NHTSA has received 146 owner complaints about the 2023 Honda Pilot, or 38.5 per year on the road — a typical number of complaints (complaint index 0.95, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 92 model-year 2023 vehicles we track, it ranks #61 of 92 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Honda models its rate is 46% lower; against other Midsize SUVs it is 27% lower.
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 2023-05-20 and 2026-10-10. Median delay from incident to filing: 11 days.
146Complaints
38.5Complaints per year on the road
0.95Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
5Recalls
2.7%Share involving a crash or fire
65Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2022) drew 34.2 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2024) drew 41.6 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2023 model collected 49 complaints, 41% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Airbags & seat belts (23.3% of complaints), followed by Electrical (19.2%) and Body & structure (10.3%). Airbags & seat belts complaints are 6.1 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 4 reports (2.7%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 3 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 27 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (31% of incidents). In the last 12 months 65 new complaints were filed, versus 37 in the 12 months before — up 76%.
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls for this model year. 2 NHTSA investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status” (preliminary evaluation, opened 2025-10-28, still open).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.95
vs. other Honda models0.54
vs. other 2023 models0.91
vs. other Midsize SUVs0.73
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (49)0.59
Vehicle had an engine fire yesterday. Inner cv boot is burned. Luckily fire was put out quickly with a fire extinguisher.
Engine · 2026-07-28 · ODI 11753195 · Fire
i was involved in a fairly significant accident at 55mph and another vehicle pulled out in front of us. Our Honda pilot had significant front and side damage on passenger side and not air bags deployed at all. This is and was alarming to us.
The car engine shut off while in auto idle stop, prompting me to take to the dealership last year,2025. There, I was informed that the wiring is made from soy, which attracts rats, leading to a repair bill exceeding $1000.
Unspecified or other · 2026-10-10 · ODI 11770310
My Pilot is making abnormal sounds (such as clicking, creaking, or popping) when turning left at low speed or while parking.
Steering · 2026-10-08 · ODI 11770008
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!
Airbags & seat belts · 2026-09-26 · ODI 11767095
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:PEDALS AND LINKAGES Campaign 25V391000 · 2025-06-12
Summary: 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."
Risk: 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.
Remedy: 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.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM Campaign 25V031000 · 2025-01-23
Summary: 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.
Risk: An engine stall or loss of power can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: 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.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:FILLER PIPE AND CAP Campaign 24V900000 · 2024-11-27
Summary: 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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: 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.
Summary: 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."
Risk: An unsecured driver's seat may not adequately restrain the driver during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
STEERING:RACK AND PINION:RACK Campaign 23V735000 · 2023-11-02
Summary: 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.
Risk: A loss of steering control or steering lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning StatusOpen
PE25017 · preliminary evaluation · SEAT BELTS:STATUS INDICATOR SWITCH · Opened 2025-10-28 · Model years: 2023, 2024
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 6 complaints, and multiple Early Warning Reporting (EWR) field reports alleging inaccurate rear seat belt warning status. These allegations concern both false positive and false negative statuses in model year (MY) 2023-2024 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured by American Honda Motor Co. (Honda). The complaints state that the rear passenger seat…
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop EngagesOpen
EA25004 · engineering analysis · ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE · Opened 2025-03-26 · Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
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 …
