2012 Honda Pilot Reliability
The 2012 Honda Pilot has 172 owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about engine and service brakes. 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
172
NHTSA owner complaints
9
Recall campaigns
17
Complaints citing a crash
3
Complaints citing a fire
2012 Honda Pilot complaints by component
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 model year, filed between 2012 and 2026. A complaint can name more than one component.
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 35 | 20% |
| Service brakes | 28 | 16% |
| Electrical system | 22 | 13% |
| Air bags | 20 | 12% |
| Powertrain / transmission | 20 | 12% |
| Speed control / throttle | 17 | 10% |
| Suspension | 14 | 8% |
| Fuel / propulsion system | 11 | 6% |
2012 Honda Pilot recalls
9 recall campaigns on NHTSA record for the 2012 model year, by the date NHTSA received the manufacturer's report. Recall repairs are free at a dealer.
| NHTSA campaign | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12V063000 | Feb 17, 2012 | Fuel system — storage / tank assembly | Honda is recalling certain model year 2012 Pilot and acura mdx vehicles. The vent shut float (vsf) valve case in the fuel tank assembly does not meet the design specifications. |
| 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. |
| 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… |
| 18V661000 | Sep 27, 2018 | Air bags — frontal / passenger side / inflator module | Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico,… |
| 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 2012 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 111 | 10 | Air bags | Solid |
| 2011 | 293 | 11 | Air bags | Caution |
| 2012 (this page) | 172 | 9 | Engine | Solid |
| 2013 | 273 | 6 | Engine | Caution |
| 2014 | 116 | 3 | Engine | Better year |
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 2012 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.
- Brakes: check pedal feel, pulling and grinding, and look at rotor and pad wear; ask when the brake fluid was last changed.
- Electrical: test every light, window, lock, the infotainment screen and the charging system; scan for stored fault codes.
- 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.
- 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 2012 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.
2012 Honda Pilot reliability FAQ
Is the 2012 Honda Pilot reliable?
The 2012 Honda Pilot has 172 owner complaints and 9 recall campaigns on file with NHTSA, most often about engine and service brakes. 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 2012 Honda Pilot problems?
The most-reported problem areas in NHTSA owner complaints for the 2012 Honda Pilot are engine (35), service brakes (28), electrical system (22), air bags (20). One complaint can name more than one component.
Does the 2012 Honda Pilot have recalls?
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2012 Honda Pilot, including 12V063000 (fuel system — storage / tank assembly) and 13V016000 (air bags). Recall repairs are free at a dealer, and whether one was done is tracked by VIN.
How does the 2012 Honda Pilot compare with the 2011 and 2013 models?
By NHTSA records, the 2011 has 293 complaints and 11 recalls (caution); the 2013 has 273 complaints and 6 recalls (caution). The 2012 has 172 complaints and 9 recalls.
How do I check a specific used 2012 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 2012 Pilot, de-duplicated by complaint number) and NHTSA recall campaigns, retrieved 2026-11-04.