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
434 reports, newest first.
Tires, Oct 19, 2021
Purchased vehicle in August 2021. Discovered that driver side rear tire was completely flat while parked in my driveway. Noticeable gash in sidewall of tire Continental Crosscontact LX A376 D3K9 2321; 245/50R20 102H. Dealership had no explanation for the gash and since no recalls, had to pay nearly $300 for a new tire on a vehicle that was driven 2 months since purchased. My other tires are 2321, 2421, 2421, and the new tire is 4720. I saw there were two recalls for Pilot tires in the recent past and these tires should be reviewed as well.
Other or unspecified, Oct 16, 2021
Driving down interstate. Sunny day 75 degrees. Moonroof exploded.
Visibility, Oct 5, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 - 30 MPH, a loud bang noise was heard. The contact stated that the sunroof glass had exploded, and glass shards came inside of the vehicle and landed on the contact's hair and clothing. There was no impact on the sunroof that could have caused it to shatter. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the dealer informed the contact that a stone must have hit the sunroof and referred the contact to file a claim with the insurance company. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000.
Electrical system, Oct 1, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, he noticed that several warning lights illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact continued driving to his residence. The following day the warning lights disappeared. Several months later the failure recurred. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic related the failure to an unknown electrical failure and performed a software update to fix the vehicle. the contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
Engine, Sep 30, 2021
Incident occurred 9/28/21 4:20 - 4:30 pm PST while driving in the 3rd lane of southbound 880 Highway about 1 mile before the the exit of 16th Ave & Embarcadero in the city of Oakland. The speed that the vehicle was moving at the time of the incident was between 50 to 55 MPH. The vehicle has more than half a tank of gas and the battery has never been discharged. Also all the required vehicle inspections and services has been performed by the same service center of San Leandro Honda since acquiring the vehicle on 2/10/21 from San Leandro Honda. There are 3 occupants in the vehicle; my wife, our 5 year old child and myself (driver). Our 2021 Honda Pilot EX-L with only 9,209 miles without any accident records started to show different kinds of warning signs lighting up on the dashboard, then followed by steering and engine failure. I immediately turn on the hazard lights and pointed the vehicle towards the right shoulder of the freeway. Thank goodness that at the time of the incident the traffic is heavier and moving slower. Also other motorists are accommodating enough to let us get to the shoulder without any accidents. If it was lighter traffic at the time it could have been devasted for us. Tow truck driver Manuel Escalante that works through FSP in partnership with CHP helped us get out of the shoulder of the 880 freeway onto a safer location in the city street to await further towing assistant from my roadside service with Honda. After getting towed by another tow truck driver to San Leandro Honda on 9/28/21, my vehicle still remain there. The service department haven't provided any detail report to why the engine seized from working while we were driving in the freeway.
Steering, Suspension, Sep 30, 2021
At accelerating speeds between 37mph and 62mph, the steering wheel trembles and vibrates and shakes profusely. At decelerating speeds between 62mph and 37mph steering wheel trembles and vibrates and shakes profusely. Entire vehicle begin to shake. Driving is hazardous. Vehicle has been and is still been inspected by certified repair centers and there is no solution and the issue remains.
Tires, Sep 30, 2021
Tire size 245/50R20102H Cross Contact LX Sport on Honda Pilot 2021. Vehicle was purchased in late June 2021, tire side wall exploded on 8/5/21. There was no pot hole, etc. Just exploded with about a 5 inch gash in the sidewall. There are recalls all around the date my tires were manufactured, however, somehow there is no warranty on mine?? I have a receipt where I paid a Honda Dealership $341.82 for the repair. I did not repair the rim, but it is also slightly damaged. When the explosion happened, I almost hit another car in the lane beside me. I had to really hold onto the wheel to keep it in my lane. I am VERY concerned for my safety and my kid's safety as I now have to ride on the same tires with similar dates of the recalls. I saw where there was a recall of these tires in Nov 2020, and then again in Feb 2021 where thousands more were affected....except nothing about mine. Strange. Attempts at dealing with the dealership or Continental have not worked at all. There were no reports filed, no attempts to even look at the situation. If my tire did the same thing as the recall, then there should be a recall on that tire as well. But how do you start a recall?? You would think if another tire was affected, they would want to know and care. My DOT dates are 0721, 0721, 0621, and 3420 is my new tire for some strange reason. South Carolina does not keep track of DOT dates, so how do I know that my tire before was not affected? I do not even know the date of the repaired one. They told me at the dealership after the fact, that they do no keep records on DOT numbers. Then, how do they keep track of the recall using my VIN number if they don't keep track of it. I am VERY concerned that this is being overlooked by Honda and Continental. I saw they even did a news piece on it. How much does it take? I have all receipts etc, however it will not upload as I have an iPhone and it does not accept HEIC pics .
