2023 Honda Pilot Problems

Within 1 year of purchase, the seat belt sensor on the 2nd row passenger side began malfunctioning. My child who sat in the seat was properly buckled, but the sensor would intermittently indicate the child was unbuckled. This was repaired in October 2024 under warranty. Beginning in August 2026, the same seat began exhibiting the same behavior again. I took the vehicle back to the Honda dealership where I purchased it, and they diagnosed the same issue. They attempted to charge me for the repair, but I pushed back that this should be covered given it has now failed twice and there is an active investigation into this issue. They repaired it at no cost to me. This is a safety issue in two ways, 1) The driver may get used to the car audibly indicating the seatbelt is disconnected and ignore it given it is faulty, the child may indeed have unbuckled and be in an unsafe position, 2) The driver may get distracted by the intermittent warnings and audible noises made by the car indicating the belt is unbuckled, when it is not. The vehicle or component was not inspected by anyone aside from the dealership. We have a recorded video from the dealership that shows the vehicle repair tech manipulating the seatbelt and causing the seatbelt alarm to go off. We also have documentation of the repair being made on two separate instances.

I own a 2023 Honda Pilot equipped with second-row captain’s chairs that experiences intermittent false seat belt warnings. The right-side second-row seat triggers the audible chime and red/gray “unbuckled” icon on the driver information display even when the seat belt is fully and securely latched; the warning is frequently activated by normal passenger weight shifting or movement. The same false unbuckled warnings also occur in the third-row seats. These symptoms match the conditions described in Honda Service Bulletin A26-027 and fall within the scope of NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE25017 concerning inaccurate rear passenger seat belt warning status (both false positives and false negatives) on 2023–2024 Honda Pilots. The repeated false alerts create driver distraction and risk of alert fatigue, which could lead occupants (including children) to be unrestrained without the driver realizing it. I request that this complaint be associated with PE25017 and that the investigation continue toward a potential recall or expanded remedy.

I own a 2023 Honda Pilot. On two separate occasions while the vehicle was being driven, the vehicle experienced multiple system warnings and a significant loss of steering assistance. The first incident occurred before July 16, 2026, at approximately 40,605 miles. While my wife was driving, multiple warning lights illuminated and the steering wheel suddenly became extremely stiff and difficult to turn, although the engine remained running. She was able to pull over, turn the vehicle off, and restart it. After the restart, the warning lights disappeared and the steering returned to normal. I brought the vehicle to John Eagle Honda of Dallas on July 16, 2026. The dealer's repair order documents: “CUSTOMER STATES MULTIPLE LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND STEERING WHEEL GOT REALLY STIFF BUT VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING.” The dealer reported that it performed a battery check and charging-system test, found no stored diagnostic trouble codes, could not duplicate the condition during a test drive, and performed no repair. The problem occurred again on September 8, 2026, at approximately 42,511 miles while my wife was driving. Once again, the steering became extremely difficult to operate. During this second incident, my wife also reported that the brakes were not functioning normally. Multiple warning lights and system-failure messages appeared simultaneously. Photographs were taken of the instrument cluster before the condition cleared. One message specifically stated: “Electric power steering system problem. Steering assist not available. Do not drive.” Another stated: “AWD All wheel drive system problem. Only front wheels may be powered. See your dealer.” The instrument cluster also displayed additional warning indicators associated with other vehicle systems. This is particularly concerning because the failure has now occurred twice while the vehicle was being driven. Turning the vehicle off and restarting it has caused the symptoms and warnings to disappear.

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)

I have this car for more than 3 years now and ever since this sensor problem keeps bugging me out. The brake system hold error keeps on displaying specially on a rainy days, winter season and not only that, the car suddenly stopped in the middle of thw highway while displaying collision error message although there is no collision. This is very dangerous and knowing that it can happen anytime while your are driving on a highway. I am very frustrated and this type of cars is not cheap and they gave as a junk, not safe for driving cars. And jus today, my honda pilot is not starting at all. The engine keeps cranking while showing brake system hold error, collision error messages and a lot more. I was able to use it last night and suddenly for no reason it stops working because of some errors that I do not have any idea what's going on. Please, I need this to be fix by them (Honda). This is not a safe care at all.

While driving to work this morning. Rate of speed under 45 mph with no apparent issues. Suddenly warning lights on the dash lit up and steering became difficult. Three separate information warnings: Lane Keeping assist problem, electric power steering problem, adaptive cruise control problem. I was able to continue to drive the 3 miles to work. Had to use 2 hands and pull hard on the steering wheel to pull into the parking lot from the street. Actually had to stop the car, turn it off and restart it just to get into a parking space. Turned engine off twice, both times all warning lights came back on on the dash when I restarted the car. I only have 29,043 miles on this vehicle. It was unsettling to find myself in an unsafe situation today.

