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: power train
122 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 28, 2025
Failure occurred at highway speed. A host is warning light came on and the car lost power. Lights that came on included emissions, traction control, power steering, all wheel drive and towing (I wasn’t towing anything). No lights were on before the incident. The vehicle lost power and could not maintain any speed. I was able to roll into the breakdown lane. The vehicle was brought to a local Honda dealer who preformed the diagnosis and determined the issue to be a failure of the high pressure fuel pump. Seems this has been the source of several recalls including the 2017 pilot but not my vin. It seems like the recall my need to be expanded
Power train, Jul 15, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently jerked with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 45,480.
Power train, Apr 30, 2025
First received a transmission system issue and took car into dealership for the torque converter recall. Not even a 1,000 miles later I received a transmission temperature too hot signal. Took it into the dealership again and they stated I need a new transmission due to “transmission clutches are burned from not servicing the transmission causing excessive friction making the fluid heat up faster and over heating”. Just got this vehicle a year ago. I believe my safety is at risk because with our other vehicle the muffler got so hot that it burned a hole through the bed of the truck and don’t want that happening in this vehicle with two kids under two.
Power train, Lane departure, Mar 6, 2025
While driving got 3 messages. Transmission Error, Emission Error and Blind Spot Error and the vehicle would not go into Drive mode. Looking at all the information online there is plenty of reports on issue with the transmission on the 2005-2019 Pilots 9 Speed transmission including loss of power when driving which luckily did not happen to me. It is a safety concern that Honda needs to address.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Feb 5, 2025
Shifts hard and accelerates too fast between gear 1 and 2. DTC permanent codes are p2638 and p170B
Power train, Dec 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond, rattled, jerked, and shuddered. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure mainly occurred while driving at 15 MPH and higher speeds. The contact stated that the Push to Start button was inoperable intermittently. A message advising that the Push to Start button was defective was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission fluid flush was performed on several occasions as recommended by the dealer; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Power train, Dec 27, 2024
My husband was driving on the highway to a competition for our daughter. He said the Transmission System Problem light came on 4 different times in 20 minutes. This had happened once while I was driving last year and had never happened again. We took it to our local transmission repair shop and the guy could not get it to repeat and the transmission worked as it should when he was testing it. He said it's something that he thinks is happening on the 6th speed that the rpm is not going to where it should. He said if it continues, we will have to put a new transmission in which will cost around $6000 and we are obviously past the Honda warranty. Looking online, it seems like many pilot owners of the same year are having the same issues. I would like to issue a complaint that Honda needs to extend a warranty for this issue.
Power train, Dec 20, 2024
I am writing to file a complaint regarding a potential safety defect in my 2017 Honda Pilot. My vehicle is experiencing issues with the torque converter clutch, resulting in a P0741 error code. I am aware of Honda recall which addresses similar torque converter issues in 2017-2019 Honda Pilots. I believe my 2017 Honda Pilot should also be included in this recall as it exhibits the same defect. I urge NHTSA to investigate this matter and consider expanding the existing recall to include my vehicle.
Power train, Oct 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the failure might be related to Technical Service Bulletin: 17-015. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
Power train, Aug 18, 2024
I was driving on the highway home and received the transmission system error warning message. Pulled over safely after leaving highway and shit off the truck and was able tot skenabck roads home after restarting truck and error cleared. There was never a check engine light on, just the warning light.
Power train, Jul 25, 2024
In April my transmission started slipping and making a whirring noise. I took it to my dealership three times and they could never find a problem. In late June 2024 while driving back from OH to PA, the transmission died and left us stranded on [XXX] in WV with car zipping by. We spent several hundred dollars on towing, hotel rooms and rental cars. Had to leave our car in WV for two weeks for repair. The car was five hours from home. There is a lawsuit for the 9 speed transmission and I am here to confirm there is a problem. There was only 90000 miles on the car and all preventive services have been performed prior to transmission dying. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Jun 29, 2024
Without any indication of a problem, the check engine light came on after turning off the car briefly. The car would not shift and the dash reads transmission problem. We had the car towed and we’re told we need a new transmission. There was 68,000 miles on the car and it has always been maintained.
