2021 Honda Pilot
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 434 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 9th highest complaint count among 23 Pilot model years with reports.
Of the 2021 reports, 12 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 8 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
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, master cylinderJun 29, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Campaign 23V458000 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
TiresNov 20, 2020
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain 2021 Pilot vehicles equipped with Continental CrossContact LX Sport 245/50R20 102 H tires with DOT serial number A376 D3K9 2920 and mold numbers S-421920 and S-421921. The tires may have been cured for a time beyond the specification limits.
Over-cured tires may develop a break in the sidewall resulting in sudden air loss or a belt edge separation which could lead to a 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 the tires that have the affected DOT serial number and mold number, free of charge. The recall began January 11, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is U8Y.
Campaign 20V725000 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
Representative owner complaints: electrical system
127 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Engine, Dec 8, 2024
Our vehicle continues to randomly turn off and not go while driving. Whenever the idle start/stop is engaged, the vehicle will randomly not restart when traffic is moving. When this occurs you must completely turn off the vehicle, wait a few seconds, restart the vehicle, wait a few seconds, then attempt to place back into drive before being able to move. We have been having this same issue many times now. We have taken our vehicle in to the dealer service department multiple times with this issue. We have replaced the battery ($400) and it still happens. They act like they have never heard of this happening to anyone before and we must be "making it up". They then proceed to tell us that we need to let it keep happening until it is much more common. Then bring it back in again so they can see it happen. I complained to Honda USA with the same story, being that it keeps happening over and over, and they gave us the same answer..."wait until it happens so the mechanic can see it" as if it has never happened to anyone else before. This is going to end up causing people serious harm or worse. Honda is obviously trying to play down the issue to avoid cost at the expense of consumers.
Electrical system, Seats, Other or unspecified, Dec 4, 2024
1) Recall 2020-22 multi-model seat weight sensor safety recall. Called since February 2024 when it was posted. I called the dealership and was told that I will received a postcard by mail. I have been waiting for the postcard and called multiple dealerships multiple times. I have been told that they don't have the parts to fix the issue and be put on the waiting list until further notice. 2)The screen goes off or it goes blurry. 3)The Car charger goes out sometimes too.
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Nov 27, 2024
Infotainment screen goes blank all the time. Nothing at all on the screen including back up camera. Now it is causing the other sensors not to work so you don't know if you are close to hitting something. Honda has had this issue now for years.
Electrical system, Lane departure, Back over prevention, Nov 25, 2024
The infotainment screen was black and not working at all so no back up camera. Also all the sensors warning you that you are getting to close to hitting something stopped working.
Electrical system, Back over prevention, Nov 22, 2024
The infotainment system has some major wiring issues that cause the screen to go black and disconnect which then renders the back up camera useless. There is a potential class action lawsuit over this issue. Lots of Honda Pilot owners have this same issue.
Electrical system, Nov 20, 2024
Center infotainment system screen shorts out and goes dark. Back up camera will not work and it is unsafe to back up as you can't see below the rear window.
Electrical system, Nov 18, 2024
Infotainment system is crackling through the speakers and then the whole screen goes black and nothing works including the back up camera.
Power train, Electrical system, Nov 14, 2024
The heat stopped working last year when parked. To the point where it's blowing out cold air. I brought it to the dealership and they told me nothing is wrong. It appears to be the thermostat which I now have to replace on my own. Also the transmission slips randomly and I was told that could not be repeated either. Yet the car only has 90,000 miles, this should not be occurring.
Electrical system, Oct 16, 2024
Auto start-stop system failed. The car completely shutoff when the engine idle was engaged in the middle of traffic.
Electrical system, Sep 27, 2024
Infotainment systems makes a crackling sound then the whole system will shut down and screen goes black. Nothing with the system will work including the back up camera.
Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, Sep 27, 2024
The truck lights came on, with no reason, ACC and LKAS dealer wants to charge 200 just to diagnose, I keep hearing many have thir problem, honda needs to fix this problem that they know they have.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 6, 2024, fire
Vehicle spontaneously caught fire. There were no known/indicated issues with the vehicle. Vehicle was eventually extinguished by the fire dept. It took them 45 mins to render it extinguished. Vehicle was parked in my driveway at the time of the incident.