Tires, Sep 27, 2021
I purchased a new 2021 Honda Pilot in April. The incident occurred on 9/25/2021 at approximately 1:52PM CST. I was driving in Illinois (on I-88 near Exit 132). I was driving at approximately 65 MPH. The road had no debris. The vehicle (tires) was operating smoothly. Then, suddenly, the rear passenger tire ruptured/blewout, making the vehicle dangerous to drive (dangerous for passengers and other vehicles and pedestrians/workers). There was no warning light. I pulled over and the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority helped in replacing the ruptured/blownout tire (see pictures of tire to assess damage). Tire: 245/50R20 102H - Contenental CrossContact LX Sport - DOT A376 D3K9 0621. There was a recall on 2021 Honda Pilot tires. These tires may need to be recalled as well. I'm submitting my complaint to NHTSA. I have not yet contacted the dealership where I purchased the vehicle. Nor have I I discussed it with my insurance.
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 18, 2021
On 2 different occasions within the last 2 days, the automatic emergency brake engaged for no reason. The first instance, I was driving down the road with a car in front of me about 3 car lengths ahead and a car in a left hand turning lane. For no reason the brake light engaged and the brakes hit hard but not fully. Thankfully the car behind me was far enough to not hit us as I had my child in the car. On the second instance, again with my family in the car, driving down a different road with no cars anywhere around us, going around a bend, the emergency brake engaged again and the brake hit hard but not fully.
Visibility/wiper, Sep 15, 2021
Driver side mirror glass distorted and is available for inspection upon request. The driver side mirror distortion is difficult to see traffic causing a safety issue. Dealer has tried twice to repair with no final resolution. Service manager states Honda has inspected the review mirror issue.
Forward collision avoidance, Sep 9, 2021
The front end collision camera will register on coming traffic and warn me to brake. On one occasion the vehicle actually braked for me. Luckily I was only driving 25 MPH and there were no vehicles behind me. We took the vehicle to the dealer to have them look into the issue but they informed me that Honda did not currently have a fix for the issue and that I would have to turn the camera off every time I started the vehicle to prevent it from potentially braking for me and bringing me to a complete stop while driving. Our main concern is that the camera picks up an on coming vehicle and stops us while driving on the highway causing us to veer off the road or get rear ended potentially injuring us or other drivers. We have tried several times over the course of several months to contact Honda directly about the issue but they will not return our calls.
Visibility, Sep 8, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the driver’s side exterior rearview mirror was shaking forcefully, and the contact was unable to see the road or other vehicles. The contact was able to drive to his destination. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The contact took the vehicle to a second dealer; Honda of Kenosha (12180 77th St, Bristol, WI 53104, (262) 891-6300) where it was diagnosed with needing the driver’s side exterior rearview mirror to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired but the repair was pending. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Sep 7, 2021
Loud popping and crackling noise emitting from speakers. Cannot turn them off, and causes major interruptions in navigation, radio, entertainment. Dealer said Falkra wiring is faulty, but is back-ordered, and could not even give us an estimate of when it would arrive. Essentially told us to suck it up, but it is more than distracting (my daughter actually said it gives her a headache) and I'm worried about larger (safety) issues if the wiring is indeed faulty. What if my other electrical systems malfunction as well?
Other or unspecified, Sep 1, 2021
The driver side mirror is loose. This is due to a defective batch of mirrors sold in a large number 2021 Honda Odysseys and 2021 Honda Pilots. Honda is aware of this issue. Other drivers are aware of this issue and the dealer has acknowledged this to me. At highway speeds, the driver side mirror vibrates and becomes unusable or distracting (i.e. unable to focus on objects while changing lanes, etc.) resulting in an unsafe driving experience. Bringing the car back to dealer results in them taking the mirror off, putting on more glue, and reattaching. This works for 1-2 months until the glue becomes loose again. According to the dealer, Honda has not come up with a permanent fix but does is not willing to install an entirely new mirror assembly. I believe this mirror issue justifies a recall for all defective vehicles and a permanent fix which may include an entire new mirror assembly if a permanent glue on the mirror actuator cannot be used.
