2018 Honda Pilot
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 440 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 23 Pilot model years with reports.
Of the 2018 reports, 9 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 11 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
Engine and engine cooling, engine, hard parts internal/mechanicalNov 13, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
Campaign 23V751000 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
Engine and engine cooling, engine, gasoline, belts and associated pulleysApr 12, 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot vehicles and 2019 Acura RLX, RLX Sport Hybrid, TLX and Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline vehicles. The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt.
Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.
Campaign 19V298000 on NHTSA.gov
SeatsApr 5, 2018
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018 Honda Pilot and Ridgeline vehicles and 2018 Acura MDX vehicles. The front driver and passenger powered seats in the Honda vehicles and the driver powered seats in the Acura vehicles may have been assembled with improperly manufactured rivets. In the event of a crash, the rivets can break causing the seats not to be secured to the floor. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."
In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the floor, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver seat frame assembly in Acura MDX vehicles, and replace the driver and front passenger seat slide rail frames in Honda Pilot and Ridgeline vehicles, free of charge. The recall began May 30, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall is D0S, and T0T.
Campaign 18V221000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: vehicle speed control
23 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Mar 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle failed to accelerate, and the RPM became elevated. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where a partial diagnosis was performed, and it was determined that there was a catastrophic failure in cylinder #3. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, a case was opened, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 102,000.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Dec 10, 2025
Whining noise during acceleration in any gear, gets louder as acceleration advances
Suspension, Power train, Vehicle speed control, Aug 26, 2025
Leaking front shock, front differential, and transmission
Suspension, Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 23, 2025
I did mentioned this recall when I got my car I am having issues with acceleration, fuel pump . Car takes a bit long to take offline
Air bags, Vehicle speed control, Feb 6, 2025, crash
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH during traffic, the vehicle hesitated, jerked, and suddenly accelerated. Multiple unknown warning lights illuminated. As a result, the vehicle rear-ended a U-Haul trailer that was in front, then crashed into a wall and from the impact into the trailer where it came to a stop. None of the air bags deployed. The contact suffered injuries to the head when she impacted the steering wheel, the right leg near the hip, and the right arm. The contact was taken to the hospital by an ambulance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic but was diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the sensors on the vehicle malfunctioned weeks before the crash. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where unknown repairs were completed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The insurance company was contacted and pending results. The failure mileage was 26,000.
Vehicle speed control, Sep 30, 2024
When attempting to accelerate the vehicle does not respond and experiences a three to five second delay. The delayed response began occurring shortly after purchasing the vehicle in 2018 and has only increased in frequency. This issue appears to be systemic with this model and year and the dealership has no remedy to mitigate this safety issue / concern.
Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 30, 2024
I am experiencing a delay in acceleration. This can occur when I am completely stopped and press the gas, there is a delay (3-5 seconds) and then the car jerks forward and accelerates quickly. Or, when I've slowed down to almost a stop, begin a turn, step on the gas and it won't accelerate for a couple of seconds, almost causing an accident on several occasions. This occurs about once every 10-15 times I drive the vehicle. It's unpredictable.
Vehicle speed control, Jul 19, 2023
Since the purchase of my vehicle I have noticed from time to time it will accelerate when I’m pressing on the brakes. Recently, this issue has gotten worse. I have almost drove my car in to our garage doors, or come close to hitting someone in front of my vehicle, because of its unpredictability. There are also issues with a delayed acceleration when accelerating from a stop. I will press on the gas and the car will not move for about 2 or 3 seconds and then accelerate very quickly as I’m pressing the gas all the way down. I believe these problems are related. I’ve taken my vehicle in twice to the dealership with no remedy as they claim they can’t reproduce what I’m talking about. Stop and go traffic is the best way, but not the only way, to reproduce the problems. This is dangerous, in my opinion, and unfortunately I’m stuck with this vehicle that I don’t feel safe in anymore and I don’t want my child, who is learning to drive, to take this vehicle out once she gets her drivers license as I believe an inexperienced driver is in more danger with these issues.
Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion system, May 17, 2023, crash
My wife was pulling into the dentist parking lot, made a slow right hand turn to a parking space when the vehicle suddenly and violently accelerated. Depressing and pumping brake had no effect and the car slammed into a tree destroying the right front of the vehicle. She assured me that she did not depress the accelerator. She is a very safe driver, never received a ticket nor involved in an accident. Research into similar accidents showed multiple cases where this occurred with Honda Pilot vehicles.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Feb 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while approaching a stop, the contact attempted to accelerate however, there was a delay in responding. The contact stated that after a while the vehicle accelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who admitted knowledge of similar failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 10,000. The consumer stated the vehicle now has 52k and still exhibits the 2-3 second hesitation when depressing the accelerator. The contact stated the vehicle has started to roll backwards on a hill. The vehicle has just less than 60k miles and has always been serviced by a dealership.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Mar 3, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, she depressed the brake pedal and noticed that her vehicle was not slowing down. The contact stated that as she was approaching another vehicle, she looked to make sure she was indeed depressing the brake pedal, however it would not allow her to press down and seemed to be accelerating faster than 40 MPH. The contact stated that her vehicle then caused her to crash into the rear of another vehicle, however, the vehicle still seemed to be accelerating, even though it had crashed. The contact stated that she attempted to power the vehicle off, however, the vehicle powered itself back on. The contact stated that she powered it off 3 times before the vehicle would remain off. The contact stated that the airbags did deploy and there were no injuries reported. The contact stated a police report was filed. The contact stated she then had her vehicle towed to a tow yard where it was deemed a total loss. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Oct 3, 2021
My transmission is having problems. During acceleration the car will jolt forward, also when using the brakes. The dealer did recognize the problem but said it is not covered by warranty and that transmission needed to be flushed.. which was going to cost $500. He said had it been flushed before they may cover it, yet Honda doesn’t recommend a flush before 45000 per my owners manual. Very dangerous.. could cause an accident with Speed going up and down at a moments notice without you doing it
Vehicle speed control, Aug 9, 2021, crash
"SUA, Sudden Unwanted Acceleration". I was in the process of parking on the 6th floor of a parking ramp in Rochester MN, I had selected my parking slot and drove very slowly half way into my parking slot. As i was stationary about 3 meters from the front wall and getting ready to reverse for a bit in order to better align in between the white lines in my slot and before i shifted gears to reverse and while my foot was still on the brake, the vehicle experience a sudden full-speed acceleration crashing the vehicle against the wall with full force, the dashboard showed a message that the airbag malfunctioned and could not deploy. Had not there been a wall but just rails in front of my parking slot, i am afraid the vehicle would have flown from the sixth floor into the ground. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The vehicle is still under my name but in possession of GEICO, available for inspection, but because it was a total loss i was not able to bring it to the Honda dealership where i bought it. There were no warning signs that this would happen.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Apr 19, 2021
WHEN ACCELERATING FROM AN IDLE POSITION THERE IS A 2-3 SECOND DELAY. VERY SLOW TO BET MOVING AND VERY DANGEROUS IN HIGH VOLUME TRAFFIC. THE CAR OFTEN TIMES JERKS WHEN I AM ACCELERATING IN TO A HIGHER GEAR.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Apr 6, 2021
THE SUV JOLTS AND DECREASES SPEED . IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO TAKE OFF AGAIN. THE JOLTING CAN BE STRONG AND IT HAS DECREASED ON THE FREEWAY. THIS IS NOT SAFE FOR A FAMILY VEHICLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. I WAS TOLD AT THE DEALER I JUST NEEDED A NEW BATTERY I DID CHANGE IT AND IT STILL DOES IT THEN I WAS TOLD THEY FOUND NOTHING.
Vehicle speed control, Sep 23, 2020, crash
I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT MY CHURCH WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. AS I NEARED THE END OF THE SPACE, THE CAR SUDDENLY SURGED FORWARD. IT WENT OVER THE CONCRETE BARRIER AT THE END OF THE SPACE AND CAME TO A STOP WHEN THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HIT A TREE AND WAS KNOCKED TO A PERPENDICULAR POSITION TO THE AXLE. I BELIEVE THIS IS THE ONLY THING THAT CAUSED THE CAR TO STOP. THE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CAR SURGED FORWARD ABOUT 5-6 FEET AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED EVEN THOUGH MY FOOT WAS STILL ON THE BRAKE AND I WAS SLOWLY MOVING INTO THE PARKING SPACE.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jun 24, 2020
