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Total NHTSA Complaints
423
Owner filings recorded
#1 Reported Problem
Electrical System
124 reports (29.3%)
Crash Incident Reports
12
Filings citing a crash
Fire & Injury Reports
8
1 fire • 7 injury filings
Defect Investigation Analysis

Executive Problem Findings

AutoUtility currently tracks 423 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2021 Honda Pilot. Electrical System issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 124 complaints (29.3% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 12 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 7 report one or more injuries.

Methodology Notice: Consumer complaints are unverified voluntary submissions to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Filings are not normalized for sales volume or vehicle mileage and do not constitute an audited component failure rate.
Incident & Severity Profile
  • • Total Owner Reports: 423 complaints submitted under federal penalty.
  • • Primary Subsystem: Electrical System accounts for 29.3% of submissions (124 reports).
  • • Secondary Systems: Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (123), Engine & Cooling (95).
  • • Crash Incidents: 12 filings cite an impact or collision.
  • • Thermal Incidents: 1 filings cite smoke or fire.
  • • Reported Casualties: 7 injury filings • 0 fatality filings.
Category Distribution

Reported Defect Categories for 2021 Honda Pilot

Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records

Electrical System
124
29.3%
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech
123
29.1%
Engine & Cooling
95
22.5%
Visibility, Wipers & Glass
30
7.1%
Air Bags & Restraints
30
7.1%
#1 29.3% SHARE

Electrical System

124 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 1 Crash 🔥 1 Fire 🩹 1 Injury
⚠️ 1 Associated Recall Campaign
#2 29.1% SHARE

Driver Assistance & Safety Tech

123 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

⚠️ 8 Crash 🩹 2 Injury
⚠️ 2 Associated Recall Campaigns
#3 22.5% SHARE

Engine & Cooling

95 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

✓ 0 Incidents
#4 7.1% SHARE

Visibility, Wipers & Glass

30 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.

✓ 0 Incidents
⚠️ 1 Associated Recall Campaign
Federal Oversight

Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)

Formal engineering analyses and preliminary evaluations opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

ODI Action #EA25004 OPEN Engineering Analysis (EA)
Opened: 2025-03-26 • Active
Subject / Subsystem
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
Affected Component
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:CRANK/CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR
Recall Linkage
No direct recall linkage
On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field 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 traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.NHTSA has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Consumer Filings

Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2021 Honda Pilot

Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Engine & Cooling ODI #11760139
Filed: 08/27/2026
Defect Report

"My 2021 Honda Pilot has repeatedly failed to restart after the Auto Idle Stop system shuts the engine off while the vehicle is stopped. When the system activates, the engine can fail to restart when I need to move, leaving the vehicle stalled in active traffic. This has happened multiple times and..."

Incident Date: 05/01/2026 NHTSA Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE
Electrical System ODI #11759921
Filed: 08/27/2026
Defect Report

"On at least 5 occasions this vehicle has gone completely dead as slowing down to stop or being completely stopped. Nothing electrical is available. No tail lights, headlights, or emergency flashers. After a long waiting period it has suddenly re-energized so far. This was purchased as Certified..."

Incident Date: 08/14/2026 NHTSA Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Engine & Cooling ODI #11759044
Filed: 08/24/2026
Defect Report

"Was driving vehicle and all of a sudden engine light pops up with no driver codes and the left side of engine starts knocking. I pull into the closest shop. They test a vehicle misfire in cylinder 5 and propose vehicle gets towed to dealership to look at codes. I tow vehicle to dealership for them..."

Incident Date: 08/11/2026 NHTSA Component: ENGINE
Driver Assistance & Safety Tech ODI #11759025
Filed: 08/24/2026
Defect Report

"The infotainment system and rearview backup camera malfunction continually. While driving or attempting to reverse, the infotainment system frequently shuts off entirely and loses its fiber optic network connection. When it attempts to reboot and turn back on, loud popping and crackling noises emit..."

