UsedScore

2025 Honda Pilot: Too new to judge

The 2025 Honda Pilot has been on the road for 23 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 201 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 5.6× the rate other Pilot years drew in their first 23 months, per vehicle sold.

The biggest problem area, counting serious complaints more, is driver-assistance features and cameras (32% of complaints, median 3,000 miles).

Complaint index
5.6×
partial: first 23 months
Rank
Not ranked
rated after five years
Complaints
201
in 23 months so far
Recalls
4
campaigns
4th generation, 2023–today · Updated September 24, 2026 · How we rate
2023 Honda Pilot Touring

Photo: 2023 Honda Pilot Touring · Kevauto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Problem areas

Ranked by severity-weighted complaints · share · median miles
  1. Driver assistance32% · 64 complaints · median 3,000 miles
  2. Brakes16% · 32 complaints
  3. Electrical21% · 43 complaints · median 16,000 miles
  4. Steering19% · 38 complaints
  5. Engine15% · 30 complaints
  6. Powertrain10% · 20 complaints
  7. Speed control7% · 15 complaints
  8. Fuel and propulsion7% · 15 complaints
  9. Air bags2% · 5 complaints
  10. Seats and belts6% · 12 complaints

Bars rank problem areas by complaints weighted for severity (crashes, fires, injuries and deaths count more). A complaint can name more than one area. Mileage is reported on about half of complaints.

What owners describe

Brakes

Owners of the 2025 Honda Pilot describe two recurring brake issues: automatic emergency braking activating with no obstacle present, and in some cases the brakes failing to stop the vehicle when the pedal was pressed. Several say dealers struggled to find a cause, and a few mention a recall related to the brake pedal assembly.

Warning signs:
Many report sudden warning messages for brake, steering, or stability systems, dashboard alerts like "DO NOT DRIVE," unusual noises, or no warning at all before the event.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not reproduce or diagnose the issue, though some replaced brake pedal parts, recalibrated wheel sensors, or lubricated brake hardware with mixed results.

“Upon driving into the space .. I pressed my brakes down for the car to stop. It did not stop. The car kept going/rolling”

Driver assistance

Owners of this Pilot report that adaptive cruise control and automatic braking features can suddenly disengage or slam the brakes for no apparent reason, sometimes at highway speed. Dealers frequently cannot reproduce or permanently fix the issue, leaving some owners uneasy about relying on the safety systems.

Warning signs:
Owners often see dashboard messages like "clean sensor," brake or ACC warnings, or multiple safety-system alerts, sometimes with no warning at all before sudden hard braking.
What shops did:
Dealers have realigned or replaced radar/camera components, adjusted sensitivity, replaced batteries or sensors, or told owners no fix exists, often unable to duplicate the problem.
Mileage:
most between 0 and 20,000 miles, among 5 complaints that give it

“Adaptive cruise control fails nearly every time the car is driven more than 40 minutes with ACC activated.”

“The cruise control quits intermittently while driving. It has since November 2024. The Honda Dealer says they do not have a fix.”

Electrical

Owners of the 2025 Honda Pilot report electrical failures ranging from sudden stalling and power steering loss to unexpected automatic braking and dashboard warning lights. Many describe the issue as intermittent, occurring without warning, and difficult for dealers to diagnose or repair.

Warning signs:
Owners noticed multiple dashboard warning lights, a stiff or locked steering wheel, sudden stalling or shutdown, or unexpected automatic braking before the failure.
What shops did:
Dealers often could not duplicate or diagnose the issue, sometimes applied software updates, replaced batteries, control modules, or steering components, or found no error codes.
Mileage:
most between 0 and 25,000 miles, among 7 complaints that give it

“when we slowed to about 5 mph the car shut off completely. No electrical power and the car would not re-start.”

“Driving approximately 5mph, released the accelerator to begin pulling into a parking spot and the power steering failed.”

Summaries are written with AI from the owner complaints shown on NHTSA's site and checked against them; quotes are word for word.

Recalls (4)

Check a VIN on NHTSA ›
  • NHTSA 25V391000June 2025259,033 vehicles

    Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."

    Risk: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.

    Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 25V056000February 20251,494 vehicles

    Seat belts: rear/other

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The third-row passenger seat belt assembly may not function, due to incorrect routing that traps the seat belt behind the passenger side panel. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

    Risk: A non-functioning seat belt cannot properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

    Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the seat belt routing as necessary, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 25V031000January 2025294,612 vehicles

    Electrical system: software · Fuel system, gasoline: fuel injection system

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Acura MDX Type-S, 2023-2025 Honda Pilot, and 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type-S vehicles. A software error in the fuel injection electronic control unit (FI-ECU) may cause an engine stall or a loss of power.

    Risk: An engine stall or loss of power can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

    Fix: Dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge.

  • NHTSA 24V900000November 2024205,760 vehicles

    Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Passport and 2023-2025 Pilot vehicles. The fuel filler neck tube and fuel filler pipe may separate, allowing fuel to leak.

    Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.

    Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the fuel filler neck tube and pipe as necessary, free of charge.

A recall only helps if the repair was done. Enter the vehicle's 17-character VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup before you buy.

Service bulletins

Honda sent NHTSA 35 service bulletins and other notices to dealers covering the 2025 Pilot. These are repair instructions, not recalls. Warranty extensions and bulletins about its top problem areas:

  • A26-030 · September 2026The driver-information interface may display a warning message when a malfunction in the Auto Idle Stop System is detected due to possible insufficient wire length at the Battery Management System…
  • A30149 · February 2026Over The Air - This update contains various performance enhancements and UI improvements.
  • ATI&10032025903 · October 2025Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • A25-073 · August 2025When the vehicle is put into reverse, the rear camera may display a black and white image.
  • ATI&04152025902 · April 2025Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&04012025904 · April 2025Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&03032025903 · March 2025Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
  • ATI&01292025907 · January 2025Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

All 2025 Pilot bulletins on NHTSA ›

Questions owners ask

Is the 2025 Honda Pilot reliable?
The 2025 Honda Pilot has been on the road for 23 months, short of the five years we need to rate it. Owners have filed 201 complaints with NHTSA so far. That's 5.6× the rate other Pilot years drew in their first 23 months, per vehicle sold. Ratings compare Pilot years with each other using complaints filed with NHTSA; they don't measure every problem owners have.
What are the most common 2025 Pilot problems?
Owners' complaints most often involve driver-assistance features and cameras (32%), the brakes (16%) and the electrical system (21%). A complaint can name more than one area.
Has the 2025 Honda Pilot been recalled?
Yes. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2025 Honda Pilot, the most recent in June 2025 (service brakes, hydraulic). Enter the vehicle's VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to see whether the repairs were done.

Sources

Owner complaints, recalls and manufacturer communications from NHTSA's public data files, as of September 24, 2026. Complaints are counted once each, over the model year's first 60 months on the road. UsedScore is not affiliated with NHTSA or Honda. The 2025 Honda Pilot on NHTSA.gov · How we rate