Owner-reported complaints naming the engine system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2021 Honda Pilot submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 108 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 108, in the owner's own words
Our pilot is experiencing similar issues found online with catastrophic engine failure due to a misfire caused by a knocking rod. Honda so far has not responded to our claim despite it being a known issue around the same time ours was manufactured.
My 2021 Honda Pilot has repeatedly failed to restart after the Auto Idle Stop system shuts the engine off while the vehicle is stopped. When the system activates, the engine can fail to restart when I need to move, leaving the vehicle stalled in active traffic. This has happened multiple times and creates a serious safety risk, particularly at busy intersections. Honda previously performed the software update intended to address the Auto Idle Stop failure-to-restart condition, but the problem continued after the update. I brought the vehicle to an authorized Honda dealership because the problem persisted. The dealership has now diagnosed the starter as the cause of the failure-to-restart problem and recommended starter replacement. The vehicle and affected components are available for inspection. Honda has acknowledged Auto Idle Stop failure-to-restart problems on Honda Pilots and has extended warranty coverage for starter replacement on certain affected vehicles. However, American Honda has informed me that my specific vehicle is not included in the starter warranty extension, despite experiencing the same failure-to-restart condition, despite Honda's software update failing to correct it, and despite the Honda dealer diagnosing the starter as the cause. American Honda is considering partial goodwill assistance toward the starter repair but has told me that the repair will not be covered at 100%. I am reporting this because the Auto Idle Stop system can intentionally shut off the engine and the vehicle can then fail to restart, leaving the driver unable to move out of the way of traffic. I am concerned that Honda's existing remedy and the VIN population included in the starter warranty extension may not adequately address all vehicles experiencing this safety-related failure.
Was driving vehicle and all of a sudden engine light pops up with no driver codes and the left side of engine starts knocking. I pull into the closest shop. They test a vehicle misfire in cylinder 5 and propose vehicle gets towed to dealership to look at codes. I tow vehicle to dealership for them to tell me rod bearings, crankshaft are bad and need a new engine. Engine was 99k and well maintained with every service record included. I asked about Honda goodwill which they denied me due to vehicle not getting serviced at Honda for oil changes. The rod bearings were recalled on previous Honda models and there is currently an open investigation on 2021 models but no official recall.
The vehicle won't start, electrical system failure. Sometimes the electrical system fails when the car is driving/it will stall on the road. It was predicated by the alarm going off intermittently and without provocation (in the middle of the night/etc).
I am reporting a catastrophic engine failure involving my 2021 Honda Pilot equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine. The vehicle has approximately 77,000 miles. The vehicle developed an engine rattling noise followed by complete engine failure and loss of motive power. I had the vehicle transported to an authorized Honda dealership for diagnosis. Following inspection and engine teardown, the Honda dealer documented a hole in the front side of the short block, a large amount of metal debris in the oil pan, and the cylinder #3 connecting rod broken in half. The dealer concluded that the engine experienced catastrophic internal failure with widespread metal contamination throughout the lower and upper engine components. Due to the extent of the damage, the Honda dealer recommended replacement of the short-block assembly, both complete cylinder heads, fuel injectors and associated components. The estimated engine repair alone is approximately $20,275. I am concerned that this failure may represent a safety-related engine defect because catastrophic connecting-rod failure can result in sudden loss of motive power. Honda has previously recalled certain vehicles equipped with 3.5L V6 engines for connecting-rod-bearing failures that can cause engine damage, engine failure and loss of motive power. My 2021 Pilot is not currently included in that recall population. I am not asserting that the cause of my engine failure has been established as identical to the existing recall defect. However, given the catastrophic connecting-rod failure documented by an authorized Honda dealer, I am requesting that NHTSA review this incident and determine whether it may be related to the broader pattern of connecting-rod/engine failures involving Honda 3.5L V6 engines, including vehicles outside the existing recall population.
#1 connecting rod bearing failure at 89,000 miles, all oil changes were done timely and properly. Car is very well maintained. While engine is running it has a very loud rod knock coming from bottom of engine. I did some research and it’s the same symptoms and issues as (NHTSA Campaign 23V751) 2016-2020 Honda pilot recall.
My 2021 Honda Pilot Touring intermittently fails to restart after the Auto Idle Stop system shuts off the engine at a stop. This occurs about 10% of the time. When I release the brake, the engine does not restart, creating a risk of being stranded in traffic. I must shift to Park and press the Start button to restart it. No warning lights or messages were observed. The problem has not yet been inspected by a dealer. The vehicle is available for inspection. Scheduled appointment at Honda service.
