InsightArise CarsU.S. Owner Complaint Index
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2019 Honda Pilot problems, complaints & recalls

Far more Steady

NHTSA has received 892 owner complaints about the 2019 Honda Pilot, or 116.2 per year on the road — far more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 2.76, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #68 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Honda models its rate is 59% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 119% higher.

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

Complaints filed between 2018-10-17 and 2026-09-02. Median delay from incident to filing: 11 days.

892Complaints
116.2Complaints per year on the road
2.76Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
13Recalls
2.0%Share involving a crash or fire
169Last 12 months

Analysis

The previous model year (2018) drew 50.4 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2020) drew 72.4 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2019 model collected 111 complaints, 38% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.

The most common problem area is Engine (26.5% of complaints), followed by Electrical (23.8%) and Fuel system (16.1%). Within Engine reports, owners most often mention “restart”, “auto”, “engine”, “idle” and “traffic”. 18 reports (2.0%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 15 injuries and 0 deaths.

Half of the reported incidents happened within 57 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (45% of incidents). In the last 12 months 169 new complaints were filed, versus 180 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.

NHTSA lists 13 safety recalls for this model year. 70% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses. 4 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Engine failure” (opened 2025-08-20, still open).

Complaint index

  • vs. all tracked vehicles2.76
  • vs. other Honda models1.59
  • vs. other 2019 models2.54
  • vs. other Midsize SUVs2.19
  • Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (111)1.38
  • #68 of 76 · 2019Rankings ›

1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road.

Other model years

  • 201850.4 per year1.2
  • 2019116.2 per year2.76
  • 202072.4 per year1.72
  • 202174.7 per year1.78
  • 202231.7 per year0.75
  • 202337.3 per year0.89
  • 202440.7 per year0.97
  • 2025116.0 per year2.76

Honda Pilot problems, complaints & recalls by model year ›

What owners complain about

  • Engine236 · 26.5% · 1.19×
  • Electrical212 · 23.8% · 1.51×
  • Fuel system144 · 16.1% · 3.74×
  • Driver-assist systems82 · 9.2% · 1.6×
  • Interior & equipment75 · 8.4% · 0.94×
  • Transmission / powertrain68 · 7.6% · 0.65×
  • Brakes27 · 3.0% · 0.49×
  • Body & structure27 · 3.0% · 0.33×

vs. all vehicles: 1.00 = All-vehicle average

Engine · Common terms in reports

  • restart109
  • auto79
  • engine154
  • idle45
  • traffic75
  • light105

Electrical · Common terms in reports

  • camera98
  • screen61
  • infotainment39
  • backup35
  • speakers23
  • network19

Fuel system · Common terms in reports

  • fuel125
  • system gasoline62
  • gasoline recall54
  • distribution disconnect54
  • reasonable60
  • amount recall58

Problem areas: Engine · Electrical · Driver-assist systems · Fuel system · Interior & equipment · Transmission / powertrain · Body & structure · Airbags & seat belts · Brakes · Steering · Wheels, tires & suspension

When complaints were filed

2018: 1 1 2018 2019: 62 62 2019 2020: 48 48 2020 2021: 37 37 2021 2022: 157 157 2022 2023: 111 111 2023 2024: 200 200 2024 2025: 158 158 2025 2026: 118 118 2026
  • Crashes reported: 13
  • Fires reported: 5
  • Injuries: 15
  • Deaths: 0

Vehicle age at incident

  • <1 yr10.2%
  • 1–2 yrs5.0%
  • 2–3 yrs5.0%
  • 3–5 yrs34.6%
  • 5+ yrs45.1%

Median age at incident: 57 months

What owners report

Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.

Segment peers · 2019 · Midsize SUVs

ModelsComplaintsComplaints per year on the roadComplaint index
2019 Nissan Pathfinder759.80.23
2019 Dodge Durango14018.20.43
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe22028.70.68
2019 Honda Passport27435.70.85
2019 Ford Explorer29137.90.9
2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee36447.41.13
2019 Chevrolet Traverse40352.51.25
2019 Kia Sorento42355.11.31
2019 Toyota Highlander48162.71.49
2019 Ford Edge75298.02.33
2019 Honda Pilot892116.22.76
2019 Subaru Outback1,033134.63.2

Safety recalls (13)

STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS Campaign 26V365000 · 2026-06-04

Summary: 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.

Risk: 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.

