2021 Honda Pilot Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: July 1, 2026 · Filed: October 29, 2026

My wife operates a 2020 Honda Pilot Touring, purchased new and currently with approximately 60,000 miles. The vehicle's automatic idle stop/start system intermittently shuts the engine off while stopped in traffic but fails to restart when the driver releases the brake and attempts to proceed. The driver must shift the vehicle into Park and manually restart the engine, leaving the vehicle unexpectedly immobilized in active traffic. The vehicle was previously brought to Atamian Honda in [XXX], in spring 2026 for this same defect. Honda performed a corrective repair, but the identical failure has returned approximately six months later. The driver now feels compelled to manually disable the automatic idle stop feature every time she starts the vehicle to avoid another failure. We believe this represents a serious, unresolved safety defect and are particularly concerned that the condition has recurred after a previous manufacturer-directed repair. We request that NHTSA document this repeated post-repair failure and consider it in its ongoing evaluation of Honda idle-stop restart safety issues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: October 19, 2026 · Filed: October 29, 2026

The car alarm goes off on its own,and the dashboard lights flash even when the car is turned off ,this continues until the battery dies and the car won’t start. I’ve taken it to the mechanic several times and no codes come up; I’ve replaced the battery with a new one twice.

Incident: October 23, 2026 · Filed: October 25, 2026

On four occasions, my 2021 Honda Pilot SE AWD (VIN [XXX]) has shut off at a stop under the Auto Idle Stop system and then failed to restart, leaving the driver stranded. The incidents happened on XXX, XXX, XXX, and XXX in and around [XXX]. Component: The starter system and the Auto Idle Stop engine restart function. Honda has acknowledged this exact condition in Service Bulletin 23-009 and Warranty Extension 23-009/23-010 (“Engine Does Not Auto Restart After Entering Auto Idle Stop”). The listed remedy is a software update, a valve adjustment, and replacement of the starter assembly and starter relays. The vehicle and the original starter are available for inspection on request. Safety risk: The engine shuts off at stops as designed, then will not restart. The vehicle is left disabled at intersections and in traffic with no warning, which puts the driver and passengers at risk of being rear-ended and stranded. My wife has been stranded four times. Idle Stop turns itself back on every time the car is started, so the driver’s only protection is remembering to switch it off manually on every trip. The fourth failure happened when she forgot. Dealer confirmation: The Honda dealer in [XXX] has performed Product Update 23-008, the PGM-FI Idle Stop software update XXX, and a valve adjustment XXX. The failure has continued after both repairs. The dealer has not replaced the starter assembly and relays, which is the remaining step of Honda’s published remedy. Manufacturer involvement: American Honda Customer Relations has opened Case #XXX and is “reviewing” my request. Honda has not inspected the vehicle directly. No police or insurance inspection has taken place. Warning signs: The failure to start is random when auto start is not disabled, and motor is hot. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: October 23, 2026 · Filed: October 23, 2026

The auto idle stop feature will turn my engine off like it's supposed to, but then my engine dies when I try to accelerate again. This is happening more and more. I would allow my car to be inspected. My car tried to roll backward into the car behind me today, and I have held up traffic each time this has happened. I have seen on chatrooms that other honda pilots have this problem. No one has inspected my vehicle. This time my car went into neutral and flashed an alert that my car was now in neutral.

Incident: October 22, 2026 · Filed: October 23, 2026

While stopped at red light or stop sign the car goes into engine auto off mode when the brake is pressed. When then trying to go, the car is turning off or going to neutral. This causes vehicles behind me to stop suddenly and can cause an accident. The only way to then go is to turn the vehicle off, and restart, then put back in drive. This is happening very frequently and again is a safety hazard for me and others.

