Problems · by component

2011 Honda Pilot service brakes problems

39 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2011 Honda Pilot cite service brakes, 13% of all 293 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
39
13% of all complaints
Crashes
7
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“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
“WARPING OF ROTORS CAUSES EXTREME SHAKING WHEN BREAKING ALSO WRENCHING OF STEERING WHEEL WHEN SUDDEN STOPPING OR FAST DESCENTS OF STOPPING/BREAKING. CLICKING IN STEERING COLUMN WHILE DRIVING TURNING,IN REVERSE AND STRAIGHT FORWARD DRIVING, SHUDDER IN SHIFTING 5-30 MPH , ECO LIGHT COMING ON AND CAUSES DELAY IN SPEED PICKUP OR CONTINUING IN SAME SPEED DURING DRIVING 01/15/2019. DOOR LOCKS FAILURE 06/05/2019 GAS PURGE VALVE GAS SMELL IN AC VENT REPLACED 06/05/2019. AC/HEAT BLOWER MOTOR FRONT REPLACED NOT WORKING 02/14/2019. REAR BLOWER AC/HEAT MOTOR BROKEN SMELLED OF SMOKE REPLACED 08/05/2019”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 28, 2020Steering, Service brakes, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11302473
“THIS IS THE SECOND TIME MY BRAKES HAVE FAILED. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO. I WAS LEAVING MY HOUSE GOING ABOUT 20MPH AND WANTED TO MAKE A RIGHT SO I APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE CAR WOULD NOT STOP OR SLOW DOWN, EVEN WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN. I HAD TO USE TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE TRUCK. I TURNED THE TRUCK OFF AND THEN BACK ON AND TESTED THE BRAKES BY DRIVING VERY SLOW AND BRAKING. THIS SEEMED TO CLEAR THE PROBLEM. TODAY MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER WAS LEAVING THE GAS PUMP AND NEEDED TO BACK UP. AFTER SHE PUT THE CAR INTO REVERSE, SHE TRIED TO APPLY THE BRAKES BUT THE TRUCK WOULD NOT STOP. SHE PUSHED THE BRAKE PEDAL ALL THE WAY DOWN AND WAS STILL UNABLE TO STOP THE TRUCK. SHE HAD TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE TO STOP THE TRUCK. I INSTRUCTED HER TO TURN THE TRUCK OFF AND THEN TURN IT BACK ON AND TEST THE BRAKES. THIS AGAIN CLEARED THE PROBLEM. I HAVE TAKEN MY CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYTHING WRONG.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 5, 2017Service brakesODI 10993291
“CHANGED BRAKES AT 30,000 AND AGAIN AT 50,000, ROTORS ALSO. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO HAVE A RUBBING SOUND ON LEFT FRONT. THREE SETS OF BRAKES AND ROTORS IN 50,000 MILES.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 22, 2017Service brakesODI 10990925
“ROTORS BEGAN TO PREMATURELY WARP AT ABOUT 20K MILES. DEALER RESURFACED THE ROTORS AS A COURTESY SERVICE. WARPING PROBLEM RE-APPEARED AT APPROXIMATELY 30K. WARPED ROTORS CAUSED SEVERE VIBRATIONS THROUGH STEERING COLUMN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS MAKING FOR UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. HONDA TECH MENTIONED THAT HONDA USED ROTORS WITH A SOFTER MATERIAL IN AN EFFORT TO REDUCE SQUEALING PROBLEM ON PREVIOUS YEAR MODELS. HOWEVER, THIS RESULTED IN WARPING PROBLEMS ON NEWER MODELS AS CAR IS HEAVIER AND THESE ROTORS ARE NOT SUFFICIENT IN STOPPING THE VEHICLES WITHOUT CAUSING SIGNIFICANT WEAR. AT 55K MILES, I DECIDED TO REPLACE ROTORS WITH A THIRD PARTY SINCE HONDA REFUSED TO STAND BEHIND THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT AND REPLACE MY ROTORS EVEN THOUGH I HAD REPORTED THE PROBLEM WELL BEFORE THE STANDARD FACTORY WARRANTY PERIOD OF 3 YEARS / 36K MILES. TECHNICIAN ALSO DISCOVERED CRACKED COMPLIANCE BUSHINGS ON FRONT END.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 18, 2016Suspension, Service brakesODI 10836944
“EXPERIENCING THE SAME ISSUE MANY 2011 PILOTS ARE REPORTING- EXCESSIVE VIBRATION ON THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN BREAKING OVER 60MPH. WE WERE RATHER FORTUNATE IN THAT OUR RELIABLE AUTO REPAIR SERVICE MAN TOLD US THAT A CAR WITH THIS LOW MILEAGE SHOULD NOT HAVE ROTORS ISSUES- THAT THIS IS DEFINITELY A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT AND TO CHECK WITH A HONDA DEALER. SO WE CALLED THE DEALER WE PURCHASED THE CAR FROM AND HE SAID THEY CALLED HONDA AND THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS. SO I FOUND THIS WEB SITE- I COPIED AND PASTED OVER 7 FULL PAGES OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS ISSUE. SO HONDA IS BLIND SIDING US AND I WILL SHOUT RATHER LOUDLY BECAUSE THIS IS RIDICULOUS. DO THEY NEED TO HAVE HUNDREDS OF REPORTED FATALITIES LIKE THE AIRBAGS BEFORE THEY FIX IT.I WILL NOT DRIVE THIS CAR ON THE HIGHWAY UNTIL THEY FIX IT.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 3, 2016Service brakesODI 10824121

Showing 6 of 39 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.