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Home›Honda›Honda Pilot› engine problems
Owner complaints · Engine · every model year

Honda Pilot engine problems, 2016–2026

2,007 of the 5,552 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Honda Pilot 2016–2026 name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). The loudest years: 2016 (816), 2017 (484), 2019 (242). Filed under the same heading across these years: 12 manufacturer bulletins, 2 recall campaigns, 4 NHTSA investigations. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.

2,007 complaints, 11 model years 36% of everything filed about the Pilot typically at 65k miles

Honda Pilot engine problems by model year

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

One row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.

Model yearComplaints naming the engineShare of the year’sTypically atOn file under the heading
20260———the year →
20253015%—11 TSBs · 1 investigationthe year →
2024109%—10 TSBs · 1 investigationthe year →
2023139%—10 TSBs · 1 investigationthe year →
20223321%—24 TSBs · 1 investigationthe year →
2021 in depth11025%—25 TSBs · 1 investigationthe record →
2020 in depth10421%—28 TSBs · 4 investigationsthe record →
2019 in depth24227%58k43 TSBs · 2 recalls · 4 investigationsthe record →
2018 in depth16538%90k56 TSBs · 2 recalls · 4 investigationsthe record →
2017 in depth48452%55k76 TSBs · 4 investigationsthe record →
2016 in depth81648%72k95 TSBs · 1 recall · 4 investigationsthe record →

Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the engine. Nothing here is a rate.

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When the engine complaints were filed, and at what mileage

Source: NHTSA complaint database
2,007complaints name the engine, all years

Filed per calendar year, every model year together: 2015: 1 · 2016: 7 · 2017: 9 · 2018: 23 · 2019: 62 · 2020: 79 · 2021: 132 · 2022: 485 · 2023: 193 · 2024: 307 · 2025: 396 · 2026: 313

65kmiles, typically

Across the model years, half of the 402 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 38,000 and 101,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

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

2016 Honda Pilot A/C grinding noise after activated at cold start after more than 36-48 hours parked. When A/C activated while driving vehicle belt system slips and pulls forward loosing speed.
Engine at 12,000 miles Nov 9, 2018 NHTSA owner report
Keyless start system error - the car won't start and this is the error message that pops up
Engine at 34,333 miles Oct 25, 2018 NHTSA owner report
While driving on the highway, my 2017 Pilot elite spontaneously accelerated and rpms revved. I tapped the brakes and it returned to the normal speed. Traffic was sparse, but if it had been busier this could have easily caused a collision
Engine at 12,000 miles Feb 4, 2020 NHTSA owner report
From a stop, at times when I take my foot off the brake with the auto-engine idle set to "on", when I try to accelerate, the engine will cut off. The car puts itself in either neutral or park, then I have to restart the car - depress brake and press button - after 30 seconds to a minute.
Engine at 22,000 miles Feb 4, 2020 NHTSA owner report
This has been happening for a while now, probably the past yet, but its happening more frequently now. I didn't think much of it until my husband noticed it while we were driving and started asking me about it and saying that could mean I have a transmission issue and need to get it looked at before my warranty is up since the car is…
Engine Aug 23, 2021 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the engine, across the years

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

Recall campaigns filed under this heading, any model year

NHTSA investigations

12 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading, any model year

The 8 newest are listed; each model year’s page lists every one filed on that year. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.

Other systems with a record on the Honda Pilot

Source: the same files

Every system, every model year: Honda Pilot problems by year →

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

Which Honda Pilot years have the most engine complaints?

2016, 816; 2017, 484; 2019, 242. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2017 (52%).

Is there a recall for the engine on the Honda Pilot?

Yes — 2 campaigns are filed under this heading across these model years: 23V751000 (2019), 19V298000 (2019). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

When do engine problems show up on the Honda Pilot?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 65,000 miles across the model years; half of them between 38,000 and 101,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

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.