What 170 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Honda Pilot

On April 9, 2026, my daughter came in from school and parked her Honda Pilot at about 5:10PM. At about 7:03PM, my wife and I were sitting outside and heard a loud POP, it sounded like a car backfiring. I went to investigate and saw a little smoke and a small orange glowing piece of something on the ground under the vehicle towards the front of the vehicle. I grab a fire extinguisher from my work truck and went towards the vehicle. The car was locked and I saw flames under the hood standing by the driver door looking down where the windshield wipers are. I used the extinguisher till it was empty and the flames kept getting worse. I just walked away and my wife was already calling 911. No one was hurt no damage to any exposures. My daughter did not indicate that anything was wrong with the vehicle. No lights on, no smells, everything ran fine. It had 154,000 miles on it. I do have RING video footage of the event. I did file a claim with my insurance and sent them the video footage.

NHTSA ODI 11730697

I was driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the left-hand lane alongside the concrete barrier. The road curved to the right and when I tried to gently steer to the right the steering wheel got stuck and locked. I wasn’t able to steer to the right and so the car hit the barrier. The steering then unlocked. Since I was trying to originally steer to the right, the car moved to the right and hit the guard rail along the right-hand side of the highway where the car finally came to a stop. It was fortunate that there were no other cars close to my car when this happened. I don’t know what caused the steering wheel to lock up. The car was very badly damaged and eventually determined to be a total loss. I suffered a concussion and need ongoing PT and OT. Also, I am limited to only working part-time until my concussion symptoms improve. The car was well maintained and had passed the state inspections a couple of weeks before. The issue could have been caused by a front suspension assembly error.

NHTSA ODI 11511435

The car started smoking, I was able to pullover and get out. The fire department came and removed the hood because it was too hot and appeares to be on fire. They disabled the battery. Car was towed to mechanic and inspected for cause. It was discovered that the alternator melted and the wire harness was burnt and plastic components melted. Car has been totalled.

NHTSA ODI 11485415

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at 32 MPH and pulling into a parking lot, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. The contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle stopped. There was no warning light illuminated. However, the failure reoccurred the next day. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was operating as designed. The contact stated that the ECO was engaging, causing the vehicle from dropping from number six (6) cylinder to number three (3) cylinder. The contact stated upon pulling into the car wash and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle accelerated unintendedly. The contact depressed the brake pedal but it failed to respond and went all the way to the floorboard. The contact turned the steering wheel to avoid a pedestrian. The contact drove sideways and crashed into a building. The air bags did not deploy. The contact was unsure whether he sustained injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The dealer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.

NHTSA ODI 11483574

The contact owns a 2012 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V661000 (Air Bags). The contact stated while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, he crashed into another vehicle. The front driver’s side air bag deployed, with a powder that caused a burn to the driver’s right hand. A police report was not filed. Medical attention was not received on the scene but the contact's doctor later prescribed burn cream for the driver’s right hand over the phone. The contact notified an independent mechanic of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 128,000.

NHTSA ODI 11425167

DRIVING IN THE CITY WHEN THE 3 VEHICLE COLLISION HAPPENED GOING 25-30MPH. THE FIRST CAR STOPPED SUDDENLY TO LET PEDESTRIANS CROSS THE STREET. THEN THE SECOND CAR FOLLOWED AND I DID NOT CATCH THE STOP IN TIME. FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN MY CAR REAR ENDED THE OTHER VEHICLES. AND DRIVER SEATBELT DID NOT LOCK. INJURIES OF WHIPLASH, CONCUSSION AND A BROKEN NOSE RESULTED FROM THIS

NHTSA ODI 11251974

TAKATA RECALL I WAS DRIVING AN HIT A DEER ON DRIVER SIDE, MY DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY BUT THE PASSAGER SIDE DID I MENTIONED THIS TO THE INSURANCE AGENT THAT CAME OUT TO DETERMAND THE DAMAGE HE SAID THE LIGHT FOR THE AIRBAG SAID IT WAS FINE I TOLD HIM WELL IT DID NOT DEPLOY ?????? HUMMM THERE WAS NOT A POLICE REPORT MADE.I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 50 TO 55 MPH

