2020 Honda Pilot ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,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
Every week or two, sometimes multiple times in same week, the 2020 honda pilot would turn on randomly in accessory mode where headlights would come on and/or infotainment/radio would come up, or alarm/horns would go on by themselves. Often in the middle of the night when car was in a garage. Sometimes during the day. New vechicle battery was replaced 2 months earlier. Batterries in key fobs were replace but issue continued. Honda dealership diagnosed it as keyless access unit letting voltage through transistor waking ignition switch and recommended replacement of keyless access unit. 2020 pilot was 4 years old with 55,832 miles. Appears to be a common issue/complaint on online forums with replacement of remote keyless access control unit. Dealership replaced unit 19 days ago.
While stopped at a red traffic light after taking a freeway exit with one foot on the brake, my 2020 Honda Pilot engaged in auto stop (auto idle stop). When the traffic light turned green, I took my foot off of the brake, the vehicle attempted to start but stalled with the electrical components still on (dashboard indicators and ventilation still on). I stepped on the brake and attempted to put the vehicle in park, but noticed the vehicle would not shift out of neutral. I pressed the start/stop button (ignition) and the dashboard indicators flashed but the engine did not start until the second attempt. Somewhere in between, I pressed the emergency lights to indicate to drivers behind me of an issue. About 15-20 seconds had lapsed during my troubleshooting attempt. Prior to this event, there were at least 8 individual events where when the auto start/stop was engaged and disengaged, the dashboard would flash warning signals for a fraction of a second with an audible warning sound. Dashboard warnings flashed on and off too quickly to clearly see what was being displayed. A short delay in restarting the vehicle from idle stop would occur, about 1-2 seconds but the car would then proceed and run as usual.
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. I was at an intersection at 10:30pm and it was extremely dangerous as my car would not start and was completely black. I could not even turn on hazards or put the car in nuetral to move out of the way. I had to call 911 and have the police assist. My car was towed to the dealership and I am waiting for an update. This will be the 4th time I have had my vehicle there for service for an electrical issue.
The infotainment screen in the vehicle which includes the backup camera display, navigation, radio, Bluetooth and other important vehicle functions and settings, shuts down and reboots in a continuous loop and sometimes turns off (blank screen) completely. This results in a backup camera function that is no longer useable as the screen does not/cannot display the camera image behind the vehicle. This is an SUV with a large rear blind spot that cannot be viewed simply by turning your head especially if there are short/small objects below the view of the rear glass. The other functions that rely on the screen also do not work and this constant rebooting/flashing is very distracting to the driver. There are also strange noises emanating from the sound system regardless of whether the system is on or off. This appears to be a widespread problem with this vehicle that still does not have a permanent solution. Several repair attempts by the OEM have not fixed this issue.
My vehicle was recalled twice before 2,500 miles for wiring harness connector issues (snapping, popping, crackling). I was told I could lose visibility with all dash functions, navigation, radio, etc. After the first and second recall service fix I continued to experience the same symptoms. I opened a case with Honda in June, 2021, and notified my local dealer. The Honda case number is 12314702. I have heard nothing from either Honda and my local dealer, and I am concerned nothing is being done on this issue and I will lose visibility of my dash at some point, putting myself and family in danger.
THE INFOTAINMENT UNIT IS CONSISTENTLY SHUTTING DOWN. THIS INCLUDES THE NAVIGATION, TV, RADIO AND BACKUP CAMERA. THIS HAPPENS WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION.
RANDOM POPPING NOISE, LIKE SOUND OF SMALL ROCKS HITTING WINDSCREEN. OCCASIONALLY THE DISPLAY WHERE SPEEDOMETER IS GOES OUT. AUDIO PROBLEMS WITH RANDOM VOLUME ISSUES. POPPING NOISE OCCURS WHETHER AUDIO SYSTEM IS ON OR OFF. NOTICE IT MORE WHILE IN MOTION AND GOING OVER BUMPY ROAD. BEEN TO DEALER 5 TIMES AND REPLACED WIRING, AMP, HEAD UNIT, AND STILL HAVE ISSUE.
