Problems · by component

2005 Honda Pilot electrical system problems

57 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Honda Pilot cite electrical system, 8% of all 679 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
57
8% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the electrical system

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“Was traveling down the road, had an electrical burning smell coming from my dash and around steering wheel. Low beams then shut off going down road pulled over but still had high beams but no low beams.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 7, 2023Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 11510523
“I parked my car in front of my house at 10pm the following morning my neighbor came to tell me my car was on fire. It had been raining the previous night. My driver window was not completely closed so rain got in my car. There was black smoke coming out of the window. When I opened my door, the driver seat & driver door was on fire. I grabbed the hose & put out the fire.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 4, 2022Electrical systemFire reportedODI 11495975
“2005 PILOT WAS REPAIRED UNDER VSA RECALL IN 2013. AS OF THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, AGAIN I EXPERIENCED SAME EXACT VEHICLE SAFETY ISSUES PRIOR TO REPAIR. THIS PAST WEEK WHILE I HAD MY THREE CHILDREN IN THE CAR, WE ALMOST LOST OUR LIVES. A SEMI DRIVER INSTEAD RISKED HIS OWN LIVES TO KEEP FROM SLAMMING IN THE BACK OF US. WE TOOK OUR PILOT TO HONDA DEALERSHIP THAT HAS SERVICED OUR VEHICLE OVER THE YEARS AND THEY DO NOT WANT TO RECOGNIZE ISSUE AND INSTEAD POINT TO THE SAME THING I AM NOW READING HERE ONLINE. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATES IT IS THE YAW SENSOR AS THE ISSUE, NOT FAULTY REPAIR. IT IS NOT A COINCIDENCE THAT PILOT OWNERS ARE NOW ONCE AGAIN ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUES ALL OVER AGAIN. HOW MANY LIVES WILL BE LOST OR CHANGED FOR THE WORST BEFORE HONDA IS FORCED TO RECKON WITH THIS ISSUE? THIS IS WRONG AND UNACCEPTABLE. THERE ARE OTHER POOR DESIGN FLAWS THAT WE THINK ALSO MAY HAVE COST US SO MUCH MORE MONEY, SUCH AS THE VVT ISSUES. HOWEVER, THE VSA REPAIR ISSUE IS NOT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE OVERLOOKED AND MUST BE DEALT WITH NOW. SPECIFICALLY, MY EXPERIENCE MOSTLY ON FLAT SURFACES WITH EXCEPTION OF ONE TIME ON A SLIGHT INCLINE AT A STOP LIGHT.…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 7, 2020Electrical system, Service brakesODI 11373626
“THE YAW RATE LATERAL ACCELERATION SENSOR IS FAULTY AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN HONDA'S 2013 RECALL OF THE VSA. THE VEHICLE HAS THE EXACT SYMPTOMS OF THE VSA RECALL, WHICH WAS FIXED ON MY VEHICLE. I PURCHASED THE CAR LAST YEAR WITH VERY LOW MILES, ONLY DROVE FOR A FEW MONTHS BEFORE IT STARTED HAVING ISSUES. STARTED OUT HAVING THE VSA TRIANGLE LIGHT ON DASH AND LOSING POWER (LIMP MODE) ONLY AFTER COMING OUT OF A TURN AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE FOR AWHILE. INCREASED TO THE POINT WHERE AFTER ROUGHLY 30 MINUTES OF THE VEHICLE RUNNING THE VSA ISSUE WOULD HAPPEN AT LEAST ONCE DURING THE DRIVE. SEVERITY OF THE VSA/LIMP MODE GOT WORSE, NO POWER FOR LONGER AT A TIME AND THE HORRIBLE GRINDING NOISE DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH CABIN. TOOK TO HONDA COMPLAINING OF THESE ISSUES, COULDN'T REPLICATE IT SO NOTHING WAS WRONG. ONE MONTH AGO, MY VEHICLE STARTED HAVING THE UN-COMMANDED BRAKING PROBLEM. DRIVING AT 55 MPH, THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH TO THE BRAKES CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO HARD BRAKE, CAUSING A SWERVE AT LEAST GOING THAT FAST. IT HAS DONE THIS UN-COMMANDED BRAKING MORE THAN ONCE, I HAVE BEEN AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AND AT LEAST GOT IT 30 MINUTES TO MY HONDA DEALER, WHICH I ALSO PURCHASED THE VEHICLE…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 10, 2020Electrical system, Electronic stability control (esc), Service brakesODI 11338620
“THE BRAKES ARE APPLYING RANDOMLY WITHOUT APPLYING PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VSA LIGHT REMAINS ILLUMINATED AND IT IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE. 13V092 IS THE RECALL BULLITEN I BELIEVE APPLIES TO MY VEHICLE, BUT WHEN I SEARCH MY VIN, IT SHOWS NO UNREPAIRED RECALLS. I HAVE VERIFIED THAT THE VSA SUBHARNESS HAS NOT BEEN INSTALLED PRIOR TO MY PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE. MY MANUFACTURE DATE FALLS BETWEEN THE TIMELINE OF THIS RECALL AND ALSO MY VIN BEGINS WITH 2HK, WHICH IS SPECIFIED IN CAMPAIGN 13-026 AS REQUIRING VSA SUB HARNESS INSTALLED. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO MY LOCAL HONDA DEALER AND THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT IT DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR THE RECALL BECAUSE IT IS "VIN SPECIFIC".”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 24, 2019Electrical system, Service brakesODI 11281989
“OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE EXPERIENCED THE CAR'S DASH WARNING LIGHTS TURNING ON FOR 1-2 SECONDS AND THE RADIO MAKES A PUFF SOUND PRIOR TO THIS OCCURING...THIS HAS BEEN REPORTED PRIOR ON YOUR SYSTEM. SEE INCIDENT# 10458594. SECOND ISSUE IS REGARDING THE INTERIOR LIGHTS FOR THE HEATING / AC CONSOLE. THE LIGHTS DON'T WORK. THIS HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTED ON YOUR SYSTEM. SEE INCIDENT # 10440512, 10418459, 10345735. BOTH ISSUES OCCUR WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 30, 2019Electrical system, Exterior lightingODI 11259064

Showing 6 of 57 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

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