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.
Visibility, Sep 1, 2022
Was driving on a not busy road on the morning of august 30th, 2022 when I heard a large bang/ boom sound and my sunroof literally exploded with Glass luckily falling onto the sunroof viser.
Visibility, Sep 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact initially noticed that a water leak had developed from the passenger’s side of the windshield. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where they determined that the leak had come from a crack on the driver’s side of the windshield. The contact was then given an estimate for the repair. The contact then took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who refuted the dealers claims and determined that the the cause of failure was due to a manufacturing defect. The contact discovered a 1-inch gap between the sheet metal and the roof at the top of the passenger’s side windshield. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
Electrical system, Aug 31, 2022
On numerous occasions, when the auto engine start/stop engages, due to coming to a temporary stop, the vehicle completely shuts down. I then have to restart the car manually. Usually a notification pops up on the dash telling me there’s an issue and you have to follow the instructions. It’s very stressful because I am usually in traffic and have my children with me. This is a huge safety issue.
Engine, Aug 31, 2022
The problem is related to the start/stop system. When the car is stopped in a red light or crossing the system turns the engine off. When the breaks are released and the system tries to restart the engine, the engine does not start and the car goes off. The panel turns off. After 2-3 seconds the panel lights goes. Pushing the start button, the car's engine turns on on the majority of times. Around 10% the car engine does not start when the button is pushed for the first time. Sometimes is needed to push the button 3-4 times.
Engine, Aug 29, 2022
Engine start stop will sometimes cut the car off completely. You have to manually restart the car. All the electrical goes dead when this happens
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Engine, Aug 29, 2022
While driving in the highway , took an exit and slowed down and stop in a traffic and the car ‘s engine stop suddenly and Iam unable to restart it, the brake pad feels stuck and the neutral and drive button does not work, when you turn it on the other electronic still works like the audio and air conditioning but the engine will not turn on . It took us about an hour before the car start working again , causing a long traffic jam in the highway due to we can’t even put the car on neutral for other cars to help us move it on the side, 2 police officers came to the rescue to help us but it didn’t work until we tried again and for some divine intervention the engine start working again. I will have my car check at the honda service in the next few days.
Electrical system, Aug 28, 2022
I was stopped at a stop sign and the auto-idle engaged. When I went to start again, the entire car shut down and would not start. I told me to depress the brake to start the vehicle, but the brake would not depress. I was stuck at the stop sign in the middle of a busy intersection because the car wouldn’t restart after the auto-idle engaged. After about 10 minutes, the car was able to start and I was able to drive it home. Prior to this, I have had some instances where the auto-idle would engage and when I went to drive again, all the lights would flash and it would delay in starting. The code reader read zero codes. Previous inspections from the deal found no errors as well. We are replacing the battery, but there are no other indications the battery was dead, dying or faulty and would cause this issue.
Electrical system, Aug 26, 2022
1. The problem is linked directly to the Auto Start/Stop capability. The Car is available for inspection upon request. 2. Car shut down electrically in the intersection of the road and caused traffic and police presence, semi trucks rolling through were frightening 3. Honda West Dealership in Las Vegas inspected the problem but had no resolution to fix it. 4. No warning lights indicated a shut off was emminent.
Electrical system, Aug 26, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that alarm on the vehicle would activate erroneously. The contact stated that after deactivating the alarm, the alarm sounded again hours later. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 100,000.
Seats, Aug 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver's side front seat inadvertently moved backward. The dealer was made aware of the failure and scheduled an upcoming appointment. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.