Power train, Engine, May 7, 2024
The vehicle was driven from my house with a plan to reach destination about 30 miles away. 1st half was on back roads, the 2nd half was on highway. Once the vehicle reached the highway, the pilot started to overrev, loud bang, a bit of smoke from hood. Vehicle was pulled over on closest shoulder which was the left shoulder on highway. I had my 2 twin 4 year olds in the car and had to call someone to come get us safely off the highway with cars passing at high rates of speed while shuffling car seats and children off the highway. I then had it towed to a honda service center. They tried to crank the engine over and couldn't and stated it was seized. Since I was out of warranty by time and mileage (6.5 years and 61K miles), they wanted to charge me $1K for diagnostics and provided the quote for a used and new engine. Since they didn't diagnose first, I had it towed to another mechanic and he took the bottom splash guards off and there was oil all over and a hole in the lower engine block, which appeared to be caused by a broken rod.
Power train, Mar 6, 2024
I was driving on [XXX] and I suddenly started seeing that my vehicle gearshifting was a bit and I got a notification that there was a transmission problem. I immediately pulled over and turned off the vehicle for a few mins and then restarted it and the alert icon went away. Then as I was driving, I stopped at the signal and then tried to accelerate when the signal turned green, the gear shifting wasnt working correctly. I eventually took this to a mechanic and he told its a transmission problem. Then I took it to a transmission expert and he said that its something which I should take to a honda service technician since they would have advanced equipment for it. I took it to a dealership and they now said that I have to replace the transmission for the vehicle. Looking up online, there has been plenty of reports of issues with the 9 speed transmission in Honda but there hasnt been a recall for the 2017 Honda Pilot. Here are a few links [XXX] [XXX] https://www.google.com/search? [XXX] Now the dealership is asking me to pay close to $9000 to fix this issue. I tried to reach out to Honda customer support online and they didnt help either. I dont know how I should approach this and hence reaching out to NHTSA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 13, 2024
Regular issues with Fuel injection system, had to change the fuel injectors multiple times. Severe vibrations in the car between 2nd and 3rd gear, had changes transmission fluid including full flush but made no change. Several complaints online on this model. NHTSA/DOT need to investigate the lemon issues. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Jan 27, 2024
driving down the highway at 65mph the car started bucking and losing acceleration leaving almost no control to the driver to maneuver effectively and avoid other cars. after a terrifying experience of losing control of the car my wife and children stranded on the side of the road for hours in sub 32 degree weather. the vehicle goes into limp home mode on the highway causing her to pull off with little to no acceleration control. barely avoiding other commuters she was able to pull the vehicle to the side of the road. once stopped the vehicle locks itself in park and will not go into gear or neutral so the vehicle cannot be pushed when needed. had to have the vehicle towed. after diagnosis and thorough investigations the following information was collected. The 9 speed automatic transmissions are "lifetime" meaning there is no dipstick for fluid checks. no external sensors or actuators can be replaced when they fail. the transmission failed internally (p0841) because all solenoids sensors and switches are internal non serviceable parts. no electronic part lasts forever understandably. however this means when one small item fails the entire transmission is to be replaced with the same part number and no new fixes or remedies. they seem to all fail right around 60,000 miles or after. seems to be a very common issue with no recall or fixes listed. meaning even with a new transmission installation the transmission is still a ticking time bomb. leaving the customer on the hook for several thousand dollar repairs every 60k. a class action lawsuit has been filed in California for these exact reasons and i would hope that honda makes and effort to have a redesign, fix, or full recall.
Power train, Jan 24, 2024
When traveling at highway speeds, I push the gas pedal and the vehicle makes a clicking noise, it loses all acceleration power until RPMs go down to 1,000. Then the gas pedal works again. After several months of this, and multiple attempts from the Honda Dealership to fix the problem (clean the throttle body, software updates, etc) the transmission quit on the interstate. During a 100 mile trip the vehicle all of a sudden would not go above 3,000 RMP. I pulled to the shoulder thinking a car restart might fix the issue but the vehicle would not leave Park. Towed to dealership with transmission warning light active. Very surprised as the vehicle only has 79,900 miles on the odometer.
Power train, Jan 21, 2024
At 103,000 miles, the 9 speed transmission failed while driving, resulting in a warning indicator to park the vehicle immediately. Afterwards, it was unable to change gear from Park. There was no accident or prior issues. A trusted mechanic shop went thru the documented diagnostics and found that the entire transmission needed replacing. The total cost to replace it was $8265.
