2017 Honda Pilot
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 926 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 23 Pilot model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 9 involved a crash and 5 involved a fire. 6 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Structure, frame and membersJun 4, 2026
American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.
Campaign 26V365000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerMay 21, 2026
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Campaign 26V332000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpDec 18, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Campaign 23V858000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, body, hoodNov 29, 2021
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Passport, 2016-2019 Pilot, and 2017-2020 Ridgeline vehicles. The hood latch striker may become damaged and separate from the hood, which can result in the hood opening while driving.
A hood that opens while driving can obstruct the driver's view and increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will either repair the hood latch striker, or replace the hood if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 18, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is PBV.
Campaign 21V932000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: electrical system
265 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 9, 2022
On multiple occasions with the auto engine restart engaged, the engine has shut off while stopped at a stoplight and then failed to restart the vehicle upon attempting to go. On some occasions, the power blips but the engine restarts. On other occasions, the power blips and the car stalls, leading to having to fully shut the car down and turn it back on, with a successful restart. On a few occasions, this has taken multiple tries leading to the vehicle sitting at a green traffic light for over 15-20 seconds while attempting to restart the engine. This is a safety issue as I am now scared to leave the auto-restart feature engaged for fear of being stuck at a green light and rear-ended. I have tried to turn the feature off, but there is no way to disable it permanently… instead, I have to remember to turn it off at the beginning of each drive. This issue has been ongoing for over two years. I have replaced the battery which did not solve the issue. It has not been looked at by the manufacturer, police, or insurance.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 8, 2022
Periodically, while using automatic engine idle stop, when I release the brake to restart the engine, the engine will shut off and not turn on. Only pushing and holding the start button will restart the engine after about a minute. Also, more often, when the engine restarts, all electronics will flicker off then on.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 8, 2022
Vehicle will stall out at an intersection, or stop sign after the auto restart shuts the car off. When I lift my foot off the brake for the gas peddle, the entire car stalls and I get a series of warning lights and messages about shifting the car into gear before restarting. Despite attempts to restart the car, I'm generally stranded for 1-2 mins. I brought the issue up to the dealership last time I brought the car in. After 1 test drive they claimed to have found no issues, and that if it happened again I should "film it happening with my phone". This is now the 4th time this has happened within the last 6 months.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 8, 2022
The auto stop/start feature does not always restart the car when I release the brake after stopping. Mostly in town at stop signs and red lights but recently it happened while I was in stop and go traffic on an interstate. At all locations I was blocking traffic (flashers on of course) and hoping no one hit me while I sat for a few minutes trying to restart my car. From experience I have found that I have to release the brake and push my engine start button a couple times to completely turn off everything then push the brake and button to start the car. A few times it I had to do that cycle several times before it actually restarted. Meanwhile I am in the middle of the road completely blocking traffic. My dealer was “unable to replicate” so my solution has been to turn off that feature. Unfortunately, auto stop/start is automatically on every time I start my car … so this happens when I forget to turn it off. There are times that it works and the car restarts but even then the electrical system shuts down. Radio turns off and back on as the car is restarting and dash lights turn off then on, which reminds me to once again turn the feature off. I have had a lot of electrical issues with this car due to a sunroof leak so I chalked it up to my ongoing electrical problems until I saw the article today about other complaints from people having the same issue. The date listed below was the most recent incident but it has occurred many times.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 8, 2022
When at a stoplight, auto idle causes car to completely stall and shut down and won’t restart unless car turned completely off and try to restart again. This has caused me to be placed in some dangerous situations where I have almost been rear ended from behind. Dealership says that it’s the battery but from hearing from multiple people, this has not fixed the problem. It seems like it’s something electrical with auto idle stop feature.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 7, 2022
Auto on/off issue. Vehicle did not restart after auto shut off. Luckily not in a place where it caused a traffic problem. After a minute or so of being off the vehicle being completely off it started up again. After it sputtered a few more occasions, I have been turning off the feature manually each time I start the car now. Honda doesn’t allow you to permanently turn it off. It has to be done each time.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 7, 2022
On numerous occasions when engine has automatically stopped, it has failed to restart to allow continued driving.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 7, 2022
Multiple times the vehicle has shutoff when the it has reached a complete stop at a traffic light and has not restarted on its own. Took it to dealer but they could not recreate it supposedly. In addition fuel pump issues and the Honda dealer is not able to obtain parts to the fix the vehicle. Feels like a lemon vehicle.
Electrical system, Engine, May 31, 2022
I have taken my car 5 times to the dealership due to it stalling at red lights or when stopped. This happens with the idle engine is engaged. It has almost caused wrecks due to shutting off and not turning back on. In addition, we are now having to replace the keyless access control system due to electrical issues that caused a severe crackling, alarm sounding, immobilizer activated. the only way the car wouldnt alarm was if it is unlocked.