Other or unspecified, Aug 27, 2021
Driving down the road and the sunroof glass spontaneously shattered. Loud band and it just imploded raining glass pieces into the car. Local Honda dealer said they had seen several of these including one the day before. However, Honda would not cover it even though the car is only five months old and purchased brand new, top trim level.
Visibility/wiper, Aug 21, 2021
Both side mirrors on the outside of the car shake and vibrate causing images in them to be blurry and hard to see. This is a safety issue, especially at night, because you cannot see truly where the vehicle beside you is. Only until the BSM comes on can you sometimes tell a car is beside you while driving at night. Notified dealer who said there was no permanent fix as of right now. On 7/3/2021 a service advisor did a band-aid fix of double sided tape on the passenger side mirror, but it is now shaking the exact same as before that was done.
Electrical system, Aug 15, 2021
There is an issue with the electrical system in this car. The radio has intermittent static on any station and hands free calls drop after a short period. I have Googled this and it is a very common complaint on this type/year vehicle. I am concerned there are other electrical issues that may be more safety related. The dealer did a hard reboot of the computer, but nothing changed.
Structure, Aug 9, 2021
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at high speeds, the driver's and passenger's side mirrors were shaking and vibrating which obscured the view of the driver. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and glue was added to secure the mirrors in place. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was unknown.
Other/i am not sure, Aug 3, 2021
I have no idea
Forward collision avoidance, Aug 2, 2021
I have a major safety complaint with Honda’s computer system. I understand that Honda works hard to make their vehicles as safe as possible. With that said, on 7/29/21 around 9:40am I was driving on a country style road. Out of no where with nothing around me but trees the auto break safety feature came one. When this occurred I was jerked forward and got whiplashed. The car went from 40mph to 0mph immediately with no reason. As someone who has had concussions in the past this immediately gave me a headache. Thank goodness no one was behind me that would have rear-ended me. This issue with the auto break system occurs a couple times a week. Sometimes the breaks don’t enact but the break warning light comes on and shakes the stirring wheel in which is extremely distracting. With this being said we have brought it up to a Honda Service Member and the response back we got was: “Oh, yeah that happens sometimes. There’s nothing we can do about it”. The car is my leased by my spouse.
Other or unspecified, Jul 23, 2021
Within one week of purchase, the sideview mirrors were noted as shaking inside the housing. After a week of driving the mirrors are detaching from the housing. This has created a serious issue with visibility because of the movement but it will be worse if the mirror falls out. The Service Manager Douglas Burton and Sales Manager Craig Schwinn said that Honda "does not have a fix" for the issue. Douglas said that the mirrors should be taped down. Honda America has not responded to multiple requests for resolution.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 19, 2021
The side-view mirror on the driver's side of the vehicle vibrates to the point of the images not being clear. The vibration gets worse with increased speed. In addition, once the mirror is set and starts vibrating it does not remain in place. This is a safety hazard as driver sets mirror and when they look to see if a car is visible in the mirror is not showing proper location. Furthermore, the vibration of the mirror makes it difficult to see the image in the mirror. This incident occurred on a test drive vehicle while looking for a car and I was told this would be fixed. I indicated I wanted a different car and the car I ended up purchasing had the same issue. When I called the service department they told me this was a known issue and Honda was working on it. The service department did replace my side-mirror with a new one but that did not fix the issue.
Electrical system, Jul 16, 2021
I was about to cross the border I was not driving faster than 3 mph when a few functions stop working
Visibility/wiper, Jul 16, 2021
Driver side mirror (side) shakes at highway speed. This makes it hard to see incoming traffic on driver’s side. Passenger side mirror okay.
Electrical system, Jun 24, 2021
The dash crackles sometimes a little and other times it crackles constantly all across the dash. If the radio is playing, it interferes with the radio or using the Bluetooth. At first it seemed like something hit the windshield and now it's worse and crackles all the time. There was a recall on this recently but not for the 2021 Pilot. This needs to be fixed. It is quite distracting and annoying.