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.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 22, 2022
The Idle/Stop function stopped operating at a stop light. The car completely shut off. My wife pressed the brake and ignition but the car did not immediately restart. After a few long minutes, the function worked. This is the second incident with the Honda Pilot. In May 2022, the vehicle stopped at an intersection and cut off. I took it to the Honda Service and had diagnostics ran. I was charged for the test but the Service Department did not find anything wrong. They recommended a new battery which I purchased. This was in May 2022. There is definitely an issue. No use taking it back to the dealer, they don't know the source of the problem.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 22, 2022
I own a 2017 Honda Pilot Touring addition and recently learned there is an investigation on the auto start/stop feature. We have experienced the vehicle stalling too many times to count. However, it does seem to be getting more frequent as the vehicle gets older. When the vehicle comes to a stop the feature will engage and two things may happen: 1. The vehicle will immediately die causing us to put the car in park and restart or 2. The vehicle will stall/die when in the movement of taking my foot off the brake and pressing the gas pedal. On some occasions we have had to try multiple times to restart the vehicle. The most memorable stalls happened during busy traffic and of course caused a panic as the time to restart feels like minutes when it’s really only seconds. When this happens it has caused us fear of being rear-ended as there has been many times we braced for this as we saw an oncoming car from behind. Our local Honda dealer (Basney Honda) has attempted everything to fix but you can feel they are growing impatient with us as we demand the vehicle to be repaired.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Jun 21, 2022
Driving on the highway, came to a stop due to high volume of traffic, car stopped completely and auto/start turned off the engine itself like it should when brake is stepped on all the way, traffic started to move, let go of the brake to have engine turn back on like it normally would, however this time the engine did not start back on itself, tried to step on the brake and would not allow to press on it. Hit the engine start button light would come on however brake still would not allow to be stepped on, its like it is stuck. Tried this for about 5min and suddenly I was able to press on the brake and start the engine by hitting the start engine button. The component that failed is the engine, auto/start feature, power train, and electrical system. This was a big safety issue and yes it would not only put myself at risk but others safety at risk too. No the problem have not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer No the vehicle or component has not been inspected by anyone No there was no warning when it first appear, it just happen.
Engine, Jun 20, 2022
Engine doesn't starts automatically when using auto stop feature. It has happen multiple times and decided to turn off the feature completely. What happens is when using auto stop feature and if the pilot is at signal light it stops the engine. but when you lift up the break instead of vehicle to starts back up it doesn't and in fact we have to press start engine to turn on the pilot. taked to dealer about it but they say nothing is wrong with the car and never heard about it. in fact the battery seems fine to as per the dealer.
Other or unspecified, Jun 19, 2022
Auto engine idle stop not working correctly. Have seen others online with same issue.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Jun 18, 2022
At least once a week the vehicle shuts off and don’t restart at stop light/ sign.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jun 18, 2022
While driving I first noticed the radio would shut off- almost like an electric surge (Spring 2021). I brought in to local dealer to assess. Dealer couldn't replicate so was dismissed. Car slipped into "sport" mode randomly (July 2021). Brought in to dealer and couldn't be replicated.Then the car would take longer to start at a stop light. Eventually, at times, the car would NOT START when the brake was released and gas paddle depressed (August 2021). There is no warning or indiction that this will happen. It is periodic, random and unpredictable. The stall out has happened on long and short rides. This has occurred at stop lights, stop and go traffic on a busy highway and entering traffic circles. I could have easily been rear-ended at any of these stalls. I am afraid when driving this car. The dashboard lights up with alerts and the car must be put in park and the start button used to get the car turned on. This takes time to restart the car- further increasing chance of an accident. I have brought the car to the dealer on at least 5 service visits and the problem persists. The dealer reports they were able to reproduce the stall at most recent service visit (6/16/2022). Fuel injector replacements (8/2021), PCM software reboot (10/2021), battery replacement (3rd battery in life of car), and now awaiting valve adjustment (part on national back order). Battery #1 replaced 3/2020, battery #2 replaced 1/2022. The problem persists despite these "fixes". I have requested that the dealer escalate this problem to Honda Corporate.
