Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Honda Pilot owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I bought this 2004 Honda Pilot new in 2004 in Louisville. In 2018 I drove to Florida without incident. While here in Florida I have had a problem with oil leaking. Than the compressor for the air went out and I took it straight to the dealer here. They told me it was not worth fixing. Since then I have had 2 mechanics look underneath the car and said it was so rusted that the frame was dangerous and they could not risk fixing it. I have checked with other Honda owners only to find out this is a problem with numerous Honda years and no one fix this problems because of liability . I have photos of the rusted out rear-end and the frame is not attached. You can find owners trying to weld the rear-end back on. No one will repair my compressor because of the rust and damage. When I had it at the dealers they did not mention this problem at all. They just said it was not worth fixing. …
My hood latch isn't holding when I'm highway driving at 60MPH. The hood will pop open. I've seen the new recall on the news for the newer vehicles but it is also happening on my 2004. I believe that year needs to be added to the list.
On July 25 ,2013 around 8:00 am am starting my 2004 Honda Pilot , to move my car to avoid parking tickets at 8:30 am. After 5 minutes of warming the engine I decided to drive around to find a parking space to avoid a ticked.around 8:14 am I found a parking space and the car is parked.later around 3:00 pm I decided to go to my girlfriend house ,I see the my car parked and a free parking space in front of my apartment. To avoid tickets the next day I moved the car. Around 3:02 the car is parked in front of my apartment. Around 9:50 pm am walking home and I see the hood of my car open.the engine was all burned including headlights there was no wire everything melt.neighbors where sitting outside as usual ,they told me that it started around 3:30 and that small amount of smoke was coming out of the left side of the engine .fire department took like 15m !!!!to arrived.car had 105,000 miles. …
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2004 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the passenger side of the dashboard had disintegrated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. In addition, the contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V344000 (air bags), but the dealer stated that the part was not available. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 180,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
While on the 605n freeway close to the 10 freewaysplit our entire sunroof which the glass and cover ditached from our vehicle and flew off. Luckily the car behind was not hit from what I see in the recording but we can't see if it flew on the other side of the freeway. My children were seating in the middle row and small debri hit their face. We pulled over to the emergency side of the freeway to check damage. All that's left from the sunroof is the glue.
The rear hatch has to be lifted manually and held up at all times or it will crash down on you with the full weight of the hatch. I had to use both of my hands to get it opened. I had to physically hold it up to access anything in the back. It's extremely heavy. I was worried it would come crashing down on my back, head or arm, causing serious injury. The vehicle was parked, no engine running. This is not a remote open hatch.
While driving over a bridge expansion joint I heard a loud bang, the ABS and vtm 4 lights came on ,and it started having a severe vibration . The rear uni body frame ,for the rear sub frame, mounting points pulled out of the frame. The rearward sub frame had dropped down about 6 - 8 inches. The inside of the frame has rusted away, on the inside.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Honda Pilot. While the vehicle was stationary, the rear suspension became severely rusted and corroded. An independent mechanic was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and dealer were not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
Went to get a oil change for my car at an auto repair shop and the tech showed me the rust on the sub frame, especially around the rear mount. The rust went through the frame and there is a big hole around the driver side rear mount. I was told this happened to some other Honda Pilot.
The body where it attaches to rear subframe has rusted through. There are 4 mounting locations and on my 2004 Pilot one mounting point is completely rusted through causing subframe to be hanging without proper support. The problem was found when vehicle had 218,675 miles.
Body complaints in other Pilot years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2004 Honda Pilot?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the body & structure of the 2004 Honda Pilot, 8% of the model year's 544 complaints. The component named most often is body (29 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Honda Pilot body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2004 Honda Pilot, though it has 12 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 2004 Honda Pilot body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 105,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 5 injuries to body & structure 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.