Honda Pilot Years to Avoid
Based on CarWhere's analysis of 6,539 NHTSA complaints, the Honda Pilot years to avoid are 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2025 — the worst logged up to 6.5× the model's median severity-weighted complaint rate, driven by engine failures. Updated July 2026.
Source: NHTSA owner complaints & recall campaigns · Data as of July 2026 · How we rate model years
Year-by-year verdict
| Model year | Complaints | Severe | Recalls | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 132 | 51 | 9 | BEST |
| 2009 | 134 | 73 | 9 | SOLID |
| 2010 | 111 | 52 | 10 | SOLID |
| 2011 | 292 | 140 | 11 | CAUTION |
| 2012 | 170 | 109 | 9 | SOLID |
| 2013 | 270 | 163 | 6 | CAUTION |
| 2014 | 116 | 59 | 3 | BEST |
| 2015 | 107 | 50 | 4 | BEST |
| 2016 | 1,661 | 1,059 | 8 | AVOID |
| 2017 | 898 | 660 | 4 | AVOID |
| 2018 | 425 | 313 | 7 | AVOID |
| 2019 | 860 | 489 | 13 | AVOID |
| 2020 | 465 | 198 | 11 | AVOID |
| 2021 | 400 | 153 | 10 | AVOID |
| 2022 | 129 | 56 | 5 | CAUTION |
| 2023 | 114 | 46 | 5 | CAUTION |
| 2024 | 99 | 50 | 6 | CAUTION |
| 2025 | 156 | 88 | 4 | AVOID |
"Severe" = complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury, or a safety-critical component. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume; verdicts compare each year against the rest of the Honda Pilot. Full methodology.
Common Honda Pilot problems
Across the federal record, the most-reported problem areas on the Honda Pilot are engine, electrical, fuel. The confirmed and owner-reported issues below include owner mileage and repair-cost ranges where available.
Connecting rod bearing failure
· Honda Pilot 2015–2021Corroborated by 20 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 1,750 engine complaints across 2015–2021, typically 77,000–140,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $8,000–$14,000.
Front-facing camera failure
· Honda Pilot 2019–2022Corroborated by 15 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 592 electrical complaints across 2019–2022, typically 0–99,000 miles. Owner-reported repair cost $1,500–$2,600.
High-pressure fuel pump failure
· Honda Pilot 2018–2019Corroborated by 2 owner accounts of this failure, within a federal cluster of 311 fuel complaints across 2018–2019, typically 167,320 miles.
Why these years stand out
2016 Honda Pilot: 1,661 owner complaints on federal record, 1,059 of them severe, plus 8 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Pilot.
2017 Honda Pilot: 898 owner complaints on federal record, 660 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Pilot.
2018 Honda Pilot: 425 owner complaints on federal record, 313 of them severe, plus 7 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Pilot.
2019 Honda Pilot: 860 owner complaints on federal record, 489 of them severe, plus 13 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Pilot.
2020 Honda Pilot: 465 owner complaints on federal record, 198 of them severe, plus 11 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Pilot.
2021 Honda Pilot: 400 owner complaints on federal record, 153 of them severe, plus 10 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Pilot.
2025 Honda Pilot: 156 owner complaints on federal record, 88 of them severe, plus 4 recall campaigns — among the highest severity-weighted rates for the Honda Pilot.
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FAQ
What years of the Honda Pilot should you avoid?
Based on federal NHTSA complaint and recall data, the Honda Pilot years to avoid are 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2025 — they carry the model's highest severity-weighted complaint rates, led by engine issues. See the year-by-year table for the full picture. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Honda Pilot?
The 2008, 2014 and 2015 Honda Pilot show the cleanest federal records among years with enough time on the road to judge — the lowest severity-weighted complaint rates for the model.
How is the Honda Pilot verdict calculated?
Each model year's NHTSA owner complaints are weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries, and safety-critical components count more), converted to a rate per year on the road, and compared against the rest of the Honda Pilot's own history, then adjusted for recalls. Full method at /research/years-to-avoid/methodology.
How do I check a specific Honda Pilot before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for that exact VIN plus a market price check from verified buyers.
Is the Honda Pilot reliable?
The Honda Pilot's reliability depends heavily on the model year. Across 6,539 NHTSA owner complaints, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2025 rate "avoid", while 2008, 2014 and 2015 show the cleanest federal records — see the year-by-year verdicts above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Honda Pilot?
The most-reported problem area for the Honda Pilot is engine, followed by electrical and fuel. Confirmed failures include connecting rod bearing failure, front-facing camera failure, high-pressure fuel pump failure. See the common-problems section above for owner-reported mileage and repair costs where available.
Sources & data notes
All figures are drawn from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Office of Defects Investigation — owner-filed complaints and recall campaigns — covering the Honda Pilot across every model year on record. Retrieved July 2026. Counts are raw federal filings and are not adjusted for the number of vehicles sold or registered; a verdict compares each model year against the rest of the Honda Pilot, not against other vehicles. Full scoring at the methodology page.
Verdicts are computed from federal NHTSA complaint and recall records, refreshed monthly. Read the full methodology.