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 took the car in at approximately 55,000 miles (under warranty) because I was could heard a noise coming from the transmission and the vehicle was not driving correctly. The dealer flushed the transmission and did a computer update. The DEALER paperwork stated "judder from torque converter clutch." 25K miles later (now out of warranty) I get a warning light on the dash that states " transmission problem". I take the car back to the same dealer and they tell me that the torque converter clutch is failing and it will take $4250 to fix the car. I told them it was failing 25K miles ago and you put 2 bandaid's on the car and not Im out of warranty. I did call Honda of North America and they did nothing for me.
Torque Converter clutch slipping due to Honda 3.6L V6 VSC Vibration. Received a "Transmission System Error" warning multiple times while driving at 65MPH highway. Vehicle has less than 47,000 miles but is out of warranty due to the age of the vehicle. Dealership stated the Torque Converter needs to be replaced even though regular maintenance was performed previously. Dealership stated that the Torque Converter could go bad at any time and cause transmission issues requiring the entire thing to require replacement and is charging a lot of money for the replacement. Research shows many 3rd Generation Honda PIlot owners experiencing the same exact issue due to the VSC built into the engine and others are getting hit with costs at around the same mileage. We should not be penalized for a poorly designed or manufactured powertrain component that apparently requires replacement just after the powertrain warranty expires.
The car had problems with automatic start/stop function. During this time the car had a transmission that failed. The automatic start/stop function was fixed by the dealership and the new transmission that was installed failed. The car is currently on its third transmission at 85,000 miles and this transmission is starting to give the car problems where the information system tells the driver there are transmission problems that are present randomly when driving. These are not currently repeatable enough for the dealership to see. The car had 3 transmissions under 88,000 miles, and is probably going to be on its fourth transmission soon. Also the honda information system does not work properly with the phone and only connects 70% of the time.
TRANSMISSION RANDOMLY MAKES A JUDDERING JERKING SOUND AND HESITATES WHILE DRIVING. HONDA HAS FLUSHED MY TRANSMISSION MANY TIMES UNDER SEVICE BULLETIN 17-014, 17-015 AND THE REPAIR IS SHORT LIVED. HONDA STOPS HONORING THE EXTENDED SERVICE BULLETIN AFTER 80K. THEY HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM AT LEAST SINCE 2016 YET THE DON'T FIX OR ADDRESS THE ISSUE. THEY MERELY OFFER FREE TRANS FLUSHES TILL 80K MILES AND THEN YOUR ON YOUR OWN. MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET YET HONDA DOES NOTHING MEANINGFUL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. MY CAR IS A 2017 HONDA PILOT EX-L
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while making a stop at a stop sign, the vehicle stalled with an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle started operating normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the contact was unsure which fuse the dealer stated needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 20,000.
RPM Judder from Torque Converter Lock up clutch felt while driving between 20 and 60 mph. The issue is caused by transmission fluid that overheats and deteriorates quicker than it should. It can be resolved by a vehicle software update which prevents transmission fluid from overheating and prevents the judder. A transmission warning light appears in the vehicle when the issue is experienced. This issue has been confirmed by Honda - see Honda Service Bulletin 17-014 dated 2/27/18. Honda service centers will try to blame consumers for not flushing and changing transmission fluid frequently enough due to black transmission fluid and service is not covered by most warranties since it's considered a fluid maintenance service by Honda.
Vehicle would shift into neutral upon acceleration such as when passing and take up to a minute to reengage in a gear to continue acceleration. Generally happened at 50-60mph on the highway. Called dealer multiple times and brought in at 47,000 mi, but no codes generated by vehicle and dealer couldn't replicate. Finally at 81,000 transmission completely failed on a busy highway exit ramp and car could not be put in gear. Blocked traffic for 2 hours before car could be towed to the dealer. It appears Honda had transmission based recalls up to 2016 but not 2017 model year.
Engine does not restart after start stop feature {auto stop} when stopped at a stoplight or stop sign. Sometimes engine turns off with just a soft application of brakes. So far no serious accident except holding up traffic at an intersection. Could become dangerous. So I immediately turn off the feature whenever I remember when I get in the car. Thanks.
