2017 Honda Pilot Power Train
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
I am submitting a safety complaint regarding a 2017 Honda Pilot experiencing a connecting rod bearing failure. Which has left my vehicle disabled. While driving on I-270 North, the vehicle suddenly made a loud “pop” noise and immediately lost power, creating a dangerous situation on a busy highway. Shortly afterward, the engine developed a very loud knocking noise, consistent with internal engine failure. The vehicle does not need to reproduce the concern, as multiple technicians were able to immediately hear the knocking upon inspection. The issue is constant and clearly present. There were no warning lights, no check engine light, and no prior indications of failure before the incident occurred. This sudden failure without warning presents a serious safety risk, especially at highway speeds. The vehicle has been regularly inspected and serviced, including services performed in dealership settings. The vehicle is currently available for inspection if needed. I am aware that similar model years have been affected by connecting rod bearing issues, and I believe this vehicle should be included or further investigated due to the sudden and dangerous nature of the failure.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving between with the RPM between 2,000 and 2,500, the vehicle bucked. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where a transmission triple flush was performed; however, the failure recurred within 1-2 months. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the transmission was serviced several times; however, the failure reoccurred. Transmission fluid was added to the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that another diagnostic test was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to TSB: 16-091 (Judder from the Torque Converter Lock-Up Clutch); however, the model year was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Transmission and torque converter, were effected on my car. Safety concerns were witness when wife was driving on freeway with our 4 kids and car was jerking and not going like it’s was suppose to. We drove to slow lane were we proceeded to destination slowly . Problem was detected when transmission light came on when my wife and sister in law were driving on freeway. America Honda didnt want to look into it due to it being out of there warranty-of 150,000. So we took it to a transmission shop. We’re he diagnosed the code for the torque converter. The warning light came on at 166,000 miles. Thats when we’re actually aware of the issue. We never received a letter or call from America Honda warranty regarding this issue.
I received a letter from Honda regarding a warranty extension on the torque converter of my 2017 Honda Pilot. When I took the vehicle into the dealership, their senior technician confirmed the mechanical issues happening with the vehicle are aligned with the description of the concerns outlined in the warranty extension. The only element of the extension condition that was not happening was a code popping up on the screen. When I asked what conditions would need to take place for the code to pop up, they stated the torque converter would seize up while driving and cause the vehicle to be a hazard to those in the vehicle. When I explained this to Honda, they continued to deny the repair since the code did not populate. I am asking the NHTSA to look into this matter as I assume the purpose of the warranty extension was to repair an issue that could cause serious injury to the inhabitants of the vehicle, and not to rely on an electronic error code to pop up. Thank You
Honda has a TSB for all Pilots on all VINs under TSB 17-014. They are making us pay out of pocket for a known issue on all 2017 VINs. I was quoted a minimum of $700 due to the labor involved. We, as customers, shouldn't have to pay for a known issue with all VINs of 2017 Honda Pilots. It caused issues with cruise control and keeping speed on the road especially uphill. Sometimes it will shift extremely hard.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently jerked with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 45,480.
First received a transmission system issue and took car into dealership for the torque converter recall. Not even a 1,000 miles later I received a transmission temperature too hot signal. Took it into the dealership again and they stated I need a new transmission due to “transmission clutches are burned from not servicing the transmission causing excessive friction making the fluid heat up faster and over heating”. Just got this vehicle a year ago. I believe my safety is at risk because with our other vehicle the muffler got so hot that it burned a hole through the bed of the truck and don’t want that happening in this vehicle with two kids under two.
I took my vehicle (2017 Honda pilot) to a Honda dealer in Selma, TX to have a pre-road trip checkup. They performed mileage related maintenance and assured me the vehicle was ready for my 2200 mile road trip. 600 miles into the trip, I stopped for gas. As I put the car in park, I received multiple errors on the driver's info panel. "1.Emissions system problem. 2.Transmission system problem. 3.Stop driving when safe. Transmission problem. See manual." Without any warning there was complete and sudden failure of the transmission. The car is available for inspection at a Honda dealer in Little Rock, AR where they ran diagnostics and found a list of problems. Apparently the Honda dealer in TX saw at least one of the errors and deleted it without informing me. If the transmission had failed while I was driving on the highway, average speeds of 70 mph, it could have caused a fatal accident. Right now the failed transmission has only been inspected by the Honda service dept in Little Rock, AR. There were no warnings from the vehicle to the driver prior to the complete and sudden failure whatsoever. After the failure the power train was locked in park. Drive, reverse, and neutral could not be engaged. I understand the mileage on the vehicle is high, but it is a grave safety concern when a major component of a vehicle can fail without reason or warning.