Ive had about 5 times my car Honda pilot 2021 stall at a stop light, a stop sign. The first it took a minute to go and the light was green. I was honked at and yelled at. It finally kicked on and we went, the next time it went into accessory mode at a stop sign, then into N then off…. All while in drive to start. The rest were times I was in auto start stop and it just wouldn’t start. Each 5 times it gave an error code that disappeared right after I had to try snd restart by pushing the button. I went to Honda 2 times now, first time they said they did the program… that didn’t stop the issue, I then took it again after the 4th time and they said it was a bad battery… replaced it mind you $400 later… and it did it the next day.. they won’t cover a free inspection and when I said there’s a bulletin about this they said they did id already but still doing it. I am very frustrated and j drive 3 kids under 7 this is very very unsafe especially someone who already has a brain injury from aka c I dent.
When at a stop, the automatic idle stop shuts off the engine and doesn’t come back out of that to start back up. Have to put the car in park to restart. This is a major safety issue especially when vehicles are behind me beeping the horn. Happened on several occasions.
My current 2021 Honda Pilot (purchased used May 2024) is stalling out in live traffic - the most recent on XXX creating a massive safety hazard. (In addition, the engine is making the same exact clicking noise that the 2015 Honda VIN:[XXX] made right before the engine catastrophically seized on my way to work. That 2015 Honda Pilot seized due to a defective Variable Cynlinder Management (VCM) system. This defect was covered by a court-ordered federal class-action settlement warranty extension (Alex [XXX] v. American Honda, Case No. XXX), extending coverage to 10 years/150,000 miles. While that vehicle was fully within this window - Honda of [XXX] wrongfully denied this legal warranty.) The CURRENT 2021 Honda Pilot (Purchased Used) VIN: [XXX] suffers from intermittent engine stalling in live traffic. The dealership has failed to resolve this issue across three separate visits, while exploiting the emergencies. The timeline of failed repairs includes: 2/14/25: The vehicle stalled in live traffic. The dealership charged me $420.48 for diagnostics and a failed repair. 8/13/25: The dashboard lit up and the vehicle suffered engine failure leaving my family stranded for 9 hours waiting for Honda Assist. It was brought to the Honda of New Rochelle service center where they exploited this emergency to charge me an exorbitant $1,300.00 out of pocket for unrelated work financed via Sunbit loan. 9/24/2025: The vehicle stalled in live traffic for a third time. The dealership charged me an additional $572.00 for another failed repair. They reguse to give me the RO's and the car has 29 active codes including U3006-16 (ECU Power Source Failure), proving a severe electrical or fuel delivery hazard remains completely unresolved. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle stalls when the car shuts off from the auto engine idle shut off feature. The concern was allegedly resolved twice with an update but the issue persists. My battery died in December 2025, when asked if it was a result of the recall causing repeated start failures, the dealership denied. Recently my vehicle shut off from the auto engine idle stop feature and completely died, I had to push to start my vehicle several times to start it back up and this was after replacing my battery 7 months ago. A heavy duty battery was purchase to meet my vehicle needs.
With auto stop enabled, was the first car at a stop light. What happens next may be out of order - apologies. Light turned green and I pressed the gas and car shut off. I went to restart the car and a dashboard notification appeared saying to put car in N ? So I did and pressed gas again that did not work. Could not put car in park - cars were honking behind me and it was pouring rain so visibility was not easy. I don’t remember the next steps as I was frustrated yet somehow I pushed enough buttons that I was able to push the brake and start button enough times that the car blessfully restarted. I disengaged the auto idle button at that point and my car returned to my house sluggishly. It was as if the car could not shift into gears properly. Car has been not hitting gears properly and has turned off at auto stop over a dozen times more. Honda service states they cannot duplicate so cannot resolve.
While operating with the Auto Shut Off enabled, vehicle stalled. Warning lights came on directing the driver to put into Park. Vehicle would not turn off/on, could not take out of park. At the time, vehicle was in bumper to bumper traffic in a construction zone causing a very dangerous situation for the driver. Vehicle was towed and 10 minutes after the incident, the vehicle could be restarted. This is the second time this has happened in the last 9 months. Unfortunately the first was not reported. This is completely unacceptable. Honda knows this is an issue and refuses to address it.
Auto Idle Stop restart. Engine shit off at a complete stop. Release the brake to go and vehicle fails to restart. Vehicle may shit itself into neutral or park. Must manually restart the vehicle. Sometimes after multiple time attempts. Vehicle is stranded in traffic for several seconds to several minutes.
In November 2025, my 2021 Honda Pilot started experiencing stalling while driving, hesitation when accelerating, and sudden power loss while idling. I took the vehicle to my local Homda dealership and each time they dismissed the problem, indicating that they could not find any issues. On 4/24/26, the vehicle experienced sudden engine failure in the middle of moving traffic. There were no warning lights or dashboard messages leading to the issue. The vehicle was towed to the local Honda dealership, where they kept the vehicle for a month and charged over $20,000 for a repair (not replacement). Ten (10) days after picking up the vehicle from the dealership, the engine locked and seized again on 6/9/26 in the middle of traffic and nearly caused a serious accident with 3 other vehicles.
