2023 Honda Pilot Electrical Problems

when driving our 2023 honda pilot we stopped at traffic light the car shut off would not restart our front doors would open and close our back doors would not operate back tale gate door would not operate we had no4 way blinkers no lights totally dead auto. we were in middle of four lanes bumper to bumper traffic with no way to warn other drivers of our car break down. after short time a helpful driver pulled up behind us and used his auto to block us from traffic and used his 4 way flashers to warn other cars to go around us . police and tow showed up in appx 20 min. car was taken to WILLIAMS HONDA OF TRAVERS CITY MI.49685 they repaired car next day informed us battery shorted out when auto shut off activated at stop light. we had no indications of any issues with our vehicle it is 3 yr old with 40138 mi on it battery was out warrenty. williams installed newAGM100M BATT. our main safety issue is lack of 4 way warning or signal to other drivers.WE WERE LUCKY NO ONE REAR ENDED US AND WE DID NOT NEED BACK DOORS TO OPERATE . THANK YOU [XXX] AND [XXX] FROM SAULT STE. MARIE MI [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11755632

Incident

Aug 5, 2026

Unintended acceleration / accelerator pedal stuck. Vehicle accelerated uncontrollably (>75 mph) on two-lane road despite heavy braking. Could not regain control for over 1 minute. This is the second incident (first in Nov 2025, reported to Serra Honda Sylacauga with no issues found per service department). Video evidence available.

NHTSA ID

11751137

Incident

Jul 17, 2026

The rear passenger-side (second-row, right-side outboard) seatbelt warning system is defective, repeatedly triggering false "unbuckled" alarms even when a passenger is securely buckled in. This is a known manufacturing defect involving the occupant detection sensor inside the seat cushion frame, which sends intermittent, incorrect signals to the vehicle's computer. The defect presents a severe safety hazard. The continuous, loud chiming distracts the driver and causes immediate "alarm fatigue." This forces the driver to ignore seatbelt warnings, creating a dangerous situation where a rear passenger (including a child) could actually become unbuckled without the driver realizing it, significantly increasing the risk of injury or death in a crash. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership for inspection, but technicians reported they could not replicate the intermittent failure at that specific moment. However, the system immediately failed again the very first time a passenger sat in that seat after leaving the dealership. The defective seat cushion frame and its internal components remain in the vehicle and are fully available for inspection. The failure began intermittently and has now become a persistent issue. There are no prior warning lights; rather, the seatbelt warning chime and dashboard graphics activate and continuously flash/alarm while driving, falsely indicating the occupant is unbuckled when they are actually safely secured. This issue matches the parameters of Honda Service Bulletin 23-018 and the active NHTSA safety investigation into this model.

NHTSA ID

11750710

Incident

May 1, 2026

I was stopped at a stop light on a very busy road. The vehicle went into Auto Idle shut down. When the light turned green, I attempted to press the gas but the engine was completely stalled and would not restart. I had to put the vehicle in park, turn off the vehicle, and completely restart it for the vehicle to be able to successfully clear the busy intersection. After this incident, the vehicle would inconsistently give me the Auto Idle System Problem warning when first started. I chose to disengage the Auto Idle system until I was able to take it to the dealer. They claim it is the electrical charging wire which is an 8,000 dollar repair for a 3 year old vehicle. We are currently awaiting the inspection from our extended warranty.

NHTSA ID

11730810

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

El carro tiene fallas con el sistema eléctrico de frenos y no arranca.

NHTSA ID

11694899

Incident

Oct 21, 2025

7/25/2025 i was driving my wife’s pilot between 55 and 60 mph when the vehicle alerted me to several warnings and the braking system stuck at the top of the pedal not allowing the vehicle to slow in a construction zone. I was able to limp the vehicle home but the vehicle was extremely difficult to slow at red lights. The vehicle was towed from residence after sitting and the tow truck driver said the vehicle was not showing any warning signs. The dealership in paducah test drove the vehicle and did not see anything wrong with it. They subsequently checked and there was a diagnostic for brake booster failure. The vehicle has 41,000 miles on it. In addition it went to the dealership at 9,981 miles for electronic parking brake sticking and the ike dealership said there was nothing wrong. There are other reports of woners on youtube who have had this failure or similar with one member having to ditch the vehicle. I almost wrecked and hit a vehicle that slowed in front of me. The system thew error codes to include failure in electronic steering, transmission, hill descent, electronic braking, and others. I recorded the errors on the dash. This vehicle has also thrown airbag error with only a few thousand miles. The vehicle has side panels that have fallen off and and seals on the panoramic sunroof that have failed.

