2020 Honda Pilot
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 488 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 23 Pilot model years with reports.
Of the 2020 reports, 10 involved a crash and 5 involved a fire. 13 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
Air bags, sensor, occupant classification, front passengerFeb 1, 2024
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
An air bag that deploys unintentionally during a crash can increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Campaign 24V064000 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
Back over prevention, display functionJun 15, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will replace the MOST cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EEL, ZEM, and SFC.
Campaign 23V431000 on NHTSA.gov
Visibility, rearview mirrors/devices, exteriorMar 16, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2020-2022 Passport and Odyssey vehicles. The heating pads behind both side-view mirrors may not be bonded properly, allowing the mirror glass to detach. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Detached mirror glass can reduce driver visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace both left and right side-view mirrors, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 17, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FE5.
Campaign 23V174000 on NHTSA.gov
TiresMar 11, 2021
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Passport and Pilot vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.
Overcured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation, which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four tires and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 22, 2021. Owners may contact American Honda Motor Co. customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is UA2.
Campaign 21V165000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, softwareJul 28, 2020
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Pilot, 2019-2020 Odyssey and 2019-2020 Passport vehicles. Incorrect central network software programming may cause several errors to occur that can delay or prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
A delayed or inoperative rearview camera display can reduce the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Honda will notify owners that updated software is available. Owners have the option to either follow the mailed instructions to download and update the software for free, or visit a dealer to have the software update performed, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is Y7Y.
Campaign 20V440000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraJul 28, 2020
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019-2020 Passport, and 2019-2021 Pilot vehicles. Incorrect instrument panel control module software can cause the instrument panel to not display critical information, such as engine oil pressure, speedometer, and gear selector position until the next ignition cycle. Additionally, it can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Operating a vehicle without a functioning instrument panel or rearview camera display increases the risk of a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument panel control module software, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is T89.
Campaign 20V439000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsFeb 6, 2020
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020 Passport and Pilot vehicles. The certification label may have been printed with ink that can be wiped away with a solvent, removing the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) and Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) information.
If the operator is unable to refer to the label information, the vehicle may be overloaded, increasing the risk of a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the certification label, free of charge. The recall began March 24, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is B6T.
Campaign 20V067000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, bodyOct 31, 2019
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Pilot and 2019 Passport vehicles. The front frame left and right side upper members may not have been welded completely to the unibody. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" and 219, "Windshield Zone Intrusion."
In the event of a crash, incomplete body welding may provide inadequate protection to occupants, increasing the risk of an injury.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for missing welds, free of charge. If the vehicle is identified as missing welds, the dealer will offer to repurchase the vehicle or provide a similar replacement vehicle. Owner notification began November 6 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is X6J.
Campaign 19V784000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
488 reports, newest first.
Electrical system, Engine, Oct 27, 2023
When stopping at a red light, my vehicle completely shut off (engine stopped, all lights went out, radio went blank) for a few seconds. The car turned back on (except for the engine). I was able to restart the engine after about 10 seconds, but I was stuck in the middle of traffic. I disabled the engine idol-stop feature.
Forward collision avoidance, Oct 18, 2023
The sensors alerted me to Brake in an emergent flash and then slammed the brakes - when there was nothing in front of me. It happens when the car is going faster than 45 mph. It has happened on three separate occasions and the third time almost caused an accident on a two lane road traveling 55 mph
Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Forward collision avoidance, Oct 16, 2023
The infotainment system that controls all audio and backup cameras to the car has been malfunctioning for years. The problem is the system will shut it self off and remain non functional for long periods of time then will turn itself back on at anytime. The dealer (with aid from Honda Field service tech) have evaluated the car multiple times and addressed the issue. Each time the same issue return. There has been multiple recalls for the issue and they have all been addressed but then the problems always return. While the system is down no audio feature of the car is available such as audible backup warning, audible collision warnings etc.
Forward collision avoidance, Oct 9, 2023
as I am driving down a 2 lane road( the road can be flat or hilly or curve right or left) the brake warning light comes on falsely when a car is approaching me from the opposite way and the brake warning light displays and sometimes it shakes the wheel. this falsely is indicating that I am needing to brake to avoid a collision when there is NOT an chance at a collision is going to happen. we were a Honda dealer from 1971 until 2020 with multiple manufacturer's and have NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN on ANY VEHICLE until I bought this 2020 Honda Pilot EXL for my own personal use. I bought my daughter the exact same year make and model and her 2020 Honda Pilot is not doing this and neither are the 2 other cars in our household having this problem (2019 and 2023). I have taken it to the dealer multiple times and a Honda engineer has looked at it but it is my option after many trips to the dealer and phone calls that they do not know how to fix or do not want to fix it. NO ONE WOULD BUY A 2023 HONDA PILOT IF THIS LIGHT WOULD GO OFF ON A TEST DRIVE! please help
Electrical system, Oct 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while stopped at a red light, the Auto START/STOP feature activated; however, after releasing the brake pedal, the engine failed to restart. Additionally, the transmission had erroneously shifted into neural. The contact stated that the vehicle was turned off and shifted into park before pressing the START/STOP button to restart the vehicle. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who performed a software update, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.
