2022 Honda Pilot Engine Problems

The issue occurred on 9-15-2026. The engine started making a very noticeable knocking sound, (obviously a rod knock). We immediately parked the vehicle until it could be towed to a Honda dealer. The dealership confirmed it was rod knock, and suggested we put a new short block engine in. Thankfully I noticed before the rod was thrown because if it was it could cause a fire, or cause loss of control due to damage to the power breaks, and power steering. The dealership confirmed it was the connecting rod bearings, and they confirmed there were oil shavings in the oil pan. I have saved all of the paperwork. I tried to work with Honda to have the repair covered because they just had a class action lawsuit filed that covered this exact issue on 2016-2020 models, and they refused even though this vehicle uses the same engine that the 2016’s-2020’s used.

NHTSA ID

11772807

Incident

Sep 15, 2026

The car stopped in the middle of the high traffic highway in IL while driving to the airport on [XXX].The car failed to restart on few restart try. Vehicle was put on emergency flashing light and turned off / turned on. it would not start. The break / clause was stiff. We turned off the vehicle completely for few min and then restarted. The vehicle started. it was the scariest thing ever happened. as we were 5 member in the car and the situation was very risky, prone to accident and death. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11771398

Incident

Oct 6, 2026

This has happened to me 5 times in the last month or so. It is a safety situation and is scary when it happens. The Idle Stop feature is malfunctioning and could cause me to be rear ended. When I am waiting to turn right at a red light, or waiting for someone to turn at a yellow blinking light, the Idle Feature isn't working properly. Sometimes the entire car actually turns off, the car goes into Neutral, and the dash board shows a crash detection or battery image. This is a safety hazard because in a right turn lane, when I am waiting for the cars before me to go, and then they do go, the people behind me are expecting me to go. Instead, I have to put on my flashers, put my car in park, AND THEN restart my car, then put it in Drive. It is not the usual Idle Stop happening; this is different; the car is actually shutting off and going into neutral and has to be put in park and then completely turned on. It goes into an accessory mode feel. I have a 2022 Honda Pilot Touring.

NHTSA ID

11770432

Incident

Oct 7, 2026

My vehicle continues to stall when coming to a stop which is a huge safety concern. Please reference service bulletin 23-010 which is exactly my problem as well. Local Honda dealership and Honda directly confirm this is my problem. However since my VIN range wasnt reported to you they will not cover the repair cost. Can you please investigate and include my VIN on the bulletin or create a new investigation.

NHTSA ID

11769801

Incident

Oct 7, 2026

After Automatic Braking engaged, within a couple days car will make a zipper noise and gas pedal will not work. Have to press it 5-6 times and then it will start working again. Very dangerous when you have cars traveling behind you and you basically start slowing down immediately. But today, not sure if related, backed out of driveway on a slope, car went immediately to park with a large sound like the bottom falling out of the car and shook the car. Several warnings kept flashing (emissions, transmission, and P for park was flashing). I powered car off and back on was able put in N to let it coast backward to get out of the road. Completely shut everything off waited a couple minutes and was able to drive it back to my driveway and there was fluid leaking from underneath halfway between the front to tires. Calling dealership tomorrow

NHTSA ID

11768186

Incident

Sep 30, 2026

The car has auto idle. It is the default and operates anytime the car is started unless you specifically push a button (each time) to turn if off. Starting about a year ago, the car battery seemed sluggish and then when I was driving if I stopped at a stoplight, the car would completely die and I had to restart it. Thinking it was a battery issue, I had a new battery put in on 10/15/25. But the issues have continued. Just recently, the car has twice died when I am at busy stoplights which could have easily led to me being rear ended. I have to put the car in park and attempt to restart it. It sometimes reads that the battery is dead, but then will start after a couple tries. I am taking it to my Honda dealer today, but they have already said "it's probably the battery - which is less than a year old and has a four year warranty.

NHTSA ID

11767982

Incident

Sep 22, 2026

I just parked my car in my driveway and after an hour, i went back to drive but my car wont start at all. No power and cannot start . This happened twice i was in a restaurant and when i went back to my car, it wont start and no power. The first time it happened when i went to the restaurant and i towed my car to the service center and they told me It was a glitch . The 2nd time it happened they could not figure out and so they asked help from honda tech line and recommending to do a dashboard tear down to check the wire harness on my own expense. Very frustrating .

NHTSA ID

11766933

Incident

Jun 29, 2026

Severe metallic engine knock, metal debris found in drained oil pan by Perfection Honda, pre-intake DTC codes P2651, and active dashboard alert ("Emissions System Problem"). Safety Hazard: Sudden engine stalling/seizure and loss of power steering/braking assistance at highway speeds.

NHTSA ID

11766241

Incident

Aug 31, 2026

Engine fails to restart after stopping at stop lights or stop signs when AUTO START STOP feature is engaged. My safety as well as others pasenger was drivers safety was at risk since incidents occured on busy exit ramps in Dallas, TX and Southlake Texas. The problem has only been verbally confirmed by the dealer and Honda Corporate that it is a know defect and will only be handled as an extended warranty.

