Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2021 Honda Pilot owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera failed to turn on, causing the vehicle to hit another unoccupied parked vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the VIN was not included in a recall. The contact stated that the failure recurred while reversing on another occasion, and the vehicle hit another unoccupied parked vehicle. The contact stated that both incidents were fender-benders. There was no injury sustained. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V-431000 (Back Over Prevention) that she related to the failure. The dealer was contacted and an appointment was scheduled for recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. …
On October 18, 2023, at about 11 am, I was approaching to enter our driveway with my foot on the brake system when all of the sudden the car sped up at a very high speed that I was unable to control. The speed was so forceful that the car crashed unto the house resulting in a lot of damage to our house, all this happened in less than one second. I had a next door neighbor in the car with me and thankfully neither of us was hurt, I like to mention at this point that neither air bag deployed to issue protection to us. Of course the safety of both of us was put at risk. We called the insurance with no luck to send an adjuster to inspect the car and/or damage done to the house, so we had to do everything on our own. The car has not been inspected by a representative of the manufacturer nor the police. …
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the Forward Collision Mitigation system inadvertently activated. The contact stated that the brakes were independently activated. The brake and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated with an audible chime. The contact stated that the software independently reset and returned to normal driving. The contact stated that the failure became constant. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer on three occasions, but no repairs were performed. On the third service appointment the contact was advised that the manufacturer was aware of the failure and was developing a remedy. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 10,486.
The car's steering wheel got locked out and air bags came out suddenly while car is still moving on the road and driver blocked and not able to do anything and hit the parked car on the street due to car's system malfunction. Since incident happened in the housing community area with speed 20-25 miles and not majorly hit anyone but reported to and inspected by city police inspected. This was the first time this situation happed and however, had other incidents with the car auto feature malfunction, when stop on the red signal and suddenly the card shutdown with lot of beeps. This mentioned to the service center where normally go for servicing activities like oil change etc.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle's rear brakes rub significantly to the point of prematurely wearing out the brake pads. Additionally, the instrument panel is failing and displaying all warning lights, and the side mirrors flicker while driving. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed to be NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V439000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) however, the VIN was not included in the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,670.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the infotainment system had turned off unintendedly while driving. Additionally, the rearview camera image was black while reversing. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the repair could not be covered under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V431000 (Back Over Prevention), which was previously performed on the vehicle. The contact stated that the recall repair failed to correct the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the infotainment screen and the rearview camera screen intermittently failed to activate while the vehicle was shifted into reverse. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V431000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under an unknown recall; however, the recall repair failed to prevent the failure. The contact stated that while shifting in reverse(R), the rear-view camera failed to display a clear image. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Car in front of me stopped. My vehicle did not causing a rear end collision. I do not recall the brake warning flashing to alert me to brake. The automatic braking system did not seem to engage. Even though I pressed the brake pedal the vehicle did not seem to want to stop. It reminded me of a vehicle without power brakes. Nor did the wheels lock up or leave any skid marks from hard braking.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image was blank. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
Related recalls
Back over prevention › Display function
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the MOST cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Pilot, 2019-2020 Odyssey and 2019-2020 Passport vehicles. Incorrect central network software programming may cause several errors to occur that can delay or prevent the rearview camera image from displaying.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners that updated software is available. Owners have the option to either follow the mailed instructions to download and update the software for free, or visit a dealer to have the software update…
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019-2020 Passport, and 2019-2021 Pilot vehicles. Incorrect instrument panel control module software can cause the instrument panel to not display critical information, such as engine oil pressure, speedometer, and gear selector position until the next…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument panel control module software, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Collision Avoidance complaints in other Pilot years
Frequently asked questions
How common are collision avoidance problems on the 2021 Honda Pilot?
NHTSA has 121 complaints about the driver assistance of the 2021 Honda Pilot, 27% of the model year's 446 complaints. The component named most often is automatic emergency braking (61 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2021 Honda Pilot collision avoidance problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 23V-431 (display function, Jun 15, 2023); NHTSA recall 20V-440 (camera, Jul 28, 2020); NHTSA recall 20V-439 (camera, Jul 28, 2020). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2021 Honda Pilot collision avoidance problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 48,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to driver assistance 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.