Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2018 Honda Pilot: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 437 safety complaints about the 2018 Honda Pilot with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved September 7, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

437
Complaints
7
Recalls
4
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 9 crashes, 2 fires, 11 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Engine & cooling leads the complaint list, cited in 161 of 437 complaints, followed by Fuel & propulsion.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 62 of the 437 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. Complaints peaked 6 years after the model year (119 filed in 2024) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  4. 4 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2018 Honda Pilot, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 437 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Engine & cooling
161
Fuel & propulsion
125
Electrical
85
Power train / transmission
78
Other / unspecified
73
Speed control
23
Body & structure
23
Airbags & restraints
15

"If the auto engine shut off is activated the engine shuts off randomly and it does not restart the engine. The battery needs to be unplugged to reset the electrical system. This happens daily."

Owner complaint filed August 2026 · Electrical System,Engine · NHTSA ODI 11754464

"Honda pilot would not restart after auto ideal engine stop. This issue caused all the warnings lights to come on with blinking engine light! Honda dealer was not able to resolve the issue and ended up paying $1500 even though it was a part of their service bulletin 23-009."

Owner complaint filed June 2026 · Electrical System,Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System · NHTSA ODI 11747433

Complaints didn't fade — they kept coming

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2018 Honda Pilot inverts that curve — filings peaked in 2024, 6 years after the model year.

Complaints filed per year — 2018 Honda Pilot
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
13
20
17
27
97
46
119
68
30
181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2018 compares with other model years

Across the Honda Pilot model years we track, the 2016 has the most complaints on file (1,691); the 2018 ranks 5 of 5.

Total complaints by model year — Honda Pilot
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
1,691
915
2018
437
894
483
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 7 recalls

7 recalls apply to some or all 2018 Honda Pilot vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Apr 201818V-221
Seats

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018 Honda Pilot and Ridgeline vehicles and 2018 Acura MDX vehicles. The front driver and passenger powered seats in the Honda vehicles and the driver powered seats in the Acura vehicles may have been assembled with improperly manufactured rivets…

Apr 201919V-298
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Belts And Associated Pulleys

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Acura MDX and Honda Pilot vehicles and 2019 Acura RLX, RLX Sport Hybrid, TLX and Honda Odyssey and Ridgeline vehicles. The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt.

Nov 202121V-932
Structure:Body:Hood

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Passport, 2016-2019 Pilot, and 2017-2020 Ridgeline vehicles. The hood latch striker may become damaged and separate from the hood, which can result in the hood opening while driving.

Nov 202323V-751
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Hard Parts Internal/Mechanical

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.

Dec 202323V-858
Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump

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, F…

May 202626V-332
Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger

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 …

Jun 202626V-365
Structure:Frame And Members

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, Minne…

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★☆
Frontal crash
★★★★★
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2018 Honda Pilot have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 437 complaints about the 2018 Honda Pilot with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.

How many recalls does the 2018 Honda Pilot have?

The 2018 Honda Pilot has 7 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2018 Honda Pilot safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2018 Honda Pilot an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved September 7, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.