NHTSA ID

11677041

Incident

Jul 25, 2025

I wanted to share a very scary incident that occurred while I was slowly creeping into a parking space in a parking garage. With my foot over the brake, as there were children in the area from a car that had parked to the right of mine, my car suddenly surged forward at a high rate of speed. It ultimately crashed into the 3-foot safety wall with tension wires of the parking garage. Clearly there is an issue with the propulsion system that accelerated my car forward. It's unknown to me if there was also an electrical issue involved in this propulsion failure. The car is available for inspection. The Honda dealer examined the vehicle but was unable to reproduce the issue, indicating that there was nothing wrong with the car, no codes stored of any relation to this incident, and that it was safe to drive. Additionally, I would like to mention that there was no warning lamps lit up on my dashboard before the incident and none appeared after the crash. My insurance was notified, and they deemed the car undrivable. The insurance representative is scheduled to inspect the car tomorrow. This is the first time my car accelerated on its own at a high rate of speed.

NHTSA ID

11672012

Incident

Jun 26, 2025

All listed problems act sporadically. Dangerously Defected 2023 Honda Pilot. Numerous problems with vehicle over several months. Kept taking it back to Charlie's Honda and was told they could not reproduce the problems I was stating. The Vehicle will bog, hesitate and jerk while driving. Charlie finds nothing wrong. Actually all items that are functioning incorrectly, Charlie's tell me they cannot repair anything when they can not reproduce the problem. They tell me that the 10 gears are so close that they skip? Sorry, that's ridiculous! Finally I called previous Owners, (Which Charlie's Honda refused to give me until I had to show them the Chapter 10 S1475 I had with me.) [XXX] from Herman, ME. Ph # [XXX]. They told me to tell you to please call them because they are very upset. After several times taking the Honda back to Charlie’s with no repairs done they went to get a different vehicle at Charlie's Toyota and the Toyota Manager told them that the Honda Pilot was a very dangerous vehicle and will not be put out on the Lot for resale. The [XXX] stated that they almost crashed while taking a left at an intersection with their children in the vehicle because it almost came to a complete stop. This serious problem is doing it to me now and this is why I’m taking this action. The [XXX] left the Pilot at Charlie's Honda for several days but Charlie's said they could not reproduce the problem. Just a few of numerous defects stated below and reported to Charlie's Honda but received no repairs, just excuses : The Airbag says off when a 175 lb person sitting in the front passenger seat. Rear camera does not register an object. I was told it didn't work because it was 1 inch from rear side camera and it was too narrow. nothing done. Speed said I was doing 85mph. I was doing 40 mph. mechanic said he sees them register 100 mph. nothing done. The tech screen goes black. Cannot shut radio off. After trying 3 times. Much more to report! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 55

NHTSA ID

11668149

Incident

Jun 20, 2025

1. Rear tailgate latch will not always release when pressing the dashboard button or remote fob button. The tailgate will attempt to rise, go about 1/2 inch, stop, beep 3 times and then close again. It can only be opened after this by manually pulling on the outside handle and giving it a sharp jerk upwards. 2. While trying to investigate a metallic tapping sound in the rear of the vehicle, I looked under the rear bumper and located a wiring bundle that had lost its support from a plastic clamp. The bundle was frayed, and there were exposed and frayed wires visible showing the copper inside the insulation.

NHTSA ID

11660239

Incident

May 11, 2025

I purchased a used Honda Pilot and in less than 30 days I'm having problems with some electrical wiring harness. The dealership wants me to pay for the repairs. The error message that showed up "auto idle stop ignition problem see your dealership"

NHTSA ID

11654748

Incident

Apr 13, 2025

While driving the pilot warning alerts popped up that none of the collision detection, lane assist, cruise control, and seemingly all radar related systems were working. Additionally, the headlights turned off. We have brought this to the Honda dealer on now three occasions, and there doesn’t seem to be any understanding of why this is happening. On the evening of March 11 this issue happened again after the dealership having the car for a week to “fix “this problem and the lights turned off on an unlit road almost causing an accident. The car is again back at the dealer, who apparently is working with Honda again. I have seen this type of problem reported for other 2023 Honda vehicles, including the pilot, passport, and CRV on various Internet forums.

NHTSA ID

11647933

Incident

Mar 11, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the advanced driver assistance system was unintendedly activated, causing the vehicle to become difficult to maneuver. No warning light was illuminated; however, the "Clear the Sensor" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.

