2012 Honda Pilot Brakes
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
The contact owns a 2012 Honda Pilot. The contact stated during the past 3 seasons of winter, the vehicle would fail to come to a stop while depressing the brake pedal. No warning lights illuminated. The failure would occur during winter cold climate temperatures. The vehicle was previously taken to a local independent mechanic where both the front brake pads and rotors were replaced. The vehicle was also taken to the local dealer for a second opinion however the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was taken back to the same local independent mechanic where the power fluid and brake system were flush however the failure had reoccurred and could not be replicated. The vehicle was also taken to another local independent mechanic for a second opinion however the failure could not be replicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,584
BRAKE ROTORS WARPING AGAIN FOR THIRD TIME, 80,000 MILES. NO HARD BRAKING. MECHANIC TELLS ME HE SEES THIS A LOT WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. VERY SEVERE STEERING WHEEL SHAKING AND ALMOST LOSS OF CONTROL ON HIGHWAY WHEN EVEN SLIGHTLY BRAKING AT 60+ MPH
MY HONDA HAS 60K MILES ON IT. IN OCTOBER, I NOTICED VIBRATION AND SHAKING WHEN BRAKING AT HIGH SPEEDS. I HAD MY PADS REPLACED AND MY ROTORS MACHINED. HERE IT IS A FEW MONTHS LATER AND I'M HAVING THE SAME ISSUES, THE CAR SHAKES AND VIBRATES SEVERELY WHEN GOING DOWNHILL.
MY 2012 HONDA PILOT ROTOR WARP PREMATURELY RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND INCREASED RISK FOR CRASH WHEN DRIVING AT MODERATE TO HIGH SPEEDS. AFTER BEING SHOOK TO DEATH AFTER HEAVY BREAKING, I TOOK MY PILOT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY SAID THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT ROTORS CARRY A 12K MILE WARRANTY. THEY SAY THAT THE ROTORS ARE NOT PROPERLY DESIGNED FOR THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. IN FACT, THEY UPDATED THE NEW PILOTS BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. ALSO, THE HAVE A REPLACEMENT FOR THE HONDA ODYSSEY BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE BUT NOTHING FOR THE HONDA PILOT. THUS, I AM FORCE TO CHANGE OUT MY ROTORS EVERY 15K MILES BECAUSE OF HONDA'S POOR DESIGN. LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE DUE TO IMPROPERLY DESIGN ROTOR SHOULD BE RECALLED. THIS ON TOP OF HONDA KNOWINGLY AND ADMITTING THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM THAT AFFECTS SAFETY, IS PURE NEGLIGENCE. *TR
BRAKES ARE VERY SOFT FROM NEW. DEALER NEVER FIX PROBLEM. ALWAYS SAID IS NORMAL.
I AM SO TIRED OF MY FRONT BRAKES SHAKING. I HAVE HAD THE ROTATORS TURNED,OR ROTATED TWICE AND IT KEEPS ON HAPPENING. I BOUGHT THIS CAR BRAND NEW.THE WHOLE CAR SHAKES AND IT IS THE MOST FRUSTRATING AND ANNOYING THING TO DEAL WITH. 98% OF THE TIME WHEN I GO TO BRAKE, MY CAR SHAKES, SHIMMERS, AND JUST SEEMS TO BE UNSAFE. JUST BRAKING AT STOP LIGHTS CAN CHANGE MY MOOD. THIS IS MY SECOND HONDA PILOT AND MY FIRST 2008 PILOT DID NOT DO THIS. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. I WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER HONDA PILOT.
REAR BRAKE PADS RUSTED SOLIDLY TO CALIPERS. INOPERATIVE. FRONT BRAKES PADS RUSTED BUT STILL OPERATING. ONLY 23,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. A LOUD SCREECHING NOISE ALERTED ME TO A PROBLEM AS I BACKED OUT OF MY GARAGE. TOOK VEHICLE TO MECHANIC WHO TEST DROVE CAR AND KNEW WHAT PROBLEM WAS. HE TOOK OFF ALL 4 WHEELS ,PRIED PADS LOOSE FROM CALIPERS, SANDED OFF RUST, LUBED AND REINSTALLED PARTS. HE INFORMED ME THAT I NEEDED NEW CALIPERS, PADS AND HARDWARE. I CALLED DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT BEING OUT OF WARRANTY, THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME. I THEN CALLED HONDA MOTOR CO. I WAS TOLD THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY COULD DO NOTHING FOR ME.TO ME,THIS SEEMED A SAFETY ISSUE MORE THAN A WARRANTY ISSUE.
