2017 Honda Pilot UNKNOWN OR OTHER
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 have a 2017 Honda Pilot manufactured at their Alabama Plant. It has White Diamond Pearl. The paint is de-laminating from the car around the roof, and rear panels. This is ultimately structural problem that will allow rust formation. The paint pealing started in 2023 and has continued. It is apparent Honda is aware of the paint problem for White Diamond Pearl and other white paint from this plant that covers Pilots, Civics, Fits, and HRV models starting in at least 2015 through 2017 (not sure if beyond that manufacturing time frame). Honda is not responsive to this costly problem. This is finally a safety issue if the body panels rust and weaken the car in a collision. The NHTSA should address this issue with Honda. Please advise about warranty extensions or class actions against Honda.
Auto Idle Stop System continues to be a problem even after new battery as well as computer update from Honda. My safety continues to be put at risk due to car not restarting after idle at stop light in traffic. People have almost rear ended my car as well as the stress it puts on driver because car totally dies and can't restart for several minutes. This is a one car owner since new in 2017 and continue to replace battery, but nothing helps. Car has been serviced by Honda dealer since purchased in 2017. No warning and you have to remember every time you restart the car to turn this feature off.
Honda has put us in a very difficult and dangerous situation that we have tried to get fixed with two local Honda dealerships and have not been able to get this fixed This relates to "Warranty Extension: 2017–19 Multi-Model 6AT Torque Converter - DTC P0741 Stored." We own a 2017 Honda Pilot that we are still making payments on. We believe in Honda vehicles because our 2007 Honda Odyssey has over 300,000 miles and we can still drive it. For several months prior to December 2024, our Pilot has made a strange knocking noise when we turn it on. We did some research and found the torque converter recall notice. Sierra Honda in our town of Monrovia, Calif. would not even look at our car even though we mentioned the recall. They wanted to charge us just to inspect the vehicle. In December 2024, Pasadena Honda did examine our car but they said there was no code coming up on the computer indicating that anything was wrong with the car. We told them that if they drove the car, they could hear the issue but they said they couldn't drive it. The situation with our 2017 Honda Pilot has worsened and we are asking for Honda to deal with this situation immediately by fixing our car AND providing us with a rental car while our car is being fixed. I have a video from March 2025 that demonstrates that the noise continued to be an issue. The noise has gotten worse. I have videos from today that demonstrates this as well. I could not upload these videos here but can share them with you. We are loyal Honda customers and ask that you please fix this situation immediately for the safety of our family. This is our family car -- we drive our daughters to school 30 minutes away every day -- and do not want to have an accident in our Honda Pilot. Please help us immediately as this car is on recall and it needs to be fixed. HONDA REFUSES TO FIX TORQUE CONVERTER ISSUE
The start/stop mechanism is believed to be not working properly at all times. The car will turn off when we are at a stop or red light and we hit the gas to go, the car turns off. When the car turns off we are left at the light or stop while the rest of the cars go. We almost get rear ended because we are expected to go and don’t. We got honked at and at times in dangerous parts of the road with low visibility of our car at the bottom of a hill. We have toddlers in the car in car seats and it’s extra dangerous. The dealer has not been able to reproduce the problem and therefore they say there is no problem even after showing them videos of different occasions. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, or others. We have contacted the manufacturer and they also shrugged and said we can’t reproduce the problem so there’s nothing to fix/do. There are no warning lights before it happens it just doesn’t turn on and then it displays a series of steps that are required in order to turn the car back on. I have videos of it. We have been dealing with this since may 2022 I have record of taking it to the dealer 8 times and all the repairs they recommended each time and what we have paid for.
Issue : Engine Idle Restart malfunction Incident Description: I was driving my Honda [Model, Year] when I encountered a serious safety issue related to the Engine Idle Auto Start-Stop system. While stopped in traffic at a red light, the auto start-stop feature engaged and turned off the engine as expected. However, when the light turned green and I released the brake, the engine failed to restart automatically. I was stuck in the middle of moving traffic, unable to accelerate or move the vehicle. This unexpected failure caused a dangerous traffic obstruction and put me at serious risk of being rear-ended. I had to manually restart the vehicle under pressure, with vehicles approaching behind me, creating a high-stress and potentially crash-prone situation. This issue is especially concerning because this vehicle was previously subject to a Honda recall for this exact problem, and I was informed that the fix had been applied. Clearly, the issue persists and the so-called fix is not effective. This malfunction not only compromises my safety but also that of other drivers. I request immediate attention to this recurring issue and urge Honda to take responsibility by issuing a proper and permanent fix.
Car goes idle/shuts off with the auto shut off feature but won't turn back on automatically.