NHTSA ID

11764511

Incident

Sep 1, 2026

My vehicle is equipped with Honda's Auto Idle Stop system. While driving, the vehicle has chronically suffered from a slow crank symptom. On two occasions, after coming to a complete stop at an intersection and the engine shutting off automatically, the vehicle completely failed to auto-restart when required, taking considerable time to restart and enter Drive. No warning lights or error codes were displayed on the dashboard during or leading up to or after these failures. One of these auto-restart failures occurred in active traffic and nearly resulted in a crash. I mentioned the slow start/crank to the dealer on several occasions (before the "no restarts" occurred); they were dismissive of the issue, stating that "All pilots with Auto Idle Stop feature do this. I've gotten to the point where I try to disable the feature everytime I get in the car but don't always remember. The vehicle remains a safety risk to myself and other drivers on the road. I would love a method of shutting this feature off perminently as to not have to disable it every time I get in the car or accidentally forget!

NHTSA ID

11761871

Incident

Dec 31, 1969

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Per the quote from the dealership where the issue was diagnosed: Looks like you are going to need a new engine due (to a) bad cylinder 5 misfire and the main bearing spun causing internal failure. It is available for Inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The engine could have failed during driving causing an accident. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The Check Engine Light was blinking when I parked it within 3 minutes of seeing it (XXX at approximately 8:30 AM) and drove no further. I had it towed to the nearest dealer, which is Thelen Honda of Bay City, MI.

NHTSA ID

11759233

Incident

Aug 23, 2026

commonly experiences battery drain, the radio is making Popping or crackling sounds from speakers

NHTSA ID

11759105

Incident

Jan 1, 2024

I had a connecting rod bearing failure. Thjs failure is exactly the same as the issue being investigated by NHTSA currently for modek year 2020 Honda Pilots. My car had 93k miles on it at the time of failure although I complained to my dealer as far back as September 2022 of hearing engine knock occasionally. The repair cost me $8700 not to mention the loss of my car for 10 days. The incident happened when I was on a family vacation and I had to have the car repaired at a dealer 200 miles away. I went to Honda America seeking some assistance given their current recall per bulletin 24-001, even though my car was beyond the model year range. The failure was exactly the same as that described in the bulletin. I have a record of oil changes on my car for the last 4 years. I typically change oil at 5000 mile intervals.

NHTSA ID

11757842

Incident

Jul 27, 2026

I came to a complete stop at a red light. The car went into neutral and shut off completely. In order to restart the car, I had to put it in park to completely restart it in traffic. This same thing has now happened multiple times and each time it does, it comes shortly before the battery fails and will not start the car at all. I have been through 3 AGM Platinum batteries in the past year. Something is draining the battery. The starter, alternator and auxiliary battery have each been tested in the course of taking the vehicle to 3 different auto mechanics before going to the Honda dealership. All of them said these components tested fine (and they were tested under load). Honda acted like they didn't know about this being a common problem and suggested we replace the starter as an experimental remedy. We asked the Honda dealership for the software update fix and were told we already had the 23-008 update. However, after more research realize that it also needs a 23-009 and 23-010 update as well which was not offered. Honda's failure to take responsibility on this known chronic problem is disappointing at best and likely negligent/reckless.

NHTSA ID

11755715

Incident

Aug 2, 2026

The auto idle engine system was on. I came to complete stop at a stoplight, the engine turned off. Then when I released my foot off the break, the car shut down and flashed a bunch of lights. The engine then shifts itself to neutral and then park. I have to press the start button several times to get the engine to turn on again. This has happened numerous times to myself and family members driving the car. The car just stops and shuts off. Very dangerous when other cars are behind you.

NHTSA ID

11755522

Incident

Aug 6, 2026

The contact owns a 2022 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the engine failed to restart with the Auto START/STOP feature engaged, causing the vehicle to stall. The vehicle was manually restarted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Action Number: EA25004 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.

NHTSA ID

11755214

Incident

Aug 4, 2026

Mileage

28,000 mi

On April 3,2026 we are starting back from a road trip to Florida from Kentucky (starting odometer 69,199 miles)oil changed prior to leaving in our 2022 Honda pilot. Stopped to get gas and transmission alert code popped up-it would not go into any type of gear. We had no warning previously to this. We were still 3 hours from home, had to get it towed to nearest Honda dealership where they stated it was an electronic module failure but transmission would have to be replaced entirely. Car was out of standard power-train warranty of 60,000 miles d/t this road trip (odometer now over 70K) and we had no extended warranty on the vehicle. We requested assistance for transmission replacement from American Honda. We filled out the required form on 4/9/26 explaining we are a loyal Honda customer(own an additional Honda-CRV), had good service records, etc. It was assigned to a case manager on Fri 4/10-they called left voicemail that it was under review and asked us to call back. We immediately called back on Friday 4/10 and left message-no call back. The following week we called back everyday to American Honda and finally got our case manager over a week later on Monday 4/20-said it would be 5 more days. Heard back today 4/24/26 that Honda denied our assistance request saying it was out of warranty and there are no known manufactorer defects or recalls at this current time. Made us wait 3 weeks to decide we will have to eat cost of a new transmission in a car that is less than 4 years old and <100K miles on it. Very disappointing in Honda corporation especially since there are numerous known complaints, civil law suits, etc on various online forums and in the national news of same issues and they aren't taking any responsibility leaving owners with very high repair expenses. Our transmission will be over $8000 to replace out of pocket.