Remedy: 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.

AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER Campaign 26V332000 · 2026-05-21

Summary: 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.

Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: 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.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP Campaign 23V858000 · 2023-12-18

Summary: 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.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL Campaign 23V751000 · 2023-11-13

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.

Risk: A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.

BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION Campaign 23V431000 · 2023-06-15

Summary: 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."

Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: 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.

STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD Campaign 21V932000 · 2021-11-29

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Passport, 2016-2019 Pilot, and 2017-2020 Ridgeline vehicles. The hood latch striker may become damaged and separate from the hood, which can result in the hood opening while driving.

Risk: A hood that opens while driving can obstruct the driver's view and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will either repair the hood latch striker, or replace the hood if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 18, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is PBV.

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP Campaign 21V215000 · 2021-03-25

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Acura MDX, MDX Sport Hybrid, RDX, TLX, Honda Accord, Civic Hatchback, Insight, 2019 Acura ILX, Honda Accord Hybrid, Civic Coupe, Civic Coupe Si, Civic Sedan, Civic Sedan Si, Civic Type R, Fit, HR-V, Odyssey, Passport, Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 CR-V vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump assembly, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed May 18, 2021. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Note: This recall is an expansion of recall 20V-314.

TIRES Campaign 21V165000 · 2021-03-11

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Passport and Pilot vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.

Risk: Overcured tires may develop a break in the sidewall, resulting in sudden air loss or belt edge separation, which could lead to tread/belt loss. Either condition can cause a loss of vehicle control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four tires and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 22, 2021. Owners may contact American Honda Motor Co. customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is UA2.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA Campaign 20V439000 · 2020-07-28

Summary: 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."

Risk: Operating a vehicle without a functioning instrument panel or rearview camera display increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: 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.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE Campaign 20V440000 · 2020-07-28

Summary: 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."

Risk: 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.

Remedy: 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.

STRUCTURE:BODY Campaign 19V784000 · 2019-10-31

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Pilot and 2019 Passport vehicles. The front frame left and right side upper members may not have been welded completely to the unibody. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" and 219, "Windshield Zone Intrusion."

Risk: In the event of a crash, incomplete body welding may provide inadequate protection to occupants, increasing the risk of an injury.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for missing welds, free of charge. If the vehicle is identified as missing welds, the dealer will offer to repurchase the vehicle or provide a similar replacement vehicle. Owner notification began November 6 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is X6J.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS Campaign 19V298000 · 2019-04-12

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot vehicles and 2019 Acura RLX, RLX Sport Hybrid, TLX and Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline vehicles. The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt.

Risk: Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle and replace any affected timing belt free of charge. Vehicles receiving a replacement timing belt will also have the engine inspected and any damaged components will be replaced for free. The recall began June 7, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is L4M. Acura owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Acura's number for this recall is Z4L.

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS Campaign 18V848000 · 2018-11-28

Summary: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Honda Ridgeline and Pilot vehicles. The mounting holes for the clip that secures the right center pillar trim panel may be larger than intended. In the event of a crash necessitating right side curtain air bag deployment, the clip may not hold the center pillar trim panel in position and it may potentially interfere with the curtain air bag deployment. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 214, "Side Impact Protection," and 226, "Ejection Mitigation."

Risk: In the event of a crash, if the curtain air bag does not deploy as intended, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will install a bracket on the right center pillar that will securely hold the center pillar trim clip, free of charge. The recall began January 22, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is D3D.

How to check whether your car has an open recall ›

Investigations

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints were filed for the 2019 Honda Pilot?

892 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Honda Pilot, or about 116.2 per year on the road.

What is the most common problem reported for the 2019 Honda Pilot?

The most common category is Engine, accounting for 26.5% of complaints.

Does the 2019 Honda Pilot have any recalls?

NHTSA lists 13 safety recall(s) for this model year. 4 NHTSA defect investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Engine failure” (opened 2025-08-20, still open).

Is the 2019 Honda Pilot still generating complaints?

In the last 12 months 169 new complaints were filed, versus 180 in the 12 months before — a steady pace.

How does the 2019 Honda Pilot compare with similar vehicles?

NHTSA has received 892 owner complaints about the 2019 Honda Pilot, or 116.2 per year on the road — far more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 2.76, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 76 model-year 2019 vehicles we track, it ranks #68 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Honda models its rate is 59% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 119% higher.