Electrical system, May 20, 2022
Engine dies after idle stop enables at traffic light or stop sign. Car then needs to be jumped to restart
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 16, 2022
While driving, I noticed a stall with the speed then I immediately noticed that the shift gear was on N position, apparently the shift gear was pushed accidentally even without pushing the button on the side to change gear. Also, my car kept randomly alarming and with static flashing on the dashboard while on park. I already changed the battery thinking its the battery problem but the alarming persisted. I took it to Honda and was told it's the keyless unit system, needs replacement and will cost around $900. Upon checking online, I learned that there was a recall for 2016-2017 Honda Pilot in 2020 for the same problem but when I called Honda I was told my car VIN was not part of the recall. How is that possible when my car is showing the same problem and also manufactured in 2017? How can my car's VIN be included in the recall. Pls help me have my car fixed.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, May 16, 2022
When parked, the car anti-theft alarms will honk loudly waking up everyone noisily; the headlights will be turn on & keep running (even if it is manually turned off); the dashboard lights will be flickering; relays clicking; and sometimes the car will turn itself on. The noise & lights can't be turned off from the keyfob. The only way to silence it is to disconnect the battery and leave the car unlocked which is not safe when parked in the street or anywhere.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, May 6, 2022
When parked, the car begins to try to turn on. The interior lights flash, systems fire and the battery drains. Twice I was left stranded having to rely on tow trucks, replacing batteries that were still functional and running car continuously in order to not drain it since it is my only car and I needed reliable vehicle to get to my kids. I could have been stranded in unsafe areas, thus impacting the safety of myself and family. There was no warnings before this happened the first time. Then, after changing the battery, it went another week without issue and then randomly happened again, without warning or indicators. It was looked at by 2 mechanics, the first (Christian brothers automotive) could not find a problem. The second (Honda dealership) diagnosed it as “body control module failure-code b12d3”. They were not able to fix my car after diagnosing the problem today because they didn’t have the part in stock. So, I am now having to disconnect my battery every time I park to prevent it from draining the battery and honking. As a single mom, with only one vehicle, this will be a long wait until the part arrives and can be fixed. On top of the exorbitant wait, the repair quote is $861.63 to correct. This is a manufacturing malfunction for which I do not believe should be my financially responsibility. Honda cars have had recalls of the BCM modules starting with the 2018 models. It is not a huge stretch to assume the 2017 pilot BCM was flawed as well. I hope this is made right, a recall issued and my repairs expedited and paid for by Honda.
Electrical system, Engine, May 1, 2022
The auto Start-Stop function is not working properly. In several occasions when the engine stops at a red light the engine will not start again. This has caused many dangerous situations as we got stuck in the middle of an intersection. The dealer has not been able to identify the problem. Also linked to this electrical problem is at time all kids of electrical warning messages appear in the cluster. I expect this to be an electrical/battery related problem.
Electrical system, Apr 11, 2022
The Auto Idle will kill the engine at a stoplight and force you to restart the vehicle when the light turns green. It is dangerous, and have caused many near accidents and frustrated drivers.
Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Apr 6, 2022
The camera assembly - monocular unit mounted in front of the rear view mirror just stopped working. It’s responsive for a multitude of safety systems, such as: Automatic Emergency Braking, Collision Mitigation, Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control and Lane Keeping Asst.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Apr 5, 2022
For the past few months, I have been having issues with my vehicle stalling. This issue occurs while stopped at red lights, stop signs, and while sitting in stop and go traffic. My vehicle is equipped with the Auto Start/Stop feature, and while stopped at a stop sign for instance, the vehicle will auto stop but fail to auto start when taking my foot off the brake and hitting the gas. This has happened on numerous occasions, putting those in the vehicle and those in other vehicles around my vehicle at risk. I brought my vehicle to my local dealership, at which point they checked it and found nothing wrong with the vehicle. They also stated that they, and the vehicle manufacturer were aware of the issue, but have no solution for it. The first time I brought the vehicle in, the dealer told me that a possible fix was an update to the system, however I would have to pay for the update. After the service adviser spoke with the service manager a few times, the dealership paid for the $220 update. The vehicle has since continued to stall, the only thing that seems to assist is to turn off the Auto Start/Stop feature every time the vehicle is turned on. Last Thursday, the vehicle stalled again on my wife with our son in the vehicle at a t-intersection. The vehicle failed to start for approximately 10-15 minutes. I contacted my dealer again and was advised to bring my vehicle in. I brought it in and was told that I could have a rental car, but that I would need to approve paying a $160 diagnostic fee. They were unsure of a permanent solution for the problem.