Transmission and torque converter blew at 77k miles.
My husband was driving on the highway to a competition for our daughter. He said the Transmission System Problem light came on 4 different times in 20 minutes. This had happened once while I was driving last year and had never happened again. We took it to our local transmission repair shop and the guy could not get it to repeat and the transmission worked as it should when he was testing it. He said it's something that he thinks is happening on the 6th speed that the rpm is not going to where it should. He said if it continues, we will have to put a new transmission in which will cost around $6000 and we are obviously past the Honda warranty. Looking online, it seems like many pilot owners of the same year are having the same issues. I would like to issue a complaint that Honda needs to extend a warranty for this issue.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond, rattled, jerked, and shuddered. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure mainly occurred while driving at 15 MPH and higher speeds. The contact stated that the Push to Start button was inoperable intermittently. A message advising that the Push to Start button was defective was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission fluid flush was performed on several occasions as recommended by the dealer; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
I am writing to file a complaint regarding a potential safety defect in my 2017 Honda Pilot. My vehicle is experiencing issues with the torque converter clutch, resulting in a P0741 error code. I am aware of Honda recall which addresses similar torque converter issues in 2017-2019 Honda Pilots. I believe my 2017 Honda Pilot should also be included in this recall as it exhibits the same defect. I urge NHTSA to investigate this matter and consider expanding the existing recall to include my vehicle.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the failure might be related to Technical Service Bulletin: 17-015. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
I was driving on the highway home and received the transmission system error warning message. Pulled over safely after leaving highway and shit off the truck and was able tot skenabck roads home after restarting truck and error cleared. There was never a check engine light on, just the warning light.
In April my transmission started slipping and making a whirring noise. I took it to my dealership three times and they could never find a problem. In late June 2024 while driving back from OH to PA, the transmission died and left us stranded on [XXX] in WV with car zipping by. We spent several hundred dollars on towing, hotel rooms and rental cars. Had to leave our car in WV for two weeks for repair. The car was five hours from home. There is a lawsuit for the 9 speed transmission and I am here to confirm there is a problem. There was only 90000 miles on the car and all preventive services have been performed prior to transmission dying. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Without any indication of a problem, the check engine light came on after turning off the car briefly. The car would not shift and the dash reads transmission problem. We had the car towed and we’re told we need a new transmission. There was 68,000 miles on the car and it has always been maintained.
I was driving on [XXX] and I suddenly started seeing that my vehicle gearshifting was a bit and I got a notification that there was a transmission problem. I immediately pulled over and turned off the vehicle for a few mins and then restarted it and the alert icon went away. Then as I was driving, I stopped at the signal and then tried to accelerate when the signal turned green, the gear shifting wasnt working correctly. I eventually took this to a mechanic and he told its a transmission problem. Then I took it to a transmission expert and he said that its something which I should take to a honda service technician since they would have advanced equipment for it. I took it to a dealership and they now said that I have to replace the transmission for the vehicle. Looking up online, there has been plenty of reports of issues with the 9 speed transmission in Honda but there hasnt been a recall for the 2017 Honda Pilot. Here are a few links [XXX] [XXX] https://www.google.com/search? [XXX] Now the dealership is asking me to pay close to $9000 to fix this issue. I tried to reach out to Honda customer support online and they didnt help either. I dont know how I should approach this and hence reaching out to NHTSA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
When traveling at highway speeds, I push the gas pedal and the vehicle makes a clicking noise, it loses all acceleration power until RPMs go down to 1,000. Then the gas pedal works again. After several months of this, and multiple attempts from the Honda Dealership to fix the problem (clean the throttle body, software updates, etc) the transmission quit on the interstate. During a 100 mile trip the vehicle all of a sudden would not go above 3,000 RMP. I pulled to the shoulder thinking a car restart might fix the issue but the vehicle would not leave Park. Towed to dealership with transmission warning light active. Very surprised as the vehicle only has 79,900 miles on the odometer.
At 103,000 miles, the 9 speed transmission failed while driving, resulting in a warning indicator to park the vehicle immediately. Afterwards, it was unable to change gear from Park. There was no accident or prior issues. A trusted mechanic shop went thru the documented diagnostics and found that the entire transmission needed replacing. The total cost to replace it was $8265.
