Problems · NHTSA complaints

2011 Honda Pilot problems

Owners filed 293 complaints about the 2011 Honda Pilot with NHTSA between Jun 2010 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is air bags (68).

Complaints
293
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
29
Reported by owners
Fires
5
Reported by owners
Injuries
31
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Air bags68
  2. Service brakes39
  3. Suspension34
  4. Steering34
  5. Engine31
  6. Electrical system26
  7. Power train21
  8. Structure19
  9. Vehicle speed control18
  10. Fuel/propulsion system10
  11. Visibility9
  12. Seat belts8
  13. Wheels8
  14. Seats7

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 Nov 9, 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
20107
201120
201217
201333
201426
201527
201653
201721
201825
201913
202011
20217
20228
202310
20241
20257
20267

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

Air bags

68 reports14 crashes1 fire9 related recalls
“On XXX at approximately 6:04 PM, the vehicle was being driven on a highway in [XXX] — after dark, during an active snowstorm, on slick roads, at approximately 40 MPH — when the front passenger-side airbag deployed spontaneously with no collision, no impact, and no warning of any kind. There were no prior warning lamps or symptoms. The deployment cracked the windshield and caused interior damage. The component is available for inspection upon request. This vehicle had the Takata recall performed in 2019. The failure is believed to be related to NHTSA Recall 19V502000 (Honda Recall Nos. F5F/Q5E), covering 2009-2015 Honda Pilots with passenger frontal airbag inflators that may explode due to propellant degradation from humidity and temperature cycling. A spontaneous deployment with no crash is consistent with this defect. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Honda dealership. Technician findings included: blown fuses 9 and 11, diagnostic system crashing repeatedly, complete loss of SRS/ABS/gauge communication, burning smell from the airbag inflator, copious F-CAN malfunction codes, and DTC U0151. Technician concluded: "ADVISE replacing deployed passenger…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 16, 2026Air bagsODI 11744589

Service brakes

39 reports7 crashes1 fire
“Malfunctioned the brake the pedal and the seatbelt it was on Friday to I was driving after I yield drive there was few cars head of me ON A distance now I am trying to start slowdown early can't find the brake so I press the pedal with force when the pedal reaches to the floor slim stop right behind the car of me I will say 99% inch away to touch the car in front of me and the seatbelt even help me back and the all way have trying to move to other direction on when driving shifting unstable I don't fell save at all when I'm driving that specially driving to work at night for me that car need to have a state inspection and a complete repair before the dealership sold that car to me”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 27, 2025Seat belts, Service brakesODI 11695719

Suspension

34 reports1 crash1 related recall
“I HAVE A 2011 HONDA PILOT WITH ONLY 45,243 MILES. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I ORIGINALLY PURCHASED FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE SERVICE ON 10/05/20, AND WAS TOLD THAT THE COMPLIANCE BUSHINGS ARE LEAKING AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS A WELL MAINTAINED AND DRIVEN VEHICLE, SO IT IS SURPRISING TO LEARN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE. MAY I KNOW IF THERE IS A RECALL FOR SIMILAR ISSUES?*DT *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 6, 2020SuspensionODI 11362962

Steering

34 reports1 crash
“STEERING HAS FELT LOOSE FOR AS LONG AS I REMEMBER. TIRES WERE LASTING ONLY 15K MILES AND FRONT BRAKES GO BAD YEARLY. I HAVE A GOOD 1 TO 2 INCHES OF PLAY TURNING THE WHEEL TO BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT. I ASKED MULTIPLE MECHANICS TO TIGHTEN THE STEERING COLUMN DOWN INCLUDING HONDA SERVICE DEPARTMENT MECHANICS BUT THEY SAID IT COULDN'T BE DONE. WHEN I MOVED FARTHER AWAY FROM MY KIDS SCHOOL IN 2018 I HAD THE CAR INSPECTED BY HONDA FOR ANYTHING WRONG SINCE NOW MY KIDS WILL BE COMMUTING 25 MILES TO SCHOOL AND BACK IN IT. SERVICE TOLD ME MY BUSHINGS WERE BAD. MY CAR HAD ABOUT 40K MILES ON IT AT THAT TIME. ALSO AT THAT TIME NO ONE MENTIONED THAT THE PART WAS PREVIOUSLY ON AN EXTENDED WARRANTY OR THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SPINDLE NUTS THAT WEREN'T TIGHTENED DOWN CORRECTLY NOR DID I RECEIVE NOTIFICATION FROM HONDA REGARDING THOSE ISSUES. FROM WHAT I READ ONLINE ABOUT THESE PARTS IS THAT THEY ARE A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE AS YOU CAN LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE AT ANYTIME. I REALLY FEEL THAT THE BUSHINGS WENT BAD FROM THE FACT THAT THE SPINDLE NUTS WEREN'T TIGHTENED DOWN AND EVERYTHING HAS BEEN JIGGLING AROUND AND ADDING STRAIN TO THE REST OF THE SUSPENSION. I THINK THE EXTENDED…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 23, 2020Steering, SuspensionODI 11322030

Engine

31 reports1 crash3 fires
“I was driving along [XXX] , wheb I came to a stop at the stoplight at the intersection of [XXX] The vehicle shut off and couldn't restart. I had to tow it to a garage where the engine is being repaired.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 1, 2025EngineODI 11652013

Electrical system

26 reports1 crash3 fires
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2011 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the mileage was 115,776 and at the time of registration. The contact stated the vehicle was currently at 116,187 miles. The contact recently received a Carfax Report and discovered that the mileage was 191,299 on March 22, 2026. The mileage was listed at 115,776.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 7, 2026Electrical systemODI 11729775
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026

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