2018 Honda Pilot Power Train

I have taken this vehicle into the Honda dealership on five separate occasions to report a power transfer problem. I first visited the Honda dealership to report this problem on 9/2024. It hasn't been until my most recent visit on 12/18/25, that a customer service representative told me that my vehicle needed a new torque converter. It is available for inspection upon request. The first occasion when the vehicle caused a safety issue, we were preparing to make a left hand turn and the car jerked, the dash lights flashed, and the vehicle completely turned off. This was in the summer of 2024. We have had many smaller incidents leading up to this first occurrence but they haven't resulted in the vehicle completely shutting off. Most of the power transfer problems occur when we first back out of the driveway, put the car into drive, press down on the gas pedal, and there is no propulsion forward. This has occurred on a regular basis since the purchase of the vehicle. After two to three seconds the car jerks forward and then drives. This will also occasionally occur when we are stopped at a stop sign or at a traffic light waiting to propel forward or make a turn. Many of the safety issues occur when trying to make a turn with traffic, and there is no power to propel the vehicle forward. We have been fortunate to have the other vehicles slow to allow the Pilot to pause before moving forward. We now have to ensure there is a large distance before making a turn. We have had the dealership, Continental Honda of Anchorage, reproduce the lag problem, July 2025. Recently, we had a Transmission System Problem warning light come on the vehicle. We have also had a flashing P, R, D indicator light when the vehicle was in those gears. The Transmission System Problem light appeared on December 9th, then it reappeared on the 17th.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50-65 MPH, the vehicle jerked, and the message "Transmission Systems Failure" was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, the transmission downshifted unexpectedly, and a short while later shifted to normal drive and operated as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the torque converter clutch had failed; DTC: P0741. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure had become progressively worse and occurred more frequently. The contact related the failure to TSB: 23-078; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

While accelerating to merge onto the highway at 40-50 mph, the ~50K mile engine lost power and began to abruptly decelerate. All warning lights came on. The car was taken to the dealership where we were informed that the camshaft broke. Fortunately we were not struck or involved in an accident because of this but it was very dangerous and we were very lucky. There were not any warning indicators before this incident, but the car was taken to the dealership recently for a torque converter replacement per a recall. I am unsure if this repair contributed to excessive play that could have caused the camshaft failure.

Issue with Power Train caused car to go into limp/survival mode. Dealer found issue with power train sensor Code, error PO 369 CMP Sensor Interruption CMP Sensor Damaged. Mileage on care was 73,048. Had to replace power train at approx $ 3,646.00.

This car has had numerous transmission issues and a documented torque converter failure. Honda extended the warranty for 2018 pilots with these failures but did not include our vin number even though it’s the sane problem. They are refusing to fix it. This is a widespread issue and they are refusing to help us even though there are known manufacturing problems. The dealer hid this problem from us before the sale even though the code was documented in their system in Dec 2024 and we bought in May of 2025 reassured that it was a great car. Dealer refusing to fix it even with these records and hiding this from us and Honda corporate doesn’t care and said they only have to fix the ones that have certain vin numbers even though it’s the same problem and systemic. Rotten crooks endangering our family and ripping us off!

I am filing this complaint because Honda has acknowledged a torque converter defect in Service Bulletin 23-078 (dated August 31, 2023), which applies to 2017–2019 Pilots and Ridgelines equipped with the 6-speed automatic transmission. The bulletin states that certain torque converters may have been manufactured outside proper specifications, causing cracks in the lock-up piston, pressure bleed-down, and eventual loss of clutch capacity. This failure is associated with diagnostic trouble code P0741 (“Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance / Stuck OFF”) and can result in shuddering, hesitation, loss of power during acceleration, or sudden and irregular transmission behavior — all of which create safety risks in traffic, merging, or highway conditions. My 2018 Honda Pilot meets all the published eligibility criteria: it is within 8 years of the original service date, has fewer than 150,000 miles, and has stored the DTC P0741. Despite this, both my dealership and Honda America have denied coverage, claiming my VIN “does not qualify.” While a goodwill request was filed on my behalf, I was informed that even if approved, I could still be expected to pay part of the repair. This denial is unacceptable given Honda’s recognition of the defect and effectively requires me to cover a repair of a faulty product that is necessary for safe operation of the vehicle. Because Honda has already issued a service bulletin acknowledging this defect and created a warranty extension for some vehicles, I urge NHTSA to investigate whether the defect is broader than Honda admits, and whether a recall or expanded coverage is warranted to ensure drivers like myself are not forced to operate unsafe vehicles due to VIN restrictions.