On Dec.04, 2023 I tried to drive vehicle to got to work, and there was no power in D- mode. I pressed the gas padal to gove more power and then the vehicle made a loude sound like as if I was crash into something, and it did not move as usual, there was no power. When I tried to shift the gear back to P, it did not move and the stick was stucked. Later after several tries I was able to drive the car to the dealership and explained what happened. AFter Investgating they concluded there was no problem witht he car. I took it home and drove until Dec, 18, before the vehicle actingd again. It did not move when the gear shit to D or L mode. when I pressed the gas pedal vehicle jumps and stated to move at about 5 miles per hour. As I was giving more gas at about 27 miles per hour there was a hard shifit of the gear and vehicle jumped (jerking?). I took it to the dealership and they were able to repeat what I explained to them and quoted $8400 for the transmission repair, and said I donot have warrenty and have to pay for the cost. I explained to them this is not only my vehicle, but there are other hond apolit have the same issue. I have contacted Honda Motor Corp USA regarding this and they told me they donot act based on what is on the web and social media.
I been hearing a rattling noise from the engine area for a while. I took it to Honda dealership where I bought it and they test drive a few times. They said they don't hear the noise, but when the test drive with me know the suv they hear they noise numerous times but don't know where the noise coming from. It's all over the honda bulletin customer are complaining about the same noise nothing I'd getting done about it. I opened a case with American Honda and they did nothing sbout as well. Now my transmission system problem light came on at 49000 miles and I see alot of people complaining about that as well and Honda dealership is saying it's not Honda problem. The complaints is on Honda forum and Honda sites. I think Honda should be investigated for these problems.
Driving on an 4-lane each direction highway at 70 MPH, the Honda Pilot stopped accelerating and a warning light came on stating there is a transmission problem. With my wife and 4 children inside the vehicle, I had to cross 3 lanes of a very busy highway to pull over without having any propulsion from the gas pedal. We were stranded 1/2 mile before the exit for the Charlotte, NC airport. It's an extremely busy exit with trucks and cars constantly passing nearby the vehicle at 70 to 80 MPH. The SUV was towed to a Honda dealership who told us the vehicle needs a new transmission for $8,000. There was absolutely no prior warnings or lights indicating this problem. We filed a claim with Honda corporate, but haven't received a response yet after 1 week.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while reversing out of a parking space, the vehicle jerked significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred on the second attempt to reverse. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence, where the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, but the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 108,877.
The transmission temperature to high light came on as I was driving from NY to NC, I had to pull over because I was afraid the car might catch fire as I have never seen or heard of a transmission being to hot. I was on the side of the NJ turnpike and a vehicle could of crashed into me. The light went off and I continued on my journey. Then about another hour or 2 later a transmission system problem light came on. I stopped in VA and went to a Valvoline where they told me I needed transmission fluid. (I had just had an inspection done, so thought maybe there was a leak.) I continued on my way to NC as the light went off after they put fluid in the car. I was about 2 hours away from my destination in NC when the temperature to high transmission light went on again and I had to pull over on 795 again becasue I was scared. I shut the car off for a half hour on the side of the road praying no one would hit into me. I turned the car on, and the light went off and a few minutes later the transmission system problem light came on. I was afraid to get off an exit as I was unfamiliar with the area, so I drove at 55 mph in a 70-mph speed limit. I made it to Wilmington and called the Stevenson Hendrick Honda Dealership there and they could not see the car until Tuesday 7/18 the light was going on 7/15. When I brought it to the dealer the light was off. They told me my Honda Pilot that had only 49,000 miles on it needed a new transmission to the tune of $11,000. I find this to be absurd. I was able to talk them down in price and was without a car for the entire week I was in NC. I opened a case with corporate, but they won't return my phone calls. I could of died pulling off to the side of major highways with the speed the cars were traveling at. This car was just in for a recall with the hood and they did a diagnostics test and nothing showed anything about a transmission problem. It had just had an inspection. This should not have happened with only 49,000 miles.
I have the automatic start and stop (idle) feature and it cuts out on me in the middle of intersections and won't allow the car to restart. I took to dealer to have software updated and they charged me and now it is starting again. Someone almost blindsided me in the intersection and I don't want someone to get killed.
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Quick Summary
The 2017 Honda Pilot has 67 Power Train complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.