2021 Honda Pilot Reliability Report

Sudden failure from a broken connecting rod bearing is the most serious pattern, usually at highway speed. Drivers hear a loud clank or knocking, the check-engine light flashes, and power drops. These failures appear between about 84,000 and 109,000 miles, often on cars serviced on schedule, and end in an engine replacement. The most frequent complaint is still auto idle-stop stalling the engine at lights, and some say it continued after a software update. Other reports cover cylinder misfires, an oil leak on a nearly new car, and one crash blamed on sudden acceleration.

Most complaints are about the seat weight sensor recall. Dealers say the replacement part is unavailable, and some owners have waited 17 months or longer for the repair. On some cars the airbag warning light and an SRS failure message come on at about 41,000 to 45,000 miles. Dealers then call for a new SRS unit, weight sensor or seat frame, sometimes billed outside warranty. Three crash reports involve unintended acceleration or a locked steering wheel. Airbags deployed in some of those crashes and not in others.

The transmission shifts into neutral on its own, both at stoplights and at highway speed, and sometimes will not go back into drive or park. Other reports describe jerking, slipping, a 5 to 10 second delay going from reverse to drive, and outright transmission failure after a whine, with one repair quoted at $9,000. Connecting rod bearing failures also appear, including one at 84,000 miles that required a new engine. Limp mode and auto idle-stop stalls round out the reports. In the one injury report, the car rolled away while in park.

The driver side mirror shakes and blurs at highway speed, and some mirrors separate from their mounting plate. A recall replaced the mirrors. Many owners say the new driver side glass is distorted, showing wavy or doubled images that cause headaches, and others say the shaking came back. Dealers tried tape or repeated mirror swaps without a lasting fix. Rear hatch glass also shatters with no impact, including on cars sitting parked. Single reports mention a cracked windshield and a detached inside mirror.

Phantom automatic braking dominates these reports. The car brakes hard on open highways or on curves with oncoming traffic, and following drivers nearly hit it. The opposite failure also appears. Two crash reports describe the pedal going to the floor or the car not stopping, and one of those crashes caused injuries. In one case a failed brake switch caused lost braking on a steep hill. Smaller complaints cover rusted, pitted rotors and pads, plus collision mitigation warnings that dealers trace to the camera.

The factory Continental CrossContact LX Sport tires blow out through the sidewall with no road hazard. Some of these failures happen at highway speed, and some damage the rim. Several blowouts occur on cars only a few months old. Other owners report dry rot, chunking tread, or a full set worn out around 30,000 miles. A related tire recall exists, but owners say their tires were built just outside its date range, so the dealer and the tire maker refuse coverage.

The rearview camera image goes black when reversing, usually because the infotainment screen fails to turn on. One owner reports two parking-lot fender benders caused by the blank screen. A recall covers the problem, but reports describe parts that were not available and a completed recall repair that did not stop the failure. Failures appear around 48,000 to 55,000 miles.