Honda Passport problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 8 model years (2019–2026), NHTSA has logged 759 owner complaints and 17 safety recalls for the Honda Passport. That averages 24.8 complaints per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (index 0.61 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Midsize SUVs segment it ranks #3 of 14 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 52.5.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is improving. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 69% below the 2019 and 2020 models (13 early complaints per model year versus 41).
The 2026 model year has the highest rate (68.0 complaints per year) and the 2024 model year the lowest (6.8). The 2026 model year runs at least 50% above this model's average of 24.8 complaints per year on the road across its tracked model years. Model years 2022, 2023 and 2024 run at least 40% below this model's average of 24.8 complaints per year on the road.
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Electrical (19.1% of complaints), followed by Engine (18.4%) and Driver-assist systems (14.5%). 24 complaints (3.2%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 19 injuries and 0 deaths.
In the last 12 months owners filed 250 complaints versus 149 in the previous 12 months — up 68%. The 2026 model year generated the most recent reports (55). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 35 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 17 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2023 (4). 3 NHTSA investigations have covered this model, 2 still open; the latest is “No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages” (engineering analysis, opened 2025-03-26, still open).
Within its segment it has more complaints per year than Dodge Durango and Nissan Pathfinder, but fewer than Kia Sorento, Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Edge and Toyota Highlander.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 280 | 35.9 | 0.89 | 43 | 10 | Electrical | View › |
| 2020 | 103 | 15.2 | 0.38 | 30 | 10 | Electrical | View › |
| 2021 | 144 | 24.9 | 0.62 | 36 | 7 | Driver-assist systems | View › |
| 2022 | 63 | 13.2 | 0.33 | 21 | 4 | Electrical | View › |
| 2023 | 40 | 10.6 | 0.26 | 19 | 5 | Brakes | View › |
| 2024 Fewest complaints | 19 | 6.8 | 0.17 | 9 | 1 | Brakes | View › |
| 2025 Too new to rank | 42 | 23.5 | 0.58 | 37 | 0 | Engine | View › |
| 2026 ▲50%+ | 68 | 68.0 | 1.69 | 55 | 1 | Electrical | View › |
▲50%+ = 50%+ above this model's average yearly rate. “Too new to rank”: under two years on the road, so the model year cannot be named the one with the fewest complaints yet. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 250 · Previous 12 months: 149 Rising
Problem areas
Electrical ›
145 · 19.1% · 1.21 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Engine ›
140 · 18.4% · 0.83 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Driver-assist systems ›
110 · 14.5% · 2.53 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Unspecified or other ›
81 · 10.7% · 1.19 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Brakes ›
73 · 9.6% · 1.6 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Transmission / powertrain ›
58 · 7.6% · 0.65 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Fuel system ›
45 · 5.9% · 1.37 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Body & structure
36 · 4.7% · 0.52 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Wheels, tires & suspension
18 · 2.4% · 0.95 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Steering
15 · 2.0% · 0.31 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Airbags & seat belts
14 · 1.8% · 0.49 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Other
14 · 1.8% · 1.0 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Lighting
10 · 1.3% · 0.85 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 35 months
What owners report
these cars require a seat calibration after a deer collision. they say your seat sensors are shot and want $900 to fix your seat and recalibrate the system. they also say your passenger airbags will not work without fixing the seat. pure safety for ransome.
The push button gearshifting. I have accidentally hit reverse about 100 times since I’ve owned this car in six months. It ended up in a rear end collision with a parked car. Then when I tried to drive forward, I backed up again.
When at a stop or red light, the Honda 2025 passport trail sport stops and shifts into Neutral, the Auto Idle Stop system turns off, car would not start until I put it into park and turn it off, open and close door, turn on again.
Like many others have reported on the internet, I am now seeing the TT04 message on the dashboard inidicating that a software update was interrupted and I must see the dealer.
Purchased vehicle November 27th, 2025 took car to the carwash after owning a few months and noticed after the car wash the paint was chipping.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Midsize SUVs
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodge Durango | 786 | 15.2 | 0.38 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 18 | Lighting |
| 2 | Nissan Pathfinder | 596 | 19.2 | 0.48 | Worsening | Rising | 12 | Engine |
| 3 | Honda Passport | 759 | 24.8 | 0.61 | Improving | Rising | 17 | Electrical |
| 4 | Kia Sorento | 1,446 | 33.7 | 0.83 | Stable | Rising | 18 | Engine |
| 5 | Chevrolet Traverse | 1,738 | 42.0 | 1.04 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 14 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 6 | Ford Edge | 2,244 | 44.4 | 1.1 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 20 | Engine |
| 7 | Toyota Highlander | 2,162 | 45.8 | 1.13 | Improving | Rising | 21 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 8 | Hyundai Santa Fe | 2,092 | 58.4 | 1.45 | Worsening | Rising | 27 | Engine |
| 9 | Honda Pilot | 2,945 | 63.4 | 1.57 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 27 | Engine |
| 10 | Ford Explorer | 3,270 | 64.0 | 1.59 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 77 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 11 | Subaru Outback | 3,816 | 71.8 | 1.78 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 15 | Body & structure |
| 12 | Kia Telluride | 2,014 | 74.3 | 1.84 | Improving | Rising | 17 | Body & structure |
| 13 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 3,477 | 82.4 | 2.04 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 53 | Electrical |
| 14 | Hyundai Palisade | 2,471 | 105.3 | 2.61 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 16 | Airbags & seat belts |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 17
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 0
- Over-the-air fix: 0
Safety recalls: 2019 (10) · 2020 (10) · 2021 (7) · 2022 (4) · 2023 (5) · 2024 (1) · 2025 (0) · 2026 (1)
Investigations
- No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages Open
On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject …
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking Open
On March 7, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE24008) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system in model year 2019-2022 Honda Insight and 2019-2022 Honda Passport vehicles. The complainants allege activation of the AEB system with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's path, resulting in rapid vehic…
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking Closed
On March 7, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE24008) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system in model year 2019-2022 Honda Insight and 2019-2022 Honda Passport vehicles. The complainants allege activation of the AEB system with no apparent obstruction in the vehicle's path, resulting in rapid vehic…