2015 Honda Pilot Problems & Complaints

Better than average53% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Pilot at the same age

Owners have filed 109 complaints about the 2015 Honda Pilot with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 53% fewer than a typical Pilot model year at the same age, making the 2015 one of the better Pilot years. The most reported problem area is the engine & cooling (24 complaints, typically around 55,000 miles). 4 recalls cover this model year.

109complaints
4recalls
7crashes
1fires
13injuries
0deaths

Most common 2015 Honda Pilot problems

  • Engine & cooling~55,000 miles
    2422%
  • Other / not specified~35,000 miles
    1917%
  • Electrical system~40,000 miles
    1312%
  • Brakes~6,000 miles
    1211%
  • Transmission & drivetrain~55,000 miles
    1110%
  • Air bags~60,000 miles
    1110%
  • Body & structure~60,000 miles
    109%
  • Windows, wipers & sunroof~40,000 miles
    76%
  • Suspension~67,000 miles
    76%
  • Fuel & propulsion system~90,000 miles
    66%
  • Lights~211,000 miles
    44%
  • Equipment & accessories~136,000 miles
    33%
  • Speed control & acceleration~36,000 miles
    33%
  • Steering~99,000 miles
    33%
  • Seats
    22%
  • Driver assistance
    22%
  • Seat belts
    22%
  • Wheels & tires
    11%

Share of the 109 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Honda Pilot complaints by model year

’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’267205446792682111331341112931712711161091.7k93544091849244616614611621426
Owner complaints per model year, Honda Pilot. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best Pilot years: 2015, 2014, 2012. Years to avoid: 2016, 2017, 2019, 2025, 2021. Compare all years →

2015 Honda Pilot recalls (4)

Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery › Fuel pump

NHTSA recall 23V-858 · Dec 18, 2023 · 2,490,460 vehicles

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda…

Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD.

Air bags › Frontal › Passenger side › Inflator module

NHTSA recall 19V-502 · Jun 27, 2019 · 9,555 vehicles

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

NHTSA recall 19V-378 · May 16, 2019 · 19,138 vehicles

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

NHTSA recall 18V-661 · Sep 27, 2018 · 1,355,406 vehicles

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.

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2015 Honda Pilot:

Engine failure

NHTSA investigation RQ24013 · opened Nov 8, 2024 · closed Aug 20, 2025

On November 8, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ24013 to assess the scope of Honda recall 23V-751 after receiving complaints that alleged connecting rod bearing failures in vehicles that were not within the scope of recall 23V-751. In November 2023, Honda recalled 248,999 various Model Year (MY)2016-2020 Honda and Acura vehicles equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine.

What 2015 Honda Pilot owners say

Engine & cooling all 24 →

I bought my 2015 Pilot in 2024 and since then my local mechanic has told me I am burning oil and I have had to replace several spark plugs. I have had error codes like P0304 come up in conjunction with the replacements. I now have a total engine failure. I looked online after my failure and saw the VCM Warranty Extension, but I was never notified about it. I saw where the codes could come up as "misfires" but might actually be the engine failing. Component failure - engine Safety Risk - I was driving when it died. if i had not come to a complete stop i would have hit a snow covered rocky hill. Inspections - awaiting insurance inspector, engine failure confirmed by mechanic. Warnning - no lights were on when it happened.

Feb 2026 · crash

The contact owns a 2015 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the error message instructed the driver to pull over immediately. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with piston ring failures. In addition, DTC: P0301 (Misfire in Cylinder #1) was displayed. The contact was informed that the piston rings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

120,000 miles · Feb 2026

Electrical system

The contact owns a 2015 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle briefly started before stalling. After starting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 126,000.

Ignition · 126,000 miles · Nov 2023

While stopped at a red light, smoke started coming out from under the hood. I immediately pulled into a parking lot and turned the engine off. A bystander yelled at me to get out of the car. She saw fire coming out from underneath the engine. Smoke continued to pour out and then the whole front of the car was engulfed in flames.

47,000 miles · Feb 2018 · fire

Brakes

This Honda Pilot has a very low brake pedal , I describe it as a soft pedal. You have to depress the pedal almost to the floor let up and press it again to get fairly decent stopping power, still not the best. This increases stopping distance and in an emergency it takes time to double pump the brakes. There are complaints on the internet about this issue by other owners. Here are some examples, https://hondatech.com/forums/tsb_recall/tsbs/honda/pilot/2015 .There are reports/complaints to NHTSA, RECORD_ID: 1248839 , NHTSA Item Number: 10128555, NHTSA Item Number: 10128537 ,NHTSA Item Number: 10128536, I have been to a repair shop who bled the brakes 2 times it gets minimally better for a short time. I feel there is an issue with the brakes on this Honda

Jan 2022

Brake pedal has been spongy since new. Selling dealer say there is nothing wrong with vehicle. They did nothing. A deer ran out in front of me, I hit the brakes and pedal when down and I hit deer $4,100 damage to front end? If I pump brake pedal one time I have a solid pedal!

6,000 miles · Apr 2015 · crash

2015 Honda Pilot engines & fuel economy

EngineTransmissionDriveMPG city / hwy / combined
3.5L 6-cyl5-speed automaticFWD18 / 25 / 20
3.5L 6-cyl5-speed automaticAWD17 / 24 / 20

EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Honda Pilot a good car?

Based on 109 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2015 Pilot rates better than average: 53% fewer complaints than a typical year of the Pilot at the same age. It is one of the best Pilot years by this measure. 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 2015 Honda Pilot?

The engine & cooling — 24 complaints, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the electrical system (13) and brakes (12).

How many recalls does the 2015 Honda Pilot have?

There are 4 recalls for the 2015 Honda Pilot, the most recent from December 18, 2023 (fuel pump). 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 2015 Honda Pilot problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 46,000 miles; 53% 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.