2009 Honda Pilot Reliability
The 2009 Honda Pilot has 134 owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about engine and air bags. Compared with other Pilot model years, it rates as a solid year: complaints are in line with the Pilot's typical year.
By CarWhere Research · Updated 2026-11-04 · Source: NHTSA
134
NHTSA owner complaints
9
Recall campaigns
9
Complaints citing a crash
4
Complaints citing a fire
2009 Honda Pilot complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2009 model year, filed between 2008 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 35 | 26% |
| Air bags | 29 | 22% |
| Suspension | 19 | 14% |
| Service brakes | 14 | 10% |
| Steering | 13 | 10% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 12 | 9% |
| Seats | 7 | 5% |
| Body structure | 7 | 5% |
2009 Honda Pilot recalls
9 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2009 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11V468000 | Sep 9, 2011 | Seat belts — front / webbing | Honda is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Pilot vehicles manufactured from March 13, 2008, through August 30, 2011. There is a possibility that the stitching that secures the end of the driver and front passenger lap section of the seatbelt may be… |
| 13V016000 | Jan 18, 2013 | Air bags | Honda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Pilot and 2011-2013 Odyssey passenger vehicles manufactured from March 13, 2008, through December 21, 2012. One or more rivets that attach the airbag module to the airbag cover may be missing. |
| 16V346000 | May 24, 2016 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Acura TSX, 2011 TSX Wagon, 2010-2011 Acura ZDX, 2008-2011 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid, and Civic GX, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2010-2011 FCX Clarity… |
| 17V030000 | Jan 10, 2017 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight, 2009-2012 Honda Fit, 2009-2012 Pilot, 2007-2011 Honda CR-V,… |
| 17V545000 | Aug 31, 2017 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2008-2012 Accord, 2010-2012 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2012 Fit and Pilot, 2010-2012 Insight, and 2009-2012 Acura TSX vehicles that received replacement passenger frontal air… |
| 18V042000 | Jan 9, 2018 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles… |
| 18V268000 | Apr 26, 2018 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012… |
| 19V378000 | May 16, 2019 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V,… |
| 19V502000 | Jun 27, 2019 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011… |
How the 2009 compares with nearby Pilot years
Verdicts come from CarWhere's year-by-year Pilot analysis where it covers the year, otherwise from the years shown here.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Most-reported area | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 211 | 9 | Air bags | Solid |
| 2008 | 133 | 9 | Air bags | Better year |
| 2009 (this page) | 134 | 9 | Engine | Solid |
| 2010 | 111 | 10 | Air bags | Solid |
| 2011 | 293 | 11 | Air bags | Caution |
Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA and are not adjusted for how many of each year were sold, so they compare years of the same model rather than different models.
What to check on a used 2009 Honda Pilot
- Engine: cold-start it yourself, listen for ticking or knocking, check for oil leaks and oil consumption, and ask for oil-change records.
- Air bags: make sure the air bag warning light goes out after start-up and that any air bag recall was completed on this VIN.
- Suspension: listen for clunks over bumps, look for leaking struts and uneven tire wear.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Recalls: confirm each of the 9 campaigns above was completed on this VIN; open recalls are repaired free at a dealer.
- History: run the VIN for salvage, theft and odometer records, and have an independent mechanic inspect the car before you pay.
Check this exact car
Any 2009 Honda Pilot can be better or worse than its model year. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015. Free preview first; the full report is $12.99, one time.
2009 Honda Pilot reliability FAQ
Is the 2009 Honda Pilot reliable?
The 2009 Honda Pilot has 134 owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about engine and air bags. Compared with other Pilot model years, it rates as a solid year: complaints are in line with the Pilot's typical year.
What are the most common 2009 Honda Pilot problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2009 Honda Pilot are engine (35), air bags (29), suspension (19), service brakes (14). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2009 Honda Pilot have recalls?
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2009 Honda Pilot, including 11V468000 (seat belts — front / webbing) and 13V016000 (air bags). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2009 Honda Pilot compare with the 2008 and 2010 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2008 has 133 complaints and 9 recalls (better year); the 2010 has 111 complaints and 10 recalls (solid). The 2009 has 134 complaints and 9 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2009 Honda Pilot?
Run its VIN. The CarWhere Used Car Report checks one VIN for salvage records, salvage-auction records (with damage photos when the auction published them), stolen-vehicle records, the odometer trail and its listing and price history since 2015, with a free preview first and the full report at $12.99, one time. Pair it with an independent pre-purchase inspection.
More Honda Pilot research
Other Honda Pilot model years:
Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation owner complaints (all body-style listings for the 2009 Pilot, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.