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Verdict

2025 Honda Pilot: Complaints, Recalls & Known Issues

What the public record actually says about the 2025 Honda Pilot — every figure below is a NHTSA or EPA number, not an opinion.

The read

More reported complaints than most SUV.

Owners filed 156 NHTSA complaints — more complaints than 93% of 2025 SUVs. Steering leads the reports (19%). 4 safety recall campaigns on record — check the VIN and remedy terms with a dealer.

Based on NHTSA complaint volume against 2025 SUVs, not adjusted for how many were sold. It describes the model year, not the individual car you are looking at.

Complaints filed

156

Reports to NHTSA, 2025

Safety recalls

4

NHTSA campaigns on record

NHTSA crash test

Overall NCAP rating

Combined MPG

21

EPA estimate

Complaint volume vs. segment peers

More complaints than 93% of 2025 SUVs

The bar is this car's percentile among 2025 SUVs by complaint volume — a full bar means the fewest complaints in its class. Not adjusted for sales.

Known issues

Steering issues lead owner complaints (19% of 156 reports), followed by electrical system (13%).

Steering19% · 29 reports
Electrical System13% · 20 reports
Forward Collision Avoidance11% · 17 reports
Power Train9% · 14 reports
Service Brakes9% · 14 reports
Unknown Or Other8% · 12 reports
Engine6% · 10 reports
Vehicle Speed Control6% · 10 reports

+ 13 more component categories with fewer reports.

Share of all 156 NHTSA complaints for this model year, grouped by the component owners named. Bars are scaled to the largest category. Examples: ODI 11748454, ODI 11739886, ODI 11731410, ODI 11730908, ODI 11729805.

Recalls(4)

Open a recall to read what NHTSA says is wrong, what can happen, and how it gets fixed. Check the VIN and remedy eligibility with a dealer; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though a manufacturer may offer more coverage.

Service BrakesDec 2025 · 25V391000Details +

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

Risk: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.

Seat BeltsMay 2025 · 25V056000Details +

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The third-row passenger seat belt assembly may not function, due to incorrect routing that traps the seat belt behind the passenger side panel. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Risk: A non-functioning seat belt cannot properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the seat belt routing as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is ZL4.

Fuel System · 24V900000Details +

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Passport and 2023-2025 Pilot vehicles. The fuel filler neck tube and fuel filler pipe may separate, allowing fuel to leak.

Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the fuel filler neck tube and pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is OKM.

Fuel System · 25V031000Details +

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Acura MDX Type-S, 2023-2025 Honda Pilot, and 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type-S vehicles. A software error in the fuel injection electronic control unit (FI-ECU) may cause an engine stall or a loss of power.

Risk: An engine stall or loss of power can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EL1 and AL0.

A campaign can apply to this model year without being incomplete on a specific vehicle. Check the VIN with NHTSA or a dealer to confirm whether a particular car needs repair.

Investigations

1 NHTSA investigation on record

Investigations are agency reviews, not findings that a vehicle is defective.

No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages

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 vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.NHTSA has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.

Crash-test ratings

2025 Honda PILOT SUV FWD NHTSA source

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

2025 Honda PILOT SUV AWD NHTSA source

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Fuel economy by trim

TrimEngineDrivetrainCityHwyCombined
Pilot FWD3.5L 6-cylFront-Wheel Drive192722
Pilot AWD Touring/Elite/Black3.5L 6-cylAll-Wheel Drive192521
Pilot AWD3.5L 6-cylAll-Wheel Drive192521
Pilot AWD TrailSport3.5L 6-cylAll-Wheel Drive182320

EPA laboratory estimates by trim and engine. Actual mileage varies with driving, weather, load, and maintenance. EPA source.

Before you buy

Useful next checks

Federal records tell you about patterns. These checks can tell you more about the specific car in front of you.

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Compare model years

"Fewest reports" and "most complained" describe raw NHTSA complaint totals, not vehicle reliability. The last few model years are left unlabelled because they have had less road time.

2025 Honda Pilot: frequently asked

What does the complaint record show for the 2025 Honda Pilot?

Owners filed 156 NHTSA complaints about the 2025 Honda Pilot — more complaints than 93% of comparable 2025 SUVs, so it sits toward the weaker end of its class. That's a signal, not a guarantee about any single car.

What are the most common problems on the 2025 Honda Pilot?

The most-reported problem areas are Steering (19% of complaints) and electrical system (13%).

How many recalls does the 2025 Honda Pilot have?

4 recalls have been issued that affect the 2025 Honda Pilot, covering components such as service brakes. Check the VIN with NHTSA and ask a dealer to confirm remedy eligibility; federal no-charge requirements have an age limit, though manufacturers may offer more coverage.

What gas mileage does the 2025 Honda Pilot get?

The EPA rates the 2025 Honda Pilot between 20 and 22 mpg combined, depending on trim and drivetrain.