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 2005 Honda Pilot owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My vsa light came on when I was on the freeway and made my vehicle jerk almost pushing me into the next lane. It has been coming on and turns off when I restart the car and other cars of my same modal and year have recalls for this same issue but my vin yields no results for a recall.
It was a three car accident. My car was in the middle waiting behind another car for a pedestrian crossing the road. Honda odyssey coming from behind in the other lane, changed the lane and rear-ended my car at ~15 MPH. My car hit the front car. Airbags deployed in the car that rear-ended me with substantial engine damage. Driver in my car along with passenger in front passenger seat got a vertical lift with seatbelt constraints holding them in place. My car's airbags did not deploy, which is my primary concern at this point. I have received a safety recall notice from Honda Pilot about drivers front airbag inflator replacement. Is there an issue with the airbags deployment too in the current generation of Honda Pilot? I have this incident noted down with American Honda motor company and they have told me that there is no issue. …
Was having trouble with the tailgate not registering as closed. Upon inspecting I discovered that the latch on the tailgate was moving freely in the tailgate. It was unsecured. Upon removing the plastic tailgate trim, I spotted three specialized machine bolts. These were trapped by the tail gate trim loose unconnected. I determined that these bolts held the latch in position. I was able to properly secure the tailgate latch to the door and restore proper functionality. I believe that more locks will reveal to be improperly secured from the factory. My vehicle has never been rear ended or had any post factory repairs. The risk of injury due to defective torquing of these machine bolts is real as in the event of a crash the tailgate could come open ejecting people from the rear of the vehicle.
Honda Pilot was serviced at ed voyles Honda on 10/22 and picked up on 10/23. Extensive service performed on car...timing belt, transmission, air bags replaced per recall, engine mounts replaced, oil changed, etc. Picked up car on 10/23. On 10/24 backed out of driveway and put car in drive gear. Car accelerated without me putting foot on acceleration. Could not stop vehicle. Acceleration continued and increased. Only way to stop car was to run into a tree. Not sure if caused by recent work or I have read now that 2005 Honda pilots have had issues with unprovoked acceleration. Usaa insurance company has totaled car and car is at junk yard now.
The complaint that I have is with lower subframe and the mounts have rusted out and is no longer safe to drive or any roads above 35mph. The driver side rear mount isnt attacked to anything bc of rust and the passenger side is rusted but not separated. The truck wobbles when u start going faster then 35mph. This happens when going straight, also while turning either direction and makes it hard to keep control if your not ready for it to happen especially. And there is a knocking noise when the truck goes into reverse that's what caused me to inspect the rear end, it's the metal hitting each other bc there is a small gap where there shouldn't be.
Vehicle stability assist control module is malfunctioning and the brakes are activating by themselves... Vehicle stability assist warning light is on and cannot turn the vsa light off... Honda doesn't list this VIN number as under recall that it has the same problem as the vehicles under recall. Unibody rear under frame and suspension mount corrodes and rust do to water collecting under vehicle inside the unibody. There is no weep holes for water to drip out and the suspension mounts corrode and have come off the vehicle.
Our 2005 Honda Pilot has a leak into the front interior on both driver and passenger side of the car. I have searched on line extensively and have seen a lot of complaints regarding leaks on the early models. Pages of complaints. From what I have read, Honda is not taking any responsibility for the issue. I have tried a number of things to fix the problem to no avail. Is there a recall or a fix for this problem? It seems widespread and needs to be addressed.
Just bought a 2005 Honda Pilot. I was informed by a mechanic that this vehicle was recalled for a rear support system rusting out and falling down. This vehicle has not been repaired. I need it repaired. Already one strut is loose!!
The incident happened while driving home from school at around 4:30 pm. Just like always around at certain part of the freeway the traffic began and everyone was slowing down. I began to press on my breaks. This is were things all went to fast and are kind of weird. Going about 60 MPH, my SUV was not slowing down and it jerked to the left. There were a lot of bad, scary noises, ones that automobiles shouldn't make. Luckily, I didn't hit anyone else. My thought before I got out of the car was that I totally slammed into the center median. However, upon exiting the vehicle I saw that cosmetically the car was pretty much fine. All the commotion that I heard and felt didn't make sense at first but then it all came to fruition. It seems that going 60 MPH with 10-15 feet my car came to a dead stop, resting on two right side tires and to left side wheels. …
My wife lost control , 2 lane paved road 45 MPH (car damage from bumper till rear end) coming to stop in a ditch to her left. No other vehicle/involved, report was filed with insurance, car repaired ( over $10,000 ) I arrived as police officer was interviewing my wife @ our driveway, she was still crying, never had any accidents before, or speeding tickets ( very passive driver, our kids where in the car 3 and 4 years old @ the time) her explanation: the car was going out of the road to my right on its own, I tried to corrected but the steering was not responding,I felt the car going into the ditch, I pulled hard , it responded crossing the lane violently, tried to control it came back to the right hitting the stop ahead sign, swerved again to the left and stopping @ the ditch.150 feet from the intersection,between telge rd. Westbound and grant rd. …
Body complaints in other Pilot years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Honda Pilot?
NHTSA has 23 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Honda Pilot, 3% of the model year's 679 complaints. The component named most often is body (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Honda Pilot body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2005 Honda Pilot, though it has 13 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 2005 Honda Pilot body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 75,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury 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.