NHTSA ODI 11054643

MY CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED FOR NO KNOWN REASON AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED 2 TIME IN ONE WEEK. FIRST TIME IT WAS MOVING AT A VERY SLOW RATE AS I WAS COMING TO A STOP AT A STOP LIGHT. THE SECOND TIME I WAS SITTING IN LINE AT A DRIVE THRU, WAITING TO MOVE FORWARD, WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE BRAKE THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND WHEN I PUSHED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IT WENT TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT STOP THE CAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY GARAGE AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS CAUSING THIS BUT I AM NOT SURE IF I SHOULD KEEP THIS CAR, AFTER I REPAIR THE DAMAGE OR GET ANOTHER CAR? PLEASE CHECK CARCOMPLAINTS.COM

NHTSA ODI 11043599

I WAS IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC IN RUSH HOUR, TRAVELING IN THE MIDDLE LANE OF A 3 LANE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS WAS TRAVELING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND THE OTHER ONE WAS I SEATED BEHIND ME. I HAD BEEN TRAVELING FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES AT A MAXIMUM SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, AS TRAFFIC WOULD CLEAR AND THEN BECOME CONGESTED AGAIN. I WAS MAINTAINING ABOUT 5 CAR LENGTHS BETWEEN MY CAR AND THE CAR AHEAD OF ME. I TAPPED MY ACCELERATOR TO MOVE UP WHICH CAUSED MY PILOT TO SHOOT FORWARD. I THOUGHT TO MYSELF IT WAS LUCKY I HAD MAINTAINED A GOOD DISTANCE WITH THE CAR IN FRONT AND APPLIED THE BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN. THE CAR CONTINUED TO SURGE, AND I COULD HEAR THE ENGINE REVVING. I BEGAN SCREAMING, AND MY DAUGHTER IN THE FRONT SEAT WAS YELLING FOR ME TO HIT THE BRAKES. I TOLD HER I WAS PRESSING THE BRAKES, BUT THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE, DESPITE MY APPLYING WITH GREAT PRESSURE ON THE BRAKE. MY DAUGHTER COULD ALSO HEAR THE ENGINE REVVING. WE SLAMMED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF US, AND CONTINUED MOVING. THIS CAR REAR ENDED A PICK UP TRUCK WHICH FINALLY STOPPED MY PILOT. BOTH FRONT SEAT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, AND MY CAR BECAME ATTACHED TO THE CAR I REAR ENDED. LUCKILY, EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT WAS ABLE TO WALK AWAY, BUT IF THE DRIVER I HAD STRUCK HAD PASSENGERS, THERE DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE BEEN SEVERE INJURIES. I RECEIVED A TICKET FROM A STATE TROOPER FOR FAILURE TO MAINTAIN A SAFE DRIVING DISTANCE FOR AN ACCIDENT THAT WAS NOT MY FAULT.

NHTSA ODI 11020438

IN TWO INSTANCES WHEN PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT A SLOW SPEED WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE PILOT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED CAUSING A COLLISION WITH (1) A TREE AND (2) A BUILDING. IN BOTH CASES MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED IN 2014 AND THE SECOND IN 2017. NEITHER OF THE INCIDENTS CAUSED BODILY HARM. IN THE 2014 INCIDENT POLICE WERE NOT CALLED AND IT WAS NOT REPORTED TO INSURANCE. IN THE 2017 INCIDENT POLICE WERE CALLED AND A CLAIM WILL BE FILED WITH INSURANCE.

NHTSA ODI 10978706

I GOT AN ACCIDENT ON 06/30/2016 AND STILL WAITING FOR MY HONDA PILOT 2012 AIRBAG (PASSENGER SIDE) SINCE MONTH AND A HALF. I OPENED A CASE WITH AMERICAN HONDA TO PROVIDE ME AN ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION AS THEY ARE NOT ABLE TO DELIVER THE AIRBAG WITHIN REASONABLE TIMEFRAME BUT IT ENDED UP WITH A MOMENT OF DISAPPOINTMENT. AFTER THREE WEEKS OF HASSLE, THE AMERICAN HONDA SAID WE CANNOT PROVIDE YOU ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION AS THE AIR BAG IS NOT PART OF RECALL. HOWEVER, THE CASE MANAGER SAID "THE PART IS ON CRITICAL BACKORDER, IT'S ON THE HIGHEST LEVEL AND THERE IS NO ETA". THE DISAPPOINTMENT DOES NOT END HERE! I ASK THE CASE MANAGER TO SEND ME THIS DECISION IN BLACK AND WHITE SO I CAN DISCUSS THIS MATTER WITH LEGAL EXPERTS BUT ALL I HEAR NO, THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO SO. MOREOVER, I ASKED AMERICAN HONDA TO TALK TO SUPERVISOR OF MY CASE MANAGER AND ITS ALMOST A WEEK SINCE I AM WAITING, WAITING AND WAITING. JUST SO YOU KNOW, FOR ME IT'S A BIG WASTE OF TIME AND I FOUND HONDA SERVICE REPS REALLY UNPROFESSIONAL.