Electrical system, Jun 17, 2022
Keyless start system problem error message even after replacing key fob battery
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 16, 2022
I come to a full stop at a red light at a busy intersection. The auto engine idle shut off engages. When traffic begins to move I lift my foot off the brake. Usually this restarts the car. However, the engine turns off as if it is in Accessory mode. I try to put the car in Park and Turn Off and Turn On, but it requires me waiting a minute or two before I can restart the car. This problem has happened many times and I have reported it to the Curry Honda service in Yorktown Heights, NY (10598) many times. The are aware of the problem and says that there is no fix.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 16, 2022
When the car comes to a stop at a light or intersection, the auto-idle function of the engine engages (indicated on dashboard). When you lift your foot off the break, the radio shorts out, the dashboard flashes, and the engine struggles to restart. This happens regularly. I've even had my vehicle stall in the middle of the road after auto-idle has been engaged (see video). I've taken my vehicle to the Honda dealer several times to be serviced, but each time I'm told they are unable to re-produce the problem. Last time I was at the dealer, I shared this video with them, but they communicated the same message. They can't reproduce my issue and my vehicle is safe to continue driving. I feel strongly that this is a safety issue. If I'm stalled at a busy intersection and drivers behind me are not paying attention, it is likely I'll be hit from behind. The orange engine information light in the video was for a needed oil change that I've since had completed. Video: https://photos.app.goo.gl/dnfH1v3bq31HXQWr6
Power train, Jun 16, 2022
This car has an automatic start/stop feature/function that shuts the engine off when the brake is fully pressed. The purpose is to save fuel when stopped at a red light or in heavy traffic. As soon as you release the brake, the engine is supposed to restart automatically. Unfortunately whats been happening is either the engine does not restart or it begins to restart and then stalls. In either case, the car needs to then be put into park, fully turned off, and then restarted. In most cases, it more an annoyance for everyone involved. However, what has happened a number of times is that we’ve moved into an intersection to make a left, stopped for oncoming traffic to pass, and then started our turn. The car has stalled then. Luckily there has been no accidents, but that is by luck. As the lights change, we have to quickly restart and get out if the intersection. I’ve searched online for a solution. Many people have post about the same issue in various forums. Many have also taken their car to Honda dealership for service, but there has been no consistent response as to the cause or a solution. In more recent models, Honda has changed how this feature works, but they have not provided any solution for models preceding the change. Thank for any resolution you can bring to us the many others impacted by this point problem. FYI this is not an issue on a single date; it is inconsistent but recurring.
Engine, Jun 15, 2022
Vehicle failed to restart after stopping at a stop light while auto stop feature was on (defaults on). Had to completely turn off vehicle and restart it for it engine to fire back up.
Engine, Jun 12, 2022
The start/stop feature on our 2017 Honda Pilot Touring has failed continuously since we owned it. The vehicle stalls when trying to re-start from the traffic signal, leaving angry drivers behind us. We now turn it off to prevent recurrence. Our local Honda dealer in Fort Walton Beach has changed a switch, but the problem continues. Their next "guess" is to change the battery, which tests good otherwise
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Jun 12, 2022
When the engine stops when the brake is applied, there are times when the engine shuts down completely, restarting electrical systems and not starting up again. This incredibly scary and dangerous. I have brought it to the dealer who has no idea how to fix it. I read an article that this is something the NHTSA is investigating and am very relieved that there is finally some attention being paid to this problem. I wanted to log my vehicle as being effected also.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jun 12, 2022
The auto start\stop feature doesn't work and is extremely unsafe and dangerous. I will be sitting at a stop light and when the light turns green I take my foot off the break and the car will completely turn off and error messages will appear. Multiple times it has completely turned off the car and the car couldn't be restarted right away, leaving us stranded in the middle of the street trying to restart the car while cars are going by me. It takes at least a minute for the car to restart once it turns itself off. This has happened at least 10 times. We always turn the feature off when we drive now but sometimes we just forget because it's extremely inconvenient and difficult to remember that we have to turn off the feature every single time we start the car. When we took it to the dealership mechanic they told us we needed a new battery and that would fix the problem. Our battery was still at 50% and yet we still changed it but the problem has never gone away.
Other or unspecified, Jun 11, 2022
Automatic shut off and car would not turn back on
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 11, 2022
The idle shut off feature has shut the car off and then not restarted when it was supposed to. This has happened in two intersections and a stoplight. When it doesn’t restart, I am unable to do anything, shift in to park or restart the car. It is extremely unsafe as it leaves you sitting in the middle of traffic or wherever it decides to leave you and you can’t do anything with the vehicle. There is no warning when it does it. I have not approached the dealer since there is a button to override the feature I figured they would not listen. However I think it is ridiculous that you have to push a button to make sure your vehicle doesn’t die on you while driving. I would like to see the auto idle feature removed from the vehicle.
Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 11, 2022
Fuel injection pump makes really loud noise and reduction of engine power. Took it to the dealer for diagnosis and was told the fuel pump needs a replacement. Have been waiting 2-3 weeks for parts, with no loaner or estimated timeline provided.
Power train, Jun 11, 2022
Engine does not restart after start stop feature {auto stop} when stopped at a stoplight or stop sign. Sometimes engine turns off with just a soft application of brakes. So far no serious accident except holding up traffic at an intersection. Could become dangerous. So I immediately turn off the feature whenever I remember when I get in the car. Thanks.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 10, 2022
There is a major and potentially dangerous issue with the idle stop/start feature. When the car is at a stop and the engine shuts off (gas saving feature) and sometimes the car will fail to start again, leaving me stranded in the middle of an intersection or whatever road I'm on. Sometimes all of the collision systems fail to start again (dash warning), sometimes it takes minutes to get it restarted which results in angry drivers behind me and the potential to create an accident. This issue began within a few months of buying the car. I had informed the original Honda dealership where I purchased the car but they failed to properly document the issue because there were no error codes populated by the on-board computer. After it happened dozens of times I took the vehicle to a different dealership and was able to demonstrate the problem directly to a technician after two separate appointment attempts. They then agreed to replace the battery. This helped for a time period of about 9 months and then it started again. I believe there is a wide-spread issue with the computer's ignition system and I'm not alone, although Honda seems to pretend they've never heard of the issue. I have attached my first 'documented' (although it was reported YEARS before this) service report followed by the second in which they finally replaced the battery and admitted fault. I am hopping the NHTSA can investigate and help the owners of these Pilots come to a permanent resolution. Thank you for your time. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine, Jun 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while coming to a stop at a traffic light or traffic sign, the vehicle shut off while the vehicle was stopped. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated as soon as the vehicle came to a stop. The contact stated that it took several attempts to restart the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer who diagnosed the failure and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The contact had the battery replaced by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Electrical system, Jun 10, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The Auto START/STOP system failed to operate as designed and the vehicle would stall and had to manually be restarted. The contact stated that occasionally several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle before the vehicle would perform as designed. The failure had occurred approximately 4-5 times. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
Engine, Jun 10, 2022
My 2017 Honda Pilot Elite is equipped with an auto idle/stop functionality. I depress the brake all the way (at a full stop) and the engine temporarily turns off. Much like the other 200+ complaints you received, I'm also experiencing the issue where the car stalls after I remove my foot from the brake (so that the engine turns on again). Sometimes the electrical system "resets" (sounds like everything clicks off and then on again), but recently I have had the car stall (more than once). Additionally, the other day when this happened the car "shuddered." A couple of times I've had to turn off the car completely and then turn it on again. Fortunately, I have not needed a jumpstart.
Electrical system, Jun 9, 2022
Parked in a lot with vehicle at full temp. Quick Stop. Drove vehicle to exit of lot and stopped to wait for a break in traffic. Vehicle turned off engine with Start/Stop feature. On brake release, the vehicle made an attempt to restart and failed. Took 10 minutes and I had to disconnect the battery to get the vehicle to reset enough to get started again. Had I not had a toolkit in the vehicle, it would have been much longer. During that entire time, the single exit to the parking lot was blocked and there was a significant backup with people going out the entrance. VERY dangerous. This was not the first time the vehicle had failed to restart, but the first where it was not possible from the driver's seat. It was also the last as I installed a device to disable the feature. I've not had any issues with the vehicle since. Start/Stop does not save enough fuel to make it worth the potentially dangerous failure. Feature should be MANDATORY for disabling in every vehicle. I for one will NEVER EVER own a vehicle that it can not be disabled.
Electrical system, Jun 9, 2022
The auto start/stop is not reliable. I have had three incidents in the past 2 years where if I'm at a light and the car turns off due to the auto stop, it will not restart. I did take it to my dealer and they could not find anything wrong with the battery or any other issue. I have to manually turn the auto stop/start feature off every time I drive the car in fear I will be stranded in an intersection. Very frustrating. It has been an issue for 2.5 years out of almost 5 years of owning the car.