Is the Honda Pilot more reliable than the Mazda CX-9?

No. The CX-9 has a clear edge. Federal recall records show 51 recalls for the Pilot across nine model years and 6 for the CX-9 across six. Pilot owners also report more severe failures, including engine bearing failure and fires. The CX-9 does have a higher complaint rate per vehicle sold.

Which has more recalls, the Pilot or the CX-9?

The Pilot has far more. It has 51 recalls across nine model years, while the CX-9 has 6 across six. One Pilot example is the fuel pump recall, which drew many complaints because dealers had no parts to do the repair when owners received notices.

Which costs less to repair, the Pilot or the CX-9?

They cost about the same. Independent repair-cost data puts the Pilot at $542 a year and the CX-9 at $539, roughly $15 apart over five years. The Pilot has fewer shop visits, while the CX-9 has a lower chance of a major repair.

What is the most common CX-9 problem?

Engine trouble leads the CX-9 complaints. Owners describe coolant leaking at the cylinder head near the exhaust manifold, followed by overheating and limp mode that holds the car to about 30 mph. Some also report a quart of oil used in under 3000 miles.

Are Honda Pilot engine problems serious?

They can be. The most serious pattern is sudden failure on the road, with a check engine light, power loss, and knocking. Dealers traced some cases to connecting rod bearing failure that needed a new engine. Two reports describe fires. Stop/start no-restart complaints are also common.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda Pilot vs Mazda CX-9: Reliability Compared

Honda Pilot

Good

More Reliable

Mazda CX-9

Good

The Mazda CX-9 comes out clearly ahead of the Honda Pilot on reliability, with far fewer recalls. Repair costs are nearly identical. The Pilot's engine failures, fires, and fuel pump stalls are what push it behind, though the CX-9 draws more complaints per vehicle sold.

How Do the Honda Pilot and Mazda CX-9 Generations Compare?

Most used Pilots you will see come from two generations. The third generation covered 2016 to 2022 and was refreshed for 2019, and the Pilot's weakest years, 2019 and 2020, belong to it. The fourth generation began with 2023, ran through 2025, and received a facelift for 2026. That newest year has had little time to collect complaints. The CX-9 sits in a single generation for every year in this comparison. Its second generation began in 2016 and ran through the 2024 model year. Its weakest years, 2018 and 2019, and its strongest, 2022 and 2023, all come from that one generation, so a later year does not mean a redesigned car.

Verdict

The Mazda CX-9 is more reliable than the Honda Pilot, scoring 76/100 vs 68/100.

Reliability favors the Mazda CX-9, and the edge is clear. The Pilot has 51 recalls across nine model years, against 6 for the CX-9 across six. Its worst failures are also more severe: connecting rod bearing failure that needs a new engine, two fires, and stalls tied to the fuel pump recall. The CX-9 has real faults too, mainly coolant leaks at the cylinder head. Repair cost is nearly the same, so the gap comes from severity and recall load. One caution: the CX-9 draws more complaints per vehicle sold.

Key Differences

1Mazda CX-9 has 45 fewer total recalls
2Mazda CX-9 scores 8 points higher in reliability
3Honda Pilot has 5.9 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

2Honda Pilot

—

4Mazda CX-9

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Honda Pilot vs Mazda CX-9: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda Pilot vs Mazda CX-9 at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda Pilot	Mazda CX-9
Reliability Score	68/100	76/100
Years Tracked	9	6
Total Recalls	51	6
Complaints per 10k Sold	9.1	15
Annual Repair Cost	$542/yr	$539/yr
Repair Frequency	0.5/yr	0.6/yr
Major Repair Risk	13%	10%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2023 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	0	6

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda Pilot and Mazda CX-9?

Electronics and drivetrain trouble defines the Pilot. The infotainment screen goes blank with "Network Communication Lost," taking the backup camera with it, and stop/start can fail to restart the engine at a light. Engine reports include bearing failure and fire. Electrical and engine complaints are both crash-linked on the Pilot. The CX-9 has no crash-linked reports in those two areas. Its main flaw is coolant leaking at the cylinder head, which causes overheating and limp mode, plus heavy oil use. Its crash-linked reports sit in service brakes, including the electronic parking brake, with one each in power train and steering.