Electrical system, Sep 4, 2024
I have a 2021 Elite and have been experiencing issues with the Auto Engine Idle Shut Off for the past year. The engine with shuts off normally when I come to a stop when I have the system engaged. The problems begin when I take my foot off the brake expecting the engine to start up again. What happens inconsistently (though more and more often) is that when I take my foot off the brake, the engine shuts off, shifts itself into Park, and I have trouble getting the engine to start up again. A number of warning messages show up on the center console as well. Things like, Collision Mitigation Braking System, Road Departure Mitigation, Brake System warnings start displaying. Sometimes, I can get the engine to start up again within 10-15 seconds. Sometimes, it's been more than a minute. It almost sounds like the battery is dead but I have zero issues ever starting the vehicle initially in both hot and cold weather. When I disengage the system, which I do practically every time I drive the car now, everything works fine. The dealer ran a diagnostic and found nothing and then charged my battery even though it read full charge. It did the exact same thing a day later at a stop light. Because it’s a safety hazard and rather embarrassing to have it keep occurring at red lights with people behind you, when it shuts the engine off I manually disengage the shut off via the button on the console and the vehicle starts up fine every time. The stalls only occur when I don’t disengage with the button and take my foot off the brake. I have spoken to several other pilot owners that this has happened to so I know it is not an isolated incident.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 18, 2024
Like others have reported, similar to the odyssey we own that did have a recall to fix the issue, the vehicle fails to restart after it idles at a light. Causing very stressful situation in traffic because it take 10-20 seconds to get vehicle going. Happened 5 times in 6 months.
Electrical system, Jul 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights started flashing. The contact stated that the Cruise Control and the Lane Departure and Lane Assist were inoperable. Additionally, the front view camera had failed to operate as designed. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the electrical system had failed and that the front view camera needed to be replaced and recalibrated for all of the other systems to work as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Electrical system, Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, Jul 14, 2024
ACC, LKAS, collision mitigation system problem, road departure mitigation system, and auto high beam problem warnings all appear on instrument panel. None of these systems work. Have replaced battery and problem not fixed. Warnings continue to appear each time car is turned on. Vehicle has 47783 miles on it. Codes indicate there’s a problem with the camera in the front of the car. The car is only 3 years old. Shouldn’t be having these issues. Have researched online and found many other complaints from others from various Honda models. Major safety problem that warrants a recall.
Electrical system, Jun 27, 2024
The battery has gone bad twice (second replacement only took nine months) since an update was applied to the auto engine restart function. The car will work for some amount of time after the battery is replaced and then begin to not restart (shut off) at a light after the auto engine shutoff is engaged from the brake. It progressively gets worse until we replace the battery.
Electrical system, Air bags, Other or unspecified, Jun 7, 2024
Problem Dealer said recall for airbags risk/ seat sensor cannot be fixed due to unable to get parts.
Electrical system, Apr 5, 2024
The infotainment screen went black. No back up camera available.
Electrical system, Mar 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while the idle stop system was deactivated, while idling at a stop light the vehicle suddenly turned off after releasing the brake pedal and shifted into neutral. The vehicle was eventually restarted and operated normally. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on multiple occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 33,000.
Electrical system, Engine, Mar 4, 2024
When I’m stopped and try to drive my car it sometimes dies. It’s a big safety concern and happens often and when I have my kids in the car. I can’t get it to start again for a little while. The lights come on the dashboard but it won’t start at all until a while after trying.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Feb 13, 2024
This is regarding the MOST FAKRA Service Cables Safety Recall which affects the display in my car. It started off with the radio cutting out but has progressed to the display not working which affects the rear camera. I believe this is extremely dangerous. I have taken my car to the Honda dealership in Burlington, Iowa FOUR times and they have not fixed the problem. It's my understanding that they have not replaced the cable harness but have only "checked the connections" and in one instance, one of the maintenance workers told my husband that they simply "hit the dash" and it started working again. This dealership has been very troublesome to work with as they simply say that the screen never malfunctions for them. I don't believe this as I encounter a problem with the display EVERY time I drive it. I contacted the Honda Customer Support almost a month ago. They followed up with my husband two weeks ago asking for receipts from the dealership which we did not have. He informed them that the dealership should have them on file although the receipts never described what they attempted to do to fix the problem. Since them, I have followed up with Honda Customer Support TWICE and am not able to receive any sort of reply from them. I am at a loss with what to do as I don't feel comfortable driving my car but have no other option to. I heavily rely on my display and its back up camera features. It is greatly increasing my risk of a crash every time I drive it.
Power train, Electrical system, Feb 10, 2024
When stopped at red light idle stop feature was active and car wouldn’t restart couldn’t turn the truck off or on all electrical components such as radio, screen and heating were on but engine wouldn’t start or stop
Electrical system, Engine, Jan 29, 2024
There appear to be more than one issue. When using the auto idle feature, my car will turn off completely. Meaning the engine turns off and it is difficult to restart. I also have issues starting the car from scratch. This has occurred multiple times where the engine will not turn on but other components will. I cannot be jumped or put in neutral as the transmission won't move out of park if the engine is not on. It has been to the dealership multiple times for both issues. A software update was done to fix the auto idle issue, but it has not fixed the issue. i know longer use the auto idle feature. The most recent incident was today.
Electrical system, Engine, Nov 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the Auto Idle feature on the vehicle intermittently failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that an unknown message was displayed on the instrument panel during the failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer on several occasions and software updates were performed; however, the failure returned soon after the updates were completed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.