NHTSA ID

11640360

Incident

Feb 3, 2025

Mileage

8,000 mi

While driving home from a church event, I got a “Internal control module torque calculation” error on my dash. I pulled over to the curb and as soon as I stopped, more error messages appeared. Failure Brake System, Failure Anti-lock Brake System, Failure Hill Start Assist, Failure Adaptive Failure Cruise Control, Failure Lane Keep Assist, Failure Collision Mitigation, Failure Breaking System, Failure Road Departure Mitigation System, Failure Low Speed Braking, Failure Auto High Beam, Failure Parking Sensor, the check engine light was on and no AWD only FWD. I shut the car off and restarted it only to have all of the error messages reappear. I used my scan tool to clear the codes and drove it home. The next day, while driving my daughter home from school, the car shifted into neutral on its own then when the vehicle came to a stop it shifted into park and stalled and there was a transmission error on the dash. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership which reported 2 pages of error codes. The dealership reported that there was an issue with the gear selector unit due to liquid intrusion. They changed out the gear selector unit which at the moment seems to have rectified the problem.

NHTSA ID

11626077

Incident

Nov 2, 2024

When I filled up on gas and I used 88 instead of regular 87 fuel so a day after I filled up with gas I turn on the vehicle all of the lights came on warning that the awd system didn’t work and the lane departure didn’t work and cruse control didn’t work. And when I went to the dealer they couldn’t figure it out until the pulled the gas out saying we put the wrong gas in the car

NHTSA ID

11601453

Incident

Jul 11, 2024

Power steering went out while driving, car would not accelerate and several warnings showed up on dash. Warnings advised to see dealer and only drive at low speed. Dealership states at there is no problem so there is nothing they can do about it.

NHTSA ID

11595925

Incident

Jun 22, 2024

On May 4, 2024, normal driving conditions, experienced what felt like a loss of power. Warning on dashboard says All Wheel Drive System Problem, Only Front Wheels May Be Powered. See Dealer. Pulled car over to side of road and turned engine off. Turned back on and warning was gone. Occurred again today May 25, 2024 while driving on freeway. Loss of power and same warning message displayed. I do not feel at all safe in this vehicle. I drove straight to dealership for service to look at it. Hopefully have some answers after the holiday weekend. Just purchased vehicle in August 2023 brand new. Honda Pilot Elite. Starting to think I got a lemon.

NHTSA ID

11590771

Incident

May 4, 2024

Several electric systems (ABS, electric power steering, collision mitigation, etc.) are showing as malfunctioning. The vehicle was diagnosed with a malfunctioning wheel speed sensor. The system alerts continue to occur daily, including when the vehicle is in operation. The rear liftgate no longer functions, along with other electrical features. Honda reports the sensor is backordered and hundreds of orders are ahead of ours, with an estimated availability date of May 15th. The car does not feel safe to drive but Honda refuses to provide a loaner vehicle. Online searching shows this to be a widely reported issue.

NHTSA ID

11573776

Incident

Feb 15, 2024

I purchased my 2023 Honda Pilot on April 7, 2023. I had to wait for it to come in which happened roughly 2 weeks later. Within a month or so of having the vehicle while sitting at a traffic light I got 2 warning lights. One being the collision mitigation system problem see your dealer and immediately followed by adaptive cruise control problem see your dealer. I called the dealership to make them aware of the problem and was asked to make an appointment to bring my car in. Upon stopping and turning my car off and starting back up the warning lights were gone. I didn't think too much about it. In August when I had my car in for routine oil change they checked the issue and was unable to find anything. Around this same time my driver side front bumper started gapping. I was told that the clip was either not installed properly or was bent during manufacturing. (still waiting for that back ordered part to repair) In November while traveling with my niece and nephew again stopped at a traffic light EVERY SINGLE warning light started coming on. My dash was lit up like a Christmas tree and the lights were coming one after the other. I pulled over, not only would my car not turn off, my back liftgate would not work either. I was 4 hours away from home. I called the local Honda dealership where I was as I was in a panic. While on hold I was finally able to turn my car off by holding the start/stop engine button for several seconds. When I started my car again all of the lights were still on and lighting up one after the other. As I made my way to the dealership they all went off and all was normal again. I took my car to my local dealership once I got home. Dealership said they were not able to find much except the faulty camera sensors and Honda suggested to start there. (On back order) However in the meantime I was told that I should NOT TRUST ANY OF MY SAFETY FEATURES. My job requires a significant amount of driving and at this point I feel like I have gotten a lemon!!

