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 while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal, loud rattling sound. The contact stated that her husband had noticed that the rattling sound persisted while the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that upon opening the hood to inspect the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driver's side engine cooling fan had melted. The contact purchased a new engine cooling fan from O'Reilly Auto Parts, and the vehicle was taken to Four Brothers Auto Services, where the engine cooling fan was replaced. The contact stated that while driving on another occasion, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The contact stated that while idling in line at the airport Arrival and Pick-Up level, the rattling sound became louder, and the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound. The contact stated that the engine started overheating. …
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 while driving approximately 60 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact heard an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving to the destination, parked the vehicle, and checked under the hood. The contact checked the oil level, which was normal. The vehicle was towed to a dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a connecting rod had failed and damaged the engine. The contact was advised by the dealer that the engine oil level was very low. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 50 MPH, the engine seized, and the functions on the vehicle became inoperable. After waiting for an hour, the vehicle restarted. The contact was unaware if there were any warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while the contact's wife was driving 30 MPH, the engine seized. No warning lights were illuminated. After waiting for a long while, the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Honda of Whittier; however, no cause for the failure was found. The dealer restarted the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,000.
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 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.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the Auto Idle feature on the vehicle intermittently failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that an unknown message was displayed on the instrument panel during the failure. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer on several occasions and software updates were performed; however, the failure returned soon after the updates were completed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while temporarily stopped at a traffic light or a stop sign, the vehicle occasionally shifted into neutral, or the vehicle shut off unintendedly. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 68,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the main engine bearings and connecting rods had failed. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 143,000.
NHTSA investigations
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
On June 3, 2022, the O ce of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several eld reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a tra c light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged.
Engine complaints in other Pilot years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2021 Honda Pilot?
NHTSA has 113 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2021 Honda Pilot, 25% of the model year's 446 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2021 Honda Pilot engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2021 Honda Pilot, though it has 10 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 2021 Honda Pilot engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 68,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 1 injury 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.