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.
Engine, Jul 18, 2021
When using the auto idle stop the car will sometimes completely shut down. We could be rear ended if somebody behind us doesn’t realize that we are stopped. Honda has looked at it multiple times. They say they can not duplicate it so they can’t fix it.
Engine, Jul 17, 2021
The engine can die when idling at a stop sign or stop light for no apparent reason. One time it even died as I was in motion. Again for no apparent reason. The car has an auto engine idle stop feature. If you push the button the disable this gas saving feature then you no longer have this issue. Biggest issue is the you can easily get rear ended because the engine dies out of the blue for no apparent reason. Per on line viewing, this is a very common issue with Hondas between 2016-2019. Please let me know if you need any more information. Thank you for your time and consideration in reviewing this issue. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine, Jul 13, 2021
The Auto Idle Stop feature activated at a light, but when it normally reactivates (taking foot off the brake, placing foot on the accelerator, or moving steering wheel) the engine did not come back on, the transmission changed to Neutral, and some warning lights flashed. A car coming up on the light behind me anticipated me accelerating, but I couldn't start the engine for about 30 seconds. My safety (and of the 5 other passengers) was put at risk by the mal-performance of the feature. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer. The vehicle has not been inspected by others. There were no signs of the problem prior to the failure.
Engine, Jul 12, 2021
2017 Honda Pilot Elite, all maintenance performed at dealership service department. VEHICLE RANDOMLY DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY RESTART AFTER AUTO IDLE STOP ENGAGES WHEN IN STOP-GO TRAFFIC ON FREEWAY OR WHEN STOPPED AT INTERSECTION, RESULTING IN A STALLED VEHICLE IN THE MIDDLE OF FREEWAY OR INTERSECTION. ATTEMPTS TO MANUALLY RESTART THE VEHICLE GENERALLY SUCCESSFUL AFTER FRANTICALLY (OR SLOWLY!) PUSHING THE START-STOP BUTTON SEVERAL TIMES. This is a dangerous situation as I could not restart the vehicle on a fast moving roadway. Not easily reproduced as it is a randomly occuring event. First appeared at approx 35-40k miles.
Power train, Jul 9, 2021
Car goes into neutral or no gear at all when still in drive on its own. Has done this multiple times, will end up getting us killed at some point because when you go to get on the accelerator to get out of someone’s way the engine just revs up.
Electrical system, Jul 6, 2021
Keyless Start System problem. Deelership said the problem is with the push button Engine start stop and had to be replaced and said it’s a common problem.
Engine, Jul 2, 2021
Auto Engine Idle Stop System - Restart failure. Typical Even below: 1)Auto Engine Idle Stop -engages normally (i.e. engine stops at light). 2)When time for engine to restart, it doesn’t restart, the MID shows error message and instructs driver to "place car in park". 3)Next message is typically to step on brake and press start. 4)This restart process in never quick but often 20-30 seconds. This issue puts me at a risk of being Rear Ended at a green light and is a safety issue! I would make the car available for inspection. The dealer has not been able to reproduce. However, it has occurred 3 x in the last 1000 miles. Other than the dealer, no one else has inspected. No warnings were received before it first nor subsequently appeared. I believe this first appeared in Summer 2019. It appeared multiple times in 2020 and again in 2021. I took it to the dealer in 2019 and 2020. I will schedule another dealer appoint now.
Engine, Jun 30, 2021
My car has the auto idol on/off feature. The car started turning the radio off when I sit at a light and the idol turns the car off. This had happened for a bit but we have now graduated to a total stall out. This has happened to me twice now. Once at a light the 2nd time on the highway sitting in traffic. It's very nerve wrecking trying to get your car to restart as traffic is flying past you. I have to put the car in park and restart the whole car. The process takes a few minutes. I can't imagine if this would do this in the middle of an intersection for example when I'm turning left. The dealer can not reproduce this and no errors are being thrown and they have never heard of this. I find this very convenient seeing as a quick Google search shows this is a known issue. How has this not been recalled by Honda. I'm very scared this could cause an accident
Engine, Jun 29, 2021
When stopping vehicle at stop light or stop sign, vehicle engages an automatic engine stop (turn-off) when the brake is depressed. Upon releasing the brake the engine should automatically start and allow continued operation. On one occasion the vehicle stalled when attempting to re-start and would not start for several minutes while in traffic. Many error lights illuminated. On 5-10 other occasions the vehicle hard a difficult time starting, and many error lights illuminated, but eventually succeeded in starting. The battery was checked and confirmed to be within spec. This appears to be a known issue with the starter that Honda has not addressed.