I own a 2023 Honda Pilot. On two separate occasions while the vehicle was being driven, the vehicle experienced multiple system warnings and a significant loss of steering assistance. The first incident occurred before July 16, 2026, at approximately 40,605 miles. While my wife was driving, multiple warning lights illuminated and the steering wheel suddenly became extremely stiff and difficult to turn, although the engine remained running. She was able to pull over, turn the vehicle off, and restart it. After the restart, the warning lights disappeared and the steering returned to normal. I brought the vehicle to John Eagle Honda of Dallas on July 16, 2026. The dealer's repair order documents: “CUSTOMER STATES MULTIPLE LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND STEERING WHEEL GOT REALLY STIFF BUT VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING.” The dealer reported that it performed a battery check and charging-system test, found no stored diagnostic trouble codes, could not duplicate the condition during a test drive, and performed no repair. The problem occurred again on September 8, 2026, at approximately 42,511 miles while my wife was driving. Once again, the steering became extremely difficult to operate. During this second incident, my wife also reported that the brakes were not functioning normally. Multiple warning lights and system-failure messages appeared simultaneously. Photographs were taken of the instrument cluster before the condition cleared. One message specifically stated: “Electric power steering system problem. Steering assist not available. Do not drive.” Another stated: “AWD All wheel drive system problem. Only front wheels may be powered. See your dealer.” The instrument cluster also displayed additional warning indicators associated with other vehicle systems. This is particularly concerning because the failure has now occurred twice while the vehicle was being driven. Turning the vehicle off and restarting it has caused the symptoms and warnings to disappear.

While driving to work this morning. Rate of speed under 45 mph with no apparent issues. Suddenly warning lights on the dash lit up and steering became difficult. Three separate information warnings: Lane Keeping assist problem, electric power steering problem, adaptive cruise control problem. I was able to continue to drive the 3 miles to work. Had to use 2 hands and pull hard on the steering wheel to pull into the parking lot from the street. Actually had to stop the car, turn it off and restart it just to get into a parking space. Turned engine off twice, both times all warning lights came back on on the dash when I restarted the car. I only have 29,043 miles on this vehicle. It was unsettling to find myself in an unsafe situation today.

I have this car for more than 3 years now and ever since this sensor problem keeps bugging me out. The brake system hold error keeps on displaying specially on a rainy days, winter season and not only that, the car suddenly stopped in the middle of thw highway while displaying collision error message although there is no collision. This is very dangerous and knowing that it can happen anytime while your are driving on a highway. I am very frustrated and this type of cars is not cheap and they gave as a junk, not safe for driving cars. And jus today, my honda pilot is not starting at all. The engine keeps cranking while showing brake system hold error, collision error messages and a lot more. I was able to use it last night and suddenly for no reason it stops working because of some errors that I do not have any idea what's going on. Please, I need this to be fix by them (Honda). This is not a safe care at all.

I own a 2023 Honda Pilot. On two separate occasions while the vehicle was being driven, the vehicle experienced multiple system warnings and a significant loss of steering assistance. The first incident occurred before July 16, 2026, at approximately 40,605 miles. While my wife was driving, multiple warning lights illuminated and the steering wheel suddenly became extremely stiff and difficult to turn, although the engine remained running. She was able to pull over, turn the vehicle off, and restart it. After the restart, the warning lights disappeared and the steering returned to normal. I brought the vehicle to John Eagle Honda of Dallas on July 16, 2026. The dealer's repair order documents: “CUSTOMER STATES MULTIPLE LIGHTS CAME ON WHILE DRIVING AND STEERING WHEEL GOT REALLY STIFF BUT VEHICLE WAS STILL RUNNING.” The dealer reported that it performed a battery check and charging-system test, found no stored diagnostic trouble codes, could not duplicate the condition during a test drive, and performed no repair. The problem occurred again on September 8, 2026, at approximately 42,511 miles while my wife was driving. Once again, the steering became extremely difficult to operate. During this second incident, my wife also reported that the brakes were not functioning normally. Multiple warning lights and system-failure messages appeared simultaneously. Photographs were taken of the instrument cluster before the condition cleared. One message specifically stated: “Electric power steering system problem. Steering assist not available. Do not drive.” Another stated: “AWD All wheel drive system problem. Only front wheels may be powered. See your dealer.” The instrument cluster also displayed additional warning indicators associated with other vehicle systems. This is particularly concerning because the failure has now occurred twice while the vehicle was being driven. Turning the vehicle off and restarting it has caused the symptoms and warnings to disappear.

