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.
22
+7 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 22 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

  • Steering1140.7%
  • Seat belts414.8%
  • Powertrain (other)311.1%
  • Airbags311.1%
  • Suspension27.4%
  • Interior & seats13.7%
  • Electrical13.7%
  • Driver assistance13.7%

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
26V424000

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

View all 22
Steering
Filed Sep 23, 2026

Steering wheel makes a clicking noise. the internal steering rack or the cable reel (clock spring) behind the wheel.

NHTSA ID
11766276
Incident
Aug 1, 2026
Steering
Filed Sep 22, 2026

Steering wheel started making a clicking noise after a couple hundred miles. Dealer replaced clock spring and wrapped in felt tape. I could hear the felt tape a few days later when turning the wheel, and the clicking returned within a few hundred miles, returned to dealer again and they replaced clock spring again and wrapped in felt tape. The issue was only fixed for 1 day before I started hearing the felt tape when turning the wheel.

NHTSA ID
11766069
Incident
Jul 6, 2026
AirbagsSteering
Filed Sep 15, 2026

When turning steering there is a clicking noise almost like a spring clicking on a gear. It is sound like it is coming from under the middle part where the airbag sits. Not sure if it is the airbag mechanism that it is the attached to the steering or a faulty clock spring.

NHTSA ID
11764493
Incident
Sep 15, 2026
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 14, 2026

We believe there is a serious safety issue with our 2026 Honda Pilot with its delayed acceleration. There is a distinct delay between pushing the gas pedal and the engine engaging/moving the car forward (approximately 2 seconds). This has nothing to do with the Auto Idle Stop function. I've attached a vLinker MC+ device to our car's OBD port and used the Car Scanner mobile app ([XXX]) to measure the delay. I'm attaching visual proof of the delay between the gas pedal and the engine RPMs. The reason we believe this is a safety issue is that when trying to merge into traffic (think of crossing 2 lanes to turn left) the delay means you have no confidence you'll make it safely across without getting broadsided because the car won't accelerate when it is needed. This sounds eerily similar to NHTSA 25V-031. The engine hesitation will cause an accident at some point. This issue was reported to Honda customer care (case #XXX) but they declined to address the situation and pushed it back on the local Honda dealer. "All technical evaluations and potential escalations must originate with, and be requested by, an authorized Honda dealership based on their inspection findings." We already brought this up with our local Honda dealer in a service call on XXX. It was documented in our service record with them. They asked us to submit the issue to Honda Customer Care. Since all parties are pointing the finger at each other, we are raising this safety issue with NHTSA. This is a new vehicle purchased at the end of May, 2026. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11764256
Incident
May 28, 2026
Steering
Filed Sep 2, 2026

Steering wheel makes a clicking/spring noise when turning, especially at low speeds

NHTSA ID
11761677
Incident
Aug 23, 2026
Steering
Filed Sep 1, 2026

When turning the steering wheel a clicking sound happen full lock both ways.

NHTSA ID
11761451
Incident
Aug 26, 2026
Airbags
Filed Aug 31, 2026

The airbag light came on and a warning stating “ Supplemental restraint system problem” on my brand new car. I purchased the car on Friday and the warnings occurred Sunday. The car has 280 miles on it. From a Facebook group I can se that this appears to be a frequent issue.

NHTSA ID
11761000
Incident
Aug 30, 2026
Steering
Filed Aug 28, 2026

Clicking sound when turning steering wheel.

NHTSA ID
11760496
Incident
Jul 2, 2026

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Honda Pilot by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026Viewing221044.4
20252014163.2
20241136262.8
20231425263.5
20221575165.5
202143310162.6
202048711465.6
201990413465.4
20184407463.5
20179244464.1
20161,7038465.0
20151094159.8
20141163054.3
20132716052.4
20121719058.4
201129311058.3
201011110054.0
20091349054.3
20081339161.7
20072119359.3
200626810365.4
200567915763.1
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.