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.
Service brakes, Engine, Apr 11, 2025
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, FUEL PUMP FAILURE CAUSES THE ENGINE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING.
Electrical system, Engine, Apr 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after idling at a red light, the Auto Start failed to operate as designed. The contact had to shift to park(P), and several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle before the contact was able to continue driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the battery had failed and needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.
Electrical system, Apr 2, 2025
The car on multiple occasions (4 separate incidents) after stopping at a red light or stop sign and the auto stop system stopped the engine, once the brake pressure is released, the car would auto start then immediately shift into neutral and completely shut off (engine, electrical, etc). Driver would have to coast/stop at side of road and turn car off and on again. In 2 of the incidents, this happened on a two lane road and completely blocked traffic until the driver could figure out what was happening and restart the car.
Engine, Apr 1, 2025
The engine fails to restart at times after the auto engine idle cuts the engine off when stopped. The previous recall has been completed. When I returned my vehicle to the dealership to have it checked again because the same issue continued to occur, I was told the battery needed to be replaced. I have since replaced the battery with a Honda battery from the dealership yet the issue still occurs. It seems to be worse in cold weather.
Lane departure, Mar 31, 2025
It is a horrible system that makes driving with it on more unsafe. It never knows where the lanes actually are and makes adjustments that take you out of the lane all the time. It's unusable and unsafe
Electrical system, Engine, Mar 31, 2025
Engines sometimes fails to start again after being turned off briefly. Will have so turn off all electrical and push button to start multiple times before it engine starts again
Engine, Mar 31, 2025
My Honda's engine start-stop system isn't restarting at stop lights. Very frightening when the light turns green and I can’t go anywhere. I have to turn off the car and restart.
Other or unspecified, Mar 31, 2025
I was stopped at a red light and my engine stopped like normal but then when light turned green and i attempted to accelerate the engine never turned back on. I had to put the car in park. Shut down the vehicle and then attempted to start the car again. It took a few time before I was able to start up the vehicle. This has happened multiple times and initially I thought I may have done something but then as it became more frequent, I started paying closer attention to the stop-start of the engine and came to the realization that it is not the way I was operating but more or less an issue with the engine.
Other or unspecified, Mar 31, 2025
On multiple occasions after being stopped at a red light and the engine turns off it failed to restart. After shutting the car completely off and attempting to restart after a few tries it was able to restart however this is an ongoing issue.
Engine, Mar 30, 2025
The car randomly fails to start up again after stopping it during an auto start auto stop cycle.
Other or unspecified, Mar 29, 2025
While driving the screen with the Speedometer and essential information goes blank for a few seconds.
Engine, Mar 29, 2025
While stopped on a red light the auto idle engine restart was engaged, when I released my brakes the vehicle did not restart and went into neutral stalling the vehicle..
Forward collision avoidance, Mar 17, 2025
The vehicle will provide "BRAKE" warnings on the dash display or display the warning and auto-brake when on a 2 lane road, with only a painted divided line, when on a curve and an oncoming vehicle is coming wards my vehicle, but there is no apparent oncoming collision with the oncoming vehicle and with no vehicle in front of me. This has been intermittent and ongoing since vehicle purchase.
Exterior lighting, Mar 17, 2025
Headlights were replaced under the 3yr/36k mile warranty just prior to the 3 yr mark due to the clear coat peeling and headlights showing excessive wear and scratching. 6 months after replacement, the replaced headlights are showing the same signs of clear coat peeling and excessive wear and scratching, far sooner than the original 3 yr mark. The headlight condition continues to deteriorate and will eventually need replacement or refurbishment. Now, the Honda emblem on the front, which is covered in clear plastic since it houses anti-collision components, is showing the same signs of wear. This seems premature considering the vehicle was purchased in 2021 and will pose a safety risk soon.
Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, Mar 15, 2025
All safety/collision prevention systems related to camera have become inoperative. Vehicle will not lane keep assist, emergency brake, or notify of possible collisions. Problem occurs every time vehicle is turned on
Visibility/wiper, Mar 8, 2025
After having recall work done on the vehicle, the recalled driver side mirror is now not able to be to view roadway safely. The mirror is projecting duplicate images in a single lane and is impossible to view out of. In the photo you can see how the newly installed Honda side mirror is distorted.