The engine required a short block replacement at approximately 40,000 miles. There was a severe knocking sound and the dealer diagnosed heavy scoring and abnormal wear present on the front bank cylinder walls. The result was excessive internal engine clearance and cylinder wall damage. Engine cylinder piston block holes were worn beyond spec. After 33 days the vehicle was returned and developed a growling/grinding noise when the AC was in operation and at lower speeds that followed the RPMs. Vehicle was returned to dealer and told sound was normal operation for this model and stated it was coming from AC Compressor. Independent shop verified 2 days later AC compressor was failing and possible metal contamination. AC compressor is backordered with no ETA. Advised to not use AC or Defroster to avoid seizing and causing serpentine belt to snap. Advised Honda Customer Care and assigned Case Manager who was made aware of knock and compressor failure and contacted dealer who stated vehicle could not be seen for 7 days due to being booked. Advised Case Manager of vehicle safety concern with internal engine failure damage and failing AC system and was denied emergency loaner or assistance and told it was all they could do. Vehicle now unsafe due to both with no timeline for fixing and known hazards due to severe engine failures and associated issues with main systems.

Honda Part #80872-SN7-003 failed at 3years and 40,000 miles which Honda will not cover under warranty. This is a simple O-Ring for the AC line which has a life span of 10-15 years. Apparently this has been common on 2023-2025 Pilots and passports and thus should be a recall issue.

Vehicle was parked on street. My wife got in the vehicle and as she went to start the vehicle she heard a pop and looked behind her to see the rear glass had exploded.

The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rearview mirror console located near the front windshield became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that upon inspecting the area, the rearview mirror console was extremely hot to the touch. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 74,071.

I own a 2023 Honda Pilot equipped with second-row captain’s chairs that experiences intermittent false seat belt warnings. The right-side second-row seat triggers the audible chime and red/gray “unbuckled” icon on the driver information display even when the seat belt is fully and securely latched; the warning is frequently activated by normal passenger weight shifting or movement. The same false unbuckled warnings also occur in the third-row seats. These symptoms match the conditions described in Honda Service Bulletin A26-027 and fall within the scope of NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE25017 concerning inaccurate rear passenger seat belt warning status (both false positives and false negatives) on 2023–2024 Honda Pilots. The repeated false alerts create driver distraction and risk of alert fatigue, which could lead occupants (including children) to be unrestrained without the driver realizing it. I request that this complaint be associated with PE25017 and that the investigation continue toward a potential recall or expanded remedy.

Rear 2nd row seats give false warning when the kids car seats are buckled but constantly give warning that seat belts are not buckled properly. Haven’t received any recall & dealer won’t fix the issue under warranty

The engine required a short block replacement at approximately 40,000 miles. There was a severe knocking sound and the dealer diagnosed heavy scoring and abnormal wear present on the front bank cylinder walls. The result was excessive internal engine clearance and cylinder wall damage. Engine cylinder piston block holes were worn beyond spec. After 33 days the vehicle was returned and developed a growling/grinding noise when the AC was in operation and at lower speeds that followed the RPMs. Vehicle was returned to dealer and told sound was normal operation for this model and stated it was coming from AC Compressor. Independent shop verified 2 days later AC compressor was failing and possible metal contamination. AC compressor is backordered with no ETA. Advised to not use AC or Defroster to avoid seizing and causing serpentine belt to snap. Advised Honda Customer Care and assigned Case Manager who was made aware of knock and compressor failure and contacted dealer who stated vehicle could not be seen for 7 days due to being booked. Advised Case Manager of vehicle safety concern with internal engine failure damage and failing AC system and was denied emergency loaner or assistance and told it was all they could do. Vehicle now unsafe due to both with no timeline for fixing and known hazards due to severe engine failures and associated issues with main systems.

Vehicle had an engine fire yesterday. Inner cv boot is burned. Luckily fire was put out quickly with a fire extinguisher.

The driver seatbelt was soaking wet after a rainstorm. The vehicle does not have a sunroof. Upon further inspection the airbag and its electronics were also soaked in water. It has never been in an accident or had any work done to it. There is a factory installed roof rack(Sport model). I am concerned for the safety in the function of the airbag and seatbelt tensioner in the event of an accident after being soaked in water an unknown amount of times. Secondary, possibly related issue. The rear drivers side door will randomly not unlock/open from the exterior(have to reach through and use the interior handle). Posing a safety issue in the event of child removal in an emergency.

