Model record
Honda Pilot Years to Avoid: Reliability and Recalls
Every Honda Pilot model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025: how many complaints each year drew, the problem owners named most, and the recalls to check before you buy.
NHTSA owner complaintsChecked Oct 2, 20266,454 complaints16 model years
The Honda Pilot years with the most owner complaints are 2016, 2017 and 2019. Owners named the engine most for 2016 and 2017, and the electrical system for 2019.
It's a count of reports, not a failure rate, and the newest years have had less time on the road to collect them.
Most of the complaints fall in the 2016 to 2022 generation, the Pilot Honda called all-new for 2016, and they peak at 1,685 for 2016.
Honda Pilot complaints by model year
Every Honda Pilot model year in NHTSA's owner complaint file, 2010 to 2025. Years with 2,000 or more complaints are dark; beside each bar is the system owners named most that year.
- 2010Airbag system29%111
- 2011Airbag system23%292
- 2012Engine21%170
- 2013Engine29%270
- 2014Engine27%116
- 2015Engine20%108
- 2016Engine45%1,685
- 2017Engine50%913
- 2018Engine36%436
- 2019Electrical system28%883
- 2020Electrical system43%478
- 2021Electrical system29%419
- 2022Electrical system22%144
- 2023Seat belts22%132
- 2024Seat belts21%108
- 2025Electrical system21%189
Best Honda Pilot years by complaint count
Of the years with at least five years on the road, these drew the fewest owner complaints. Fewer reports is not a clean bill of health: check the recalls for the exact car, and remember 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 have had less time to collect complaints.
- 2015Engine · 4 recalls108
- 2010Airbag system · 10 recalls111
- 2014Engine · 3 recalls116
Most common Honda Pilot problems
The systems owners named most across all 16 model years, counted from each year's six most-named systems.
- EngineNamed most in 7 of 16 years2,077
- Electrical systemNamed most in 5 of 16 years1,622
- PowertrainNever the top system in a year611
- Fuel and power deliveryNever the top system in a year460
- Braking systemNever the top system in a year196
Our guides for these problems
Check engine codes Honda Pilot owners name
The OBD-II codes owners wrote into their complaints for the Pilot years we have read in full (2016), one count per complaint. Tap a code to read our guide; grey codes have no guide yet.
Honda Pilot years to avoid by generation
Honda called the 2016 and 2023 Pilot all-new, so the years in the file fall into three groups. NHTSA's file starts at 2010.
2010–2015
Last years before the all-new 2016
2011 most complaints · airbag system
- 2010111
- 2011292
- 2012170
- 2013270
- 2014116
- 2015108
1,067 complaints · 6 model years
2016–2022
All-new for 2016
2016 most complaints · engine
- 20161,685
- 2017913
- 2018436
- 2019883
- 2020478
- 2021419
- 2022144
4,958 complaints · 7 model years
2023–2025
All-new for 2023
2025 most complaints · electrical system
- 2023132
- 2024108
- 2025189
429 complaints · 3 model years
Honda Pilot recalls by year
Recall campaigns NHTSA lists for each model year, read Oct 2, 2026. A campaign that covers several years counts in each of them. Recall repairs are free at the dealer; check one car with its VIN.
- 2010Most often: airbag system10
- 2011Most often: airbag system11
- 2012Most often: airbag system9
- 2013Most often: airbag system6
- 2014Most often: airbag system3
- 2015Most often: airbag system4
- 2016Most often: fuel system8
- 2017Most often: body structure4
- 2018Most often: body structure7
- 2019Most often: body structure13
- 2020Most often: backup camera11
- 2021Most often: backup camera10
- 2022Most often: airbag system5
- 2023Most often: fuel system5
- 2024Most often: seat6
- 2025Most often: fuel system4
Honda Pilot crash test ratings by year
NHTSA's overall star rating for each model year, with the frontal, side and rollover stars beside it.
- 2010No overall rating—
- 2011Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2012Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2013Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2014Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2015Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 44/5
- 2016Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2017Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2018Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2019Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2020Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2021Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2022Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2023Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2024Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
- 2025Frontal 4 · Side 5 · Rollover 45/5
Federal investigations
NHTSA's defect office has opened 5 investigations into 3 problems that cover Honda Pilot model years from 2010 to 2025. An investigation looks into a possible defect; it is not a finding.
Common questions
What are the Honda Pilot years to avoid?
The years with the most owner complaints are 2016, 2017 and 2019. Treat them as the years to inspect hardest, not as a verdict on every car: run the VIN for open recalls and have the systems owners named checked before you buy.
What year is the most reliable Honda Pilot?
Complaints can't name a most reliable year, because the file counts reports, not failures per car sold. Of the years with at least five years on the road, 2015 drew the fewest complaints: 108. Newer years have fewer still, but they have had less time to collect them.
What is the most common problem with the Honda Pilot?
Across every year in the file, owners named the engine most, in 2,077 complaints, then the electrical system, in 1,622.
Which Honda Pilot years have the most recalls?
2019, 2011 and 2020, with 13, 11 and 11 recall campaigns.
Pilot year pages
20161,685What the complaint record can't tell you
Sources
Show all 4 sources
Counts by system and year cover vehicles with at least 10 complaints.