Electrical system, Sep 14, 2023
Numerous times while stopped at a red light/stop sign/traffic, the auto idle stop feature will kick in, but then the car will not immediately restart. Most times if the car is then turned all the way off and put in park it will restart. Now two different times, it would not start back up at all causing to car to be stuck in the middle of the road and requiring it to be towed. Prior to the incident occurring there were no warning lights or error messages.
Electrical system, Engine, Sep 13, 2023
The engine failed to start after being stopped at a red light. I engaged the gas and the entire car just shut down. I was stuck at the light in the middle lane with cars honking all around me. I attempted to put the car in drive, neutral, park and nothing worked. Somehow I was able to restart the car after many cycles of the light. This came out of nowhere; i.e. - it's never happened to me prior and is a HUGE safety issue. After doing some research, it seems this is an issue many Honda owners are complaining about. The incident occurred to me just as many others are detailing the exact same issue. To date, no one has inspected the vehicle but an appointment with the dealership has been made. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms prior to this occurring.
Power train, Sep 2, 2023
Rear differential driveshaft seal leaking fluid on driver side
Electrical system, Sep 1, 2023
I received a recall notice from NHTSA about my Pilot. The MOST cable connected needs to be replaced. I am writing because I have contacted two different dealerships. They are unable to address the defect until January 2024 or April 2024 respectively. You letter said that if the repair could not be done within 60 days of receiving the letter, to contact the NHTSA. The second dealership informed me that they only schedule one recall appointment per week, and that was why they can't fix it until April of next year. Please advise what I should do.
Seats, Sep 1, 2023
Another vehicle pulled out in front of me, I had to slam on my brakes to prevent accident. The second row passenger seat unlatched and slammed forward. Had my daughter been with me she would have been seriously hurt or worse. Her seat slammed forward and was lodged into the back of the front seat. I honestly do not believe this was related to her seat not being locked in place well on my behave. Anytime one of the second two seats are moved I make sure they are pushed back as far as they will go to give the kids the most leg available. I truly believe I had to hit my brakes so hard the seat latch/lock failed and released the seat.
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 28, 2023
Honda Auto-Idle Start/Stop system does not restart. Auto-Idle system will engage and sometimes not restart. This happens while at intersections (red lights/stop signs) and in traffic. Vehicle cuts off and can take several minutes to get the vehicle to turn back on. When it happens, it puts my safety at risk, along with any passengers, and any other vehicles nearby that might not notice my vehicle is disabled. Dealer is unable to replicate the issue. Honda America is aware of the issue. First occurrence 9/17/2022. 6/24/2023, 7/19/2023, 8/16/2023, 8/23/2023 all additional occurrences of same issue. Several of these I have video evidence of.
Service brakes, Fuel/propulsion system, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 23, 2023
There have been a total of 11 (since 2020) incidents when I applied the brakes they did not engage fully and the SUV surged forward 2 feet and the engine was still trying to go forward even with brake pedal to the floor. I have had it looked at the dealership but they say nothing is wrong. They said the battery was not talking to the brakes and I got a new battery but the brakes are still not dependable. When I apply the brakes they still surge forward 1 - 2 feet the engine revs up trying to go forward. The music CD player works sometimes but not all the time. The brakes do not work all the time. The electrical system did not work - it wouldn't show the dash board. The dealership said they fixed it. Both side mirrors never stays where they are set.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 23, 2023
When auto start/stop feature engages at times vehicle does not restart and will not restart. This has happened 5-6 times in heavy traffic leaving the car dead in the middle of the road until we repeatedly try to reset and restart.
Electrical system, Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 23, 2023
I was stopped at a stop light with my auto-idle system engaged. When the light turned to green the auto-idle would not disengage leaving me stalled in traffic. When I pressed on the gas I got an error message about the 'anti-collision system' being offline. I had to restart the car to resolve the issue. The dealer/service center states no known issues.
Electrical system, Aug 21, 2023
Last week, my wife was picking up our 2 year old son from daycare in our 2020 Honda Pilot. She secured him in his car seat and placed her purse with the Honda key fob on the back seat and closed the door. The car somehow locked itself between the time she closed the door and attempted opening the front door, leaving my son locked in the back seat. The key fob battery had just recently been replaced so we are certain this is not a matter of the key fob battery being low. We needed to call the fire department to come and emergency open the car for us. Today, we did have a second key fob made at Honda for our vehicle so that we have a spare in the event this happens again closer to home. We are hoping to be reimbursed for this cost and the "diagnosis" fee we are being told by Honda Customer Support we need to pay for in order to diagnose what the issue might be. This is a MAJOR safety concern that Honda needs to review IMMEDIATELY. The key was inside of the vehicle while the vehicle was not on or in motion.