Honda Pilot vs Mazda CX-9 common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda Pilot	Mazda CX-9
ENGINE	1Very Low	5.7Average
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	2.4Low	1.5Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.1Low	2Low
POWER TRAIN	0.9Very Low	1.2Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.3Very Low	0.7Very Low
STEERING	0.2Very Low	0.4Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.6Very Low	—None
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.6Very Low	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.4Very Low	0.1Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	0.3Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
SUSPENSION	—None	0.2Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	—None
SEAT BELTS	0.1Very Low	—None
SEATS	—None	0.1Very Low
Chest Clip	—None	0.1Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	—None	0.1Very Low
TIRES	—None	—None
VISIBILITY	—None	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda Pilot or Mazda CX-9?

Annual repair cost is almost identical: $542 for the Pilot and $539 for the CX-9. That is $3 a year, or about $15 over five years. The Pilot needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.5 a year against 0.6. The CX-9 has the lower chance that a repair is major, 10% against 13% for the Pilot. Cost should not decide this choice.

How Does Honda Pilot vs Mazda CX-9 Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda Pilot vs Mazda CX-9 year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda Pilot	Mazda CX-9	Edge
2023	72/1005R / 93C	81/1000R / 12C	Mazda CX-9
2022	72/1003R / 105C	81/1000R / 9C	Mazda CX-9
2021	63/1008R / 358C	77/1001R / 35C	Mazda CX-9
2020	60/1009R / 431C	78/1001R / 19C	Mazda CX-9
2019	56/10011R / 794C	73/1002R / 52C	Mazda CX-9
2018	63/1005R / 408C	66/1002R / 125C	Mazda CX-9

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Honda Pilot scored 72/100 and the 2023 Mazda CX-9 scored 81/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Honda Pilot vs the Mazda CX-9?

Choose the CX-9 if you want fewer recalls and fewer sudden, expensive failures. Target 2022 or 2023, its strongest years, and skip 2018 and 2019, its weakest. Before buying, look for signs of coolant loss or overheating, since owners say Mazda turned down goodwill requests for the cylinder head repair. Choose the Pilot if you want fewer unscheduled shop visits and a lower complaint rate per vehicle sold. Avoid 2019 and 2020, its weakest years. The 2023 is among the strongest. The 2026 also rates well, but it is the newest year and has had little time to collect complaints, so do not treat it as proven. On any Pilot, confirm the recall work was done, ask about stop/start restart problems, and test the transmission for shudder, which owners report from around 50,000 to 60,000 miles.

Honda Pilot vs Mazda CX-9: Common Questions

Is the Honda Pilot more reliable than the Mazda CX-9?: No. The CX-9 has a clear edge. Federal recall records show 51 recalls for the Pilot across nine model years and 6 for the CX-9 across six. Pilot owners also report more severe failures, including engine bearing failure and fires. The CX-9 does have a higher complaint rate per vehicle sold.
Which has more recalls, the Pilot or the CX-9?: The Pilot has far more. It has 51 recalls across nine model years, while the CX-9 has 6 across six. One Pilot example is the fuel pump recall, which drew many complaints because dealers had no parts to do the repair when owners received notices.
Which costs less to repair, the Pilot or the CX-9?: They cost about the same. Independent repair-cost data puts the Pilot at $542 a year and the CX-9 at $539, roughly $15 apart over five years. The Pilot has fewer shop visits, while the CX-9 has a lower chance of a major repair.
What is the most common CX-9 problem?: Engine trouble leads the CX-9 complaints. Owners describe coolant leaking at the cylinder head near the exhaust manifold, followed by overheating and limp mode that holds the car to about 30 mph. Some also report a quart of oil used in under 3000 miles.
Are Honda Pilot engine problems serious?: They can be. The most serious pattern is sudden failure on the road, with a check engine light, power loss, and knocking. Dealers traced some cases to connecting rod bearing failure that needed a new engine. Two reports describe fires. Stop/start no-restart complaints are also common.

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More Mazda CX-9 comparisons

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How we score the Honda Pilot and Mazda CX-9

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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