2011 Honda Pilot Airbag Problems

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  418%
• 25k–50k
  314%
• 50k–75k
  418%
• 75k–100k
  418%
• 100k–150k
  523%
• 150k+
  29%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Honda Pilot owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2011 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the driver's side airbag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

Have a known hacker. They have shown experience on remote hacking using TimeStomping and ECM modifications. I work as an Amazon Delivery driver in Kentucky. My Hackers are my Employer and the Operations Manager. The same hacking to their company vehicles are being done to employees personal vehicles. Forced Limp Mode, Power distribution, Fake sensors malfunctions, and Alarm controls are reoccurring. My entire communications network is compromised. When I called Honda [phone]) from my Boost Mobile iPhone, the automated system did not recognize my T-Mobile Android phone number that is registered on MyHonda. The person I spoke to asked my name, Vin number, and then asked if the T-Mobile phone number is the one associated with my Honda Pilot. After I mentioned the automated system did not have that number, I was to my number popped up as a caller ID. …

On [redacted] at approximately 6:04 PM, the vehicle was being driven on a highway in [redacted] - after dark, during an active snowstorm, on slick roads, at approximately 40 MPH - when the front passenger-side airbag deployed spontaneously with no collision, no impact, and no warning of any kind. There were no prior warning lamps or symptoms. The deployment cracked the windshield and caused interior damage. The component is available for inspection upon request. This vehicle had the Takata recall performed in 2019. The failure is believed to be related to NHTSA Recall 19V502000 (Honda Recall Nos. F5F/Q5E), covering 2009-2015 Honda Pilots with passenger frontal airbag inflators that may explode due to propellant degradation from humidity and temperature cycling. A spontaneous deployment with no crash is consistent with this defect. …

Our vehicle was involved in a near-head on collision with damage primarily on the front driver's side quarter of the vehicle. Our vehicle was travelling at least 45 miles per hour, the exact speed is unknown. The driver's side curtain airbags did not deploy, but the passenger's side curtain airbags did. My wife was the driver and only occupant, she briefly lost consciousness after the impact. The driver's side door was partially crushed in and the top of the frame was bent in towards the cabin. When she awakened, my wife saw the door frame within a couple of inches of her face. Thankfully she did not seem to strike her head against the frame, but it was extremely lucky that she didn't. When the first responders arrived, they had to cut the connection to the side curtain airbags and they were surprised to see that the collision had not triggered them. …

Coming out of a 30mph zone into a 55mph zone -- I had accelerated to about 45mpg when I hit an icy section of a the road. I lost control of our Honda Pilot on a gradual turn in the road. The Pilot turned sideways. I quickly tried to regain control as the vehicle positioned itself forward, but headed for the ditch. Still out of control, a utility pole was unavoidable. I hit the pole head on at a 45 MPH speed. The vehicle snapped the utility pole in half and the vehicle came to a stop after 20 feet. Neither airbag deployed for me or my passenger. There is extensive front end damage. The vehicle could not have hit the utility pole any more dead center on. And yet, at 45 MPH and driving through a utility pole, the air bags did not deploy. We walked away from the accident. But, at what speed and how much more head on could we have gotten for the air bags to deploy?

Tl* the contact owned a 2011 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while approaching at a stop light she came to a complete stop behind another vehicle as the vehicle jerked without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into the vehicle in front. The air bags did not deploy. The driver sustained injuries to the right arm. The other vehicle passenger spare tire on the Jeep detached from the other vehicle and damaged the engine. A police report was made. The contact drove to the hospital the next day and was treated for injuries. The vehicle was towed by the police to an independent shop where it was deemed a total loss by insurance company. The dealer was not contacted or the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Honda Pilot. While driving 30 MPH, the contact's vehicle was struck on the front passenger side fender and door. The air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained back injuries, which required medical attention. A police report was not filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle away from the crash scene. The vehicle was taken to be repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

While driving on a city street our Honda Pilot was in a collision with a 2003 Honda civic causing $10,500 in damages. The air bags did not deploy. The Pilot is now in repair and we do not know how to have the airbags checked, replaced or repaired but do not feel we should be responsible for any costs incurred.

Accident took place on highway 51. My car, the 2011 Honda Pilot, was deamed totaled by insurance. No airbags were deployed during or after the accident occurred. I was pulling out of a parking lot and truck with a steal bumper hit me going approximately 45mph. The front end of the Honda Pilot was demolished.

My wife was driving and and car went to pass her a hit a tractor coming other direction. Car hit her on drivers passenger side spun her around and she hit a mailbox on front of car than slid and hit a tree on passenger side . No air bags deployed. Can't understand it.

Related recalls

Airbag complaints in other Pilot years