Electrical system, Mar 6, 2025
Starter bad
Air bags, Mar 6, 2025
1. 2020-22 Multi-Model Seat Weight Sensor Safety Recall NHTSA Recall Number: 24V-064; MFR Campaign ID: OHB; Campaign Description: 2020-22 Multi-Model Seat Weight Sensor Safety Recall; Recall Date: 02/01/2024. 2. I have contacted the Dealership on several occasions and Honda Motor Car Corporation and have been told that a. The replacement part isn't available. b. Unless there is an incident or there has been a diagnostic I have to wait. 3. This is a consumer safety issue, since 02/01/2024, why as a consumer do I have to wait until someone is hurt, injured or killed to have this sensor replaced. When is Honda Motor Car Corporation to be held accountable to provide the required part to have the Seat Weight Sensor replaced?
Other or unspecified, Mar 4, 2025
The auto idle-stop feature in my Honda Pilot prevented from starting the engine again. It is available for inspection upon request. I was at the stop light with the idle-stop feature enabled and when it was time for me to start driving again, the car would not start. The car turned off completely and a lot of the lights including the battery light turned on and a message stating to bring the key fob close to the start button came on. The battery has been changed within a year since I mentioned this problem to the dealership when I brought it in for an oil change. They determined that they had to change the battery. Clearly this did not solve the issue. When this happened today, I was driving on [XXX] which is a highway with a lot of traffic. Since I was unable to move forward, I backed up the traffic coming behind me. The problem has not been produced or confirmed by the dealer since this happened today. The component has not been inspected by the manufacturer even though I have brought it up to their attention, police, or insurance representatives. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure have appeared. This is the first time that the car has completely failed to re-start. In the past, it has struggled to start, but it makes it happen. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Air bags, Feb 28, 2025
The side curtain airbags deployed while I was sitting in the passenger's side of the car looking into the glove compartment for about ten minutes with the car being completely off and parked in the driveway. The Ignition was off and there was glitching and clicking sounds seconds before the airbags deployed. This could have happened at any point while driving on the street or the freeway. It could have caused an accident and could have killed me if it happened elsewhere. It could have been the passenger's side airbag that deployed and I could have been seriously injured. This incident happened on a Sunday, so I had the car towed to Honda the following day. Honda's response after investigating: "We contacted American Honda Technical Support. Our American Honda District Rep informed us to have the customer contact her insurance provider for repairs." Aside from this official response, I was told that they investigated what they could and found no reason as to why the airbags would have deployed. I was told I had two options. Pay for repair with them or report it to the insurance. I stated that the release of the vehicle was a liability if I decided to not pay for repairs with Honda. After some dialogue, they helped with a loaner car and did not release the car to me. There were no warning lights or messages on the dash whatsoever. About a month prior to this incident, the car started alarming randomly. The random alarming would stop when disconnecting the hood latch sensor. I took the car in for a diagnosis and Honda reported that the cause of the alarm was the keyless access unit. The car (screen and dash) would still glitch after the hood latch sensor was disconnected. My hope is that Honda & American Honda admit responsibility & provide a solution not only for me but for all Honda Pilot owners that may be in danger. Investigating should be a priority, but even if repairs are done to my vehicle, I no longer feel safe driving a my vehicle.
Air bags, Feb 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Air bags, Feb 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V064000 (AIR BAGS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 13, 2025
My push start is not starting the car. Then while driving the car will shut off on parkway, at a light and won't start. This has been going on since I purchased the vehicle 9/23 I have warranty and th auto dealership keep acting like they fixed it yet the haven't. This is the most dangerous issue. We can die getting hit from behind or the car can catch fire keep pushing start button and not turning on
Seats, Feb 12, 2025
I would like to present an issue with the third row seat headrest in my 2021 Honda Pilot. After stowing the third row seat to utilize the rear storage area the third row driver side head rest on the seat would not return to the upright position. After a few attempts to fold the seat/reset the position of the seat and still the headrest not folding up - took to dealership and upon their inspection determined the seat folding mechanism (which also folds the headrest) needed to be replaced. This was not covered by the factory warranty nor the extended warranty company which the dealership uses. As such, the mechanism needed to be replaced by the dealership (the third row in my vehicle is used everyday for occupants).
Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 6, 2025
On two occasions my car has stalled out and would not start. The engine turns over but it seems to not be getting fuel. There is still a quarter of a tank of gas in the car. After adding additional fuel and clearing the code P0087. The car runs. I brought the car to the dealership but they said there were no codes and there is nothing they can do. There are recalls for fuel related problems on Honda Pilots 2015-2020 this was issued 12/17/2023. There was a more recent recall on Honda Pilots 2022-2025 for fuel related problems on 1/22/2025. My Pilot is a 2021 the only Pilot not recalled in the past 10 years for fuel related issues. Please recall the 2021 Pilot. I tried reaching out to American Honda and they were no help. They told me they do the recalls and to reach out to you. Please help I am afraid the car will stall out at high speeds and cause harm to me and my family