We had the engine serviced for recall on stop start issue on 12/4/25. On May 15, 2026 the engine failed. The dashboard came on with every warning light and a mechanic said the engine was knocking and had to be replaced. Honda denied any issue and said the timing belt had to be broken. The mechanic confirmed no issue with timing belt and said you can’t start the engine if the timing belt was broken. The mechanic said the engine was knocking and had to be replaced because the car could no longer be driven safely.
I am having an issue with the start stop function on my 2021 Honda Pilot. When active, the start stop struggles to restart after it is engaged at a stop light. There have been two instances in the last two weeks where the vehicle did not restart on its own and needed to be restarted manually. Spoke to the dealer service team and they indicated there were no known recalls and it would be out of pocket for me to diagnose and repair.
My wife was driving our 2021 Honda Pilot with 102,000 on the interstate when the check engine light came on and the engine began to lose power. She was fearful of being hit by other traffic due to engine dying in middle of mutiple lanes of traffic. The engine began to have a knocking sound. We shut off engine and had it towed to Southpoint Honda in Durham NC. We were told it has a rod knock, the engine failed. It is about to seize and we need to replace the engine.
The engine shut off as I was leaving a stop sign and stopped working as I was driving the vehicle.The car shut off and I had a very limited amount of time to pull off to the side which I was halfway able to do and was halfway on one lane and halfway on the shoulder. During this time the car had switched to neutral but since the problem had not occurred before and there was no engine lights on, I tried to turn the car back on and was left unable to shift to neutral again and was stranded in the lane with children in the vehicle. We had to have it towed to the dealer. They confirmed it was an engine failure. Our car is around 5 years old and has been well maintained and is only around 60000 miles or less.
The vehicle has routinely had issues restarting from auto idle. When the vehicle turns off in traffic at a stop or stopped at a red light, then it will not restart and the vehicle will essentially be dead for several minutes and unable to be turned on or moved.
Engine started knocking and within a couple days my wife was left stranded. The vehicle went into limp mode with check engine light flashing, and would not accelerate. The vehicle stopped completely in the middle of the road and lost all power, which could’ve caused a major accident. Scheduled maintenance and oil changes has been kept up by me. I had the vehicle towed to a trusted shop and was informing that there were metal shavings in the oil filter. They inspected the top end of the engine and everything was normal. The only indication is that the problem is internal to the engine. There is a recall for Honda Pilots up to model year 2020 but I believe this issue is affecting vehicles up to 2022.
Auto idle stop activated at a stop light for the 2nd or 3rd time over a few years. Lifted foot off the break and stalled, the car went into Park and I could not put it into neutral or drive. The odometer screen looked like it does when the engine is on. The battery light was on. I tried to turn down the radio and the volume didn't work. I tried pressing the ignition button to turn off the car entirely but it didn't work the first couple of tries. Once I was able to completely turn it off, it struggled to turn over when I tried to start the engine, which I've never had happen, but did turn over. Dealership wanted to charge $325 for a few hours of diagnostics which we declined.
My vehicle has failed to restart several times with the auto idle start feature enabled while stopped at a stoplight. I was in a turning lane the first time it happened, so other vehicles had to make a left hand turn from a lane that was meant to go straight to get around me. The starter has not been inspected There weren't warning lamps prior to the auto start feature not working. When the car would not turn back on. I had to put the car in park, turn off "Accesory mode", turn the car back on, and put the car back in drive. There have been several other instances the car has hesitated to restart, but it does.
The car engine autorestart causes all sorts of problems. We have repeatedly had the warning come on and the engine stop while at a light or paused in moving traffic. We have replaced the battery and other parts. The safety issue is that the car totally stops while in traffic and we have almost been hit multiple times as we try to restart the car. You have to put the car in park and restart the engine due to "compression issues" or something else. That has nothing to do with being a branded title and everything to do with a safety issue. The car just stops and won't autorestart. This has happened several times in the last week and then yesterday other warning lights came on resulting in the car then not accelerating beyond 25 mph initially and then 45 mph. Imagine this happening on a highway. This is really scary as it has happened on an interstate when traffic stopped and at a traffic light. I called Honda and they acknowledged it was safety issue but written up as a warranty extension so they refused to cover the repair of the vehicle. I am therefore escalating what I believe you are already investigating according to articles I have seen.
While driving vehicle downshifted with no warning and went into neutral. Was driving on a busy street. Was not able to shift back into drive. When car stops was not able to put it into park. No previous warning of anything wrong. No engine light, battery etc. illuminated on the dash. Earlier that day did hear from time to time a tick or tap like noise that had not been heard before. Car had to be towed to auto shop. Upon inspection was told all components are in working order but the engine is not working and needs to be repaired. Given the engine only has 109,000 miles this was odd to them based on condition of the vehicle. There is a known issue with Honda engines similar to this vehicle and asked we check with Honda as to what could be done to diagnose further. This is very concerning as there was no warning. Driving on a busy street with unexpected downshift was almost rear ended.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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