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 19, 2023
July 21,2023 Pulled of highway and car went idle at a light car turned off completely and didnt turn on car turned on after 2 minutes. August 13, same situation happened car didnt turn on for 3 minutes. In May car was serviced forr idle recall and I never had this issue until now. The dealer says its a weak battery. But it only happened when it was on idle and not when I turn it on. I had kids in the car and just got off highway. I could have had an accident. The 2nd time it happened it said to put the car in park and restart the car. There were no issues prior to the failure.
Electrical system, Aug 13, 2023
There is an intermittent problem with loud crackling noises coming from the speakers. The information center is turned off, but the crackling continues. It is either an electrical malfunction or a short of some sort. It is a distraction when driving and therefor a safety issue. There is a recall open with regards to the MOST cable for the camera but the camera does not have audio so it doesn't make sense that these would be related. We do not have many miles on the car and the information center is used primarily for navigation. Shutting it down in traffic is a safety issue because the driver is distracted. If this is an electrical short then there could also be a fire issue.
Back over prevention, Aug 9, 2023, crash
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V431000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the contact drove her vehicle to a dealer prior to receiving the recall letter due to the failure of the camera image. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired, however, the rear view camera failure reoccurred. The contact was in reverse (R) and backing the vehicle up at approximately 3 MPH when the camera failed and she crashed into her mail box at the end of her drive way. The damage to the rear bumper was light. There were no injuries, the police were not called. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure. The failure mileage was 35,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Engine, Aug 5, 2023
The stop/start function for the engine engaged 3 times now when stopped at a stop sign on a hill incline. When I released the break for the car to start back up, the car went into neutral and shut off. I immediately put my foot back on the break so I did not roll backwards into another vehicle. This has happened 3 times now with near collisions so I am trying to drive with the feature turned off which is an inconvenience to turn it off every time I start the vehicle.
Other or unspecified, Aug 1, 2023
The adhesive that holds Headliner on this vehicle is causing it to separate from the ceiling and I’m concerned that it will fall and block my view when driving. Can cause a serious accident. We recently had a recall problem with the adhesive on the side view mirrors .
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jul 26, 2023
On three separate occasions, after stopping at a traffic light or in a parking lot, I was unable to move my car. The first time, the transmission dropped into neutral and I was unable to get it to any other gear . I had to turn off and restart the car multiple times to get it into gear. I was on a heavily trafficked road with multiple cars behind me at the light. Turned my flashers on and prayed to not get hit. The second time. I was in a parking lot and was leaving. I pulled into a space to look for something and got a message to put the car in park. I was unable to do so. Had to turn off and restart the car twice before It would go into park. I then turned it off and back on and was able to get it into gear. Happened again on a 55 MPH road with my grandkids. Very scary. Honda dealer said that for a tiny second after the auto idle engaged the battery power was too low to restart the car. Their solution was for me to purchase a new battery. I feel this is an engineering and safety issue and was not properly addressed during the auto idle recall.
Steering, Lane departure, Jul 19, 2023
The vehicle pulls hard to the right when the driver lets go of the steering wheel for a few sseconds. this happens with LKA on or off. This happens no matter which lane is being driven in or what speed. The alignment has been verified 4 different times at both an independent mechanic and Honda dealer. Honda is unwilling or unable to remedy the situation. New tores did not fix the pull, rotation did not correct it. They basically told us there was nothing wrong with the car. This is dangerous because the car will end up in the ditch if the driver is incapacitated or distracted for just a few seconds. This is an expensive vehicle that we were confident was safe. Our oldest will be driving this car in a few short weeks. Not sure we feel safe letting him.
Power train, Jul 17, 2023
Vehicle suddenly looses power/shuts off at highway speed without warning. Vehicle starts and runs normally after incident. This incident has happened at speeds from 5 - 50 mph. Dealer was unable to retrieve any error codes. This stalling problem has occurred 7 times over the last 12 months.
Forward collision avoidance, Jul 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the message "Brake" was displayed, and the vehicle shuddered while there was no vehicles or objects in front of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds with the Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control Mode activated, the collision mitigation braking system (CMBS) engaged abruptly while there were no vehicles or objects in front of the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, but the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer contacted the manufacturer, and a Honda engineer was sent to assist the dealer in diagnosing the vehicle; however, the engineer could not determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the Forward Collision Avoidance system malfunctioned due to the positioning of the Forward Collision Avoidance sensor in the front grille of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100.
Seat belts, Jul 15, 2023
In the third row seating, on the driver side, the seat belt buckle latch does not catch or secure the buckle.