Warning signs pop up when it hits 65mph on the highway. It blinks, “transmission system problem” with warning sounds ever so often. I tried to take it to Jiffy Lube multiple times, and they could never find the problem. They checked the transmission fluid and it was okay. They ran diagnostic and nothing was found, yet, this message error appears here and there. I am not sure what else there to do but to report that it’s not safe.
Moving from a stationary position while driving under 10 mph the vehicle shifts from 1st gear to 2nd gear with a heavy jerk motion.
We were at a Sheetz gas station last month and the auto-start/stop cut the engine off and it would not restart. We had to place the car in park and manually restart it. We have had this issue happen on another occasion and we purchased the car in April.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after starting to drive at an unknown speed, the transmission shifted down a gear independently. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,225
This car has an automatic start/stop feature/function that shuts the engine off when the brake is fully pressed. The purpose is to save fuel when stopped at a red light or in heavy traffic. As soon as you release the brake, the engine is supposed to restart automatically. Unfortunately whats been happening is either the engine does not restart or it begins to restart and then stalls. In either case, the car needs to then be put into park, fully turned off, and then restarted. In most cases, it more an annoyance for everyone involved. However, what has happened a number of times is that we’ve moved into an intersection to make a left, stopped for oncoming traffic to pass, and then started our turn. The car has stalled then. Luckily there has been no accidents, but that is by luck. As the lights change, we have to quickly restart and get out if the intersection. I’ve searched online for a solution. Many people have post about the same issue in various forums. Many have also taken their car to Honda dealership for service, but there has been no consistent response as to the cause or a solution. In more recent models, Honda has changed how this feature works, but they have not provided any solution for models preceding the change. Thank for any resolution you can bring to us the many others impacted by this point problem. FYI this is not an issue on a single date; it is inconsistent but recurring.
At start up, both with remote start an manual start, the vehicle will lurch forward. It seems to be happening with more frequency for a total of about 10 times. My worry is that at start up the vehicle will strike nearby pedestrians or property. The transmission has had start / stop issues and “hard” shifts but the dealer has not found any issues. There are no warning lights associated with this issue.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a stop light and attempting to proceed to drive, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact shifted the vehicle to park(P) and restarted the vehicle. The failure only occurred whenever the Auto START/STOP function was activated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that the fuel injector failed and needed to be replaced. The failure persisted. The contact returned the vehicle to the dealer who then diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the torque converter and converter clutch failed and needed to be flushed or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 56,000.
My vehicle is a 6 speed automatic transmission, which is experiencing symptoms known to affect 9 speed transmissions as documented in TSB 20-029, Hard Upshift with Steady Acceleration. The transmission has intermittent harsh or jerky upshifts with steady acceleration. The vehicle will 'clank' and jump slightly forward, while accelerating between 20-45mph. Does not happen always - have not determined a pattern.
Car goes into neutral or no gear at all when still in drive on its own. Has done this multiple times, will end up getting us killed at some point because when you go to get on the accelerator to get out of someone’s way the engine just revs up.
Auto dashboard warning lights started and remained flashing. Transmission would not up shift - slipped into neutral - surged and jerked when up shifting This experience was repeated after pulling off the highway and attempting to reenter traffic. This was a dangerous experience as it occurred on a high speed Interstate. I took the auto to the dealer BUT they were not able to reproduce the problem and their diagnostics check could not find a problem.
