2023 Honda Pilot
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Seat belts is the leading concern among 144 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 17th highest complaint count among 23 Pilot model years with reports.
Of the 2023 reports, 3 involved a crash and 1 involved a fire. 3 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Service brakes, hydraulic, pedals and linkagesJun 12, 2025
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
Campaign 25V391000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, fuel injection systemJan 23, 2025
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Acura MDX Type-S, 2023-2025 Honda Pilot, and 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type-S vehicles. A software error in the fuel injection electronic control unit (FI-ECU) may cause an engine stall or a loss of power.
An engine stall or loss of power can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EL1 and AL0.
Campaign 25V031000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storage, tank assembly, filler pipe and capNov 27, 2024
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Passport and 2023-2025 Pilot vehicles. The fuel filler neck tube and fuel filler pipe may separate, allowing fuel to leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Dealers will inspect and repair the fuel filler neck tube and pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is OKM.
Campaign 24V900000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, critical fastenersNov 14, 2024
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Honda Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Pilot, and 2024 HR-V, Acura Integra and Acura Integra Type S vehicles. The driver's seat cushion frame may not have been tightened properly, which can result in an unsecured seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."
An unsecured driver's seat may not adequately restrain the driver during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the driver's seat cushion frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 6, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Campaign 24V859000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, rack and pinion, rackNov 2, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Pilot vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the gear box assembly may contain a loose ball bearing, which can result in a loss of steering control or steering lock-up.
A loss of steering control or steering lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the electric power steering rack, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 18, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FFX.
Campaign 23V735000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: seat belts
34 reports, newest first. Show all
Seat belts, Sep 26, 2026
2nd row passenger occupancy sensor failure. Honda Sercice Bulletin 23-018 describes the issue. It does not register passenger is seating in the seat, when seat belt connected it confuses system and throws lights and alarms intermittently. This effects the SRS as is a distraction to the driver and could potentially confuse SRS into malfunctioning in an accident.
Seat belts, Sep 26, 2026
The second row, passenger side seat has faulty seatbelt alarms. When someone is sitting in the seat with a seatbelt on the alert, continually dings. The inaccurate and continuous alarms create a severe driver distraction while driving! Disconnecting the seatbelt while in motion or the passenger moving to another seat while in motion does not stop the alert from that seat. The only way to deactivate the alarm is to turn the vehicle off and restart to clear the alarm. If the passenger in that seat never buckles the seatbelt, the alarm does not go off.
Seat belts, Sep 21, 2026
Within 1 year of purchase, the seat belt sensor on the 2nd row passenger side began malfunctioning. My child who sat in the seat was properly buckled, but the sensor would intermittently indicate the child was unbuckled. This was repaired in October 2024 under warranty. Beginning in August 2026, the same seat began exhibiting the same behavior again. I took the vehicle back to the Honda dealership where I purchased it, and they diagnosed the same issue. They attempted to charge me for the repair, but I pushed back that this should be covered given it has now failed twice and there is an active investigation into this issue. They repaired it at no cost to me. This is a safety issue in two ways, 1) The driver may get used to the car audibly indicating the seatbelt is disconnected and ignore it given it is faulty, the child may indeed have unbuckled and be in an unsafe position, 2) The driver may get distracted by the intermittent warnings and audible noises made by the car indicating the belt is unbuckled, when it is not. The vehicle or component was not inspected by anyone aside from the dealership. We have a recorded video from the dealership that shows the vehicle repair tech manipulating the seatbelt and causing the seatbelt alarm to go off. We also have documentation of the repair being made on two separate instances.
Seat belts, Seats, Sep 19, 2026
I own a 2023 Honda Pilot equipped with second-row captain’s chairs that experiences intermittent false seat belt warnings. The right-side second-row seat triggers the audible chime and red/gray “unbuckled” icon on the driver information display even when the seat belt is fully and securely latched; the warning is frequently activated by normal passenger weight shifting or movement. The same false unbuckled warnings also occur in the third-row seats. These symptoms match the conditions described in Honda Service Bulletin A26-027 and fall within the scope of NHTSA Preliminary Evaluation PE25017 concerning inaccurate rear passenger seat belt warning status (both false positives and false negatives) on 2023–2024 Honda Pilots. The repeated false alerts create driver distraction and risk of alert fatigue, which could lead occupants (including children) to be unrestrained without the driver realizing it. I request that this complaint be associated with PE25017 and that the investigation continue toward a potential recall or expanded remedy.