My 2017 Honda Pilot has been experiencing significant RPM surging and juddering between 10-45 MPH, accompanied by "Transmission System Problem" and "Emission System Problem" warning messages. Timeline of Events: Initial Repair (May 13, 2024): The Billion Honda dealership in Iowa City diagnosed the issue as DTC P0776. I paid $426.10 for the repair, but the surging, juddering, warning lights, and DTC P0776 code persisted. Recommended Transmission Replacement (June 17, 2024): The dealership recommended replacing the transmission at $9,000.00. Upon contacting American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Case #[XXX]), Honda offered to cover 30% ($2,723), leaving me with a $6,277.88 bill. Highway Breakdown (November 7, 2024): The vehicle severely juddered and displayed warning messages before breaking down completely on [XXX] in Chicago, endangering my safety and others during heavy traffic. Concerns: Premature Failure: The vehicle had only 42,073 miles as of May 2024, far below the expected lifespan for a transmission, suggesting a manufacturing or design defect. Recurring Issue: Despite the repair, the DTC P0776 problem persisted, indicating a deeper quality defect. Financial Burden: It is unreasonable for a loyal customer to pay $6,277.88 for a transmission replacement likely caused by a manufacturing defect. Safety Risks: The highway breakdown highlights the severity of this issue and the danger it poses. Common Problem: Similar transmission issues (DTC P0776) have been widely reported by other Honda owners, suggesting this is not an isolated case. Requested Resolution: I request Honda to: Cover 100% of the transmission replacement costs, including taxes and fees. Reimburse the $426.10 I paid for the unsuccessful repair. Address the root cause of this defect to ensure no further safety risks. I invested significantly in this vehicle and expect Honda to uphold its reputation for quality and customer care. Please address this matter promptly. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
18 June 2021 took car in for A/C no longer working. They stated the a/c compressor failed, but not under recall, however they didn't have any parts since it was a common problem. Got the parts and repaired it 7 July 2021. Only safety issue is that on another Honda we own the compressor also failed during an interstate drive with thunderstorms and a tornado we couldn't see out of the window and while attempting to exit the interstate the compressor seized causing the engine to overheat leaving us stranded.
Transmission needs replaced after I did transmission flush 5/24/24
The radio intermittently changes volume, brightness level, turns off/on all by itself. This has caused the volume to get so loud I have to take my eyes off the road. There has been several other complaints online about this. It's dangerous to be driving to have the radio all of a sudden startle everyone and the driver tries to fix it while driving
I was driving my 2017 Honda Pilot Exl back from work at 35-40 mph when I heard a loud thud noise. Initially I thought I had gotten a flat or something, but then I heard air escaping as if a window was open but it was coming from over my head. As I continued to drive I heard pieces of glass sliding across the roof of the car. When a got home a few minutes (< 10 minutes) later, I tried opening the sunroof tray and noticed I couldn’t and I could see that the glass looked to have shattered. I got out of the car and examined the roof of the car and the sunroof was indeed shattered.
On [XXX] I was traveling south on [XXX] from Omaha, NE to Bella Vista, AR. There were no other cars in view either behind me, ahead of me or traveling north in the opposite lanes, nor any debris on the highway when I heard a loud explosion. I thought I had blown a tire but had no problems steering the vehicle. I immediately pulled over to stop on the shoulder of the road. I got out of the car and saw that my sunroof had exploded. Small pieces of glass were everywhere. The time was late morning and the temperature was not especially hot. I reported this to Honda and to my insurance company. On June 18 my local dealer replaced the moonroof. My cost was $691.49. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? THE A/C COMPRESSOR IS BAD, REMOVED DISCHARGE HOSE AND FOUND METAL CONTAMINATION. NEED TO REPLACE ALL MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE A/C SYSTEM. NEED TO REPLACE THE A/C COMPRESSOR, CONDENSER, EXPANSION VALVE, EVAPORATOR, DISCHARGE HOSE AND FLUSH LINES. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The safety of both the driver and passengers was compromised due to the malfunctioning air conditioning system in the 2017 Honda Pilot EX-L. Driving without a functional AC system can lead to discomfort, distraction, and potential health risks, especially during extreme weather conditions. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes, problem has been confirmed by Honda of Bay County on 04 April 2024. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No
While driving at normal speed car suddenly is unresponsive (will not accelerate, looses power, and is jumpy). The computer triggers a limp mode and alerts every code possible on the dash screen, even though all mechanical parts are fine. This computer/electric failure is a risk that is so unpredictable may cause life threatening accident. The certified repair shop has reviewed, reproduced, and is scratching their heads why Honda hasn’t recalled this because several other Pilots are doing the same.
I took ny Honda Pilot in for a routine oil change. I have had issues with a squeaky sound coming from under the hood. The dealership said my transmission fluid had broken down, and they had to flush/replace it. It cost me over $350. Honda said it wasn’t covered under warranty as it is a maintenance issue. I only have a little over 57,000 miles on it. The squeaky sound persisted, so they replaced a belt. I had to take it back a week after, because yup sound is still there. It was in the garage for over 2 weeks and I just got it back yesterday. I’m not sure exactly what they did, only know they had to take the undercarriage off to get to it. I never received the paperwork as the case hasn’t been closed by the repairman yet. I have an appointment Thursday February 16th to go over wheel bearing issues now and am supposed to get the paperwork for this last repair then. Very frustrating.
