Problems · NHTSA complaints

2026 Honda Passport problems

Owners filed 69 complaints about the 2026 Honda Passport with NHTSA between Apr 2025 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (14).

Complaints
69
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Electrical system14
  2. Seats10
  3. Forward collision avoidance9
  4. Steering8
  5. Visibility/wiper7
  6. Engine6
  7. Service brakes5
  8. Power train5
  9. Fuel/propulsion system4
  10. Structure3
  11. Exterior lighting3
  12. Lane departure3
  13. Suspension1
  14. Wheels1

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
202514
202655

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Electrical system

14 reports
“Like many others have reported on the internet, I am now seeing the TT04 message on the dashboard inidicating that a software update was interrupted and I must see the dealer. This is concerning in that this bug has been reported for years and Honda has failed to find a solution. What exactly is not working in the car with a failed update? What must a dealer do to fix the update and is the car safe until then? No answers from Honda in two years.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 11, 2026Electrical system, Unknown or otherODI 11770407

Seats

10 reports
“There is a defect issue with the driver's seat in this vehicle that is causing me to become distracted while driving. From the first time I sat in the vehicle, the driver’s seat produces a hard, localized pressure, like a bar or box, under the rear of the seat cushion that presses into my tailbone and the back of the seat bones. This is not delayed fatigue after a long trip. It is immediate. I have tried multiple combinations of seat height, tilt, recline, and lumbar. None of them remove the ridge. This vehicle has only about 900 miles. The sensation has not broken in or gone away. The seat is the ventilated (cooled) leather seat that is standard on TrailSport Elite. The hard spot is consistent with the ventilation housing/fan box under the cushion at the junction of the seat bottom and seatback. The sensation becomes like “sitting on a box,” tailbone/coccyx pressure and the need to shift constantly while driving.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 4, 2026SeatsODI 11768840

Forward collision avoidance

9 reports
“Vehicle: 2026 Honda Passport VIN: [XXX] Mileage at time of most recent incident: ~16,795 miles Dealer(s): Garcia Honda, Albuquerque, NM (selling dealer); Honda of Santa Fe (servicing dealer) Complaint narrative: I am experiencing recurring electrical system failures and brake-related warning malfunctions in my 2026 Honda Passport that have required three separate repair attempts: [XXX] (RO [XXX]): Auto Stop/Start system shut down unexpectedly. Dealer installed a software update. Vehicle died while driving, [XXX] (RO [XXX]): Vehicle died while driving, with hazard lights inoperative. Diagnostic code U1291 was found, but the dealer could not confirm the underlying fault. [XXX] (RO [XXX], ongoing): Vehicle displayed multiple warning lights and a brake system malfunction message. As of 9/22/2026, the vehicle remains at the dealership and has been disassembled for diagnosis. These are not isolated incidents — the 2026 Passport has multiple other owner-reported complaints to NHTSA describing unexpected shutdowns, brake system warnings activating without cause, and safety features engaging unexpectedly, suggesting a pattern consistent with an underlying…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 22, 2026Electrical system, Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11766031

Steering

8 reports
“The steering wheel clicks when turning. Purchase dealership did nothing. 2nd Honda dealer ship replaced the clock spring and steering column. Helped for a day then the noise returned. Additionally, there’s a dead spot when turning. It feels like a pause and the the vehicle takes a minute to catch up. Very unnerving.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 11, 2026SteeringODI 11756372

Visibility/wiper

7 reports
“On June 29, 2026, we were driving on interstate 87 near the Albany airport when a small rock struck my car windshield which caused a small, star-shaped crack on the driver's side of my windshield. I took the car immediately to a Safelite location near the Albany airport to try and have the star repaired at their facility however the effort failed and turned the small star shape into a one foot crack going across the windshield. It was eventually replaced at another Safelite the following week.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 1, 2026Visibility/wiperODI 11754204

Engine

6 reports
“The car in question is a 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport Elite that I purchased in August of 2026 -- and that I'm now thinking of selling! Occasionally when accelerating from a stopped position the acceleration will hesitate for a full second, followed by a slight herky jerky motion. This presents a dangerous situation --- particularly when turning left with oncoming traffic barrelling down. This does not happen all the time but its scary and I end up just waiting to turn rather than risking getting t-boned. I notice on Reddit and the Honda forum that this is a known issue! Nobody has offered a reason. I feel like selling the car it's so bad.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 21, 2026Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11765901
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.