NHTSA ID

11559436

Incident

Nov 17, 2023

our family was driving on the interstate at 70mph, when the electronic system malfunctioned. The car said every system was failing and to see dealer immediately. The car immediately stopped accelerating, steering wheel shook, and car was difficult to control on the busy, holiday weekend interstate traffic. We had to be towed to Honda dealership, where they "fixed" the problem and we were good to go. 30 minutes later on the busy interstate, the same problem occurred again. Electrical, braking system, brakes started smelling hot. We had to drive on the interstate shoulder at 20 mph for 2 miles to an exit with our family of 5 and our dog. A second tow on Thanksgiving Eve. There were absolutely no warnings from the vehicle before the issue began. The car was bought with 320 miles on the odometer on November 20, and this occurred on November 22 with 570 miles on the odometer. From what we keep reading, we need 4 repairs for the same issue in order for the car to be considered "not operable" or "not safe." Are we supposed to drive on the interstate a few more times , get towed 2 more times, and just hope that we aren't hit and killed by a semi truck after our car suddenly stops accelerating? From looking online, there have been a large number of complaints with exact or similar issues. Does someone have to get killed for something more to happen?

NHTSA ID

11556570

Incident

Nov 22, 2023

Vehicle will randomly display multiple warning lights- usually starting with the braking system, until all warnings are triggered. This has happened about 10 times so far. Happens in a variety of driving situations. When car is parked, it then requires multiple presses on start button to turn the car off. Every time this happens the rear lift gate is completely disabled and unable to open. About 11/15/2023 I have a video of the errors I can provide- it is a large file and can’t be attached with the other photos. The error also occurred one time while driving at about 70mph using the adaptive cruise. There were no vehicles ahead, but one was approaching from behind- the vehicle brakes or the cruise controls caused the car to rapidly decelerate. I had had to push the accelerator to avoid causing an accident with the person behind me. I had the passenger take a photo of the dashboard warnings. About 11/3/23

NHTSA ID

11556303

Incident

Nov 3, 2023

The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the stability, traction control, ABS, brakes, Lane Departure, and speedometer warning lights were illuminated. The "Anti-lock Brake System, Brake Performance Reduced", "Parking Sensor Failure", "All-Wheel Drive System Failure", "Electric Power Steering System Failure - Steering Assist Reduced", and "Vehicle Stability Assist System Failure - Reduced Traction and Handling" messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the sensor assembly front (57450-T90-A02) needed to be replaced; however, the replacement part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,100.

NHTSA ID

11543255

Incident

Sep 1, 2023

Mileage

9,100 mi

At 850 miles on the odometer, the 2023 Honda Pilot ECU failed during normal operation of the vehicle on local roads, leading to a loss of power to engine transmission components, emissions systems, brake hold system, and traction control leading to reduced control and speed over the vehicle. The vehicle has been sent to the dealer for inspection of the OBD warning messages displayed. The driver was unable to operate the vehicle due to impaired speed, acceleration and braking capabilities that accompanied the ECU malfunction. The problem is currently being diagnosed by the dealer at the Keating Honda Service Center in Conroe, TX. The warning messages which appeared included the following while experiencing the ECU failure: Emissions System Problem. Avoid Heavy Acceleration and High Speed. See your Dealer Brake Hold System Problem " Traction Control Problem " Lane Keep Assist Problem " Adaptive Cruise Control Problem "

NHTSA ID

11540182

Incident

Aug 20, 2023

Wireless phone charger works for about 10 minutes then stops charging. I’ve tried moving it phone to multiple positions and still have the same results.

NHTSA ID

11534442

Incident

Jul 22, 2023

The vehicle was purchased 7/1/2023. It is a 2023 Honda Pilot. 8 days after the purchase (OD mileage: 332), on a major highway, all mechanical systems in the vehicle failed within 2 minutes of each other. The engine, brakes, electrical, airbags, AWD, all of the ADAS systems, etc. ALL lit up within about 5 minutes of each other. Soon after this happened, the vehicle essentially shut down and was forced to a stop in a turning lane off of the major highway. The vehicle gave no indication that this was coming. The dealership's immediate response was to assume that we had put diesel fuel in the vehicle (this was not the case). As of now, they still have not been able to determine the cause of these catastrophic failures. Completely unsafe! This failure event could have been lethal and no one has any answers...

NHTSA ID

11531832

Incident

Jul 9, 2023

The 360 surround camera is not showing a 360 view. This is a safety issue, as there could be a person in the camera stitching lines or the camera blind spot.

NHTSA ID

11530829

Incident

Jul 3, 2023