2020 Honda Pilot: problems, recalls and reliability
11 recalls and 476 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (33% of complaints); the 2022 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 12 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Jun 2026
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 476 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Full brake system, Emissions System problem, and Service System malfunctioning, out of the blue. Factory Reset and System Updated performed with no improvement.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2026
“Engine start/stop function fails to restart after automatically shutting off at a light or in traffic. It falters and fails to start, then the dashboard lights up with errors, and I have to put it into park before restarting. Sometimes it takes a few tries before restarting. The battery has been replaced twice in the last year and the starter motor within the last year too, but the issue persists.”Owner report · Engine · Jul 2026
“When the vehicle is at a stoplight or stop sign, the engine regularly shuts off. The engine does not automatically restart and sometimes it takes several minutes to restart the engine, leaving the car blocking traffic at a light. This happens REPEATEDLY and often.”Owner report · Engine · Jul 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who examined the engine and discovered metal shavings inside the oil pan and there was engine rod bearing damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed of NHTSA Action Number: PE25008 (ENGINE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the NHTSA Action Number. The failure mileage was 46,500.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2026
“Lots of crackling noises via the audio system. Display reboots itself many times before it finally went BLANK. Radio / DVD DEAD. Blind Spot warnings DEAD. Back up camera DEAD. Navigation DEAD. Eventually the battery goes DEAD and the car will not start. Got Stranded a few times. Changed the battery. But hopeless and reliability is DEAD. Definitely disappointed with HONDA.”Owner report · Lane Departure · Jun 2026
“Engine Auto off/ on when stopped for signal light. Routinely, when stopped at a light, the engine will fail to turn back on and the car will go off but will not turn itself completely off. This leads to a delay for the engine clicks into neutral and in order to restart, I must turn the vehicle completely off and then restart. This issue occurs when I release the brake to begin my acceleration after the light turns green. And the vehicle stalls so that the traffic behind me which was prepared to move forward is stuck. The amount of time it takes to get the vehicle turned completely off and back on generally takes much of the light change time.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2026
“The vehicle suddenly made audible and visual warnings stating critical error. All of the safety features handled by the forward-facing multipurpose camera stopped working. Honda stated the camera has failed (common issue based on research), and is a costly repair. Vehicle less than 6 years old, all maintenance completed timely by Honda, mileage 81k”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Jun 2026
“Warning lights for Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Mitigation, Road Departure, and Auto High Beam all came on simultaneously. From reading several Pilot forums, this seems to be very widespread and dealerships want anywhere between 1500 and 1900 to replace and calibrate the camera system which controls these functions. If it's widespread, the vehicles should be recalled.”Owner report · Forward Collision Avoidance · Jun 2026
“The contact owns a 2020 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with failures of 4 of the 6 fuel injectors. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.”Owner report · Engine · May 2026
“First of, there are a LOT of Honda Pilot owners online who have the same exact complaints in honda forums and social media. Windshield Lane Keep Assist camera is malfunctioning. Adaptive cruise control, Emissions systems, Road departure system, Auto high beam problem, Lane keeping assist, Collision mitigation system warning lights all come on. No previous warnings or failures prior. This started out of the blue and has been happening everyday for a few months now. This malfunction puts driver and passengers at risk.”Owner report · Lane Departure · May 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 10 of these complaints and injuries in 13 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 11 campaigns
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Pilot and 2019 Passport vehicles. The front frame left and right side upper members may not have been welded completely to the unibody. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" and 219, "Windshield Zone Intrusion."
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicle for missing welds, free of charge. If the vehicle is identified as missing welds, the dealer will offer to repurchase the vehicle or provide a similar replacement vehicle. Owner notification began November 6 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is X6J.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2020-2022 Passport and Odyssey vehicles. The heating pads behind both side-view mirrors may not be bonded properly, allowing the mirror glass to detach. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will replace both left and right side-view mirrors, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 17, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FE5.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Passport and Pilot vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four tires and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 22, 2021. Owners may contact American Honda Motor Co. customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is UA2.
American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will replace the MOST cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EEL, ZEM, and SFC.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Pilot, 2019-2020 Odyssey and 2019-2020 Passport vehicles. Incorrect central network software programming may cause several errors to occur that can delay or prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Remedy: Honda will notify owners that updated software is available. Owners have the option to either follow the mailed instructions to download and update the software for free, or visit a dealer to have the software update performed, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is Y7Y.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019-2020 Passport, and 2019-2021 Pilot vehicles. Incorrect instrument panel control module software can cause the instrument panel to not display critical information, such as engine oil pressure, speedometer, and gear selector position until the next ignition cycle. Additionally, it can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument panel control module software, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is T89.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XHP and VHQ.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020 Passport and Pilot vehicles. The certification label may have been printed with ink that can be wiped away with a solvent, removing the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) and Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) information.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the certification label, free of charge. The recall began March 24, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is B6T.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
How other years compare
Check your exact Pilot by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Honda Pilot reliable?
NHTSA has 476 owner complaints and 11 recall campaigns on record for the 2020 Honda Pilot. The most complained-about area is electrical system (33% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2020 Honda Pilot problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 5,500 miles or less.
Does the 2020 Honda Pilot have open recalls?
11 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning structure:body. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.