NHTSA ID

11733609

Incident

Apr 3, 2026

Upon accelerating from a stop, or at various speeds, the vehicle experiences a significant loss of motive power(pulling backwards) followed by an abrupt lunge forward. This hesitation occurs unpredictably and makes entering traffic or intersections extremely hazardous. This feels like a fuel delivery or transmission engagement failure. The last incident occurred on or around the afternoon of March 23. My vehicle has been examined at the dealership on multiple occasions for this same issue and each time I have been told that they are unable to replicate the issue and can not help me further unless they are able to replicate the issue.

NHTSA ID

11732420

Incident

Mar 23, 2026

While driving on the expressway at speeds above 60 mph and while attempting to pass another vehicle the vehicle shuts down with no acceleration. The vehicle will then after several seconds regain acceleration. Several times it has sounded like the vehicles starter engaged. This is a random occurrence and has happened approximately 10 times. There are no error codes and the dealership states that they can not recreate the issue so there is nothing wrong.

NHTSA ID

11729145

Incident

Mar 18, 2026

I was operating a 2022 Honda Pilot and had just made a left turn into a parking lot. I was slowly pulling into a parking space directly in front of a dance studio with a large floor-to-ceiling window. There were four children and a dance instructor standing inside near the window. As I was coming to a stop to park, my foot was on the brake. At that moment, the engine suddenly revved loudly and the vehicle accelerated forward unexpectedly without any additional throttle input. There were no warning lights, messages, or prior symptoms before this occurred. Despite braking, the vehicle continued forward and struck the exterior of the building. I was able to avoid the window area where the children were standing. The airbag deployed, and the front passenger side of the vehicle was damaged. The building was not structurally damaged, and no one was injured. There were no obstructions such as floor mats interfering with the accelerator, and there was no unintended pedal input. My foot was on the brake at the time of the incident. This appears to be a case of sudden unintended acceleration. The issue has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or service center, and there were no prior warning signs before the event. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. It has been towed to the body shop. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center at this time. The vehicle was inspected by insurance and they did not total it. It is going to be repaired. The vehicle has been inspected by insurance representatives. The manufacturer has not inspected the vehicle at this time. I did not call police because I was not hurt, the kids were not hurt and the building only had a couple of scratches on the brick.

NHTSA ID

11728817

Incident

Mar 28, 2026

When the vehicle is stopped at a light and the auto engine idle engages, it intermittently stalls or shuts off the engine and unable or struggles to restart. The most recent time, the Pilot had to be shut off completely and restarted while sitting at a newly turned green light with large semi trucks behind us. When the auto engine idle is turned off there are no problems. This has happened 5 times over the course of the last 2-3 months.

NHTSA ID

11725999

Incident

Jan 29, 2026

Engine Stalling/Power Loss.

NHTSA ID

11722852

Incident

Jan 1, 2026

Engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) function engaged. When I release the brake pedal, the vehicle automatically goes into neutral, and when I try to put into Drive, nothing happens, then it takes multiple attempts to turn the vehicle off. Once it turns off, it does turn back on, and I can continue driving. This behavior is hard to reproduce consistently, it's happening from time to time.

NHTSA ID

11708997

Incident

Jan 6, 2026

As I was traveling from Houma, La on a major highway to an out of state meeting. I started to hear a slight tapping sound and pulled over to inspect the sound. Upon inspection it seemed as though it was coming from the lower engine, or exhaust near the engine area. I located the nearest Honda dealership which was Community Honda of Lafayette with intentions of dealership inspection. It was approximately a 20 minute drive from the current location. As I was approaching the exit to the dealership the warning system lit up an check engine light. The Manager at the dealership took the vehicle to the back and ran a scan and responded that it sounds like an exhaust leak. I got back on the road for my destination. Approximately an hour later while I was on [XXX] all of the warning lights lit up at once, the engine jerked and shut off. I pulled over to inspect the vehicle again. I restarted the vehicle to work myself to a safe exit. The vehicle would not drive over 20mph. Once at a safe location I made concessions to have the vehicle carried back to my local Honda dealership, Barker Honda in Houma, La Upon inspection by the Honda technicians it was found to have irreparable damage to the engine internals. Technician states this could occur to low oil and/ or lack of maintenance; however, the technician was perplexed by the failure because all maintenance and records in their system showed that the vehicle was properly maintained by their staff. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11706725

Incident

Sep 15, 2025

At a stop light and the car shifted to neutral and lost power, had to restart car. This happened twice, once on a busy road and we were almost rear-ended. Took the car to dealership they said the only thing they could find was that it needed a new battery. Changed battery and has not happened since. They said that likely the battery did not have enough power to power the auto stop/start feature so when I stopped the car lost power. I had no indication that the battery was low and never had a car with a low battery lose power in the middle of traffic. I feel like this is bad design and a potential safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11681900

Incident

Aug 15, 2025