Problems · by component
2005 Honda Pilot service brakes problems
98 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2005 Honda Pilot cite service brakes, 14% of all 679 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
98
14% of all complaints
Crashes
9
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
10
Reported by owners
What owners say about the service brakes
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that shortly after refueling, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration, causing the speed to increase to approximately 45 MPH while approaching stopped traffic. While pressing the brake pedal to avoid a collision, the vehicle continued to accelerate and crashed into the rear of a second vehicle. During the air bag deployment, the air was deflated, causing the driver's head to contact the steering wheel. Also, the contact indicated that metal fragments were present during the air bag deployment. The contact sustained a lacerated left wrist and lacerations to the chest area. The driver also sustained contusions and bruised to the head, ankles, and legs, along with neck and back stiffness, which will all require medical treatment. No other injuries were known regarding the second vehicle occupants. A Police Report was taken at the scene, and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failures was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failures, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 150,000.”
“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.…”
“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…”
“WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT AT 40 MPH MY RIGHT FRONT BRAKE LOCKED UP. WE CHANGED THE BRAKE CALIPER THINKING IT WAS THE PROBLEM. IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. LOOKING ONLINE IT SEEMS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH THE 2005 HONDA PILOT. I SEARCHED AND CALLED HONDA AND MY LOCAL DEALER. THEY SAID THERE WEREN'T ANY RECALLS OR SAFETY BULLETINS.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE STABILITY ASSIST WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DEACTIVATE THE CONTROL MODULE. THE CONTACT REFERENCED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V092000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC, TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR A DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 154,000.”
“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".”
Showing 6 of 98 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.