into the radio. This screen intermittently fails to illuminate and does not allow the backup camera feed to be be visible rendering the backup camera inoperable.

NHTSA ID

11717032

Incident

Dec 10, 2025

The Honda Pilot completely lost power on my husband's way home from work in a snow storm. It would not start but it did yesterday. It sounds like clinking/clunking when started but stalls out if you try to put it in drive or reverse. It has a brand new battery. But otherwise it had to be towed and is now sitting. It didnt give any warning signs or lights on the dash until after it completely broke down. It has the engine light on when started. It has not be confirmed by a dealership as times are really rough right now with a new baby and not having the extra funds to have it looked at. And not to mention the closet dealership to look at it is almost an hour away. It seems that the rods/engine area are at fault.

NHTSA ID

11716533

Incident

Jan 31, 2026

I am submitting this complaint to formally report a serious and widespread safety defect involving the front-facing camera system on my 2021 Honda Pilot. This defect has resulted in multiple safety system failures and has placed myself, my passengers, and other motorists at unacceptable risk. The front camera on my vehicle does not function as designed, which has caused the complete loss or repeated failure of critical safety features, including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, lane departure mitigation, collision mitigation braking, and other forward-facing driver assistance and alert systems. These systems are not optional or convenience features. They are advertised and sold as essential safety technology intended to reduce accidents, mitigate driver error, and protect human life. Their failure substantially impairs the vehicle’s safety performance and creates a foreseeable risk of serious accidents, injuries, or fatalities, particularly during highway driving or emergency situations. When I sought assistance from the dealership, I was informed that Honda would not cover the repair because the vehicle exceeded a mileage threshold. This rationale is unreasonable and misleading. A front-facing camera is not a wear-and-tear component and has no logical connection to mileage accumulation. It is an electronic safety system whose premature failure suggests a defect in design, materials, or manufacturing. I then contacted Honda directly, and the manufacturer again refused to provide assistance, citing mileage alone while failing to address the safety implications or defect characteristics. This refusal appears to be an attempt to avoid responsibility for a known safety-related failure rather than a legitimate warranty determination. Further research reveals that this issue is not isolated. Numerous Honda owners have experienced identical front camera failures resulting in the same loss of safety systems. The consistency, frequency, and similarity of th

NHTSA ID

11712384

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

Problems started showing on car a week ago. Tested battery and it was not holding a charge. Replaced battery and problem still persisted. Car is now at dealership and they are quoting close to $2000 due to failure for internal windshield camera. Car has right over 78k miles. This is a safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11706509

Incident

Dec 12, 2025