The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while shifted into reverse, there was an abnormal popping and cracking sound coming from the driver’s side roof. The failure became worse over time. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the struts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that there were improper welds underneath the third-row seats on the cross member, and that the cross member needed to be properly welded. The vehicle was taken to a body shop and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

Summary of Safety Issue:A franchise dealership delivered an unroadworthy vehicle with a falsified safety inspection checklist, missing critical structural hardware on all four wheels.Description of Incident:On XXX I took delivery of a Certified Pre-Owned 2023 Honda Pilot TrailSport from Scott Clark Honda. I drove the vehicle two hours away on the highway to my residence in [XXX]. Upon a detailed inspection at home, I discovered that the vehicle was missing four (4) lug nuts—specifically, one critical lug nut was completely missing from every single wheel hub assembly.A subsequent audit of my high-resolution delivery photos confirms the hardware was already missing while the vehicle sat in the dealership's delivery bay. The franchise service department falsified the mandatory Honda CPO safety checklist, which legally requires verifying that all wheel hardware is torque-tested and structurally present. Driving a heavy family utility vehicle on public highways with un-torqued and missing lug nuts created a life-threatening wheel-separation hazard. The dealership has since failed to execute an immediate or emergency resolution to render the chassis safe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The car seat snug lock feature in the forward facing position does NOT create a snug fit and becomes loose over time. BOTH of my turn2me seats do this. Purchased on the same day. We recently forward faced my daughter due to maxing out the rear facing limits. We have installed with the seat belt due to being over the limit for the latch. With the seat belt, when installed per the manual, it comes loose almost immediately after install. I noticed the seat starts to wiggle within a couple days and being over the “one inch rule”. I will submit videos of me installing per manual and how it comes undone with the slightest pull on the belt. This is what happens after a couple days of use. I’m a cpst and have discussed with numerous cpst about this seat. This is a “known issue” and nothing we have tried will keep it secure. Extremely unsafe to be using this seat and it needs to be recalled due to this not being the first complaint. I have also made a report with graco with no response yet. It will not let me upload videos to the report but if someone reaches out, I can email them in.

Dear [NHTSA or Honda Customer Service], I am submitting this complaint to raise a serious safety concern regarding the automatic engine shutoff feature in my 2023 Honda Pilot EX-L. While parked and talking to the dealer, I left my vehicle running with the air conditioning on and my older children in the back seat. Despite the key being inside the car and the engine running, the vehicle shut off automatically after approximately 30 minutes, disabling the air conditioning without any clear warning. This happened in the desert heat, creating an extremely dangerous situation for my children, who were sitting in a vehicle that quickly began to overheat. At no point were we warned by the dealer, the vehicle itself, or any documentation that this idle shutoff would activate even when occupants are inside the car. This is an unacceptable and unsafe default behavior. While I understand the intention behind the feature may be related to fuel or emissions concerns, it should never override the need for cabin cooling when passengers—especially children—are present. This feature should: •Include more prominent audible and visual warnings •Be easily disabled or extended by the driver •Be reconsidered entirely when rear seat occupancy is detected I urge the NHTSA and/or Honda to take this issue seriously and issue a recall, software update, or safety bulletin to allow owners to override or disable this idle shutoff function under safe, supervised circumstances. This is a family vehicle, and no feature should put occupants at risk of heat-related injury. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Vehicle when entering traffic hesitates for 2 to 3 seconds and then surges forward real fast. No warning lights or or messages. Very scary and dangerous . feels like you do not have control of vehicle....This has happened only twice since I have owned the vehicle. I purchased the vehicle new from a dealer...

i was involved in a fairly significant accident at 55mph and another vehicle pulled out in front of us. Our Honda pilot had significant front and side damage on passenger side and not air bags deployed at all. This is and was alarming to us. So much so we did not feel safe in keeping the vehicle after the $26,000 repair. I did suffer minor injuries with my neck (surgery required and arm issues from hitting the door) Has this been noted in Honda Pilot models?

Continued from previous submitted complaint: Driver window will not stop when trying to stop it forcibly with hand. I was told that the window will not stop until the window is almost closed at the top. Hope a 4 year old's arm isn't in it. Front passenger window will raise 1/4 of the way up, then fall back down and rock on it's cradle. I took a video of it happening but Charlie's Honda, Augusta, Maine did not want to see it. The Key Fob is a nightmare. It tells me it won’t lock because key is in vehicle. The key is in my pocket as I walk away. It also tells me that “No Key Detected” I’m sitting in the driver’s seat with the vehicle’s engine physically running. Rear Hatch will not open when physically pushing release button. Much more reported but Charlie's Honda has an excuse ready at all times. I bought this Pilot on 10/02/2023 and have nothing but problems with it up to date 6/20/2025. Previous owners kept it for 4 months then traded because they felt very unsafe in it. Which I didn't know this info until 6-15-2025

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)

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.