WHILE DRIVING WE NOTICED WHAT SOUNDED LIKE SMALL ROCKS HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. AS WE DROVE THE CAR MORE THE CRACKLING/POPPING NOISE GREW WITH FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY. NOW EVERY TIME WE DRIVE WE HEAR INTERMITTENT CRACKLING/POPPING NOISES. AT TIMES IT IS VERY LOUD AND CONSTANT. IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH THE WINDSHIELD IS CRACKING OR GOING TO CRACK. WHEN I PARK THE CAR AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF THE CRACKLING/POPPING NOISE IS STILL HEARD. I AM WORRIED THAT THIS PROBLEM WITH PROGRESS AND WE MAY GET INSTRUMENTATION BLACKOUTS LIKE OTHERS HAVE GOTTEN.
WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 75 MPH THE SPEAKERS MADE A TERRIBLE POPPING EVEN THOUGHT THE AUDIO SYSTEM WAS OFF AND THEN ENTIRE DASH SCREEN WITH THE SPEEDOMETER WENT OUT AND REBOOTED SO I HAD NO IDEA WHAT SPEED I WAS GOING FOR 10 SECONDS. . WE HAD CRUISE CONTROL ON AND THE WHOLE SYSTEM WENT HAYWIRE. IT WAS BEYOND SCARY. THE CAR DOESN'T FEEL SAFE TO DRIVE.
WHILE DRIVING THE DASH DISPLAY BLACKS OUT INTERMITTENTLY IN ADDITION TO A CONSTANT POPPING/CRACKING SOUNDS FROM THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE 2019-21 HONDA PILOTS IN ALL TRIM MODELS EXCEPT LX. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAS ISSUED THE SERVICE TICKET TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED BUT ARE ON A PARTS BACK ORDER UNTIL THE END OF SEPTEMBER. RECOMMENDED SOLUTION IS TO INSTALL/REPLACE THE FAKRA CONNECTOR SET AND MOST SERVICE CORDS ASSOCIATED THE MOST BUS NETWORK.
DRIVING VEHICLE CRACKING SOUND COMING FROM WINDSHIELD AND RADIO HAS STATIC . DRIVE ON SMOOTH ROAD DOES NOT DO IT .IT DOES IT WHEN HITTING BUMPS OR GOING UP CURBS .CAR WAS TAKEN TO DEALER 8 25 2020 PICKED IT UP TODAY 8 26 2020 DROVE IT HOME PULLED UP IN DRIVEWAY STARTED CRACKING TURNED AROUND BROUGHT IT BACK .SERVICE DEPT SAID THEY KNOW ITS A PROBLEM SERVICE CHIEF TECH SAID SOMETHING ABOUT WIRING ISSUE.