Electrical system, Jun 29, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced various electrical failures while driving and stationary. The contact stated that the security alarm independently activated without incidence. The contact also stated that an abnormal crackling sound was coming from the engine with several warning lights flashing on the instrument panel. After replacing the battery, the headlights independently illuminated while the vehicle was shut-off. The contact restarted the vehicle and manually turned off the headlights however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the fuse box needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Structure, Jun 28, 2021
Hood flutters at highway speeds and appears that it will open and break windshield, looks as though hood is not latched causing stoppage or pull over for inspection of which the hood is latched
Engine, Jun 28, 2021
While idle at red light, the automatic idol activated when I press brake with consistent pressure. When I released the brake to start going forward and engage the gas pedal; all red light indicators turned on (parking brakes and shifted into Neutral) and the car fully siezed up. No power, no ability put car in park or drive. I attempted to put in Park and Start car with On/off switch but got no reaction from car . No brake function. I sat in an unresponsive vehicle at 4-way red light intersection. I activated my emergency flashers yet. I repetitively kept pushing power button in effort for car to respond and restart, eventually did and was able to drive off. Working on taking into dealership. This happened approx 1 month ago, a very similar situation occurred again today 6/27/2021 on i45 returning form Austin TX.
Engine, Jun 25, 2021
My 2017 Honda Pilot touring’s engine won’t turn on after stop while using the idle stop . The idle stop option has to be cancel in order to drive and stop with out engine getting shut off
Engine, Jun 14, 2021
Occasional he when the auto start stop function is activated the car will die and not turn back on. After the car has died and you release your foot from the break nothing happens and multiple lights will turn on the dashboard but the car will not restart unless you put it in park press the start button multiple times. This is very frustrating and very dangerous especially if you’re sitting outside at a busy intersection. I’ve seen numerous reports of this on the Internet and it’s been going on over the last several months. I tried to take the vehicle to the dealer and they told me it was not anything they can cover on the warranty I’d have to pay out of pocket.
Suspension, Jun 4, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that there was an abnormal squeaking sound coming from the front of the vehicle while driving. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer who was unable to identify the cause but confirmed the sound. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the struts were severely rusted and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 39,236.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, May 31, 2021
Vehicle's LED Daytime Running Lights no longer operational. This is a known issue among owners and affects the visibility of the vehicle when operating during daylight hours. Further, the nighttime visibility is significantly decreased as those LES lights add to the roadway illumination capabilities.
Engine, May 21, 2021
Within the past two month, this vehicle has stall at least 5 times after the auto stop idle engage at a stop light and at intersection. The vehicle will come to a full stop and the auto stop idle engage but the vehicle fails to restart after i take my leg off the break pedal. I will then have to turn the car off and restart it before it starts again. This has put me and my family in a very dangerous and unsafe condition in traffic. I've also been having an intermittent error message on the dash that says "High beam support system problem" it comes up at random times and flashes for about 30 seconds and disappears. I took the car to the Lehigh Valley Honda dealer in Emmaus PA and initially they said the problems where related to a low voltage but after replacing the battery the problems persist. The car is currently at the dealership and they can't seem to tell me exactly what the issue is.
