Electrical complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2025 | 44 | 21% | 16,000 miles |
| 2024 | 11 | 9% | — |
| 2023 | 28 | 19% | 9,000 miles |
| 2022 | 39 | 23% | 40,000 miles |
| 2021 | 135 | 30% | 50,000 miles |
| 2020 | 214 | 43% | 2,000 miles |
| 2019 | 266 | 29% | 6,000 miles |
| 2018 | 85 | 19% | 53,000 miles |
| 2017 | 266 | 28% | 38,000 miles |
| 2016 | 580 | 34% | 49,000 miles |
| 2015 | 13 | 12% | 40,000 miles |
| 2014 | 9 | 8% | 31,000 miles |
| 2013 | 9 | 3% | 70,000 miles |
| 2012 | 22 | 13% | 30,000 miles |
| 2011 | 26 | 9% | 50,000 miles |
| 2010 | 9 | 8% | 2,000 miles |
| 2009 | 5 | 4% | 112,000 miles |
| 2008 | 9 | 7% | 79,000 miles |
| 2007 | 22 | 10% | 112,000 miles |
| 2006 | 18 | 7% | 96,000 miles |
| 2005 | 57 | 8% | 119,000 miles |
| 2004 | 60 | 11% | 106,000 miles |
| 2003 | 129 | 18% | 130,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power in the middle of the road. The contact stated that after opening and closing the door, the vehicle was able to restart. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the fuel injection electronic control unit (FI-ECU) required a software update. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V031000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Electrical System); the VIN was included, but the vehicle was already repaired under the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while reversing, the automatic emergency brake unexpectedly engaged. The check engine, ABS, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The transmission failed to shift into the intended gear. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and was able to shift into the intended gear. Additionally, the transmission jerked while accelerating, the RPM failed to increase while accelerating. The contact stated that the doors failed to open immediately after pressing the fob key, and the infotainment screen was flashing. The contact stated that the failures were intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
Bought this brand new 2024 Honda pilot touring model on Oct 2023, the issue starts showing after driving it for only couple of hundreds miles, there is a very distinctive and constant loud popping and cracking noise coming out from the speakers while driving, no matter if the audio volume is set to high or low or zero or even when music player is turned off, looked it up online and found out it is a very common problem for Honda for years now, and it is not just for the pilot lineup, it also affects their other models like Passport & Odyssey, It has something to do with the wiring process and improperly manufactured terminal of the FAKRA connector for the infotainment system. …
The auto idle stop caused my Pilot to not restart as I was taking my foot off the brake turning left on a busy road. I had to be towed as my car would not start. The Honda repair center said there is an Engineering Request ([redacted]) trying to gather information about the issue, but no fix other than having to turn off the feature every time I restart the car. I am now extremely concerned about my safety and others because if I forget to turn off this feature, my car could unexpectedly now stop working and I could immediately be put in an unsafe situation. Honda said they can't automatically turn off the feature. They have shifted this responsibility to the driver of the car. This is not right and they don't seem to care when I call [phone]. All they said is it your responsibility to turn off the feature each time you get in the car rather than give me options. …
I wanted to share a very scary incident that occurred while I was slowly creeping into a parking space in a parking garage. With my foot over the brake, as there were children in the area from a car that had parked to the right of mine, my car suddenly surged forward at a high rate of speed. It ultimately crashed into the 3-foot safety wall with tension wires of the parking garage. Clearly there is an issue with the propulsion system that accelerated my car forward. It's unknown to me if there was also an electrical issue involved in this propulsion failure. The car is available for inspection. The Honda dealer examined the vehicle but was unable to reproduce the issue, indicating that there was nothing wrong with the car, no codes stored of any relation to this incident, and that it was safe to drive. …
The contact owns a 2023 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the stability, traction control, ABS, brakes, Lane Departure, and speedometer warning lights were illuminated. The "Anti-lock Brake System, Brake Performance Reduced", "Parking Sensor Failure", "All-Wheel Drive System Failure", "Electric Power Steering System Failure - Steering Assist Reduced", and "Vehicle Stability Assist System Failure - Reduced Traction and Handling" messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the sensor assembly front (57450-T90-A02) needed to be replaced; however, the replacement part was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,100.
The contact owns a 2022 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument cluster failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the instrument cluster displayed a black screen, and no safety features were displayed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. In addition, the contact noticed an unusual popping sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The independent mechanic unofficially diagnosed the failure as faulty cables. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic testing and provided the fee for the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. …
When I started my 2022 Honda Pilot Special Edition (VIN: [redacted] ) in a parking lot, the vehicle immediately behaved abnormally. As I attempted to turn into a space, the car unexpectedly accelerated and moved in an unintended direction. Despite pressing the brake pedal firmly, neither the standard brakes nor the automatic braking system responded. Shifting into Park did not stop the vehicle, and the transmission did not engage to hold the car. The vehicle continued moving through the parking lot, striking property and other vehicles. The entire event felt like a loss of braking and control, with both the brake system and gear selector failing to function as intended. This was a sudden and dangerous incident that could have caused serious injury. …
Related recalls (3)
Electrical system › Software
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Acura MDX Type-S, 2023-2025 Honda Pilot, and 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type-S vehicles. A software error in the fuel injection electronic control unit (FI-ECU) may cause an engine stall or a loss of power.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to September 8, 2015 and 2016 Pilot 4WD vehicles manufactured May 7, 2015 to September 4, 2015.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. The recall began on December 11, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Electrical system › Ignition › Switch
Honda is recalling certain model year 2003 and 2004 Pilot and Odyssey and 2003 through 2006 Acura MDX passenger vehicles manufactured from November 26, 2001, through August 30, 2006. The interlock lever of the ignition switch may deform, which can allow the interlock function of a vehicle with an automatic transmission to be…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda or Acura dealer. The dealer will install an updated shift interlock lever and, if necessary, replace any necessary part of the ignition switch,…
NHTSA investigations
Ignition Interlock Failure - Rollaway
On December 10, 2012, Honda Motor Company submitted a defect information report to NHTSA regarding ignition interlocks in approximately 576,117 model year MY) 2003 through 2004 Honda Pilot and Odyssey vehicles that are the subject of this investigation and 231,044 MY 2003 through 2006 Acura MDX vehicles (Recall No.
Low Beam Headlights Stop Illuminating
This investigation was prompted by Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 11-017, and was based on reports from consumers alleging that both low beam headlights stopped illuminating simultaneously.Some complainants also reported that the combination switch (switch) that controls the headlights and turn signals, and/or its electrical wiring harness connector were damaged by overheating.ODI's PE information request letter asked…
Frequently asked questions
Which Honda Pilot years have electrical problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2016 (580), 2017 (266), 2019 (266), 2020 (214) and 2021 (135) model years. Electrical complaints make up 34% of all complaints for the 2016.
Is there a recall for Honda Pilot electrical problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 25V-031 (software, Jan 23, 2025); 15V-668 (instrument cluster/panel, Oct 16, 2015); 12V-573 (switch, Dec 11, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Honda Pilot electrical problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles; 49% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the ignition (25 mentions), followed by the instrument panel › speedometer/odometer (21).
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.