⌘K
Find a vehicleRecallsCompareNewsPricing
Look one up
VIN decoderTrouble codesProblems by systemService bulletinsInvestigations
Browse the record
GuidesRankingsAll makesDriver-assist crashesWhat is in the dataWarranty extensions
Tools & data
Recall WatchFleet VIN checkRecall disclosure formCar crosswordCost calculatorsTitle brandsAPI & data
Account
Sign inGarage
Home›Honda›2020 Honda Pilot› engine problems
Owner complaints · Engine

2020 Honda Pilot engine problems

104 of the 489 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Honda Pilot name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 28 manufacturer bulletins, 4 NHTSA investigations. 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.

104 complaints 21% of this model year’s 5 a fire

What owners filed about the engine

Source: NHTSA complaint database
104complaints name the engine

0 of the 104 reports a crash · 5 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.

Filed per year: 2020: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2022: 25 · 2023: 16 · 2024: 15 · 2025: 24 · 2026: 17

Too few of these complaints carry an odometer reading to say when the problem shows up.

21%of this model year’s complaints

489 complaints in all about the 2020 Honda Pilot, 17 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 “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.

Across model years: Honda Pilot engine problems, every year on file →

Advertisement

In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

Vehicle shut down and failed to start at stoplight. It was as of it shifted off or in to neutral. Battery light showed red when initially tried to restart. Finally engine started after tuning off and back on again. I believe it was a failure of the auto engine stop system currently under investigation.
Engine Jul 11, 2022 NHTSA owner report
My Pilot has approximately 25,000 miles. I was stopped at a red light, my vehicle has the ignition shut off feature, which engaged while I was stopped. When the light changed and I went to accelerate, instead of the engine restarting, the entire car stalled and would not restart.
Engine Jul 1, 2022 NHTSA owner report
Incident happened 3 times in 1 week (June 8th, 11th, & 15). When stopped at a light or in traffic the car shuts down. The engine does not restart when it's supposed to, leaving us with a dead vehicle. The car had to be jump-started to get the vehicle moving again. In worst cases, the battery doesn’t even hold a charge.
Engine Jun 15, 2022 NHTSA owner report
Start/Stop function engaged at a red light, stopping the engine. Engine would not restart. Car and driver were stranded in the middle of a busy intersection for almost 2 hours until car could be jump started. Car would not restart on its own, leading to a very dangerous situation for driver and other motorists
Engine Jun 13, 2022 NHTSA owner report
When engine auto-shutoff was on (as it is automatically every time the car is started) I came to a complete stop and the vehicle turned off completely. I was in the middle of the road on every occasion this occurred. The vehicle would not restart for at least 30 seconds
Engine Jun 11, 2022 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the engine

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

NHTSA investigations

28 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading

The 1 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

P2422 P0087 P0441 P0430 P219B P219A

Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2020 Honda Pilot names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.

Other systems with a record on the 2020 Honda Pilot

Source: the same files
From here
Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Are engine problems common on the 2020 Honda Pilot?

They are documented: NHTSA holds 104 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (21% of everything owners filed about it), and 28 manufacturer bulletins, 4 NHTSA investigations 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 engine on the 2020 Honda Pilot?

No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 11 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.

When do engine problems show up on the 2020 Honda Pilot?

Too few of the complaints carry an odometer reading to say. The model year's page shows the mileage curve across every system where it can.

What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?

The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.