2021 Honda Pilot: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 407 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 10 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
407
Complaints
10
Recalls
12
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
8
Injuries
29.0
Severity index
Severity index 29.0 - Low. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 90 2021 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2021 Honda Pilot ranks 82 of 90 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 9% of its model-year peers. See the full 2021 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 117 | 28.7% |
| ENGINE | 94 | 23.1% |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 90 | 22.1% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 80 | 19.7% |
| LANE DEPARTURE | 37 | 9.1% |
| AIR BAGS | 30 | 7.4% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 26 | 6.4% |
| POWER TRAIN | 24 | 5.9% |
The single most-reported system is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, cited in 117 of 407 complaints (28.7%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 41 |
| 2022 | 38 |
| 2023 | 61 |
| 2024 | 77 |
| 2025 | 128 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 61 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 3.3x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20V440000 | 28/07/2020 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE | 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 suc |
| 20V439000 | 28/07/2020 | BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA | 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, speedom |
| 20V725000 | 20/11/2020 | TIRES | American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain 2021 Pilot vehicles equipped with Continental CrossContact LX Sport 245/50R20 102 H tires with DOT serial number A376 D3K9 2920 and mold numbers S-421920 and S-421921. The tires may have been cured for a time beyond the speci |
| 23V174000 | 16/03/2023 | VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR | Honda (American Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2020-2022 Passport and Odyssey vehicles. The heating pads behind both side-view mirrors may not be bonded properly, allowing the mirror glass to detach. As such, these vehicles fail to compl |
| 23V431000 | 15/06/2023 | BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION | 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 |
| 23V458000 | 29/06/2023 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled dur |
| 24V064000 | 01/02/2024 | AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX |
| 23V858000 | 18/12/2023 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 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 H |
| 26V332000 | 21/05/2026 | AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER | 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- |
| 26V365000 | 04/06/2026 | STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS | 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, Massachuse |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.