2021 Honda Pilot Electrical Problems

Which parts fail

• Starter assembly
  2

Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  422%
• 25k–50k
  528%
• 50k–75k
  317%
• 75k–100k
  422%
• 100k–150k
  16%
• 150k+
  16%

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 the vehicle had caught on fire while parked in the driveway. The vehicle was last driven at 12:51 PM in the day; however, at approximately 9:00 PM, after the vehicle had sat for over eight hours, the vehicle suddenly caught on fire. The local fire department responded to the scene and extinguish the fire. The vehicle was inspected and stated that the fire had originated from the battery or an electrical part inside the engine compartment. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while at a complete stop with the START/STOP feature activated, the engine shut off while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. After waiting for several minutes, the contact had to perform several procedures to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was initially taken to a dealer where a software update was performed; however, the failure returned weekly. Recently, the contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle after the failure, the vehicle began to jerk while accelerating, with an abnormal tapping sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with a defective engine rod bearing. The contact was informed by the mechanic that the repair could not be warranted. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 23V174000 (VISIBILITY), 24V064000 (AIR BAGS), and under TSB: 0101T0. The contact stated that the dealer did not repair all the recalls. The contact stated that in the driver's side mirror, the image appeared wavy and resembled a funhouse mirror. The TSB regarding the coaxial cable terminal (FAKRA) was not repaired properly. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started there was an abnormal popping and crackling sound coming from the speakers. The contact returned the vehicle to the Service Department to have the vehicle re-examined; however, the dealer refused. In addition, the contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The dealer stated that the camera was on fish-eye mode. …

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under Technical Service Bulletin: 23-008 (Product Update: PGM-FI Idle Stop Software Update); however, the failure occurred after the product update. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to start after pressing the Engine Start button. The engine failed restart after coming to a complete stop and releasing the brake pedal and the Auto Idle Stop feature engaged. The battery warning light was illuminated, and the messages "Battery Failure" and "Press Brakes - Put the Car in Park and Restart" were displayed. The contact deactivated the Auto Idle Stop feature. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the starter needed to be replaced. The failure mileage was 122,993.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving in stop and go traffic, the Auto START/STOP feature malfunctioned causing the vehicle to lose electrical power and shut off. During the failure, the display and instrument panel became inoperable. Additionally, the turn signals were inoperable, and the shifter could not be shifted to neutral. Triple AAA was called to the scene and was able to get the vehicle restarted by recharging the battery. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was contacted, and a service appointment was scheduled. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The contact referenced the NHTSA Investigation: PE22005 and indicated that the vehicle experienced a similar failure. The failure mileage was 29,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights started flashing. The contact stated that the Cruise Control and the Lane Departure and Lane Assist were inoperable. Additionally, the front view camera had failed to operate as designed. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the electrical system had failed and that the front view camera needed to be replaced and recalibrated for all of the other systems to work as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, he noticed that several warning lights illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact continued driving to his residence. The following day the warning lights disappeared. Several months later the failure recurred. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The mechanic related the failure to an unknown electrical failure and performed a software update to fix the vehicle. the contact stated that the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that at all times during the use of the vehicle, the infotainment display system goes blank. The contact also noticed a popping and crackling noise coming from the audio speakers. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V431000 (Back Over Prevention) to have already been performed on the vehicle, but the issue has since recurred. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a factory defect involving a dashboard wiring harness that was physically bent at a 90-degree angle from the production plant. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the idle STOP/START system suddenly activated while idling at a stop sign, stop light, and driving at slower speeds of approximately 5 MPH. The vehicle stalled while the failure occurred, causing the contact to make several attempts to restart the vehicle. The failure was more persistent. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the diagnostic test and repair were not covered under the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after idling at a red light, the Auto Start failed to operate as designed. The contact had to shift to park(P), and several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle before the contact was able to continue driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the battery had failed and needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

Electrical complaints in other Pilot years