Power train, Dec 21, 2023
On Dec.04, 2023 I tried to drive vehicle to got to work, and there was no power in D- mode. I pressed the gas padal to gove more power and then the vehicle made a loude sound like as if I was crash into something, and it did not move as usual, there was no power. When I tried to shift the gear back to P, it did not move and the stick was stucked. Later after several tries I was able to drive the car to the dealership and explained what happened. AFter Investgating they concluded there was no problem witht he car. I took it home and drove until Dec, 18, before the vehicle actingd again. It did not move when the gear shit to D or L mode. when I pressed the gas pedal vehicle jumps and stated to move at about 5 miles per hour. As I was giving more gas at about 27 miles per hour there was a hard shifit of the gear and vehicle jumped (jerking?). I took it to the dealership and they were able to repeat what I explained to them and quoted $8400 for the transmission repair, and said I donot have warrenty and have to pay for the cost. I explained to them this is not only my vehicle, but there are other hond apolit have the same issue. I have contacted Honda Motor Corp USA regarding this and they told me they donot act based on what is on the web and social media.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Dec 6, 2023
Driving vehicle when multiple warning lights illuminated, including check engine and emissions control issue. Vehicle sputtered to a stop and would not accelerate after that. Vehicle was towed to Honda dealership and they said it was a faulty rocker arm oil pressure switch.
Power train, Engine, Visibility/wiper, Oct 25, 2023
The transmission completely broke/ went out. Honda knows this is a recurrent issue with these vehicles. The fuel injectors had already been replaced on this vehicle at 40,000 miles before Honda was admitting a defect. They are well aware there are transmission issues for the Honda Pilot but are not taking responsibility costing car owners thousands. We were left on the side of the road, needing to use insurance to cover towing. Rather than dealing with labor we sold the car at a great loss of money. This is hear say but the towing complaint reports they are towing Honda Pilots consistently these days. Honda should be held responsible.
Power train, Aug 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while reversing out of a parking space, the vehicle jerked significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred on the second attempt to reverse. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence, where the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, but the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,877.
Power train, Aug 10, 2023
Driving on an 4-lane each direction highway at 70 MPH, the Honda Pilot stopped accelerating and a warning light came on stating there is a transmission problem. With my wife and 4 children inside the vehicle, I had to cross 3 lanes of a very busy highway to pull over without having any propulsion from the gas pedal. We were stranded 1/2 mile before the exit for the Charlotte, NC airport. It's an extremely busy exit with trucks and cars constantly passing nearby the vehicle at 70 to 80 MPH. The SUV was towed to a Honda dealership who told us the vehicle needs a new transmission for $8,000. There was absolutely no prior warnings or lights indicating this problem. We filed a claim with Honda corporate, but haven't received a response yet after 1 week.
Power train, Aug 8, 2023
The transmission temperature to high light came on as I was driving from NY to NC, I had to pull over because I was afraid the car might catch fire as I have never seen or heard of a transmission being to hot. I was on the side of the NJ turnpike and a vehicle could of crashed into me. The light went off and I continued on my journey. Then about another hour or 2 later a transmission system problem light came on. I stopped in VA and went to a Valvoline where they told me I needed transmission fluid. (I had just had an inspection done, so thought maybe there was a leak.) I continued on my way to NC as the light went off after they put fluid in the car. I was about 2 hours away from my destination in NC when the temperature to high transmission light went on again and I had to pull over on 795 again becasue I was scared. I shut the car off for a half hour on the side of the road praying no one would hit into me. I turned the car on, and the light went off and a few minutes later the transmission system problem light came on. I was afraid to get off an exit as I was unfamiliar with the area, so I drove at 55 mph in a 70-mph speed limit. I made it to Wilmington and called the Stevenson Hendrick Honda Dealership there and they could not see the car until Tuesday 7/18 the light was going on 7/15. When I brought it to the dealer the light was off. They told me my Honda Pilot that had only 49,000 miles on it needed a new transmission to the tune of $11,000. I find this to be absurd. I was able to talk them down in price and was without a car for the entire week I was in NC. I opened a case with corporate, but they won't return my phone calls. I could of died pulling off to the side of major highways with the speed the cars were traveling at. This car was just in for a recall with the hood and they did a diagnostics test and nothing showed anything about a transmission problem. It had just had an inspection. This should not have happened with only 49,000 miles.
Power train, Jul 26, 2023
I have the automatic start and stop (idle) feature and it cuts out on me in the middle of intersections and won't allow the car to restart. I took to dealer to have software updated and they charged me and now it is starting again. Someone almost blindsided me in the intersection and I don't want someone to get killed.