Engine, May 19, 2021
While driving my 2017 Honda Pilot (Touring, AWD) on the freeway at about 60-65 mph, when I press on the gas pedal and try to accelerate, the pedal goes limp and goes all the way to the floor, the rpm's go to zero and the car gas pedal is not responsive. The car coasts and there is no resistance to the pedal either. No warning lights are shown on the dashboard and I am not using cruise control either. After pressing down repeatedly on the gas pedal for about 15-20 seconds, the gas pedal starts working again. This is a big safety issue, since the car gas pedal is completely unrepsonsive, so I cannot accelerate to change lanes, avoid another car or person, etc. and this occurs at random times. Also, when driving at low speeds, the gas pedal is often unresponsive and lags for about 3-5 seconds when I press on the pedal, making the car hesitate. Also, when the car changes gears, it is often very jerky (not smooth) and this occurs randomly. I took the Honda Pilot to the Honda dealer where I purchased the car and they duplicated all of the problems reported above and also documented error codes via their computer while driving the Honda Pilot. The dealer has had the car since May 5, 2021 and has not been able to fix it so far, despite working with the Honda "tech-line". So the dealer requested an "expert" from Honda in Torrance, CA (headquarters I'm told) to come to the dealer on-site, but the expert cannot arrive until May 21, 2021. The Honda service person told me they have recorded many error codes, but some of the codes are “not current codes”, so they don't know how to fix it so far.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 13, 2021
I HAD STARTED NOTICING THE RADIO CLICKING ON/OFF AT STOPLIGHTS. AFTER A WHILE, IT PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE AND NOTICED THE CAR WAS ALSO SLIGHTLY JERKING TOO AS THE CAR RE-STARTED. I CALLED THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUE. DAYS BEFORE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED IN 2020, I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN AND THEY SAID THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO RE-CREATE THE ISSUE AND DID NOT SEE ANY ERROR CODES. I RECEIVED THE MIL WARRANTY EXTENSION LETTER RECENTLY AND WONDERED IF THAT WAS THE SAME ISSUE, BUT IT DOES NOT APPEAR SO. HOWEVER UPON RESEARCHING THAT, I FOUND MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THE AUTO IDLE STOP ISSUES. I AM GRATEFUL MY CAR HAS NEVER STALLED (YET) BUT THAT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE I HAVE VERY LOW MILEAGE. HOWEVER I AM SCARED TO DRIVE THE CAR NOW AND ALWAYS DISABLE THE AUTO IDLE STOP, HOPE THAT I DON'T FORGET WHICH I DO SOMETIMES AND AM FEARFUL SHOULD MY TEENAGERS EVER HAVE TO DRIVE MY CAR! THANKFULLY THEIR HONDA CIVICS DON'T HAVE THIS FEATURE. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD! THERE ARE TOO MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS SO PLEASE FORCE HONDA TO RECALL AND FIX THE PROBLEM. I BOUGHT THIS NEW CAR SINCE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MORE ADVANCED AND SAFER THAN THE 15 YEAR OLD CAR IT REPLACED. IT DOES HAVE SOME GREAT ADVANCES BUT SHOULD NOT BE COMPROMISED OR COME AT THE COST OF SAFETY.
Electrical system, Engine, May 12, 2021
THERE IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM ON MY 2017 HONDA PILOT ELITE THAT CONTINUES TO GET WORSE WITH THE AUTO ENGINE IDLE. WHEN IT ENGAGES (I.E., STOPS THE ENGINE SUCH AS AT A STOP LIGHT), AT TIMES IT WOULD BARELY START BACK UP AGAIN. WHEN THESE PROBLEMS OCCUR, WHEN IT RESTARTED AFTER THE AUTO ENGINE IDLE WAS ENGAGED, IT SOUNDED LIKE A CAR TRYING TO START WITH A BAD BATTERY - IT BARELY TURNED OVER, BUT FINALLY DID START. HOWEVER, ON 5/11/2021, IT DID NOT START AT ALL AFTER THE AUTO ENGINE IDLE ENGAGED. I WAS AT A STOPLIGHT AND HAD SEVERAL CARS BEHIND ME. I WAS ON A SLOPE AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PULL IT OFF TO THE TURN LANE AND OUT OF TRAFFIC. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS FINALLY ABLE TO START THE CAR UP AGAIN. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE PROBLEM WILL CONTINUE TO GET WORSE UNTIL SOMEBODY CAN DIAGNOSE IT. I'VE SEARCHED DISCUSSION BOARDS AND FOUND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM BUT I'VE NOT FOUND A DIAGNOSIS YET.
Engine, May 8, 2021
THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING AND WHILE STOPPED AT A LIGHT. VERY UNSAFE. HAND THE TRANSMISSION REPLACED A FEW MONTHS AGO BUT THE PROBLEM IS STILL HAPPENING.
