2021 Honda Pilot engine problems
110 of the 436 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Honda Pilot name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 25 manufacturer bulletins, 1 NHTSA investigation. 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 engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 110 reports a crash · 1 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2021: 3 · 2022: 9 · 2023: 13 · 2024: 16 · 2025: 36 · 2026: 33
Too few of these complaints carry an odometer reading to say when the problem shows up.
436 complaints in all about the 2021 Honda Pilot, 33 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 →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled 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 off while at a busy intersection light. Unable to restart the vehicle for several minutes. All safety systems (crash mitigation.....) were disabled. Unable to find a current recall through Honda and the dealership is closed since it is sunday
The autostart failed to restart at an intersection traffic light when light changed. It put us at risk of rear end collision while trying to decipher and correct issue. Message appeared to state car needed to go into park.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving in stop and go traffic, the Auto START/STOP feature malfunctioned causing the vehicle to lose electrical power and shut off. During the failure, the display and instrument panel became inoperable.
The issue is with a restart after the car engaged the auto idle stop feature. Outside temperature was about 43F, Car had been driven earlier in day, and was parked for about 1 hour. The car started okay after sitting for an hour, then driven at highway speeds for about 10 mins.
My 2021 Honda Pilot's Idle-Stop System has been failing at random and dangerous times. The engine shuts off when Idle-Stop is engaged and as expected. However and until recently; when I release my foot from the break, nothing happens. The engine does not start.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsNHTSA investigation
- EA25004 No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engagesopened Mar 26, 2025 · open
- On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject …
25 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- A23-009 Service bulletinJul 7, 2025
- Service Bulletin - Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and engaging idle stop, the vehicle may not restart automatically due to excessive cylinder pressure and/or low cranking torque. Typically, the customer can immediately restart the vehicle by selecting Park and pressing the ENGINE START/STOP button.
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
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2021 Honda Pilot names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2021 Honda Pilot
Source: the same files- electrical problems 127 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2021 Honda Pilot?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 110 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (25% of everything owners filed about it), and 25 manufacturer bulletins, 1 NHTSA investigation 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 2021 Honda Pilot?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 10 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 2021 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.