Engine, Aug 24, 2022
Vehicle failed to restart after stopping at a stop light while auto stop feature was on (defaults on). Had to completely turn off (the) vehicle and restart it for it (for) engine to fire back up. It created a unsafe situation. It took several efforts to get car restarted while traffic had to drive around on shoulder.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 24, 2022
The auto start/stop on my vehicle doesn't always work. I come to a complete stop, the vehicle turns off and when I pick my foot up off the brake to restart the car sometimes it will stall. There is no warning message or indication whether or not the car is about to stall, it just happens randomly. We cannot consistently replicate the issue. In order to restart the car I have to hit the start button, wait for the car to completely shut off and then turn the car back on creating a huge safety issue especially if I'm in the middle of an intersection waiting to make a left-hand turn. This is an accident waiting to happen. I brought my car to a Honda dealership approximately 6 months ago and brought the issue up to them. They told me they could find no issue with the car, couldn't replicate it and told me they had never heard of it before. It wasn't until I did an online search a few days ago that I realized that I wasn't the only one having this issue. I drive my children in this car and would be willing to allow anyone to inspect my vehicle to try to get to the root of the issue. This is a huge safety issue for what is supposed to be a safe family vehicle.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 23, 2022
we bought April 2021 and 1st issue not even 60 days after purchase, dealer removed warranty without us knowing! We have had problems ever since with warming lights coming on & flashing on multiple occasions, even while traveling @ 50 mph!. Huge safety issue as the vehicle jolts and then looses power and can't pick up speed and go with flow of traffic! Someone will get in an accident because of it and that will be a HUGE liability for honda as you all are ware of these issues and are doing NOTHING to recall them and fix the problem! This is a problem for many honda pilot owners from all the honda forums i have read and research ive been doing! i want the issue resolved as this is NOT a random. I just read that there was a service bulletin in 8/2019 pertaining to this specific car/VIN and it references faulty fuel injectors. i have no way to know if this was completed. i feel i should be able to have the injectors serviced/replaced at NO COST to me as this is a HUGE problem with 2016-2017 pilots and the fact a honda dealer pretty much sold us a LEMON of a car! I want our pilot fixed as it is a problem that Honda has been having with 2016-2017 pilots and Honda should be liable for this! Happened again today and has been happening more frequent in the past few months but have been dealing with it since we bought the vehicle. recent mechanic said the ECM/PCM may be faulty as you cant get a viable code as everytime it happens it throws all kinds of warning lights & codes that are not accurate.
Engine, Aug 22, 2022
Our 2017 Honda Pilot has been having issues restarting after the automatic start-stop system idles the engine after a complete stop. The automatic start-stop feature shuts down the engine when coming to a complete stop, and then the engine doesn’t turn back on after shutting off. This happened the first time about a year ago, of all places on the I-95 interstate highway during a backup. It then happened only sporadically but has since been happing more often. Last week, it happened multiple times on the same day (8/17/22) and became dangerous and stressful to the entire family. It is always annoying, but it is very much a safety hazard in most situations.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 19, 2022
I have a 2017 Honda Pilot Elite. My car has had issues since I purchased with the stop/start feature and it’s progressively gotten worse. It’s currently failing every day. In 2017, it was the automatic stop not working right. It would intermittently come on/off when at a complete stop. It never quite functioned properly. It’s so bad, that I turn feature off when I start the car. Unfortunately, I can’t have it default to off so if I don’t remember to turn off auto-start every single time, then I have issues. My son was 3 years old when I bought my car. I would be at stops and the car would shut off. Then, it wouldn’t start. It would require me to press brake+gas+start button to reset car. I have come very close to getting into accidents while at stops and have had drivers with road rage come after me since I made them miss the light while my car restarts. I have been in the turn lane with heavy traffic and my car stops in the middle of the intersection. In 2018-2020, it progressively gotten worse. I took to Southeastern Honda to get looked at and was told that’s just how it works. After 2020, the car stops and will not restart at all. It would intermittently happen where I would need to get a jump start to get car running. I took to Space Coast Honda thinking it was my battery or starter. I was told that it tested fine, but still does it. In 2022, my car progressively got worse and requires a jump start. I since purchased a jump starter that is portable. I have to use it every single day. I have narrowed down the symptoms. If I drive 30 minutes and turn car off and immediately back on.. it will not turn over. I have to wait 4 hours and it works. I have measured my stop battery at 11.7 when it doesn’t work. If I wait 4 hours or jump start.. then it requires a 12.6 to start. I researched and found article that is exactly what happens https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2016-2020-honda-pilot-nhtsa-investigation-engine-failures/#ftag=COS-05-10aaa0j
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 19, 2022
Turned on the car back in May '22 and all my lights came on my dashboard for ACC, Collision, Lane Departure, Lane Keeping Assistant, Brake Assistance. I have taken it to two dealers and the problem seems to be the multi-function camera in the windshield has failed. Said it is safe to drive still without it, but now the Cruise Control isn't even available with this malfunction. Two months later my Transmission Problem light comes on. I take it in again and they say the multi-function camera being broken is triggering this warning light to come on. So I don't know if my transmission actually has a problem or if the multi function camera is breaking everything electrical in my car. Transmission drives funny but I can't prove anything because of the camera. If the car has been in the sun for a period of time the lights will not show up and you can use cruise control again. Camera is on backorder so don't know when it will come in, and don't even know if this will fix the whole problem.