Transmission hesitates upon acceleration from a stop, intermittently. Yes, available for inspection upon request. When pulling out into traffic it will roll out and then no response...catastrophic results if taking a left turn or pulling on to highway. The transmission will then jerk abruptly when more gas is added while you are trying desperately to get going. No, they deny it every time...at one point they reset the block learn saying it was the way we were driving. Inspected by dealership. CEL comes on with various warning messages and tech confirmed customer concern and scanned for codes. Codes were misfires on 4,5,6...and random. changed injectors etc. under extended warranty... The hesitation from stop has occured many times

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the transmission warning light illuminated while driving above 70 MPH on the highway. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the warranty was extended but was declined due to the vehicle having a Salvage Title and a Rebuilt Title. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

- Received error when driving that stated "Transmission System Problem." - Took into a service shop and the code P0741 was confirmed as the error. - Took to Honda Service repair, they confirmed the issue with the Torque Converter that needed to be replaced - Proceeded with the repairs at Honda (replacement of torque converter and replacement of 2 studs on catalytic converter that broke during their replacement of torque converter) - Informed there is a Warranty Extension for my Year/Make/Model on this torque converter as it has a known issue, however my VIN is not currently included in the Warranty Extension. My vehicle is in great condition with low mileage (approx 85K miles at time of repair), so I believe given the circumstances my VIN should be included in the Warranty Extension that currently exists for other VINs in my same Year/Make/Model as there was clearly a defect/issue with my torque converter as well. Link to existing warranty extension: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Transmission failed suddenly while on the highway. Engine light came on, and could not shift above first gear. Took to the Honda dealership where we purchased the vehicle (purchased new in 2018) and was told transmission failed and needed to be replaced. This is a 2018 Honda Pilot with only 35,000 miles on it with all routine maintenance done.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had started to become a recurring failure. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she was no longer driving the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 23-078 torque converter lock-up clutch (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and hesitating with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 64,000.

In regards to TSB 23-078 Honda states that my VIN does not meet the parameters for service even though the dealer service techs are stating this is the issue. Since it is not a recall there is nothing they can do but recommend what the service dept wants to do, which is temporarily fix the problem. Which is bring the vehicle in for a transmission service every 20000 to 30000 mile for service at a cost of $500-600 to me. Which is less than half of the recommended interval. They have been treating the transmission with an additive up until this point.

I own a 2018 Honda Pilot (VIN number ending in [XXX] ) which was purchased from Perfection Honda on July 14, 2018. I am the only owner of the car and have taken the car to the dealer for all required maintenance services at the recommended time intervals. The car began stuttering after a stop on [XXX]. I took the car immediately to Perfection Honda and they stated that the issue was the front engine mount despite my concerns about the transmission. They replaced the front engine mount and flushed the transmission fluid and returned the car to me on [XXX]. The car had the same issue on [XXX] and I had to return the car to the dealer. Approximately one week later they stated that there was no issue and returned the car to me. On [XXX] the car had the same issue and had to be towed to the dealer. This time they stated it was the fuel pump, which had been recalled. They replaced the fuel pump and returned the car to me on [XXX]. On [XXX] the car had the same issue of stuttering upon acceleration from a stop and had to be towed again to the dealer. On [XXX] the service personnel called to inform me that a new transmission was needed. When the car first began experiencing the issue, I had had the car for five years and three months, three years of which had restricted driving due to the COVID shutdown in 2020 and in three months during 2021 when I was out of the country for travel. The car now has 57,380 miles. The issue began when the car had 54,079 miles. While there was fortunately no accident, the stalling after a stop and continued stuttering of the transmission is a significant safety issue. Each time I had my two children in the car with me and had to pull to the side of the road to avoid being rear ended. While other 2018 Honda Pilots have active transmission and engine recalls, my specific vehicle is not covered by those TSBs. Honda has stated that there are no active recalls on my vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Shortly after 60k warranty expired, check engine light came on. We went to dealer right away and were told the torque converter needed to be replaced to prevent permanent damage. The repair was quoted at over $2000.00. We left the car with service and contacted Honda corporate. They paid half, but still left us with bill over $1000.00. I have heard of this issue with other 2018 Pilots. We had the repair done and have not had any other problems, but we were told that, if this became a recall in the future, we could get our money back. There needs to be a recall done for torque converters on 2018 Pilots. Thank you.

Transmission is jumping between first and second gear randomly.

The transmission does not transmit consistent power to the wheels to ensure the car moves forward at consistent speed. This intermittent transmission of power to the tires causes a safety concern when driving, especially during a rainfall with stop and go traffic or when joining roads. The car is unresponsive or very slow to respond when moving forward from a stop position. Any attempt to force the car to move results in a lunge or aggressive acceleration which usually causes the tires to screech. The unnatural acceleration results in forward motion not consistent with the flow of traffic. This issue is further compounded when there is rainfall with a little slop. Any forward motion results in the tires screeching forcing the driver to take his/her foot off the accelerator. This results in a stop and go situation which is confusing to other drivers especially when joining a road.

Failed Torque converter at 80, 000 miles leading to dangerous underperformance

Vehicle will randomly stall after the auto stop-start has kicked in. Car starts then stalls immediately in the middle of an intersection. Shift selector would switch to neutral when this happened requiring the driver to shift into drive even further delaying the ability to get out of traffic. Have since had to replace the shifter switch (PRNDL) to the tune of $750 and have the same random problem. My wife wants to get rid of this car as she afraid to drive it.

