Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Honda Pilot owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Honda Pilot. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale from the Facebook Marketplace on 2/25/26. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 144,135. After retrieving a Carfax Report, the contact discovered that the mileage was 204,000. The contact stated that while driving at speeds of 35 MPH or lower, there were sounds of an electrical system failure coming from the vehicle. The following morning, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer confirmed that the actual mileage was 204,000. …
The owns a 2011 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally and almost stalled. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and waited for several minutes before the vehicle regained stability functionality and the vehicle stopped shaking. The VSA (Vehicle Stability Assist) warning light illuminated. The failure had occurred five times. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the engine block was causing oil leaking from piston rings unto the spark plugs. The spark plug was replaced and the contact was advised to drive at speeds of 40 MPH or slower. The repair was provided as a temporary fix. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
My Honda Pilot 2011 EXL w/ AWD displayed a flashing engine light while driving, which is a sign of a serious engine problem. When it was towed to the Honda dealership, the service representative told me that a Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) of P0302 was recovered, which occurs when the spark plugs misfire, and is fully described in Honda's Service Bulletin 13-082: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2018/MC-10152434-0001.pdf. I was told by the Honda service rep that one spark plug was fouled and covered with engine oil, and that I needed to clean the pistons and replace three piston rings along with the spark plug, a $3500+ repair. This costly problem with some Hondas was the subject of a class action lawsuit (Soto v. American Honda Motors), and is known to cause a sudden loss of power while driving, putting the driver, passengers, and other nearby vehicles at significant risk. …
We have our truck services only at the dealership. My husband had the oil changed just two months ago. He had to take the truck back to the dealership last week because it was making a strange noise and when he checked the oil gage it was empty. When he got to the dealership the lady that helped us told us this was due to excessive oil consumption. I was able to look at the website www.vehiclehistory.com/articles/honda-pilot-excessive-oil-consumption-recalls and found out there is a documented issue with the 2009-2013 Honda pilots. I purchased this vehicle in 2013 and and did not have a problem until now. Honda needs to fix this as this fall under this recall even if the VIN number was not initially associated with this. This vehicle has only been serviced at Russ Darrow Honda in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and I have never been advised of anything until now. I really need help with this. …
The front cylinder head valve cover developed an erosion hole adjacent to the middle spark plug (#5) tube cutout. The valve cover is available for inspection. This portion of the valve cover is directly above the oxygen sensor on the exhaust manifold. Engine oil could leak onto the hot manifold and ignite, causing an engine fire. I have not taken this cover to a Honda dealer or independent service center as I do my own maintenance work on my vehicles. This failure occurred after 153,235 miles and there were no indications, messages, or symptoms. The hole was not leaking oil as it was filled with valve cover material that had degraded and turned into powder. The powder was easily dislodged after probing with a metal pick, leaving a hole in its place. The #5 ignition coil was inspected and was visually unremarkable. The engine was not misfiring. …
I was driving along [redacted] , wheb I came to a stop at the stoplight at the intersection of [redacted] The vehicle shut off and couldn't restart. I had to tow it to a garage where the engine is being repaired.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Honda Pilot. Half an hour after the contact parked the vehicle in the garage, it caught on fire. The fire department extinguished the fire and filed a report. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was awaiting inspection. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000.
On July 19, 2014 I had an oil appoinmentat 1:30 to have my free oil change. Of course the dealership has to make money some how, so my service advisor offered that I have the transmission serviced. Since I was getting the free oil I felt as though I needed to buy for some service. So the did both oil and transmission service. Left the dealship no more than ten minutes later on my way home,my Pilot started smoking on the right side as I stopped and was praying the light turn gree n so I could go I turned and more smoke come up. I jumped out of the car and ran to my house which was not far away and got my husbanc to come back with me only to find my car completly engulfed in flames. My car was a total loss. I believe that this was something that occured from the dealership. I never had problems with my car. …
My 18 year old daughter was driving home 6/28/19 at midnight. Car died while driving. Coasted to side of road. Restarted and drove some. Same thing. Many lights came on. Coasted to side of highway. Tried one more time and made it home. Miles on odo: 118,279. The next morning I started the ca and tried to drive to dealership. After 3 miles, the same happened to me. I was able to pull over and had aaa tow it 5 miles to dealership. At dealership, the said many error codes came up but they recommended replacing the powertrain control module (PCM). I pd $1,410.16 to do this on July 2. I picked the car up and drove less than a mile and the same thing happened. I was able to start it again and then it happened as I coasted back to the dealership. They analyzed the car, talked with hq Honda reps and they recommended checking the spark plugs. They did and all 6 were bad. …
I was informed that the way the engine was built, when the vehicle goes into eco-mode 2 cylinders shut off. In the 2011 models, the same 2 shut off every time, this causes the other cylinders to wear prematurely. Engines are now built to randomly shut off 2 cylinders. I'm very curious to know why a recall was not issued l. Seems like a very poor business practice on Honda's part. I got this vehicle because I am expecting and needed a bigger vehicle but it is definitely not looking like I would ever recommend a Honda to anyone at this point based on the fact I bought the vehicle December 19th and was only able to drive it for a month. I've been without a vehicle for over a month and am not sure when I will get the vehicle back. It's completely unacceptable. I got in my vehicle to take kids to school and my check engine light was flashing. …
Engine complaints in other Pilot years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2011 Honda Pilot?
NHTSA has 36 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2011 Honda Pilot, 12% of the model year's 293 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › catalytic convertor (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Honda Pilot engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2011 Honda Pilot, though it has 11 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 2011 Honda Pilot engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 50,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 3 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.