Seat belts, Aug 25, 2026
The 2nd row passenger side seat belt buckle sensor begins to report "un-buckled" status that cannot be remediated by re-buckling the belt. Honda replaced the same belt buckle twice already for the same issue. First defect manifested and was corrected by Honda 18 months from purchase, the second one - manifested and corrected 17 months after first one. NHTSA bulletin 26-027 describes this exact issue in detail.
Seat belts, Seats, Aug 19, 2026
Rear 2nd row seats give false warning when the kids car seats are buckled but constantly give warning that seat belts are not buckled properly. Haven’t received any recall & dealer won’t fix the issue under warranty
Seat belts, Aug 12, 2026
Left middle row seat belt sensor is indicating unbuckeled when it is buckled. Dealer is asking over $500 to repair. I hae also read about other sensor alerts on 2023 and 2024 for left side as well.
Seat belts, Aug 5, 2026
Honda has a known issue where their Pilot’s seatbelt sensor stops working. I was the second vehicle this week to bring my car in because the belt dings incessantly even though the seatbelt is secured. This can prevent the airbag from deploying while a passenger is in the seat. I’m being charged for the repair and feel that it should be covered as it’s a safety issue.
Seat belts, Jul 30, 2026
The second row passenger side seat belt continues to give an alert that there is a rider but the belt is not buckled, even though the belt is buckled. The wire running alongside the belt latch can be jiggled to get the alert to stop. Then the alert restarts. Sometimes the alert continues to trigger several times over. Sometimes there will be no alert for several minutes. A local auto shop looked at the seatbelt and said there is a mechanism that is supposed to slide and catch when the belt is buckled. That mechanism is no longer catching. The problem started March 2026. There has not been a safety incident to date.
Seat belts, Jul 23, 2026
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the second-row seats which were occupied had properly latched the seat belts; however, the seat belt alarm was activated. The seat belt warning light was illuminated. The failure reoccurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the seat wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Seat belts, Jul 22, 2026
Passenger side 2nd row Seat belt indicates unbuckled when passenger is buckled in and seated. Started as an intermittent indication, now the warning lamp continuously indicates the passenger is unbuckled when seated with seat belt buckled. Dealer has confirmed the concern, aligns with OEM service bulletin, OEM has redesigned service parts but will not service under warranty due to mileage on vehicle (80K).
Seat belts, Jul 22, 2026
The second-row passenger-side seat belt buckle intermittently fails to correctly detect a latched seat belt. While occupied and properly buckled, slight passenger movement causes the vehicle to generate false seat belt warning messages and chimes indicating the belt is unfastened. Inspection confirms the buckle remains physically latched. The repeated false warnings distract the driver and may reduce confidence in the vehicle's seat belt monitoring system. The condition has been recurrent and is limited to the second-row right-side seating position.
Electrical system, Seat belts, Jul 15, 2026
The rear passenger-side (second-row, right-side outboard) seatbelt warning system is defective, repeatedly triggering false "unbuckled" alarms even when a passenger is securely buckled in. This is a known manufacturing defect involving the occupant detection sensor inside the seat cushion frame, which sends intermittent, incorrect signals to the vehicle's computer. The defect presents a severe safety hazard. The continuous, loud chiming distracts the driver and causes immediate "alarm fatigue." This forces the driver to ignore seatbelt warnings, creating a dangerous situation where a rear passenger (including a child) could actually become unbuckled without the driver realizing it, significantly increasing the risk of injury or death in a crash. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership for inspection, but technicians reported they could not replicate the intermittent failure at that specific moment. However, the system immediately failed again the very first time a passenger sat in that seat after leaving the dealership. The defective seat cushion frame and its internal components remain in the vehicle and are fully available for inspection. The failure began intermittently and has now become a persistent issue. There are no prior warning lights; rather, the seatbelt warning chime and dashboard graphics activate and continuously flash/alarm while driving, falsely indicating the occupant is unbuckled when they are actually safely secured. This issue matches the parameters of Honda Service Bulletin 23-018 and the active NHTSA safety investigation into this model.
Seat belts, Jul 9, 2026
My vehicle, 2023 Honda Pilot Elite, is experiencing intermittent, inaccurate seat belt engagement readings for the second-row seating middle and right position captain chair while driving. The system frequently sends incorrect status information to the driver's dashboard display, presenting two specific safety hazards. A false negative alert, The dashboard display indicates that the second-row middle and right captains chair positions are unbuckled when in fact the passengers are completely buckled. This prevents the driver from knowing if rear occupants—specifically children—have unfastened their seat belts while vehicle is in motion , creating a severe safety risk. This also triggers persistent, distracting warning chimes and dashboard alerts while driving. This is very concerning not knowing if the safety restraint system in place is correctly working due to the indicators on the dash intermittently showing false information while my children are buckled.