MY INFOTAINMENT CENTER AND DASHBOARD SPEEDOMETER HAVE BEEN GOING OUT FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS WHILE I DRIVE. LOOKING ONLINE THIS WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE 2019 MODELS AND NO SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM WAS MADE. I WAS NOT INFORMED WHEN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THAT THESE ISSUES EXISTED AND WHEN TAKING IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP NO LONG TERM FIX TO THE PROBLEM IS OFFERED. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FOR THE NAVIGATION AND DVD OPTIONS THAT I NOW AM NOW ABLE TO USE YET I STILL PAY THE PAYMENT FOR THEM. TO ME HONDA IS NEGLIGENT BECAUSE THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM YET THEY HAVE NOT FIXED IT WHEN I CALL ABOUT DOING ANYTHING TO IT I AM TOLD THEY HAVE TO EXPERIENCE THE PROBLEM WHILE DRIVING IT WHICH COULD TAKE SECONDS OR IT COULD TAKE A WEEK THEN THEY OFFER NO TIME TABLE ON HOW LONG IT WILL TAKE TO FIX IT. THEY ALSO DO NOT OFFER A COURTESY VEHICLE WHILE THEY FIX THE DEFECT. NO RECALLS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM EITHER THIS PROBLEM CAN OCCUR ON ANY TYPE OF ROAD AT ANY TIME DRIVING OR PARKED. THE LAST TIME IT WAS ON WAS 7/12/2020 AND IT HAS BEEN OFF SINCE
ISSUE #1 : I WAS DRIVING IN HIGHWAY WITH GARMIN NAVIGATION TURNED ON, THE DISPLAY REBOOTS WITH AN ERROR "NETWORK CONNECTION LOST". ISSUE #2: WHILE CONNECTING MY IPHONE WITH GOOGLE NAVIGATION, THE DISPLAY GETS STUCK AND REBOOTS AGAIN. SERIOUS ISSUE WHILE DRIVING THIS CAR WITH NAVIGATION ON. ISSUE #2: REAR CAMERA SOMETIMES DOESN'T SHOW UP OR THERE IS A DELAY WHEN GEAR IS SWITCHED TO REVERSE. ISSUE #3: WHEN A USB IS CONNECTED TO PLAY AUDIO/VIDEO, THE DISPLAY FREEZES AFTER SOMETIME AND REBOOTS AUTOMATICALLY. SIMILAR ISSUE WITH BLUE RAY DVD.
I DRIVE AN 2020 HONDA PILOT ELITE. AFTER 6 MONTHS OF DRIVING THE CAR THE WINDSHIELD HAS STARTED MAKING NOISES. IT WOUNDS LIKE THE WINDSHIELD JUST SHATTERED OR IS SHATTERING. THE NEXT SOUND IS LIKE A THOUSAND SMALL PEDDLES HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. WHEN THE NOISE FIRST HAPPENED IT ALMOST MADE ME WRECK BECAUSE I THOUGHT SOMEONE THREW SOMETHING INTO THE WINDSHIELD. THIS HAPPENS WHEN YOU ARE DRIVING IN MOTION. I HAVE CONTACTED HONDA USA TWICE AND THE CAR HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER TWICE. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAS BEEN REPAIRED OR FIXED OR DONE TO TAKE CARE OF THIS ISSUE. I HAVE NOTICED OTHER
AS PER OTHER DRIVERS OF 2019 PILOTS AND ODYSSEYS, THE SCREENS ON MY NEW 2020 VEHICLE HAVE GONE OUT, WHILE DRIVING, RENDERING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE VEHICLE, INCLUDING SPEED, WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION. DASHBOARD REBOOTS SEVERAL TIMES WHILE DRIVING. BACKUP CAMERA IS NOT ABLE TO BE UTILIZED DURING THESE EVENTS. WHILE NOT AS DANGEROUS, SPEAKERS EMIT A LOUD CRACKLING NOISE AND NO ENTERTAINMENT OR NAVIGATION SYSTEMS ARE ABLE TO BE USED (INCLUDING REAR ENTERTAINMENT CENTER).