CAR STARTS TO STALL WHEN ACCELERATING AND WHEN I LET GO OF THE ACCELERATION PEDAL. *TR
Vehicle speed control, May 21, 2020
HONDA PILOT ADAPTIVE SPEED CONTROL (ACC) WORKS WELL ON FREEWAY FOLLOWING ANOTHER VEHICLE AND MAINTAINING A SAFE DISTANCE UNTIL THE CAR AHEAD SLOWS TO APPROX 22 MPH WHEN THE ACC BRAKING FEATURE STOPS WORKING AND THE HONDA PILOT CONTINUES COASTING CREATING A HAZARDOUS SITUATION AND POTENTIAL TO RAM THE CAR AHEAD. THIS FEATURE IS CORRECTED WITH A LOW SPEED FOLLOW FEATURE IN OTHER HONDA AND LATER HONDA PILOT MODELS, AND SHOULD BE RETROACTIVELY ADDED TO THE 2018 HONDA PILOT TO PREVENT REAR ENDING THE CAR AHEAD. *TR
Vehicle speed control, Feb 14, 2020
HONDA PILOT 2018 WITH 20,555 MILES HAS A DIGITAL DISPLAY. CAR WAS ON ADAPTIVE CRUISE. WEATHER WAS FINE. MY SPEED WAS APPROXIMATELY 61MPH WHEN THE SPEED LIMIT CHANGED TO 65MPH AS HWY BECAME I73. I USED + ACCELERATION BUTTON ON RIGHT HAND COLUMN 4 TOUCHES TO INCREASE SPEED 1 MPH PER TOUCH TO 65MPH. CAR BEGAN TO RAPIDLY ACCELERATED TO 79MPH (LAST DIGITAL SPEED I SAW) AND I?M SURE HIGHER AS I TRIED TO GAIN CONTROL. . MY FOOT HAD BEEN OFF PEDAL WHILE CRUISE WAS ON SO I LOOKED AND TOUCHED THE GAS PEDDLE WITH MY RIGHT FOOT TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. AT THIS POINT I BELIEVE I TURNED OFF ADAPTIVE CRUISE BY THE MAIN BUTTON ON RIGHT HAND COLUMN BUT CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I PUSHED THE DE ACCELERATION BUTTON - MANY TIMES AND CAR BEGAN TO SLOW DOWN UNCONTROLLABLY FAST REALIZING THIS I THEN PRESSED BRAKE PEDAL HARD AND THAT BROKE THE CONTROL OF THE ADAPTIVE CRUISE AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. HAD CAR TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. CROWN HONDA IN GREENSBORO SAID NO CODE WAS STORED FOR THE INCIDENT
Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (ESC), Service brakes, Aug 5, 2019
LANE KEEP ASSIST WILL TRIGGER MULTIPLE TIMES ON TWO LANE ROADS. IT WILL ACTIVATE WITH THE "BRAKE" MESSAGE IN THE CLUSTER. THE SYSTEM IS TOTALLY UNUSABLE AND UNSAFE. IT HAS BEEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES WITH A NO PROBLEM FOUND ANSWER. DURING A ONE AND A HALF OR TWO HOUR DRIVE THE SYSTEM WILL TRIGGER FIFTEEN TIMES OR MORE. AVERAGE SPEED IS ABOUT 50 TO 55 MILES PER HOUR. IT HAPPENS ON STRAIGHT OR CURVED ROADWAYS. CLEAR WEATHER AND IN THE SUN OR SHADE.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, May 8, 2019
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD VIOLENTLY AND MADE A LOUD NOISE. ALSO, THE RPMS INCREASED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO HEADQUARTER HONDA (17700 FL-50, CLERMONT, FL 34711, (407) 395-7500) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT AN UNKNOWN PART ATTACHED TO THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOTIFY THE MANUFACTURER. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REPAIRED UNDER THE WARRANTY. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,200.
Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (ESC), Jan 1, 2019
2018 HONDA PILOT ELITE-- WHILE DRIVING ON A SMALL, CONGESTED, CURVY TWO-LANE ROAD, IN A POPULAR TOURIST DESTINATION, MY FRONTAL IMPACT SENSORS ALERTED ME TO FRONTAL IMPACT MULTIPLE TIMES BY SHAKING MY STEERING WHEEL. THE DASH LIGHTS ALSO FLASHED THE WORD "BRAKE" IN ORANGE AND BLACK. THIS SO-CALLED "SAFETY" FEATURE ALMOST CAUSE ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES ON THIS ROAD BECAUSE OF THE SHAKING STEERING WHEEL. THIS FRONTAL IMPACT ALERT ALWAYS OCCURRED WHEN A LARGE RV TYPE OF VEHICLE PASSED BY ME. ALTHOUGH I LATER DISCOVERED AN "OFF" SWITCH FOR THIS FRONTAL IMPACT ALERT SYSTEM, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO TURN OFF MULTIPLE "SAFETY" SENSORS EVERY TIME I START THE VEHICLE. IF YOU DO NOT TURN OFF THESE "SAFETY" SENSORS, THEY WILL ACTUAL CREATE UNSAFE CONDITIONS BY SHAKING YOUR STEERING WHEEL.
Vehicle speed control, Electronic stability control (ESC), Jan 1, 2019
MY 2018 HONDA PILOT ELITE TURNS ON THE "AUTO IDLE STOP" FEATURE EACH TIME I START THE VEHICLE. BASICALLY, THIS MEANS THAT THE ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHEN I'M AT A COMPLETE STOP. WHEN I RELEASE THE BRAKE, THE ENGINE STARTS AGAIN. HOWEVER, THERE IS LAG TIME BETWEEN THE TIME I RELEASE THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATION. THIS HAS NEARLY CAUSED A DEATHLY ACCIDENT ON MORE THAN A DOZEN OCCASIONS DURING THE PAST 6 MONTHS AT INTERSECTIONS. I'VE NEARLY BEEN T-BONED EACH AND EVERY TIME BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WILL SIMPLY NOT ACCELERATE AT THE PRECISE MOMENT WHEN I NEED IT TO. THERE IS OVER A 1 SECOND LAG BEFORE ACCELERATION OCCURS. PERHAPS THIS IS MEANT TO BE AN EMISSIONS CONTROL FEATURE, BUT IT COMES AT THE PRICE OF SAFETY. THIS "AUTO IDLE STOP" FEATURE MAKES THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE FOR FAMILIES. THERE SHOULD BE A PERMANENT ON/OFF SWITCH RATHER THAN HAVING TO TURN THIS FEATURE OFF EACH AND EVERY TIME I START THE VEHICLE. COMPLETELY UNSAFE!