Incident Date: 08/23/2026 NHTSA Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION
Engine & Cooling ODI #11758473
Filed: 08/21/2026
Defect Report

"The vehicle won't start, electrical system failure. Sometimes the electrical system fails when the car is driving/it will stall on the road. It was predicated by the alarm going off intermittently and without provocation (in the middle of the night/etc)."

Incident Date: 01/07/2026 NHTSA Component: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE
Multi-Year Trend

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 436 9 7 View 2018 Problems →
2019 Honda Pilot 886 13 13 View 2019 Problems →
2020 Honda Pilot 480 10 11 View 2020 Problems →
2021 Honda Pilot Current Page 423 12 10 Current
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 →
Exhaustive System Audit

Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2021 Honda Pilot

Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 87 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications

Vehicle Component / System Total Complaints Crash Reports Fire Reports Injury Entries Fatality Entries
Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 40 0 0 0 0
Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER 40 0 0 0 0
Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE 37 0 0 0 0
Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 30 1 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 24 0 0 0 0
Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS 22 1 0 1 0
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 19 0 0 0 0
Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER 16 0 0 0 0
Tires NHTSA category: TIRES 13 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 11 1 0 0 0
Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN 9 1 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 8 0 0 0 0
LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 8 0 0 0 0
Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY 8 0 0 0 0
Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION 7 1 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE 7 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION 6 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 6 0 0 0 0
Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5 0 1 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 5 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 4 1 0 0 0
Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS 4 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 3 0 0 0 0
Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 3 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 1 0 1 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES 3 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 0 0 0 0
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 2 0 0 0 0
Lane Departure Warning NHTSA category: LANE DEPARTURE 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE 2 0 0 0 0
Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE 2 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 2 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 1 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 1 0 0 0
AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES 1 1 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS 1 0 0 1 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SEATS 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,WHEELS,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Equipment & Accessories NHTSA category: EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 0 0 0 0
OTHER/I AM NOT SURE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,EQUIPMENT 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 1 1 0 2 0
SERVICE BRAKES,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Steering NHTSA category: STEERING 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,SUSPENSION 1 0 0 0 0
STEERING,VISIBILITY 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,ENGINE 1 0 0 0 0
SUSPENSION,SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,AIR BAGS 1 1 0 1 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE 1 0 0 0 0
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 1 0 0 0 0
VISIBILITY/WIPER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 0 0 0 0
Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS 1 0 0 0 0
Related Workstations

Related Official Reports for 2021 Honda Pilot

Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year

← 2021 Honda Pilot Overview

Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.

2021 Honda Pilot Safety Recalls (10) →

Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.

2021 Honda Pilot Safety Ratings →

NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.

2021 Honda Pilot MPG & Range →

EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Search Intelligence

Quick Answers: Common Problems & Reliability Questions for the 2021 Honda Pilot

Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2021 Honda Pilot

What are the most common reported problems with the 2021 Honda Pilot?

In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2021 Honda Pilot is Electrical System, appearing in 124 records (29.3% of submitted filings).

Secondary reported categories include Driver Assistance & Safety Tech (123) and Engine & Cooling (95).

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Is the 2021 Honda Pilot a reliable vehicle?

AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 423 consumer defect complaints and 10 safety recall campaigns for the 2021 Honda Pilot.

Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.

Cross-reference official safety recall campaigns →
Source: NHTSA ODI & Safety Recalls Databases

Are there crash, fire, or injury reports associated with the 2021 Honda Pilot?

Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda Pilot, 12 filings cite a crash, 1 cite smoke or fire, and 7 report one or more injuries.

Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Consumer Logs

Has NHTSA formally investigated defects on the 2021 Honda Pilot?

NHTSA ODI records list 1 formal defect investigation involving the 2021 Honda Pilot (1 currently open).

Federal defect investigations are formal engineering evaluations opened when safety defect trends emerge, and do not by themselves establish a confirmed defect or mandatory recall.

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Registry
Official US Government Data Provenance

The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.