2018 Honda Pilot transmission and drivetrain problems
78 of the 440 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Honda Pilot name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). Filed under the same heading: 12 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA complaint database0 of the 78 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2019: 6 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 7 · 2022: 17 · 2023: 7 · 2024: 18 · 2025: 15 · 2026: 7
Half of the 22 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 20,000 and 66,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
440 complaints in all about the 2018 Honda Pilot, 7 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Power Train” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Honda Pilot transmission and drivetrain problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
When stopped in traffic the car will switch to neutral by itself. It will turn off and will have to be restarted. This has happened about 12 times since last July. After the first time it happened I brought the car to the dealership. They were not able to replicate the issue and it has continued since then with greater frequency.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate and then lunged forward. The contact sustained whiplash from the vehicle lunging forward abruptly.
1. When accelerating gradually on the 2018 Honda Pilot touring AWD from complete stop, the car jerks hard after the car starts moving - probably from 1st to 2nd gear. The car is in automatic drive mode. 2.the 2018 Honda Pilot touring AWD turns off engine unexpectedly. When slowing down to traffic, sometimes the car turns off the engine.
When accelerating from an idle position there is a 2-3 second delay. Very slow to bet moving and very dangerous in high volume traffic. The car often times jerks when I AM accelerating in to a higher gear
The SUV jolts and decreases speed . It takes a long time to take off again. The jolting can be strong and it has decreased on the freeway. This is not safe for a family vehicle. This has happened for a couple of months.
What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications12 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Honda Pilot names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2018 Honda Pilot
Source: the same files- engine problems 165 complaints
- fuel system problems 125 complaints
- electrical problems 85 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre transmission and drivetrain problems common on the 2018 Honda Pilot?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 78 owner complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain on this model year (18% of everything owners filed about it), and 12 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the transmission and drivetrain on the 2018 Honda Pilot?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 7 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the 2018 Honda Pilot?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 50,000 miles; half of them between 20,000 and 66,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?
The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.