On three separate occasions, the idol stop/start feature has failed requiring me to manually restart the car. Most recently, it took several attempts to restart before ignition fired all while holding up traffic on a busy street. During failed attempts to restart, it made a sound like it was attempting to restart but didn't have enough power. Weirdly, all three occasions have been at the same intersection, a light on an exit after driving non-stop on the interstate for an hour.
For over eight weeks, the vehicles alarm randomly goes off until it is disabled with key FOB. There is no indication of when it will alarm. It has happened during regular business hour and in the middle of the night, with no pattern in time of occurrence. This is a nuisance and disturbance to the public, as the alarm is very loud. Took the vehicle to the dealership for a diagnosis. Dealership diagnosed vehicle with a malfunctioning Keyless Access Control Unit. The part was on back order for eight weeks but it was delivered sooner than expected to the dealership. Diagnosis cost $195 and repair cost $659.59 for a total of $854.59.
The car had 49,400 miles on it when I decided to take a trip to see a friend in NC from NY about 3 hours into my trip a transmission temperature to high light came on. I pulled over turned the car off for a half hour and restarted it and the light disappeared after another hour a light came on that said transmission problems. I stopped in VA and brought it to a Valvoline where they flushed the fluid and said it was running low on transmission fluid. I continued on my journey and no light came on and 2 hours into driving the transmission temperature light came back on. When I arrived in NC I brought it to a Honda dealership where I was told I needed a new transmission on a car that only had 49,000 miles and was a $65,000 car. I also had to pull over on major highways because I was scared the car would catch fire. (Pulled over on NJ turnpike and I-95)
Auto idle had been turning off and not re-starting quickly for past 6 months. I asked them to look at it last service. They didn't find anything wrong and said to turn off the auto idle. I did turn off the auto idle most of the time and never had a problem when it was off. Sometimes I forgot to turn off the autoidle. On Dec 5 2023, I was at a red light and had forgotten to turn off auto idle. The car would not turn back on and it was stuck in park. I had it towed and the mechanics said they needed to use a special tool to get it into neutral since the usual protocol had not worked. My car was stuck at a light and I directed traffic to go around me for about 30mins before the tow tuck came. There was no way to push the car out of the way because the wheels were locked due to it being stuck in Park. My safety and the safety of other cars was at risk because the cars went into the incoming traffic lane to go around me. If this had happened on a busy road or in traffic on a highway, it would have been more dangerous. A previous time they replaced the battery and this time they are replacing the starter. I am concerned that the problem will persist since the mechanics say there is nothing wrong with the auto idle. I do see that there is a class action suit and over 200 complaints to NHTSA on the autoidle for Honda Pilots. This is a serious safety concern to have a car stop that will not re-start and then cannot be put into neutral to be towed or pushed to the side.
My Honda continues to display a transmission service problem warning. There’s nothing specifically wrong with the transmission and this is a reported problem across the Internet. I suspect there is an issue with the torque converter or other part that is causing this error in some cases, passengers have been stranded.
Car has failed to restart numerous times after coming to a complete stop, typically at a traffic signal leaving me stranded in the middle of the road with cars whizzing by in adjoining lanes and cars behind me beeping. This creates a very great hazard. This has happened at least a dozen times. To restart the vehicle, I have to put the vehicle into park, put my foot on the brake, and press the start engine button. This issue started in 2019. Another issue is that periodically the dash display will rotate through every possible malfunction indicator. When this happens, each malfunction indicator light stays on the screen for a couple of seconds and moves onto the next one. When this is happening, the vehicle will not go any faster than 15-20 mph which I think is a safety mechanism to make sure the engine is not further damages if an actual issue is occurring. Fortunately, this has only happened on neighborhood streets where the speed limit is 35 mph so the sudden loss of power did not create an immediate hazard. This issue started in 2019. I took the vehicle to a Honda dealership regarding both these issues but they were unable to determine what caused these issues even after I showed them the video I took of the dash display rotating between all of the malfunction indicators. No police, insurance representatives, police or others have inspected the vehicle.
Automatic shut off and car would not turn back on
Auto Start/Stop feature malfunction. Vehicle fails to restart after shutting off using Auto Start/Stop feature.
The engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the Auto Start/Stop function engaged. This has happened on numerous occasions and sometimes will not even restart manually, causing other vehicles to have to go around and dodge the stalled vehicle in the middle of busy intersections. Honda mechanic can not reproduce the problem when in the shop, leading to no resolution. Problem continues even after having the battery completely replaced and cleaning the fuel injectors.
Twice now and it seems to be worse in the summer when the air conditioning is running the auto shut off at a stoplight fails to restart the engine and the car dies at an intersection. This feature is dangerous and very frustrating to the point where I turn this feature off every time I get in the car now. This is happened both to me and to my 16-year-old son. Many times when it tries to reengage it has a hard time starting right back up. This is in addition to the two times it completely died.
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Quick Summary
The 2017 Honda Pilot has 61 UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.