Other or unspecified, May 7, 2021
WHEN I COMPLETELY STOP AT A LIGHT (STATIONARY), AND HAVE THE AUTO ENGINE IDLE STOP "ENABLED", MY ENGINE SHUTS OFF AND THE WARNINGS ON DASHBOARD "COLLISION MITIGATION" FLASHES. MUSIC AND A/C IS TURNED OFF AS WELL. I NEED TO PUT THE CAR BACK IN "PARK" AND RESTART THE ENGINE. I'M AFRAID SOMEONE WILL REAR END ME. I ALSO HAD ISSUES WITH MY BATTERY LOOSING CHARGING EVEN THOUGH ITS STILL GOOD. I BELIEVE THE AUTO ENGINE IDLE STOP FEATURE IS PULLING SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF BATTERY CHARGE. WAITING TO HEAR IF THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS PROBLEM SINCE I WAS TOLD THAT HONDA IS AWARE AND TRYING TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. THIS HAS OCCURRED SEVERAL TIMES ALREADY.
Electrical system, Engine, May 6, 2021
AFTER EXITING AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN, THE AUTO-STOP FEATURE ENGAGED. WHEN THE BRAKE WAS RELEASED THE ENGINE STARTED AND THE CAR MOVED FORWARD A FEW FEET THEN SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. THERE WAS A MOMENTARY WARNING TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK, BUT IT DISAPPEARED WHEN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AND ALL SCREENS WENT BLANK. I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE START BUTTON, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT START. I RELEASED AND PRESSED THE BRAKE AGAIN AND THE CAR STARTED. THE TRANSMISSION WAS IN PARK AND I HAD TO PUSH THE DRIVE BUTTON SEVERAL TIMES FOR IT TO ENGAGE. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC BECAUSE I WAS BLOCKING THE EXIT AND THE ROAD. AFTER THE ENGINE STARTED IT TOOK SOME TIME FOR ALL THE SYSTEMS TO POWER UP.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 30, 2021
THE AUTO SHUT OFF WHEN THE BRAKE IS FULLY DEPLOYED FAILS WHEN PRESSURE IS RELEASED AND THE CAR WILL NOT RE-ENERGIZE. LEAVING A CAR DEAD AT A LIGHT THAT JUST TURNED GREEN. REQUIRES ME TO PUT CAR IN PARK, THEN RESTART THEN PUT INTO DRIVE. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD. NO ERROR LIGHTS. AUTO SHOP CAN'T FIX. MUST REMEMBER TO MANUALLY SHUT OFF THE AUTO SHUT OFF EACH TIME THE CAR IS TURNED ON. NOT SAFE. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR ENDED SEVERAL TIMES AS THE CAR BEHIND EXPECTED TO GO AT THE JUST THEN GREEN LIGHT. AT ONE LIGHT NO CARS WERE STOPPED BEHIND ME BUT A CAR APPROACHED A LIGHT THAT HAD BEEN GREEN DIDN'T REALIZE I WAS STOPPED WITH A FAILED ENGINE. SCARY. IT HAPPENS EVERYDAY.
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes, Apr 29, 2021
SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR, THE WHEELS MAKE A CRACKING NOICE WHEN TURNING AND BRAKING. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER 2-3 TIMES AND THEY TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING THAT IT MAY JUST BE THE BRAKE PADS STICKING SOME TIMES. NOW AT 55,000 MILES THE POWER STEERING EPS AND ALL OTHER LIGHTS CAME ON LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE. THIS HAD NOT HAPPENED IN THE PAST. I HAVE READ UP ON IT AND OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. MY MAIN CONCERN SINCE I PURCHASED IT WAS THAT CRACKING NOISE WHEN TURNING WHEN BACKING UP OR TURNING WHEN GOING FORWARD. THIS ONLY HAPPENS ON STARTING TO DRIVE NOT AT FAST SPEEDS. NOW ALL THE LIGHTS ARE ON AND DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ISSUE IS. FROM RESEARCH IT SEEMS LIKE IT MAY BE SOMETHING WITH THE FUEL INJECTORS. MY CAR IS ALREADY PAST IT'S WARRANTY.