Incident: October 15, 2026 · Filed: October 22, 2026

To Whom It May Concern: I am requesting immediate escalation of a serious safety concern involving my 2021 Honda Pilot Touring, which I purchased as a Honda Certified Pre-Owned vehicle directly from Tempe Honda. I also purchased additional warranty coverage at the time of sale. I have owned this vehicle for less than two years, and it has already required service for an issue involving the automatic idle-stop system. That issue remains unresolved. More recently, the vehicle has begun unexpectedly shifting into neutral without any action on my part. This has occurred on multiple occasions, including when transitioning from reverse into drive and, most alarmingly, while attempting to accelerate from a complete stop at a traffic light. During these incidents, the neutral indicator actually illuminates on the dashboard. This is not simply an inconvenience or a minor performance concern. It is a potentially dangerous malfunction that places me, my passengers, and other motorists at risk. I am particularly concerned because I am a single mother who relies on this vehicle for daily transportation, including transporting my child.

Incident: October 17, 2026 · Filed: October 20, 2026

The Information screen goes blank. Then at that point the backup camera will not show on screen when backing up. Creating a blind spot and hazard

Incident: June 1, 2026 · Filed: October 17, 2026

Refer to [XXX]. My honda pilot started having electrical issues where the car alarm would go off randomly, radio would play at volumes randomly, dashboard lights would flicker on and off, interior lights would turn on, headlights would turn on. This resulted in multiple drained batteries and left the car inoperable until it could be jump started. This is a safety issue because if we drove somewhere without cell reception, could be stranded with a dead battery. Not to mention, it disturbed our neighbors when this occurred in the middle of the night. This is a known issue with various Honda vehicles from this timeframe. It is know as a problem with the "Remote Access Control Module," aka the "Keyless Access Control Unit," located behind the glovebox. Even though it is a known issue, Honda was unwilling to repair it at their own cost. We paid $903.22 to get it fixed. References: [XXX], [XXX], [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: September 28, 2026 · Filed: October 14, 2026

This complaint is being filed regarding a FAILED REMEDY for NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-431 (Honda Campaign ZEM) on my 2021 Honda Pilot Touring. Although the vehicle history shows that the recall repair for the MOST fiber-optic wire harness was previously performed, the authorized remedy has completely failed to fix the safety defect. The central infotainment dashboard screen regularly displays a "Network Connection Lost" error message before freezing or shutting down entirely. This failure causes an immediate, total, and unpredictable loss of the backup camera display while the vehicle is in operation. Because the backup camera is a federally mandated safety feature, its random failure creates an active safety risk for myself, my passengers, and pedestrians during reversing maneuvers. Honda customer service has refused to provide further diagnostic or repair assistance because the recall is already marked as "completed" in their database. However, the safety hazard remains active and unresolved. I request that the NHTSA investigate this failed remedy and compel Honda to provide an effective, lasting repair for this defective system.

Incident: June 1, 2026 · Filed: October 12, 2026

My vehicle's auto idle engine stops when brake is engaged, goes into neutral when released instead of restarting causing me to have to turn on the flashers, shift into park, turn off the ignition then restart. I was almost rear ended at an intersection & held up traffic during another occurrence, causing impatience behind me. I then found numerous complaints on the same by Honda owners & extended 10-year warranty via service bulletins 23-008 & 23-009. I brought my vehicle into the dealership to be diagnosed on 9/29/26, & they said it needed the referenced valve adjustment & performed it. A few days later, on 10/4/26, it happened again in a grocery store parking lot as I stopped for a vehicle pulling out of space. I called the next morning & made the appt to have the starter diagnosed later in the week. Later that day, it happened again at a red light. I brought it back to the dealership on 10/9/26 & advisor called a few hours later to say said the starter was pulling too much power & causing the problem & needed replacement, but did not have it in stock, with no expected date, but would contact me as soon as they received it. About an hour later, he called back & said he was sorry to inform me that the starter was NOT covered under the 10-year ext. warranty for my VIN, just the valve adjustment (which did not resolve the issue) even though the tech said the starter pulling too much power was causing the problem. I was then provided a $1200 estimate- for a malfunction that is a widespread defect! As I questioned this, I was given the toll-free number to American Honda for an explanation. I spoke to them on 10/12/26 to question why the determination was made to exclude my vehicle’s VIN from the starter replacement. The representative confirmed that the starter & assembly were not covered for my VIN & stated he did not know how or why Honda arrived at that determination. I thought I was making a wise decision purchasing a Honda. Any advice as to how to proceed?