Most common 2013 Honda Pilot problems
Share of the 271 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Honda Pilot complaints by model year
Best Pilot years: 2015, 2014, 2012. Years to avoid: 2016, 2017, 2019, 2025, 2021. Compare all years →
2013 Honda Pilot recalls (6)
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina,…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles and 2013 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles ever registered in the…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Engine
Honda is recalling certain model year 2013 Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles and certain model year 2013 Odyssey vehicles. During manufacturing of the engine piston, it is possible that the heat treatment process was not properly applied, resulting in the piston having an insufficient hardness level, making it more susceptible to…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine short block free of charge. The recall began on September 16, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Air bags
Honda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Pilot and 2011-2013 Odyssey passenger vehicles manufactured from March 13, 2008, through December 21, 2012. One or more rivets that attach the airbag module to the airbag cover may be missing.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda dealer. The dealer will inspect the driver's airbag module and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2013.
What 2013 Honda Pilot owners say
Engine & cooling all 84 →
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, the check engine warning light, the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) warning light, and the traction control warning light illuminated. The message "Emission Check" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the cylinder #1 was misfiring due to oil leaking onto the spark plugs. The dealer diagnosed that the piston rings were beginning to fail; however, the spark plugs were replaced as a temporary repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V382000 (Engine) as the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 81,250.
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the check engine warning light, the traction control warning light, and an unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that oil was seeping through the piston rings and was leaking onto the spark plugs. Additionally, the dealer diagnosed that cylinder #1 was misfiring. The dealer determined that the piston rings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V382000 (Engine) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 86,680.
Transmission & drivetrain all 54 →
Since purchasing new in 2013, experienced ongoing issues with VCM. Noticable vibration/shudder at all speeds except during heavy acceleration. Taken to dealer mant times. They are able to reproduce but state no fix available. It's how the car was made. In addition to vibration, engine makes a chirping noise when accelerating through vibration. I believe they are related although neither have been able to be fixed. No warning lights illuminate. I purchased this car for the 4wd as I live in snow/ice climate. However, excessive vibration/shudder makes driving in these conditions (any conditions) unsafe due to constant need to fluctuate acceleration/ deceleration to help minimize vibration/shudder to regain sense of control. If you maintain speed while vibrating on snow/ice you feel like you are losing control. This vibration HAS to have a long-term effect on engine/car integrity. …
The lights(traction control light, check engine,) in the dash come on and go off intermittently and vehicle display reads check emissions system and check VSA (vehicle stability assist) I got the vehicle scanned for the codes it throws and the print out was for the power train control module the piston rings all of them failed emission test! The dash lights come on for two to three weeks at a time and than just go off while the lights are illuminated I have no traction control no eco mode and the car doesn't get the correct power while accelerating speed sometimes it gets too much power and accelerates too high causing the vehicle to take off and without any kind of traction
Body & structure all 47 →
The contact owns a 2013 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the fog lights and exterior lights became inoperable. The contact noticed there was rust underneath the hood. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact also needed to add additional power steering fluid three times per week. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the power steering gear box, power steering lines, water lines and hoses needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the power steering reservoir, power steering cooling lines, power steering line rem pump, and power steering pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 177,000.
The factory clear coat and paint on the roof of this 2013 Honda Pilot are delaminating and peeling away from the metal. The failure began about 1.5 years ago and continues to spread; in places it has now progressed through the paint to bare metal that is corroding and rusting. The vertical body panels remain glossy and intact while the entire horizontal roof has failed - a top-down failure pattern consistent with a defective factory finish rather than wear or environmental exposure. This matches a well-documented paint-adhesion defect in Honda vehicles of this generation: Honda issued warranty-extension service bulletin 19-057 for 2013-16 Pilots in White Diamond Pearl after identical roof peeling, a companion bulletin covers other white finishes, and an active class-action lawsuit alleges the same peeling and delaminating paint defect across 2013-and-later Honda and Acura vehicles. …
2013 Honda Pilot engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 25 / 20 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | AWD | 17 / 24 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Honda Pilot a good car?
Based on 271 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Pilot rates use caution: 1.7× as many complaints as a typical year of the Pilot at the same age. It is one of the Pilot years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2013 Honda Pilot?
The engine & cooling — 84 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (54) and body & structure (47).
How many recalls does the 2013 Honda Pilot have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2013 Honda Pilot, the most recent from June 27, 2019 (inflator module). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Honda Pilot?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2015, 2014 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2016, 2017, 2019, 2025 and 2021. See the full Honda Pilot years comparison.
At what mileage do 2013 Honda Pilot problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 28,000 miles; 63% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.