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: other or unspecified
22 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 31, 2026
The engine required a short block replacement at approximately 40,000 miles. There was a severe knocking sound and the dealer diagnosed heavy scoring and abnormal wear present on the front bank cylinder walls. The result was excessive internal engine clearance and cylinder wall damage. Engine cylinder piston block holes were worn beyond spec. After 33 days the vehicle was returned and developed a growling/grinding noise when the AC was in operation and at lower speeds that followed the RPMs. Vehicle was returned to dealer and told sound was normal operation for this model and stated it was coming from AC Compressor. Independent shop verified 2 days later AC compressor was failing and possible metal contamination. AC compressor is backordered with no ETA. Advised to not use AC or Defroster to avoid seizing and causing serpentine belt to snap. Advised Honda Customer Care and assigned Case Manager who was made aware of knock and compressor failure and contacted dealer who stated vehicle could not be seen for 7 days due to being booked. Advised Case Manager of vehicle safety concern with internal engine failure damage and failing AC system and was denied emergency loaner or assistance and told it was all they could do. Vehicle now unsafe due to both with no timeline for fixing and known hazards due to severe engine failures and associated issues with main systems.
Other or unspecified, Aug 28, 2026
My Moonroof shade shattered all the way back, left(driver side) plastic went bad and it broke.
Other or unspecified, Aug 25, 2026
Known design defect under Special Coverage for some vehicles, but does not include my VIN for a 2020 Chevy Traverse. Full details are provided in the attachment, including photos of the broken exhaust weld bracket and costs incurred so far. Additional expenses are expected to be incurred in the coming days when parts are available to prevent exhaust emissions from entering the vehicle during operation while doors and windows are closed, which is an issue caused by failure of the exhaust weld bracket.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Aug 8, 2026
when driving our 2023 honda pilot we stopped at traffic light the car shut off would not restart our front doors would open and close our back doors would not operate back tale gate door would not operate we had no4 way blinkers no lights totally dead auto. we were in middle of four lanes bumper to bumper traffic with no way to warn other drivers of our car break down. after short time a helpful driver pulled up behind us and used his auto to block us from traffic and used his 4 way flashers to warn other cars to go around us . police and tow showed up in appx 20 min. car was taken to WILLIAMS HONDA OF TRAVERS CITY MI.49685 they repaired car next day informed us battery shorted out when auto shut off activated at stop light. we had no indications of any issues with our vehicle it is 3 yr old with 40138 mi on it battery was out warrenty. williams installed newAGM100M BATT. our main safety issue is lack of 4 way warning or signal to other drivers.WE WERE LUCKY NO ONE REAR ENDED US AND WE DID NOT NEED BACK DOORS TO OPERATE . THANK YOU [XXX] AND [XXX] FROM SAULT STE. MARIE MI [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Aug 1, 2026
My husband was driving our family of 6 to [XXX] from the [XXX] area. We were on the highway in [XXX] when we heard a loud pop and the sunroof had randomly exploded. There's a thin cloth like screen between the glass and the inside of the vehicle. Luckily that screen was not open, otherwise, we would've have been cut up by the glass shards coming down. We arrived at our destination in Florida and took pictures of the broken sunroof. I called our insurance to file a claim. I also called American Honda and made filed a case. I was told to take it to the dealership and see if our extended warrantee would cover it. MPP denied the claim. This is very dangerous to have a random sunroof explode out of nowhere. Someone needs to take responsibility for this before people get hurt. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 28, 2026, fire
Vehicle had an engine fire yesterday. Inner cv boot is burned. Luckily fire was put out quickly with a fire extinguisher.
Other or unspecified, May 31, 2026
Loose weatherstripping two yrs and a half into ownership. Risk of water damage that can rust and damage electrical. Many complaints online about the roof rails needing to be replaced. Honda hasn’t issue a recall even though is a well known faulty design.
Other or unspecified, May 2, 2026
I have a 2023 Honda Pilot AWD Elite with approximately 46,000 miles. It has an engine idol feature that's suppose to restart the engine after idoling. I was in a parking lot waiting to enter into traffic when the engine completey shut down. I was able to restart the engine at the time. Again the same day I was at a stop light, the car was idoling and when the light turned green, I took my foot off the brake and proceeded to press the gas pedal, the car shut down completely and I had to restart the vehicle. I made an appointment to take my car to the dealership the next morning. On Friday May 1st, 2026. I brought the vehicle to the dealership but they told me they won't be able to see it until Monday. Saturday, I took my child to his soccer match and again, at the stop light before getting onto the freeway, the vehicle shut down after Idoling. The feature Auto idol/restart is automatically on when you start the vehicle. It will drive fine if you remember to turn the function off. Honda has no official recall on this. There was a similar software issue recall in 2025 but the dealership told me that campaign was closed.
Other or unspecified, Aug 11, 2025
The back glass suddenly shattered. No cause was discovered. It was not vandalism. There was no prior damage to the back glass. We were seated in the front seats. Normally, we would have had our grandchildren in the back seats closest to the glass. I looked it up on the Internet and found out that this occurrence is fairly common among Honda makes. I took pictures of the damage and filed a claim with my insurance company. No warning occurred before the glass shattered.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 11, 2025
Transmission light came on and said: “Emissions system problem. Power may be reduced. See your dealer.” Spoke to dealer who said they are unsure how this could have occurred possibly wear. The vehicle has 41k miles and I’m the only owner. Also said the cam plate is leaking oil which caused the sensors to be damaged and causes the vehicle to lose power while driving
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 28, 2025
Vehicle stopped with no warning while waiting in traffic at a red light and it took a while to restart. Same thing happened while parked in a lot waiting. The former issue was dangerous as I was in traffic with numerous vehicles moving around me with my family in the car as I got out to check the problem under the hood. The latter issue happened while out of town which is scary and dangerous considering it was a remote area.