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 19, 2022
Failed to restart when auto engine stop engaged in the middle of a busy intersection. Large truck with heavy duty battery jump started but it took 10 minutes of being connected to the battery for the engine ignition to start again. No lack of charge (all electronics working but turned off just in case) but a defect in the restart after cutoff.
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 17, 2022
We own a Honda Pilot 2017 Touring trim. I saw your news report that there is a document out there published by the NHTSA that is investigating this issue. I’d like to add my experience to this. On or about April 2022, we started experiencing the start/stop issue while living in Kansas. When the issue occurred, an error message would flash very briefly across the dash, quick enough where we could not take a picture of the message. Our Honda would stutter then start back up. At this point, we took it to the Legends Honda dealership [10050 Parallel Pkwy, Kansas City, KS 66109] and after a free diagnostic they told us they could not A) replicate the issue, B) find evidence of the error message in the system. The next week, we had a complete engine failure while at a stop light for a full 5 minutes. During those 5 minutes, the engine remained off, the transmission shifted to Park on its own, and the vehicle could not be restarted manually. Traffic built up behind and around us as we were trying to figure out how to get off the road and we could not turn the hazard lights on. It seems this issue is related to an electrical component. After 5 minutes, we were able to push the ignition button to turn off the car completely and restart the engine. The vehicle operated normally afterwards. On August 12, 2022, the same issue occurred where the vehicle engine would not restart and we were prevented from manually restarting the vehicle for about 5 minutes. Once again, the transmission shifted itself to Park, an error message flashed across the screen briefly this time, and after 5 mins we could manually restart the car and continue as normal. Between these catastrophic failure dates, we would experience multiple start/stop stutters with error msg The only experience we have where this would not occur is to manually turn off the auto start/stop feature when driving the car. We see this as an issue that could cause injury, aggressive drivers, and other safety concerns.
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 16, 2022
The auto restart feature fails to restart the car after releasing the break sitting at a busy intersection. The car information center provided information to put the car in park and hit the ignition button again. I was able to get the car to restart after several tries by putting the car in park, shutting it off and turning it back on. This the third time this has happened in the past month.
Engine, Aug 16, 2022
When the idle stop is engaged the engine will shut off and won’t restart despite depressing the break pedal. This has happened a couple of times on interstate highways in the Boston area. Both instance have occurred during rush hour traffic. A police officer once had to assist and direct traffic. The vehicle eventually begins but takes a good 5 minutes.
Engine, Aug 15, 2022
I was stopped at an intersection and when I got a green light and stepped on the gas my car stalled, I drifted into the intersection and braked and I was then stuck there bc my car would not restart. It took a couple minutes and it finally did. Luckily it wasn't a busy intersection and there wasn't an accident. I had 3 small children with me, it was very scary.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 15, 2022
When my auto stop idle engine kicks on, and stalls when I try to depress brake and press gas. It has happened approximately 10 times over the past year and a half, always in an intersection when it’s dangerous. I have taken to the dealership more than once and they have been unable to resolve and recommended I replace my battery which I did which has not made the situation better. I also just filed a complaint with Honda but this is very dangerous and needs attention.
Other or unspecified, Aug 15, 2022
On multiple occasions, while the auto idle was one, I stop at a red light or intersection and when I lift my foot off the brake the vehicle shuts completely off. One time, I called 911 for police officer assistance to alert that I was stranded in the middle of the highway. I was so afraid I was going to be rear ended by fast moving traffic. Just yesterday, while stopped at a red light, a fire engine stopped and 4 fire fighters got out to offer assistance while I sat there stranded alone on this busy highway trying to get my vehicle to start back up. The brakes lock up and the vehicle completely shuts down. Each time I try many times to get my car started and it takes many attempts to crank the vehicle. I asked my service agent about the problem and he was unaware. He said they would have to drive the car to see if it happens with them and there is a diagnostic fee for this. I declined because it does not happen every time and I felt quite sure it would not happen when they were looking for it. This malfunction is sporadic.
Other or unspecified, Aug 15, 2022
The car will completely shut off at a light or stop sign, where there is no lights on no radio nothing . It’s does it all the time . The repair shop said it was my transmission so got it replaced, it just made it worse it does it more often than before, what scare me the most is that it happen to my kids while they was driving and it shut off in middle of a 4 way. They don’t know why it keeps happening. No explanation at all . They need to recall all they ones that are having trouble with them.then sometimes after you park it , it doesn’t want to start .
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 14, 2022
Car stalls when auto stop turns back on