PROBLEMS WITH THE COMPUTERS INCLUDING DASH BOARD INFORMATION AND INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM. PREVIOUSLY HEARD "POPPING NOISES" AND HAD INTERMITTENT BLACK OUTS. I WENT TO START MY VEHICLE AFTER WORK AND BOTH SCREENS WERE BLACK AND WOULD NOT COME ON. THIS MEANS ALL FUNCTIONS OF THESE TWO SCREENS ABSENT; I HAD NO SPEEDOMETER, NO ODOMETER, NO LANE MITIGATION, NO SENSOR BRAKING, NO CRUISE, NO RADIO, NO BLUE TOOTH, NO GPS, NO MAINTENANCE LIGHTS'ETC. I HAD A GAS GAUGE AND A H/C GAUGE THAT DID FUNCTION. *TR
I BOUGHT THIS 2020 HONDA PILOT TOURING OCT 2019. I NOTICED THE POPPING IN THE SPEAKERS AFTER HAVING THE CAR A MONTH MAYBE. I ALSO NOTICED DVD ISSUES AND CONNECTION PROBLEMS. EVERY SINGLE TIME I GET IN MY CAR I HEAR POPPING NOISES THROUGHOUT THE SPEAKERS. OCCASIONALLY I HAVE "LOST NETWORK CONNECTION" AND ONCE MY WHOLE DASH/SPEEDOMETER WENT BLACK. IT ONLY CAME BACK ON 3 DAYS LATER WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. LEITH HONDA IN SOUTHERN PINES/ABERDEEN, NC ACTED "SURPRISED" WITH THESE ISSUES. THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN A SPEEDOMETER GO OUT. I DON'T BELIEVE THEM. I'VE HEARD ONE OF THE DOCTORS IN THE AREA RAISED CANE IN THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY REPLACED HIS HONDA PILOT WITH A NEW ONE. THIS POPPING IN THE SPEAKERS, DVD ISSUES, AND OTHER MAJOR ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ARE VERY DISTRACTING AND THEREFORE DANGEROUS. I HAVE VIDEOS OF THE POPPING AND PICTURES OF EVERYTHING ELSE. UNFORTUNATELY THE VIDEOS WILL NOT UPLOAD TO THIS SAFETY COMPLAINT. EVIDENTLY THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2017ISH. I WOULD HAVE NEVER PURCHASED THIS PILOT IF I'D KNOWN THERE WERE ELECTRICAL ISSUES!!!! WORSE $41,000 CASH I HAVE EVER SPENT! SHAME ON HONDA FOR NOT CORRECTING THE PROBLEM AND CONTINUING TO SELL PROBLEM AUTOMOBILES TO CUSTOMERS! PLEASE CONSIDER THESE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AS A DANGER. WE NEED OUR AUTOMOBILES REPAIRED BY HONDA BEFORE SOMETHING TERRIBLE HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAYS! *TR
AS I WAS DRIVING THE INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM STARTED CRACKLING AND THEN THE MIDDLE CONSOLE WENT BLACK INCLUDINV MY DASH MIDDLE WITH THE SPEEDOMETER NOT KNOWING HOW FAST I WAS GOING ALL INFO WENT BLANK AND IT KEPT HAPPENINV
AFTER HAVING KNOWN RECALL ISSUE REPAIRED, ELECTRICAL/SOUND SYSTEM STILL CONTINUES WITH AGGRESSIVELY LOUD CRACKING AND POPPING NOISES. THE NOISES AT TIMES ARE OUT OF THE BLUE, CAUSING THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS TO BE STARTLED. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WILL FREEZE UP AND BLUE TOOTH/VOICE ACTIVATED FEATURES WILL STOP FUNCTIONING. THESE ISSUES OCCUR WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING OR STATIONARY. NO IMPROVEMENT AFTER THE RECALL REPROGRAMMING WAS COMPLETED DESPITE BEING TOLD BY THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN IT WOULD RESOLVE THE ISSUE.
DISPLAY AUDIO/INFORMATION SCREEN BECAME HOT WHILE DRIVING AND SCREEN MALFUNCTIONED WHILE USING APPLE CARPLAY WITH IPHONE PLUGGED IN VIA USB CORD. DISPLAY SCREEN RUNS WARM WHILE PHONE IS DISCONNECTED. DISPLAY SCREEN DOES NOT TURN OFF AFTER TUNING OFF THE ENGINE AND THE LIGHTS DIM. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED CONCURRENTLY WHILE DRIVING IN RAIN, THE GAS LIGHT ALARMING, AND CARPLAY RUNNING AUDIOBOOKS. THE AUDIO/INFORMATION SCREEN LOST FM RADIO, BLUETOOTH, CARPLAY, BACK-UP CAMERA, AND HANDS-FREE CAPABILITIES.
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Quick Summary
The 2020 Honda Pilot has 20 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.