Electrical system, Apr 1, 2022
Alarms go off for no reason. The display shows Keyless Start System Problem.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Mar 25, 2022
Our 2017 pilot tries to turn on by itself, with the electronics in the dashboard starting and engine compartment relays firing, along with the exterior lights turning on without any driver being present or attempting to start the car. It happens even without the keys being present. As a result, the battery drains while the car is parked. We took our car to the dealership where we bought it and they confirmed the issue and stated we needed to replace our keyless access/TPMS unit to start and that we may need to a new start/stop switch. It cost $190.83 with tax to access. The car is serviced at Klein Honda in Everett, WA. The R/O number for the service visit is 652453/1. Instances of other Honda owners experiencing similar car issues can be found here: https://www.piloteers.org/threads/control-unit-problems.168522/ I noted that the 2016-2017 honda pilots have a recall/service bulletin for the start/stop switch (Honda Service Bulletin 20-117) and was told by the dealership my car is not included. I find that very disappointing since I own a 2017 honda pilot. I was quoted a repair cost of $967.36 + tax. This did not include the cost of the part (part number 38320-TG7-A32) costing $469.36 with tax. Therefore the total cost of the repair is greater than $1500. I ordered the part on March 16, 2022 and it is on back-order with no expected arrival date. I cannot currently drive my car because the battery is constantly being drained when the car is off due to this error. Our low-mileage 2017 Pilot (delivered on 5/31/17) should not have the failure(s) noted above. I am not aware of a greater recall that addresses the failure(s) and was told that our car is outside of the manufacturers warranty that could cover this since it is not part of the powertrain.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 25, 2022
Vehicle randomly does not automatically restart after the auto engine idle stop engages when in stop-and-go traffic or when stopped at an intersection, resulting in a stalled vehicle in the middle of traffic. Takes multiple attempts of hitting the start-stop button to restart the vehicle. Have taken the vehicle to the dealer numerous times and each time told they can't figure out what causes the problem, but they replaced the battery at a cost of $500...didn't fix the problem. No warning indicators before the vehicle stalls, the engine simply doesn't start again after the brake is released, which should disengage the auto idle.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 17, 2022
My car keeps stalling after being in the idle engine mode. At intersections waiting to turn left, or sitting in traffic on the freeway, at a 4 way stop, it has happened numerous times in the past year where the engine is in idle mode while my foot is on the brake, and when my foot comes off to switch to gas, the gear shifts to N automatically. It's seizing up and I can't hit the button to switch back to Drive or Park. I have to turn the whole car off and that takes awhile to do that too. Every time I go to the dealership, they do a quick battery test and it's been in the normal range. They cannot replicate the issue. There have been so many times I've created a traffic hazard, stalled traffic, and almost been hit by a car. They finally advised I turn off the engine idle option but then it defeats the whole purpose to be environmentally friendly. There is something wrong with the electronics or battery with the car. It is a huge safety issue that is not being taken seriously at the dealership.
Electrical system, Engine, Mar 16, 2022
Driving into work, busy road/heavy traffic, the auto-stop engine function engaged. It shut down the entire car and would not restart after releasing the brake. I had to put on flasher, and then restart the car as normal. Component failure: Auto-Stop Safety issue: Could be rear-ended, or worse if this happened in an intersection Vehicle will be inspected tomorrow by Honda. This problem has occurred before.
Electrical system, Jan 29, 2022
It appears the Power Control Module is failing on this vehicle. Honda should recall this part. Basically, it goes off automatically. The alarm will go off at random times, which I actually had to disable, as it would wake us and our neighbors up at all times throughout the night. The dashboard lights up and blinks randomly. You can hear clicking sounds. A lot of people online who have had the same issue report that replacing the Power Control Module is the only fix. They have tried replacing the battery, the ignition switch and other parts to avail. This first happened about 6-months ago. I also recorded the issue that is happening, but the below evidence upload will not accept video. Please let me know if you want me to provide the video.
Electrical system, Engine, Jan 27, 2022
This is a random issue that has now happened 3 times in the past couple of months. When the auto idle system is engaged and going to restart, the car stalls. You are stuck in an intersection, at a light, etc. You then have to figure out how to restart the car, which isn't easy, the start button has to be pushed multiple times as you are trying not to panic.
Electrical system, Jan 20, 2022
When the vehicle is off, there's a clicking sound and the dashboard turns off and on randomly as if it's possessed. Also, the air bag lights go on. It does this even when the car is completely off. The keyless remote problem also lights up even though this was repaired last year.