RoadVitals

2026 Honda Pilot

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
31
+8 complaints in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Jul 1, 2026
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 31 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2026 Honda Pilot, most frequently naming the steering, seat belts and powertrain (other) categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Steering1642.1%
  • Seat belts513.2%
  • Powertrain (other)37.9%
  • Airbags37.9%
  • Driver assistance37.9%
  • Suspension25.3%
  • Electrical25.3%
  • Engine25.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS; SUSPENSION:REAR

Jul 1, 2026
3,933 units potentially affected
The defect: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2026 Pilot and Passport vehicles. The rear subframe bolts may have been tightened improperly.
The risk: Loose rear subframe bolts can lead to a loss of vehicle stability or rear subframe detachment, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rear subframe bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is OOY. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning July 10, 2026.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)Manufacturer number OOYView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Driver assistance
Filed Nov 8, 2026

I believe everything worked as intended and nothing failed. There is nothing to reproduce. Me and the family could have been killed.

NHTSA ID
11776519
Incident
Oct 17, 2026
Steering
Filed Nov 6, 2026

The cable reel clock spring make noise when turning the steering wheel. I contacted honda dealer but they said it normal and refuse to replace the part.

NHTSA ID
11776351
Incident
Nov 6, 2026
Seat belts
Filed Oct 31, 2026

Seatbelt warning chimes sound multiple times in error after passengers previously buckled in the rear exit the vehicle. This is very alarming to the driver when resuming driving after a passenger dropoff for passengers riding in the back.

NHTSA ID
11774819
Incident
Oct 30, 2026
ElectricalEngine
Filed Oct 30, 2026

I picked up a brand new 2026 Honda Pilot XLE with 10 miles on it. I drove it about 22 miles on my commute that evening and noticed the acceleration to be sluggish and shifting hard. I also noticed when I turned up the audio system the sound would skip out and make a crackling noise as if a wire wasnʻt attached to a speaker. I parked the vehicle overnight and then began my commute the next morning with my [XXX]. Less than a half mile from our home, upon acceleration of the vehicle in rush hour traffic it began to bog. It immediately shut down and threw the vehicle into neutral as I was attempting to accelerate. No warning lights initially came on. I could not figure out what was happening. I attempted to pull off but the car wasnʻt running despite the dash being lit. The car put itself into park. I attempted to restart the vehicle to get off the road (thankfully I did not get hit from behind when the vehicle went into neutral. I repeatedly attempted to turn on the vehicle and it would immediately shut off. The indicator to turn off the vehicle by pushing the button twice came on. When I attempted to do this the vehicle would attempt to restart and then shutdown again. I could not change gears or turn the engine over. It would start and turn off on its own. Eventually had the vehicle towed back to the dealer where I refused to take the vehicle back. Safety was compromised when the vehicle automatically shifted into neutral then park WHILE DRIVING. With my [XXX] child in the vehicle we had almost been hit multiple times because I could not get the vehicle onto the shoulder due to this malfunction. Even when I called Honda Roadside Assist they refused to send a tow unless I had called Emergency Personnel and I “got to safety”-which, of course, I couldnʻt do because the vehicle was completely disabled. Dealer was unable to replicate issue. No warning lights or indicators appeared until multiple on/off then the battery light came on when attempting to turn over. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFO

NHTSA ID
11774740
Incident
Oct 28, 2026
Driver assistanceSteering
Filed Oct 21, 2026

The vehicle has a critical, severe multi-system factory safety defect involving structural steering/alignment and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) software. 1. STRUCTURAL DEFECT: From the time of delivery, the vehicle had out-of-specification factory alignment causing extreme handling instability, violent chassis/brake vibrations under acceleration/braking, and severe, premature tire rubber scrubbing/burning. Hayward Honda documented factory alignment failure on July 9, 2026, at 1,615 miles. AutoNation Honda Fremont documented severe vehicle pulling and drifting on September 4, 2026, at 2,533 miles. 2. LIFE-THREATENING ADAS SOFTWARE CRASH: The Honda Sensing Suite, specifically Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), intermittently malfunctions, short-circuits, and drops connection. On a high-speed bridge en route to San Francisco Airport, while traveling with my teenage son, the automated steering suddenly and violently jerked completely out of the lane to the left, attempting to collide with an adjacent vehicle. A fatal crash was avoided solely by instantaneous manual driver physical intervention to overpower the electronic steering rack. Dealership service management has admitted on paper that these safety features operate at a restricted 60% to 70% capacity, making the vehicle an immediate public safety hazard on public roads. Honda Corporate has failed to issue a recall or buyback over a three-month escalation matrix.

NHTSA ID
11772821
Incident
Oct 17, 2026
Steering
Filed Oct 19, 2026

Unknown issue and no recall available - Steering wheel started making a clicking noise at around 1200 miles on the vehicle. I have heard that many people have had this issue and got the clock spring replaced only for the issue to return.

NHTSA ID
11772274
Incident
Sep 30, 2026
Steering
Filed Oct 19, 2026

Steering wheel makes a clicking sound. Should not due that

NHTSA ID
11772265
Incident
Sep 1, 2026
Engine
Filed Oct 17, 2026

This is the description from my wife, who was driving the vehicle at the time. I was driving and the check engine light came on and the car started to violently shake. I lost the ability to accelerate. Fortunately, I was able to steer the car to safety and use the emergency brake to stop the vehicle. I called the nearest dealership and they told me to turn it off and if they engine warning light came back on, to contact honda to tow it. The light did not come back on so they suggested that I drive it to them, which was only 7 miles away. Within 1/5 of a mile, they same thing happened- check engine light came on, I lost the ability to accelerate and all warning lights came on including brake system failed. I was again able to pull over safely and stop the vehicle. Honda corp. had it towed to the dealership. It was there for 5 days. It was an engine problem. I have uploaded detailed reports for you. After honda shipped the car back to me, the gas pedal was acting strange. There was a grinding/vibrating sensation upon acceleration. Sometimes it does hesitate to accelerate. I brought it to the dealership closest to me. They kept it for 5 days. They told me that the engine misfired but that could be from anything. They were in contact with honda corp. No codes happened even when they drove it 115 miles. I was told to pick it up and return the rental they provided. My concern is for my safety. The cause of the engine issue initially has not been identified to me and I do not feel safe driving this car. Fortunately, both times I could not accelerate there were no other vehicles behind me and I was able to get to safety very quickly and stop the vehicle. However, this was engine failure and should not have happened on a brand new car. We do have a case # with honda corporation and have not heard back from them. They are only reimbursing us for car rental and hotel.

NHTSA ID
11771835
Incident
Sep 17, 2026

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Honda Pilot by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026Viewing311044.6
20252175163.0
20241197262.6
20231516264.1
20221765165.0
202145910163.2
202049711465.5
201992913465.7
20184437462.5
20179434464.2
20161,7308464.8
20151094159.8
20141163054.3
20132736053.2
20121739059.9
201129311057.9
201011110054.1
20091349053.3
20081339160.6
20072119358.6
200626810364.2
200567915762.6
200454413562.6
200372014561.1

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.