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

2020 Honda Pilot: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 483 safety complaints about the 2020 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

483
Complaints
11
Recalls
4
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 10 crashes, 5 fires, 13 injuries. No deaths have been reported.

Key findings
  1. Electrical leads the complaint list, cited in 210 of 483 complaints, followed by Other / unspecified.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 42 of the 483 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. 4 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2020 Honda Pilot, electrical issues stand far above everything else.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 483 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Electrical
210
Other / unspecified
103
Engine & cooling
103
Driver assistance
100
Fuel & propulsion
54
Power train / transmission
35
Brakes & stability
35
Speed control
16

"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 complaint filed July 2026 · Electrical System,Engine · NHTSA ODI 11750995

"Infotainment center making popping and cracking sounds during every drive. System will completely shut down and not work at all. No access to navigation, phone or infotainment center at all. Audio will completely cut out during music and phone calls."

Owner complaint filed March 2026 · Electrical System,Unknown Or Other · NHTSA ODI 11726111

When complaints were filed

Complaint filings for the 2020 Honda Pilot over time:

Complaints filed per year — 2020 Honda Pilot
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
3
98
44
61
64
74
79
60
1920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through September 7, 2026).

How the 2020 compares with other model years

Across the Honda Pilot model years we track, the 2016 has the most complaints on file (1,691); the 2020 ranks 4 of 5.

Total complaints by model year — Honda Pilot
All complaints on file per model year, as of September 7, 2026
1,691
915
437
894
2020
483
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 11 recalls

11 recalls apply to some or all 2020 Honda Pilot vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Oct 201919V-784
Structure:Body

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 Sta…

Feb 202020V-067
Equipment:Other:Labels

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.

Jul 202020V-439
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

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 selecto…

Jul 202020V-440
Electrical System:Software

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…

Mar 202121V-165
Tires

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.

Mar 202323V-174
Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices:Exterior

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 requirement…

Jun 202323V-431
Back Over Prevention:Display Function

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 f…

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…

Feb 202424V-064
Air Bags:Sensor:Occupant Classification:Front Passenger

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 RD…

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 2020 Honda Pilot have?

As of September 7, 2026, owners have filed 483 complaints about the 2020 Honda Pilot with NHTSA. The most-reported system is electrical.

How many recalls does the 2020 Honda Pilot have?

The 2020 Honda Pilot has 11 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2020 Honda Pilot safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2020 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.