KnownCarProblems2018 Honda Pilot Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 440 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Honda Pilot, most often about the engine (37% of complaints, typically around 90,000 miles). It is 9th of 24 Pilot model years by number of complaints and has 7 recalls.
Most common 2018 Honda Pilot problems
Engine
162 complaints · 37%Half of these problems showed up before 90,000 miles. Parts named most often: exhaust system, engine.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while stopped, the auto start/stop activated, the vehicle shutoff but failed to promptly restart while depressing the accelerator pedal. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired.…
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the instrument panel illuminated with several unknown warning lights, and the check engine warning light. The vehicle sputtered, misfired, and slowly decelerated. The contact noticed that once the vehicle was idling, the…
Fuel system
125 complaints · 28%Half of these problems showed up before 79,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v858000 (fuel system and gasoline) however the parts to repair were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair as the recall notice was received…
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v858000 (fuel system, gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated while responding.…
Electrical
85 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 51,500 miles. Parts named most often: ignition, instrument panel, adas.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, she depressed the brake pedal and noticed that her vehicle was not slowing down. The contact stated that as she was approaching another vehicle, she looked to make sure she was indeed depressing the brake pedal, however…
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light, however, the brake pedal was not fully depressed; the contact then depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact restarted the vehicle soon after the failure and resumed normal driving.…
Transmission
78 complaints · 18%Half of these problems showed up before 51,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
The SUV jolts and decreases speed . It takes a long time to take off again. The jolting can be strong and it has decreased on the freeway. This is not safe for a family vehicle. This has happened for a couple of months. I was told at the dealer I just needed a new battery I did change it and it still does it then I…
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving in stop-and-go traffic, the vehicle would engage the engine stop/start fuel-saving feature while stopped. The contact stated that whenever she depressed the accelerator pedal the message "place vehicle in park" displayed. The contact stated that the…
Other or unspecified
74 complaints · 17%Half of these problems showed up before 14,000 miles.
We've had our Pilot for 8 or 9 months and we've already had to have the home link button replaced, the alignment done twice and now the master cylinder is failing. We are taking it in today to have the master cylinder replaced. It was not properly pressurizing the brake lines and was causing a wobbling in the brakes…
Side door glass spontaneously exploding. We were in motion 65 MPH on the highway. No other cars around US or around any houses. Window went boom and just exploded.
Speed control
23 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 19,500 miles.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle accelerated without warning. The contact applied the brakes, but the vehicle lunged forward violently and made a loud noise. Also, the rpms increased. The vehicle was towed to headquarter Honda (17700 fl-50, clermont, fl 34711, ([phone]) where it…
Lane keep assist will trigger multiple times on two lane roads. It will activate with the "brake" message in the cluster. The system is totally unusable and unsafe. It has been into the dealership multiple times with a no problem found answer. During a one and a half or two hour drive the system will trigger fifteen…
Body and structure
17 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 22,500 miles. Parts named most often: body.
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the hood was vibrating. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21v932000 (structure, latches/locks/linkages). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who…
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving various speeds, the vehicle suddenly shifted into park. An unknown dealer was contacted and informed the contact that as a safety feature in the vehicle, debris may cause the feature to activate independently. The contact they bought a special…
Driver assistance
13 complaints · 3%Parts named most often: warnings, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, warning.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2018 Honda Pilot recalls
Suspension: rear
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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Air bags: front passenger
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Fuel system: fuel pump
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Engine: hard parts internal/mechanical
Risk: A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Fix: 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 let
Full defect 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.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: A hood that opens while driving can obstruct the driver's view and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Engine: belts and associated pulleys
Risk: Teeth separation from the timing belt may result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Seats
Risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat does not remain secured to the floor, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver seat frame assembly in acura mdx vehicles, and replace the driver and front passenger seat slide rail frames in honda pilot and ridgeline vehicles, free of charge. The recall began may 30, 2018. Owners may contact honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall is d0s, and t0t.
Full defect summary
Honda (american honda motor co.) is recalling certain 2018 honda pilot and ridgeline vehicles and 2018 acura mdx vehicles. The front driver and passenger powered seats in the honda vehicles and the driver powered seats in the acura vehicles may have been assembled with improperly manufactured rivets. In the event of a crash, the rivets can break causing the seats not to be secured to the floor. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 207, "seating systems," and 210, "seat belt assembly anchorages."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Engine failure
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) has received 414 reports of connecting rod bearing failures in the 3.5l v6 engine used in the following vehicles: model years (my) 2018-2020 acura tlx, my2016-2020 acura mdx, my2016-2020 honda pilot, my2018-2020 honda odyssey, and my2017-2019 honda ridgeline.â the subject engine failures were analyzed as part of a recall query (rq24013).â it was determined that these engine failures are outside the scope of honda recall 23v-751. Further, evidence gathered in conjunction with rq24013 does not suggest this failure is caused by the same crankshaft manufacturing defect that is addressed by honda in recall 23v-751.â based on analysis of data from rq24013,
No restart after auto start/stop engages
Summary
On june 3, 2022, the oï¬ce of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe22005 after the agency received voqs and several ï¬eld 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 traï¬c light or road intersection with the ais function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5l engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On january 6, 2023, honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019my honda pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 acura tlx, 2016
Engine failure
Summary
On november 8, 2024, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened recall query rq24013 to assess the scope of honda recall 23v-751 after receiving complaints that alleged connecting rod bearing failures in vehicles that were not within the scope of recall 23v-751. In november 2023, honda recalled 248,999 various model year (my)2016â2020 honda and acura vehicles equipped with the 3.5l v6 engine. Honda recalled these vehicles due to a crankshaft manufacturing defect that caused premature connecting rod bearing wear and engine seizure. While the out-of-scope failures involved in these complaints appear to have a very similar failure mechanism as the recalled engines, a thorough analysis o
No restart after auto start/stop engages
Summary
On june 3, 2022, the oï¬ce of defects investigation (odi) opened preliminary evaluation pe22005 after the agency received voqs and several ï¬eld 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 traï¬c light or road intersection with the ais function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5l engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On january 6, 2023, honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019my honda pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 acura tlx, 2016
Questions about the 2018 Honda Pilot
- What are the most common problems with the 2018 Honda Pilot?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (162 complaints, typically around 90,000 miles); fuel system (125 complaints, typically around 79,500 miles); electrical (85 complaints, typically around 51,500 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2018 Honda Pilot have?
- 7 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 4, 2026 (suspension). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2018 a bad year for the Honda Pilot?
- It is 9th of 24 Pilot model years by number of complaints, with 440 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.