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Research · Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD

2018 Honda PilotRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 7 safety recalls and 442 owner complaints for the 2018 Honda Pilot. Most complaints involve engine (158) and electrical system (85). The EPA rates it 21–23 mpg combined, and NHTSA gives it 5 stars overall.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
21–23mpg
EPA · 4 versions
NHTSA overall
5of 5 stars
NCAP crash tests
Safety recalls
7campaigns
Latest Jun 2026
Owner complaints
442
Top: engine
Fuel cost / yr
$2,800est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

7 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Structure: frame and members

Remedy pending

American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.

StructureReported Jun 5, 2026NHTSA 26V365000

Air bags: front passenger

Free remedy

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

Air bagsReported May 22, 2026NHTSA 26V332000

Fuel system

Free remedy

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

Fuel system, gasolineReported Dec 19, 2023NHTSA 23V858000
See all 7 recalls with remedies
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 3, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

442 complaints filed with NHTSA · Mar 2018 – Oct 2026
  1. Engine158
  2. Electrical system85
  3. Power train78
  4. Fuel/propulsion system63
  5. Fuel system, gasoline62
  6. Vehicle speed control23
  7. Structure17
  8. Seat belts12
  9. Forward collision avoidance10

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

By model year

Complaints for each Pilot model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
2003746
2004544
2005679
2006268
2007211
2008133
2009134
2010111
2011293
2012172
2013272
2014116
2015109
20161,725
2017937
2018442
2019927
2020493
2021452
2022172
2023148
2024117
2025216
202629
Crashes reported
9
Fires reported
2
Injuries reported
11
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 3, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Engine

158 reports1 fire
“During acceleration between 1000-2000 rpm when I back out of the driveway or slowly start to accelerate on the street I hear a knocking sound only at that specific rpm. When cruising and I release the gas I feel a heavy sluggish and quick decrease of speed instead of it smoothly decelerating and slowly cruising. I took it to Carmax where I bought it at 79,900 miles and they heard the distant knocking as well. Sent it to Honda to inspect for a second opinion they also heard the noise but want to tear the engine apart or lower the oil pan and inspect the connecting rods and bearings but they want me to pay out of pocket.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 29, 2026EngineODI 11774574

Electrical system

85 reports1 crash
“If the auto engine shut off is activated the engine shuts off randomly and it does not restart the engine. The battery needs to be unplugged to reset the electrical system. This happens daily.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 3, 2026Electrical system, EngineODI 11754464

Power train

78 reports
“2018 Honda Pilot Transmission Failed at Only 34,726 Miles I want to share my experience so other Honda owners are aware of a very premature transmission failure. I am the original owner of a 2018 Honda Pilot with only 34,726 miles. My family has trusted Honda for many years, and my wife also drives a Honda HR-V. We believed Honda vehicles were reliable. While driving, my Pilot suddenly showed a “Transmission System Problem” warning. The vehicle became very slow and later was unable to engage into gear. I had to tow it to Capital Honda in San Jose. Capital Honda diagnosed a complete transmission failure requiring a full replacement. The repair cost was about $11,800. I appreciate that American Honda provided goodwill assistance and covered a large portion of the repair. With that assistance, my out-of-pocket cost was reduced to $3,500. However, I am frustrated and disappointed that a Honda transmission could fail completely at only 34,726 miles. This is unacceptable for such a low-mileage vehicle, especially from a company known for engineering quality and reliability. All maintenance was completed on time at Honda dealerships. About six months before the…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 27, 2026Power trainODI 11753017
All 2018 Pilot problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

4 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Engines
3.5L 6-cyl
Transmissions
Automatic (S9) · Automatic 6-spd
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive · All-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 3, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Pilot FWD
Auto (S9), 6 cyl, 3.5 L · Front-Wheel Drive
202723$2,800388
Pilot AWD
Auto (S9), 6 cyl, 3.5 L · All-Wheel Drive
192622$2,900408
Pilot FWD
Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L · Front-Wheel Drive
192722$2,900405
Pilot AWD
Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L · All-Wheel Drive
182621$3,050421
  • Pilot FWD
    Auto (S9), 6 cyl, 3.5 L
    20 city · 27 hwy · $2,800/yr
    23
    mpg comb.
  • Pilot AWD
    Auto (S9), 6 cyl, 3.5 L
    19 city · 26 hwy · $2,900/yr
    22
    mpg comb.
  • Pilot FWD
    Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L
    19 city · 27 hwy · $2,900/yr
    22
    mpg comb.
  • Pilot AWD
    Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.5 L
    18 city · 26 hwy · $3,050/yr
    21
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 3, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
Overall rating
5/ 5
5 of 5
Honda Pilot SUV AWD
Frontal crash
4 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
16.4%
Overall
5 / 5
Honda Pilot SUV FWD
Frontal crash
4 of 5
Side crash
5 of 5
Side pole
5 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
17.5%
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 3, 2026Vehicle 12653Vehicle 12652
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2018 Pilot questions

How many recalls does the 2018 Honda Pilot have?

7 safety recalls as of Nov 3, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2018 Honda Pilot problems?

Owners filed 442 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are engine (158), electrical system (85), power train (78). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2018 Honda Pilot get?

The EPA rates the 2018 Honda Pilot at 21–23 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (4 versions rated).

How safe is the 2018 Honda Pilot?

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the 2018 Honda Pilot 5 out of 5 stars overall.

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 3, 2026