The contact owns a 2017 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 10-15 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering inadvertently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive to her destination. The dealer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while shifting into first gear. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
When slowing down to stop at a light, or pull into a parking space, the vehicle rather than braking and stopping, accelerates violently on its own, and there is no way to stop it other than putting the vehicle in park immediately, or slamming on the emergency brake. This is an intermittent problem. It happens once every few months, however last night it occurred and I did not put it in park quickly enough, and I was close to another vehicle while parking, that I slammed into the other vehicle doing extensive damage. Obviously, this is a very dangerous situation that could kill or maim myself or an occupant of another vehicle; the police officer who happened to own the other vehicle said I should not drive my vehicle until the problem is solved, which, of course, makes sense as my vehicle at present is unpredictable and dangerous. I have now taken the vehicle into the dealer, but I've found in the past these intermittent problems are difficult to diagnose. Should it not be diagnosed and fixed--I noticed that others have had this same vexing and dangerous situation, and it was not fixed or resoved to their satisfaction--I will no longer drive the vehicle as it is too dangerous. There seems to be a glitch with the drive trains/engines of the 2017 Honda Pilot and this needs to be fixed and the vehicles recalled before serious injury occurs, if it has not already. Owners of these vehicles should be compensated, or receive a comparable vehicle that is road worthy.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND WORKED AS DESIGNED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO D-PATRICK HONDA (4300 E DIVISION ST, EVANSVILLE, IN 47715, (812) 477-6201) BUT, WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. Consumer stated failure occurred multiple times since the report. When the consumer accelerates, let off, and re-accelerate, sometimes it's not in any gear and just revs up.
AFTER COMING TO A STOP OR SLOWING DOWN TO A VERY LOW SPEED, WHEN I REACCELERATE TO BUILD SPEED, THE TRANSMISSION STALLS AND THEN JERKS INTO GEAR WHILE IN ECO-MODE. AT TIMES THIS IS ALMOST CAUSING A COLLISION. I REPORTED THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP ALMOST A MONTH AFTER MY PURCHASE AND 4 MORE TIMES AFTER THE FIRST REPORT AND EACH TIME THEY HAD NO RESOLUTION EXCEPT THE LAST TIME TO DO A TRANSMISSION FLUSH WHICH I HAD TO PAY FOR. IN SOME OF SUGGESTIONS AND QUESTIONS, IT APPEARS THAT THE DEALERSHIP KNOWS THAT THERE'S AN ISSUE.
I CURRENTLY OWN A 2017 HONDA PILOT WITH AUTO STOP/START FEATURE, MY WIFE HAS BEEN DRIVING AND ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS SHE STOPPED AND THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL CAUSING A SAFETY CONCERN. SHE THEN STOPS TRAFFIC AND AS THEY HAVE TO GO AROUND HER. SHE HAS TO WAIT A FEW MINUTES FOR THE VEHICLE TO RESTART. OF COURSE BEING A HAZARD ON THE ROAD MY WIFE IS IN DANGER OF GETTING HIT. WE CONTACTED THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT IF THERE IS NO ERRORS THEY CANT FIX THE PROBLEM. MULTIPLE FORUMS I AM SEEING THE SAME CONCERN.
HONDA KNOWS THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION THAT CAUSES THE FLUID TO OVERHEAT. THE OVERHEATING ISSUE LEADS TO A 'JUDDER' IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR ACCELERATES IN A VERY JERKY WAY ESPECIALLY BETWEEN 30 AND 50. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE IF YOU ARE TRYING TO PASS SOMEONE. AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE REACHES 80,000 MILES HONDA WILL NO LONGER COVER THE SO-CALLED 'REPAIR' WHICH IS TO FLUSH THE BURNT TRANSMISSION OIL MULTIPLE TIMES. THIS COSTS ALMOST $400. HONDA KNOWS THEY HAVE A DEFECTIVE TRANSMISSION AND, INSTEAD OF FIXING IT, THEY ARE PASSING THE TRANSMISSION FLUSH COST ON TO THE BUYERS. A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED TRYING TO PASS IN A VEHICLE WITH A FAULTY TRANSMISSION. ALREADY HAPPENED TWICE ON MY PILOT. FIRST TIME WAS REPAIRED FOR FREE, SECOND TIME I HAD TO PAY SINCE MY CAR HAS 86000 MILES AND THEY ONLY COVER UNDER 80000.
TOOK MY VEHICLE TO LITHIA HONDA OF SALEM OREGON WITH UNDER BUMPER TO BUMPER AND POWERTRAIN WARRANTY WITH TRANSMISSION JERKING(SERVICE MANAGER: BRENT CALLED ME ADVISED THAT SOFTWARE HE WILL TAKE CARE OFF BUT FLUSHING TRANS. FLUID AS PER MNFG> KNOWN TSB IS NOT AND WE NEED TO PAY.
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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.