Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 Honda Passport owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Passport. The contact stated that on numerous occasions while driving at undisclosed speeds and making left or right turns, the vehicle independently decelerated. The contact stated that the engine revved, and the RPMs increased; however, the vehicle failed to respond with the accelerator pedal depressed. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle for the vehicle to return to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened; however, the contact was recently informed that the case was closed. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
- Automatic braking system flashes warnings for no reason, with no cars around me - Parking break hasn't taken a handful of times - No collision warning when parking brake didn't take, front end is now damaged ** I have dash cam proof I hit the parking brake before I collided with the vehicle in front of me in the school line. Husband glued the grill pieces together to keep them from overlapping.
When I bought vehicle it came rated with 5000lbs towing. To achieve that towing rating I had to buy and get installed the Honda Transmission Cooler. I got the kit installed and right after install there is a noise when the vehicle shifts from 7-8 gear. It sounds like rumble strips. I did some research and there are others who have the same issue. See link to Honda passport forum. https://www.passportforums.com/threads/noise-when-shifting-from-7th-to-8th-gear.2923/ Took vehicle to dealership and they looked it over. They checked fluid level and spoke to Honda tech support. The dealership told me that Honda knows about this and if they fix it they will let me know. To me this means that this is a known engineering defect and they didn't say if they have a fix or not. The reason I bought the vehicle was because of the towing capacity. …
I have experienced multiple instances where the vehicle's transmission abruptly downshifts into lower gears, significantly reducing speed and creating a hazardous situation. This unexpected behavior has occurred on the Interstate, both while merging onto the highway and during regular driving conditions. On two separate occasions, my daughter was driving the vehicle when the transmission malfunctioned while driving on the Interstate. She was terrified as she believed she was losing traction and was unable to accelerate properly, putting her life and the lives of others at risk. I have personally experienced this issue as well when attempting to merge onto the Interstate under clear and dry road conditions. The vehicle would not exceed 35 mph, creating a dangerous situation. …
During a winter storm in approximately 10 F weather, my vehicle became immobilized due to a no-start condition. The starter initially engaged and cranked the engine several times, then failed and would only free-spin without turning the engine. After this occurred, the vehicle could not be shifted into neutral because it is equipped with an electronic shift-by-wire transmission. The only method to move the vehicle requires a proprietary Honda mechanical neutral-release tool (07AAA-TZ3A100). This tool was not supplied with the vehicle, was not available to the owner or responding tow operators, costs over $200, and local Honda dealerships do not carry it in stock. As a result, it was not possible to obtain the tool in an emergency situation. Two flatbed tow trucks responded. …
There is a known issue with auto idle feature. If you do not manually turn off every time it stays on and occasionally will cause car issue when stopping. I have had it happen in vehicle about a dozen times. When you fully depress brake engine is suppose to i gel to save gas however on occasion the vehicle will completely stall out. I have had this issue happen when approaching stop signs or in traffic situations. The biggest problem is trying to reengage car. Sometimes you can feel it starting to do this and if you quickly apply gas you can avoid it however sometimes the car will lock up with display lights and you have to keep pushing the Engine stop button to turn off the vehicle and turn vehicle back on. It is sometimes difficult to even turn off engine vehicle when this happens but seems to be only way to get vehicle to respond. …
My 2021 Honda Passport first shifted itself into neutral and displayed a message on the instrument panel saying "Stop Driving When Safe. Transmission Problem. See Manual" in February 2022. My dealer inspected the vehicle and said no problem codes were stored and returned the vehicle to me. In May 2022, my vehicle displayed the same message and shifted itself into neutral while backing out of a parking space. This resulted in my vehicle rolling forward into the curb. Luckily my vehicle was parked by a curb and not in front of another vehicle where a collision could occur or pin a pedestrian between the two vehicles. My dealer inspected the vehicle again and stated no codes were stored and returned the vehicle to me. Honda has been contacted twice regarding the issue and on the fourth repair attempt, a field engineer inspected the vehicle and could not find any codes stored. …
This car accelerates when down shifting in mid to higher gears. We were in the snow on a steep decline and when I downshifted into 4th gear the car immediately accelerates ( Not Coasted ) but accelerated increasing my speed before finally downshifting. It is also having similar issues with the 7th, 6th, and 5th gears. We lost traction immediately after shifting when the car accelerates and I have no drought that we would have crashed if we were approaching or in a turn at the time. 12/28/22 I spoke with the dealer today and he was aware of other complaints. I made an appointment to have them check it out tomorrow 12/29/22. I have repeated this issue multiple times and plan to show them. This also happens every time you downshift into 4th gear etc on dry or wet pavement, even on flat surfaces.
We were driving at 55mph and every warning light came on. It quickly decelerated to 20mph then wouldn't shift from first gear. We were in an area where there was no places to pull over. We pulled over and the car wouldn't shift from park. We were told to let it sit 15min then try again. After 20 min the car worked normally. The computer system deletes all the errors once it sits. The dealership says there is nothing wrong. This is the 2nd time it's done it. We were told to check the battery. It's new and we do not trust this vehicle. If it does it on the freeway it would be catastrophic. Honda needs to fix this problem. The crash avoidance also says to brake at every car in the opposite lane. I purchased a code reader to try and save all the codes when the car acts up.
My 2021 Honda Passport with under 12K miles has gone into Neutral on its own twice in the past year ( May and October of 2021) It has also slipped into low gear on its own (D1 of an automatic transmission from D3 or D4 in Oct 2021 and March 18 2021. The last incident forced me onto the shoulder to avoid serious injury as I was gaining speed to merge from an entry ramp to a 50 mph, 3 lane Rd. I brought it back to the Honda dealer after the March 18 incident and they told me they couldn't find anything wrong with it. I don't trust this transmission and will be forced to sell it back to Honda but am leery of it happening to someone else who may not be able to avoid an accident like I did. I also reported these incidents to Honda on 03/24/22 (case# 12912165)
Transmission complaints in other Passport years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2021 Honda Passport?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2021 Honda Passport, 16% of the model year's 144 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2021 Honda Passport transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2021 Honda Passport, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2021 Honda Passport transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 1,000 miles, and 67% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.