TireKick

Reported years

Engine owner reports: Honda Pilot years in the records

Owner reports are bound to model year 2021. A year on this list does not mean every car has the problem.

Years we reviewed

What to inspect

  1. 1Ask the inspector to test the named system and note any warning lights, noises, leaks, or stored codes.
Sources and limits
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence

The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.

“2021 Honda Pilot is subject to "rapid acceleration". We had no notification of this issue until the vehicle drove itself into our home on its own causing damage to the car and our home. Only after we did some research did we know Honda had this issue.”
NHTSAcomplaintNov 2023Open source record
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence

The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.

“With auto stop enabled, was the first car at a stop light. What happens next may be out of order - apologies. Light turned green and I pressed the gas and car shut off. I went to restart the car and a dashboard notification appeared saying to put car in N ? So I did and pressed gas again that did not work. Could not put car in park - cars were honking behind me and it was pouring rain so visibility was not easy. I don’t remember the next steps as I was frustrated yet somehow I pushed enough buttons that I was able to push the brake and start button enough times that the car blessfully restarted. I disengaged the auto idle button at that point and my car returned to my house sluggishly. It was as if the car could not shift into gears properly. Car has been not hitting gears properly and has turned off at auto stop over a dozen times more. Honda service states they cannot duplicate so cannot resolve.”
NHTSAcomplaintJul 2026Open source record
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence

The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.

“In November 2025, my 2021 Honda Pilot started experiencing stalling while driving, hesitation when accelerating, and sudden power loss while idling. I took the vehicle to my local Homda dealership and each time they dismissed the problem, indicating that they could not find any issues. On 4/24/26, the vehicle experienced sudden engine failure in the middle of moving traffic. There were no warning lights or dashboard messages leading to the issue. The vehicle was towed to the local Honda dealership, where they kept the vehicle for a month and charged over $20,000 for a repair (not replacement). Ten (10) days after picking up the vehicle from the dealership, the engine locked and seized again on 6/9/26 in the middle of traffic and nearly caused a serious accident with 3 other vehicles.”
NHTSAcomplaintJun 2026Open source record
Source recordEvidence: Limited confidence

The records describe a problem worth checking before purchase.

“We had the engine serviced for recall on stop start issue on 12/4/25. On May 15, 2026 the engine failed. The dashboard came on with every warning light and a mechanic said the engine was knocking and had to be replaced. Honda denied any issue and said the timing belt had to be broken. The mechanic confirmed no issue with timing belt and said you can’t start the engine if the timing belt was broken. The mechanic said the engine was knocking and had to be replaced because the car could no longer be driven safely.”
NHTSAcomplaintJun 2026Open source record