AutoUtility currently tracks 436 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2018 Honda Pilot. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 135 complaints (31% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 9 filings cite a crash, 2 cite a fire, 8 report one or more injuries.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 436 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Engine & Cooling (135 reports • 31% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Fuel & Propulsion System (124), Electrical System (85)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 9 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 2 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 8 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2018 Honda Pilot
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Engine & Cooling
NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #23V751000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:HARD PARTS INTERNAL/MECHANICAL
- Campaign #19V298000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
Fuel & Propulsion System
NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #23V858000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
- Campaign #19V298000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
Electrical System
Powertrain & Transmission
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Honda Pilot
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
Loss of Motive Power While Driving
Engine Stalling / Sudden Shutdown
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Honda Pilot
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"The vehicle started to make some strange noises coming from the engine area. I brought the vehicle to our mechanic, who stated that the engine needs to be replaced. He described the problem as an issue with the piston that is appearing to be common with the shut off system, causing it in this..."
"Failed Component: Lane Departure System Camera - Honda (P/N 36160-TG8-A51). This camera has completely failed which completely shuts down the following safety systems in this Honda Pilot: Adaptive Cruise Control Forward Collision Warning Lane Departure Warning Lane Keeping Assistance It also fully..."
"When I press down on the gas, the car is delayed in responding. This has gotten increasingly worse, at times resulting in near collisions with on-coming traffic. I've reported this to my local dealership (Priority Honda in Chesapeake, Virginia) but they continue to tell me there are no diagnostic..."
"Vehicle was being driven on the interstate going 70-77 mph. First noticed faint knocking sound and loss of ability to accelerate followed by check engine light and multiple system failure notifications. Pulled over on the highway between exits and turned vehicle off to call for assistance. Turned..."
"We were driving from [XXX], to [XXX], on XXX. That morning we'd taken the Honda Pilot in to Xpresso Lube and got an oil change and all fluids checked out. Eight hours into the drive we heard a little clanking and started to pull off the freeway. As we did so, a Low Oil Pressure light came on for a..."
Complaint History for Honda Pilot
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Honda Pilot | 108 | 7 | 4 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Honda Pilot | 1688 | 23 | 8 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Honda Pilot | 913 | 9 | 4 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Honda Pilot Current Page | 436 | 9 | 7 | Current |
| 2019 Honda Pilot | 886 | 13 | 13 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Honda Pilot | 480 | 10 | 11 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Honda Pilot | 423 | 12 | 10 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Honda Pilot | 147 | 7 | 5 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Honda Pilot | 134 | 3 | 5 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Honda Pilot | 109 | 2 | 6 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Honda Pilot | 190 | 11 | 4 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Honda Pilot | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2026 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2018 Honda Pilot
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 79 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 68 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 37 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 33 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,POWER TRAIN | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,STRUCTURE,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Warning NHTSA category: LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEATS,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ENGINE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (4)
Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
Engine failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 414 reports of connecting rod bearing failures in the 3.5L V6 engine used in the following vehicles: Model Years (MY) 2018-2020 Acura TLX, MY2016-2020 Acura MDX, MY2016-2020 Honda Pilot, MY2018-2020 Honda Odyssey, and MY2017-2019 Honda Ridgeline. The subject engine failures were analyzed as part of a Recall Query (RQ24013). It was determined that these engine failures are outside the scop...
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
On June 3, 2022, the Oï¬ce of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several ï¬eld reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traï¬c light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine wit...
Engine failure
On November 8, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ24013 to assess the scope of Honda recall 23V-751 after receiving complaints that alleged connecting rod bearing failures in vehicles that were not within the scope of recall 23V-751. In November 2023, Honda recalled 248,999 various Model Year (MY)2016â2020 Honda and Acura vehicles equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine. Honda recalled these vehicles due to a cranksh...
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
On June 3, 2022, the Oï¬ce of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several ï¬eld reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traï¬c light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine wit...
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.