WARPED ROTORS DUE TO ISSUES WITH FRONT SUSPENSION REAR LOWER ARM BUSHINGS THAT ARE CURRENTLY LEAKING AND CRACHED. I TOOK MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP SEVERAL TIMES AND WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT THIS ISSUE, BUT DID COMPLAIN OF VIBRATING, YET NOTHING WAS SAID OR DONE. HAD TO GO TO ANOTHER MECHANIC TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. HONDA NEEDS TO COVER THIS ISSUE AS I CAN SEE FROM THE OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ISSUE. THESE ARE FAULTY PARTS ON A VEHICLE THAT COSTS OVER $30,000.00. THIS IS MY SECOND HONDA PILOT AND I DID NOT HAVE THIS ISSUE WITH THE LAST PILOT. CAR VIOLENTLY SHAKES WHEN BRAKING. IT HOWEVER THE WHOLE FRONT END VIBRATES WHEN DRIVING. NOW MY WINDOW RATTLES AND I BELIEVE IT IS LOOSE BECAUSE I CAN HEAR THE AIR
I HAVE BEEN DRIVING MY HONDA PILOT 2012 LX SINCE NOV 2012, THOUGH HAVE BEEN VISITED HONDA ABOUT 03 TIMES FOR BRAKES, THE CURRENT MILES ARE APPROX 37400 MILES AND ALREADY RESURFACED THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS 2 TIMES, THIS IS DUE TO THE VEHICLE WEIGHT PER HONDA, IT SEEMS THE ISSUE IS WITH ROTORS, EVEN AFTER DRIVING REALLY CONSERVATIVELY THE ROTORS GET UNEVEN REALLY FAST, I SINCERELY BELIEVE THE ROTORS NEED TO BE OF BETTER QUALITY AND HENCE REPLACED BY HONDA. *TR
2012 HONDA PILOT CERTIFIED PRE OWNED PURCHASED FROM HENDRICKS HONDA, BRADENTON, FL. I PURCHASED 1/27/2015. ORIGINAL IN SERVICE 4/19/2012. IN FLORIDA. VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN IN WINTER WEATHER OR ON SALTED ROADS SINCE ORIGINAL IN SERVICE DATE. APPR. 1 WEEK AFTER PURCHASE I BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF USED CAR DEPT. PERSONEL THAT ALL 4 BRAKE ROTORS WERE SHOWING RUST ON ALL NON BRAKING SURFACES. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS NORMAL AND THEY WOULD NOT ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. I SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNED WITH VEHICLE TO MY HOME IN MASS. RUST ON ROTORS PROGRESSED TO POINT OF LOOKING LIKE IT WOULD AFFECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE ROTOR. UPON RRETURNING TO MY HOME IN MASS. I BROUGHT IT TO THE SERVICE DEPT OF ORLEANS AUTO, AS SUBSIDIARY OF THE AUTHORIZED HONDA DEALER; HYANNIS HONDA,AND WAS TOLD THAT HONDA WOULD NOT ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. AUG 4.2015, I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO HYANNIS HONDA TO BE INSPECTED BY SERVICE MANAGER; NORMAN LAMARRE, AND SERVICE DIRECTOR, RENE EANSEREAU. BOTH CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS A COMMONLY SEEN PROBLEM ON RECENT HONDA VEHICLES AND A KNOWN HONDA PROBLEM, THEY HAVE DEALT WITH MANY TIMES OVER MANY YEARS AND HAVE HAD MANY COMPLAINTS. HOWEVER AMERICAN HONDA WILL NOT COVER RUST ON ROTORS AS A WARRANTY. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AS THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT AMERICAN HONDA IS REFUSING TO ADDRESS. I AM REQUESTING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE MATTER. I AM CONVINCED THAT THE THE INTEGRITY OF THESE BRAKE ROTORS IS PRESENTLY COMPROMISED, IN THE COOLING VAN AREA AND THE HUB AREA. I AM REQUESTING YOUR ASSISTANCE IN THE MATTER. UPDATED 10/06/15*LJ *CN
WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NEW IN MAY 2012, THERE WAS A SEVERE 'PULSING' VIBRATION WHEN BRAKING FROM SPEEDS > 60MPH. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, THEY SAID THIS WAS BECAUSE IT SAT ON THE LOT WITHOUT BEING MOVED, AND 'MACHINED' THE RUST OFF THE ROTORS, WHICH SEEMED TO HAVE FIXED THE PROBLEM. NOW THE PROBLEM HAS REAPPEARED AT APPROXIMATELY 35000-40000 MILES. AGAIN THE DEALER SAYS IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR ROTORS, AND THEY NEED TO BE RESURFACED AND THE BRAKE PADS REPLACED. I OWNED A 2004 PILOT AND NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM WITH IT IN THE 100,000 MILES I DROVE IT. MY DRIVING HABITS HAVE NOT CHANGED. THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME SORT OF PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKE ROTORS ON THIS MODEL - BRAKING DISTANCE IS LONGER THAN MY PRIOR MODEL AND THE VIBRATION/PULSING IS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO CAUSE A CONCERN FOR SAFETY. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING A PARKING SPOT, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DECELERATE BUT THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT THEN CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, SHE FELT A VIBRATION WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS ADVISED THAT THE BRAKE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 18,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,000.
PURCHASED THE VEHICLE ON 9/10/12. OVER THE NEXT WEEK, NOTICED THAT BRAKE PEDAL TRAVEL WAS EXCESSIVE AND THE FEEL WAS SOFT - LIKE THERE WAS AIR SOMEWHERE IN THE BRAKES LINES. TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE MANAGER DROVE THE CAR AND THEN INDICATED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FROM OTHER CUSTOMERS; THAT ON SOME OF THE OTHER VEHICLES WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT, THEY HAD BLED THE BRAKE SYSTEM WITH NO RESULTANT IMPROVEMENT; THAT MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE WAS NOT ABNORMAL IN THIS REGARD; AND THAT HONDA HAD NOT ISSUED ANY SERVICE BULLETINS ON THIS SUBJECT TO DATE. WROTE A COMPLAINT ON THIS TO HONDA USA, CUSTOMER SERVICE ON 10-09-12. RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM A HONDA USA CUSTOMER SERVICE CASE MANAGER ON 10-26-12 TO SAY THAT THEY WERE NOT AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM ON OTHER 2012 HONDA PILOT VEHICLES, THAT THEY HAD CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND CONCLUDED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS OPERATING PER DESIGN, AND THAT IF I WAS UNSATISFIED I SHOULD CONTACT THE LOCAL HONDA DISTRICT PARTS/SERVICE MANAGER. WILL ATTEMPT TO DO THIS NEXT WEEK, BUT THIS SOUNDS BOGUS TO ME SINCE THERE ARE AT LEAST TWO OTHER NHTSA COMPLAINTS ALREADY ON THE SAME ISSUE. *TR
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Quick Summary
The 2012 Honda Pilot has 14 Brakes complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.