Seat belts, Jun 25, 2026
Right passenger seat in second row alarms that seatbelt is not buckled when it is buckled with a passenger.
Seat belts, Jun 10, 2026
Seat belt on rear passenger side seems like it is clipped in but car dings with red warning sign that seat belt is not fastened. I am worried that the seat belt is not working properly.
Seat belts, Jun 9, 2026
The middle right side passenger seat belt alarm is going off and indicating it is not clicked when it is. I have had my [XXX] son and [XXX] daughter (different weights) sit there and the alarm will go off constantly indicating their seat belt is not fastened. I have also had adults who were heavier sit there as well and its doing it constantly. The alarm will not shut off and flashes on the dashboard that it isn't fastened. Is there an issue with others? I have used canned air to blow out the seatbelt thinking there may be something inside the latch. When this first started beeping it would only beep a few times and indicate it wasn't fastened. Now the alarm keeps beeping and you can't even sit in the seat due to the alarm constantly going off and indicates not buckled on the dash board. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Seat belts, May 24, 2026
The seat belt sensors are going off even when the rider is properly buckled in. Happening in the second row seats, primarily on the right passenger side of the second row.There may be an issue with the sensor.
Seat belts, May 19, 2026
The rear passenger seat belt warning system in the 2023 Honda Pilot suffers from a critical malfunction. Specifically, the right rear passenger seat belt sensor triggers false, persistent, and loud "unbuckled" audio alarms and visual dashboard alerts while an occupant is sitting in that position with the seat belt securely and properly fastened. According to an official Honda Service Bulletin addressing this precise symptom, the root cause is a manufacturing defect involving a damaged or broken wire inside the seat belt buckle assembly, which causes the vehicle to misread the occupant's buckled status. Safety Hazards & Risks: Severe Driver Distraction: The loud, continuous auditory chime and flashing dashboard alerts create an extreme, immediate distraction for the driver while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of a crash. Warning Fatigue & False Assurance: Because the system consistently misreports the true status of the passenger, it forces the driver to consciously dismiss or ignore safety alerts. In a real-world family scenario, this false information can lead a driver to believe a rear occupant (particularly a child in the 2nd or 3rd row) is securely buckled when they are actually unbuckled, or vice versa, defeating the entire purpose of the vehicle’s safety warning system.
Seat belts, May 19, 2026
This is the second time experiencing a complete failure of the rear seat belt warning architecture on my 2023 Honda Pilot. In 2025, I formally reported that the warning sensors for both the 2nd-row middle seat and the 3rd-row seats were malfunctioning—triggering persistent unbuckled alarms even when passengers were properly seated and securely fastened. The issue has now returned and is actively failing on the 2nd-row seats. Despite passengers being buckled in safely, the vehicle's dashboard alerts and audible chimes sound continuously, causing severe driver distraction and making it impossible to accurately determine if my rear passengers are actually protected. I am providing a diagnosis of the seat belt warning issue in 2025, I am having the same issue now in 2026.
Seat belts, May 19, 2026
Rear passenger seatbelt warning beeps continuously when seat is occupied and belt is latched.
Seat belts, May 11, 2026
The car is giving false alerts warning that a buckled seat is unbuckled in the second row seat behind the front passenger seat. It started the week of April 19, 2026 and it is happening more frequently now. It is very annoying and it is concerning that it might have an impact on the airbags. I haven’t contacted the dealership yet or made an appointment to have it looked at, but it can be available for inspection. It seems like this is a common issue with 2023 Pilots.
Seat belts, Apr 4, 2026
Seatbelt sensory goes off in the middle row right passenger staying seatbelt not connected. Seatbelt is connected and the alert will not cut off.
Seat belts, Apr 1, 2026
The third row seat belt buckles on driver side and passenger side have been replaced due to failing to register when a child is seated and buckled in that row causing the vehicle alarm to go off notifying me that the child is unbuckled when they are not. I have been to the dealer 5 times going on 6 for this same issue. Have had a total of 3 buckles fail, one of them had failed twice now. 2 of them have been repaired and the vehicle is scheduled to go back to the dealership April 3rd to fix the two new buckles that have failed.
Seat belts, Seats, Service brakes, Feb 8, 2026
Seatbelt sensors for the passenger second row dinging off and on when seatbelt is buckled. Also the light coming on that says emergency brake unavailable.