2025 Honda Pilot Reliability Report

Shifts are rough and delayed at low speed, especially between first, second, and third gear. Owners describe hesitation pulling away from a stop and the car lurching forward as the transmission downshifts during braking, which makes smooth stops hard to judge. Several cars show it within the first few hundred miles, and it can be worse with a cold engine. More serious reports involve the transmission jumping to park, either when the driver selects reverse or while moving at 12 mph. Several owners believe a transmission software update is needed.

A strong gasoline smell fills the cabin at around 1,590 to 2,200 miles and is worst after the car sits overnight. Dealers blame plastic burning off the exhaust. Other reports describe stalls with the steering wheel locking, the car surging while the driver brakes, and the transmission slipping into reverse or neutral on its own, which one dealer traced to a defective shifter. A crash report cites the backup camera, parking sensors, and automatic braking failing before hitting trees. Water collecting in the cargo area and a front-end noise at highway speed also appear.

Adaptive cruise control shuts off without warning on the highway, usually with a message to clean the sensor even when nothing blocks it. Some cars also brake hard to about half their speed and lose lane departure and blind spot functions for up to 45 minutes. Dealers say they have no fix, and some owners were told Honda is still working on one. A crash report describes the car accelerating on its own into a parking garage wall while the driver pressed the brake.

Sudden stalls and power loss while driving lead these reports, sometimes with an emission system warning, and the car may not restart. One report describes a seized motor at 160 miles that needed replacing, and another owner was told a buyback was possible after repeated failures. Other stalls clear after a restart, and dealers find nothing wrong. Rough throttle response, hard shifts, front camera blocked messages, and fuel economy of 15 to 19 mpg against the advertised 19 to 26 also come up.

The brakes apply themselves hard, sometimes bringing the car to a full stop, on highways and winding mountain roads. Drivers describe near rear-end collisions, including with a semi truck, and at least one owner was told there is no fix yet. A separate set of reports describes the brake pedal failing to slow the car, and two crash reports fall in this category. A federal recall covers the hydraulic brake system, with failed brake pedal assemblies being replaced. Owners report the recall parts were not available, so repairs were delayed.

Glass breaks easily. Windshields crack from minor road debris or with no impact at all, sometimes repeatedly in the same lower driver-side corner, and one rear window shattered on its own. Replacement windshields have been hard to get, and each replacement needs a driver-assist calibration. Other complaints cover the rearview mirror popping off its mount, ripples that distort the view through the windshield, and a backup camera image too poor at night to spot pedestrians.

The taillight housings have a sharp plastic edge that has cut at least one owner, which accounts for the lone injury report. The dealer said every Pilot has the same edge. Puddle lamp bulbs also fail again and again, which the owner blames on water getting into the housing, and the dealer refused warranty coverage. With 2 complaints in this category, these are isolated reports rather than a broad pattern.