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
926 reports, newest first.
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 16, 2024
When Engine goes idle during the brief traffic stop, Collision mitigation warning shows on and goes off quickly, sometimes causes the engine to not turn on during the times. Problem is so intermittent and hard to track as it is random behaviour and comes on for milli seconds in terms of warning on the dash board.
Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 13, 2024
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding Honda's refusal to address a known issue with my 2017 Honda Pilot Touring AWD, despite the existence of a service bulletin. My vehicle has been consistently experiencing error code P0430, which pertains to the catalytic converter and emissions system. This error happens while driving several times. Honda has issued a service bulletin (NHTSA ID: 10187006) to address this very issue, accessible in the attachement. I scheduled an appoitnment at Honda to request the repair outlined in the bulletin. Unfortunately, they have refused to perform the necessary repairs due to my vehicle having a salvage title. I want to emphasize that although my vehicle has a salvage title, there has never been any engine or mechanical damage that would affect the emissions system or components causing this error code. Additionally, I am not alone in experiencing this issue. Many members of the Honda Pilot community have reported the same problem, and there is a large Facebook group where numerous owners are discussing their frustrations with the P0430 error code. This widespread issue further demonstrates that Honda needs to address the defect, regardless of a vehicle's title status, particularly since it is unrelated to any previous damage or title condition. It is disappointing that Honda is using the salvage title as a reason to deny what should be a covered repair, as the service bulletin explicitly addresses this mechanical defect. Given the direct impact this has on emissions compliance and potentially broader safety and environmental concerns, I am seeking NHTSA’s assistance in urging Honda to comply with their own service bulletin and perform the necessary repairs. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I hope for a swift and fair resolution to ensure my vehicle is properly repaired according to the service bulletin.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 9, 2024
After driving for over 30 minutes, mixed highway and road, at a stop light, the autostart failed, engine turned off, and went into neutral, w/ a warning the autostart failed. Put into park and restart engine. Cars honking, got the car started after 30 seconds or so. Did not immediately go into park when pushed!
Other or unspecified, Sep 7, 2024
Transmission needs replaced after I did transmission flush 5/24/24
Engine, Aug 23, 2024
I was sitting at a red light with my foot on the brake. The Auto Engine Idle Shut Off system was engaged. When the light turned green, I lifted my foot off the brake to start moving an the engine wouldn't turn back on. Instead, the vehicle automatically kicked itself into neutral and displayed a message on the screen telling me that I had to put the car in park when the engine was off. It so happened that a police car was a couple of cars back from me. So I put the car in park, turned on my emergency blinkers, and went to tell the policeman what happened. When I went to show him, I turned the engine on and it started up like normal. It sounds like the Honda Pilot Auto Engine Idle Shut Off is a dangerous and defective feature that can leave a person getting rear-ended or stranded.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 19, 2024
See attached document for complaint
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.
Engine, Aug 14, 2024
Our 2017 Honda Pilot (VIN# [XXX] ) was affected by Honda's recall to correct the vehicle stalling out at a stop, and having difficulty re-starting the engine. We had the recommended action performed at our dealer to update the engine software, which appeared to adjust the idle upwards. Since then, our vehicle has stalled less than before, but continues to have the same problem. In July 2024, our Honda Pilot stalled at a stop sign near Paris, KY and would not re-start for about 1 minute - we had traffic behind us which was upset that we couldn't quickly re-start the vehicle. I informed the service rep at Gary Smith Honda that we had a recurrence of the problem and was told that if the vehicle was failing intermittently that the dealer could not troubleshoot the problem until the vehicle failed at a regular interval. Today, [XXX], the vehicle stalled again at a red light in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and would not re-start for 90-120 seconds in heavy traffic, causing a safety issue. Eventually, the vehicle re-started. Honda's recommended fix for this problem has had some positive impact, but has not fully corrected the problem. My family is at risk as long as this problem reoccurs and we need a permanent solution, not the existing temporary, partial solution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, Aug 13, 2024
The front facing camera was working intermittently. When it wasn’t working all the advanced driving features would not work. After several months the car would intermittently go into limp mode per the dealership due to electrical confusion with all the codes/lights from the camera malfunction and shift while driving into neutral nearly causing me to have an accident while making a left hand turn. The camera had to be replaced at a large cost and they said it was not able to be repaired despite the fact that it worked perfectly 10% of engine starts
Engine, Aug 12, 2024
Engine spun connecting rod bearing on Cylinder 1 just as described in TSB 23-097. Car shutoff going highway speeds on the interstate. The car is currently at the honda dealer getting an engine replacement. Honda OEM certified powertrain warranty will only put a used engine with potentially the same issue in the vehicle Check engine light, and transmission problem lights all came on. Engine initially reported a misfire and transmission complained of not enough torque coming from the engine.
Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 7, 2024
car hesitates when accelerating at both low and high speed, check engine light is also on now. It started several years back, but problem has became worsen.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Aug 7, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that on three occasions while driving at various speeds, the messages "Emissions System failure", "Stabili-trak Assist Failure", "Hill Start Assist Failure", “Vehicle Stability Assist Failure", and "Power Steering System Failure" were displayed. Additionally, the power steering and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle then stalled each time. The vehicle was restarted after approximately four attempts. The contact stated that after the first and second failures, DTC code: P0087; was retrieved on a handheld diagnostic scanner. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V215000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 179,831.
Electrical system, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 6, 2024
I have had a problem with my vehicle throwing the same codes for over a year and my mechanic and I could not figure out the problem. Finally he ran a report and showed me that these codes match recalls that should have been done on my vehicle but have not been done. I don't know who put it in the system that they had done it but my vehicle is not safe or okay and the dealership won't address my problems because their system shows that it was already fixed.
Lane departure, Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 6, 2024
During the last week, alerts would appear on my dash from the Collision Mitigation Braking System and Road Departure Mitigation System. These alerts will appear while driving at 30mph on a city street. When the alerts appear, the brakes are activated and the steering wheel locks up. The alerts immediately clear but it is very alarming to the driver and passengers. Yesterday while parallel parking, in the mist of reversing into the parking space, the systems triggered alerts along with a transmission alert. The system immediately put the vehicle into park and would not permit the change of gears. While halfway in the parking spot with the front of the vehicle sticking out into on coming traffic, I was forced to completely turn the vehicle off, wait about 3 minutes before turning it back on. This allowed me to complete parking the vehicle in the spot.
Electrical system, Engine, Jul 27, 2024
The auto idle stop feature restart did not work properly and instead the car froze in stop and go traffic on a freeway. Not only did the restart, not work properly in addition the car's electronics froze with multiple error messages on the dashboard coming up. I had to turn the car off by pressing the engine start/stop button, waiting and then restarting it like normal.
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)
Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 23, 2024
This vehicle has continued to have faulty fuel injectors. Upon investigation I found that American Honda Motor Inc. submitted a recall and that it was covered under warranty. I am a department of State employee overseas with this American made vehicle which has faulty fuel injectors. I asked that the Honda American company provide the fuel injector parts to the Mexican Honda company so my vehicle could be fixed and they refused. According to their customer service representatives “the warranty does not extend past the United States” and therefore they are not responsible for the faulty fuel injectors.
Electrical system, Jul 23, 2024
My 2017 Honda Pilot touring edition stopped suddenly in a busy intersection causing major traffic back up and dangerous situations until police officers showed up to help. I called road service and it would ne over an hour before i could get help. I was unable to place push button in neutral by several means to get out of traffic and with officers help. No means to override shifter to neutral in cabin. It was discovered on this model you needed to manually place in neutral under the hood after removing several items air filter covers and locating a specail screw which required a special tool to override which none of is had. I am at the dealership now and they are telling me the same thing. Very dangerous situation for me others with same year
Engine, Jul 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a pinging noise coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the engine rod bearings were failing and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Electrical system, Jul 17, 2024
Auto shut down/ restart does not work properly. Car was recalled for this issue and a software update was installed. However, car still will not restart after auto shut off. On several occassions we had to use car stop button and wait several minutes before car would restart. This left us stranded at busy intersections in heavy traffic. Very dangerous situation.
Electrical system, Jul 16, 2024, crash
Horn stopped working which prevented notice to other car at stop backing up, resulting in a crash. Vehicle started turning itself on in accessory mode, flashing lights, disabling keyless entry and starting the vehicle and smelled of an electrical fire, was unable to disconnect battery due to unpredictable turning on and off at vehicles will. Brought vehicle to dealer who confirmed that it was a bad smart entry main control unit module which caused the horn to stop working and the vehicle to turn itself on.
Engine, Jul 12, 2024
Emissions system error
Other or unspecified, Jul 1, 2024
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? THE A/C COMPRESSOR IS BAD, REMOVED DISCHARGE HOSE AND FOUND METAL CONTAMINATION. NEED TO REPLACE ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE A/C SYSTEM. NEED TO REPLACE THE A/C COMPRESSOR, CONDENSER, EXPANSION VALVE, EVAPORATOR, DISCHARGE HOSE AND FLUSH LINES. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The safety of both the driver and passengers was compromised due to the malfunctioning air conditioning system in the 2017 Honda Pilot EX-L. Driving without a functional AC system can lead to discomfort, distraction, and potential health risks, especially during extreme weather conditions. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, problem has been confirmed by Honda of Bay County on 04 April 2024. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No
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.
Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 15, 2024
Very loud noise coming from high pressure fuel pump and intake hose (connector) is vibration rapidly. Had to replace high pressure fuel pump. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. was contacted and no help. Case #14731590