Other or unspecified, Jan 25, 2025
Door locks do not respond. I will use the driver unlock button on the driver door panel, or sometimes by key fob, and the driver door will unlock, but the passenger (with less frequency than rear) and rear doors will remain locked. Sometimes they will all work. Generallly it’s the rear doors. Very intermittent and hard to reproduce. They tend to stay locked until I power the vehicle off.
Other or unspecified, Oct 23, 2024
The panoramic sunroof exploded while driving on the highway towards Tappahannock, VA
Other or unspecified, Sep 20, 2024
No incident has occured at this time however it is highly likely to due to the loud wind noise coming from driver side door when traveling more than 60mph. Concern has been addressed multiple times with no solution.
Other or unspecified, Sep 6, 2024
This vehicle has a massive leak with both the winshield and sunroof. Brand new car and terrible leaks
Steering, Wheels, Other or unspecified, Jun 18, 2024
I have reported the issue once before. Took it back to dealer for service. Serviced by Rock Honda on May 28, 2024. They swore issue was resolved and I had to pay out of pocket. Same problem. Loss of All Wheel Drive function, car nearly stalls out while at highway speeds and on surface streets (loss of power and bucks hard). Warning message appears for AWD system advising no power. I am convinced that I got a lemon. This car is absolute trash. Daily occurrence with this problem.
Electrical system, Wheels, Other or unspecified, May 25, 2024
On May 4, 2024, normal driving conditions, experienced what felt like a loss of power. Warning on dashboard says All Wheel Drive System Problem, Only Front Wheels May Be Powered. See Dealer. Pulled car over to side of road and turned engine off. Turned back on and warning was gone. Occurred again today May 25, 2024 while driving on freeway. Loss of power and same warning message displayed. I do not feel at all safe in this vehicle. I drove straight to dealership for service to look at it. Hopefully have some answers after the holiday weekend. Just purchased vehicle in August 2023 brand new. Honda Pilot Elite. Starting to think I got a lemon.
Other or unspecified, Forward collision avoidance, May 9, 2024
The vehicle emergency braking kicks in for no reason, there were no other cars in sight and I was driving, in my lane when the vehicle flashed BRAKE and slammed on brakes for me. That is going to cause me to get into an accident when I am cruising and in my lane, no other vehicles around and it slams on brakes, very startling. Also, if it is raining to hard all safety features stop functioning and it says I have to Clean the emblem, the emblem is clean it is just raining to hard and the “safety” features can’t function
Wheels, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Feb 8, 2024
When driving on gravel the gravel will get stuck in the rear and front brake guards. This is making the rotors get scratched and damaged, also causes a very high screeching sound. This happens every time while driving on gravel or going over gravel. I am concerned about the brakes becoming unsafe and the braking system becoming damaged. This problem has not been inspected and no warning lights come on during the problem.
Other or unspecified, Jun 28, 2023
Hello, this is an issue with the vehicle not knowing the key FOB is in the vehicle as it's moving. This occurred 2 days after purchasing the 2023 Honda Pilot. As I was driving a warning light popped up on the dash indicating that the key was not in the vehicle. I took a picture and sent it to the dealer, they changed batteries, blamed issue on Honda manufacturing and emailed me that this was not a safety concern as the vehicle will not shut off if it doesn't sense the FOB in vehicle. Honda corporate told me this is a safety concerns. I'm not sure who to trust in this instance.
Other or unspecified, Jun 17, 2023
Had just rolled 1000 miles on car. Went to back out of a parking spot at a restaurant and car would shudder to a stop after moving a foot or two in reverse and go back into park. This happened approximately 4 to 5 times. We finally backed up enough to put it in drive and it continued to do the same thing in drive. We shut the car off and cranked it again. It still would slam back into park from drive at least twice more. We are now concerned with this as a safety issue in addition to it being a defect. What if it decides to return to park and we are going 60 mph? Dealer said if they can’t replicate the issue they can’t repair it. I have found an almost identical complaint another person posted on line with a 2017 Honda pilot. Have screen shot.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Jun 1, 2023
- There is a clicking noise coming from the steering column area after the vehicle has been driven on the highway for approximately 15 minutes and the vehicle engine has been warmed up. The noise can be heard at low speeds, such as pulling up into a driveway, or turning the steering wheel while parked. - The vehicle is brand new with 2900 miles as of today and the clicking noise coming from the steering column can pose an unknown danger to those in the car and around the car. - The vehicle was brought in to the dealership for service inspection pertaining to the clicking noise and the issue was able to be duplicated and recorded. However, the issue is unresolved and the case is still open. - The dealership service department had the vehicle manufacturer engineer on the phone to aid in the troubleshooting. The troubleshooting recommendation by the engineer was to check if there is a similar clicking noise from another vehicle that is the same year, model, and trim level prior to further investigating; this has not started due to dealership inventory unavailability of the same exact year, model, and trim level. Until the dealership receives the same year, model, and trim level to compare with, the case will remain open. - The issue was first noticed when the vehicle had approximately 2000 miles.