Transmission kind of jerks when accelerate especially when you do it nice and easy(more like fluctuating up and down) I did some research on line a lot of people having same issues on this year model vehicles

We bought the Honda Pilot to tow a NuCamp 2019 Tab 320 Bookdock Trailer, which has a gross dry weight of 1,848 pounds (well below the 3,500-pound Pilot published towing capacity). We tow the trailer dry, which is without water in the black, gray and fresh tanks. We do not load any items of significant weight in the trailer (two lightweight camp chairs, a 3-inch thick foam mattress topper and pillows). We have towed the trailer from Akron, Ohio, to Twentynine Palms, CA, in 2020 and to Glacier National Park, MT, in 2021. We have also towed it to several Ohio state parks. In the fall of 2021, the vehicle’s transmission began to exhibit unusual performance that manifested itself as gear shifting hesitation in the range of 1,500 – 2,000 RPMs. With that issue, we took it to Great Lakes Honda which changed the transmission fluid (Great Lakes did not flush the transmission) at 28,000 miles. On April 3, 2022, the transmission hesitation began again. I took it to Apple Tree Honda in Arden, NC, (we had moved to Waynesville, NC, in late 2021) on April 5, 2022, a technician found no error codes, but performed a transmission flush and fill.. My issue with this is that the transmission fluid should not degrade in 7,000 miles of normal driving, causing transmission malfunction. The vehicle does seem capable of towing a weight near the published owner's manual maximum of 3,500 pounds. With this interval, I am concerned that the Honda stated operational guidelines are false, and the vehicle’s transmission might continue to degrade as many other Honda Pilots’ transmissions have as reported by many owners. The Apple Tree Honda technician who worked on the Pilot, advised me to add an auxiliary automatic transmission cooler, which is necessary if towing more than 3500 lbs. Since the April service, I have not towed the trailer. I am fearful that the transmission will fail when I am towing the trailer.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate and then lunged forward. The contact sustained whiplash from the vehicle lunging forward abruptly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the independent mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.

1. WHEN ACCELERATING GRADUALLY ON THE 2018 HONDA PILOT TOURING AWD FROM COMPLETE STOP, THE CAR JERKS HARD AFTER THE CAR STARTS MOVING - PROBABLY FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR. THE CAR IS IN AUTOMATIC DRIVE MODE. 2.THE 2018 HONDA PILOT TOURING AWD TURNS OFF ENGINE UNEXPECTEDLY. WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO TRAFFIC, SOMETIMES THE CAR TURNS OFF THE ENGINE. THIS IS ESPECIALLY BAD WHEN ON A UPHILL AND IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, CAUSING PANIC. THE SUDDEN ENGINE STOPS ALSO HAPPEN OCCASIONALLY WHEN STOPPING TO SHIFT TO REVERSE INTO MY GARAGE- THIS CAUSES A DANGEROUS SITUATION AS CARS ARE COMING AND CAN GET INTO T-BONE COLLISION.

FIRST WHEN I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE NEW AFTER ONE MONTH A MESSAGE POPPED UP SAYING 'TRANSMISSION PROBLEM' ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE CAR ONLY HAD 2,000 MILES ON IT. I TOOK THE CAR TO HONDA DEALER. THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING AND SAID DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPED AND THEY WERE ABLE TO REMOVE THE MESSAGE WITHOUT DOING ANY REPAIR. NOW THE 2018 HONDA PILOT HAS 24,000 MILES ON IT , THE VEHICLE JERKS AND I FELT THE TRANSMISSION FLARED AND HARD SHIFT IN GEAR 2ND TO 3RD. IT DOES NOT FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR. IT KEEPS ON JERKING WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING AT 30 MILES OF HOUR.

TRANSMISSION JERKS, HESITATES AND/OR CLUNKS WHEN CHANGING AND/OR ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE TO NEXT HIGHER GEAR, HESITATES AND/OR REVERTS TO NEXT LOWER GEAR WHEN IT SHOULD SHIFT TO NEXT GEAR. THIS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING ON LEVEL SURFACES AND DOWN HILLS CAUSING PASSENGERS TO JERK FORWARDED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT EXPECTATION. HONDA DEALER KEPT VEHICLE FOR 2 DAYS AND DID NOT FIND ANY ISSUES. PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW IN APRIL 2018, HAD SAME PROBLEM SINCE WEEK #1. WHEN SHIFTING MANUALLY DOES NOT EXPERIENCE HESITATION OR GEAR HUNTING BUT CLANKING STILL EXISTS. THESE EVENTS HAPPEN REGARDLESS OF ROAD SURFACE TYPE, SPEED OR INCLINE OF ROAD. I NOTICED A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK AT THE TRANSMISSION GASKET DURING 1ST OIL CHANGE AT 7500 MILES, UNDECIDES TO , (I.E., FROM PARK TO / FROM DRIVE; INTO/OUT