NHTSA ODI 10903594

ON MAY 17, 2016, IN MY DRIVEWAY, I WAS TRYING TO MOVE MY 2012 PILOT FROM BESIDE MY HUSBAND'S VEHICLE TO BEHIND IT SO MY SON COULD PULL INTO THE DRIVEWAY. I PRESSED THE GAS PEDAL TO MOVE BEHIND MY HUSBAND'S TRUCK AND IT MOVED UP A LITTLE BEFORE IT ACCELERATED TO A HIGH SPEED SLAMMING HIS TRUCK INTO THE GARAGE AND CRUSHING IT. I HIT THE BRAKES, BUT IT DIDN'T HELP. THE ENGINE WAS REVVING AND TIRES WERE SPINNING AS FAST AS THEY COULD. THE AIRBAG HIT ME IN THE FACE CAUSING ME TO JERK THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT, WHICH THEN CAUSED THE PILOT TO DRIVE ACROSS MY FRONT YARD AT A HIGH SPEED CRASHING INTO MY NEIGHBOR'S TREE WITH MY FOOT STILL ON THE BRAKE! THE ENGINE ONLY STOPPED WHEN MY HUSBAND RAN OUT OF MY HOUSE AND TURNED OFF THE PILOT. AT THAT POINT, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING BECAUSE I HAD BEEN HIT SO HARD IN THE FACE BY THE AIRBAG. THE PILOT WAS INSPECTED TODAY BY HONDA CORPORATE AT A HONDA DEALERSHIP AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGMENT. OF COURSE AFTER A THOROUGH INSPECTION, "NO CAUSE WAS FOUND FOR UNINTENTIONAL ACCELERATION." THERE SEEMS TO BE A PATTERN OF THIS SAME THING HAPPENING TO OTHER PEOPLE AND HONDA NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT!

NHTSA ODI 10873716

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TELEPHONE POLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. NO POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE LOWER BACK, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 10807402

I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY, APPLYING BRAKES AS I BEGAN COASTING TO A STOP IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED SMASHING INTO THE FRONT OF MY HOUSE. MIDDLE OF THE DAY, NO RAIN, NOT IMPAIRED, FLAT DRIVEWAY. AIR BAGS DID NOT ACTIVATE. PAINT/SCRATCHES ON THE FRONT BUMPER AND CRACKS ON THE HOUSE STUCCO BUT NO MAJOR DAMAGE. ACCELERATION STARTED JUST A COUPLE YARDS FROM THE HOUSE. HONDA DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF A COMPUTER OR OTHER PROBLEM.

NHTSA ODI 10733417

AIRBAG WAS RECALLED/REPLACED IN 2012-2013. HUSBAND WAS IN AN ACCIDENT WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE. HIS AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND LEFT A NASTY BURN ON HIS ARM. HE WAS TOLD IT WAS DUE TO THE POWDER. ACCIDENT OCCURRED IN TOWN WHILE TURNING SO RELATIVELY SLOW SPEED. I FELT HE SHOULD REPORT THE INCIDENT BACK IN OCTOBER 2014 BEFORE I HAD HEARD ABOUT THESE RECENT AIRBAG RECALLS. MY CONCERN IS THERE MAY BE PROBLEMS WITH THE REPLACEMENT AIRBAG IF THAT IS WHAT HE RECEIVED - I DONT HAVE ACCESS TO HIS VIN NUMBER RIGHT NOW.

NHTSA ODI 10730982

ON APRIL 30 2014 MY WIFE [XXX] ENTERED THE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PHILADELPHIA CAMPUS IN THE 2012 HONDA PILOT. SHE APPROACHED THE GUARD BOOTH AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THIS CAN BE VERIFIED AS THE GUARD STOPPED HER AND THEY HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION ABOUT WHERE TO PARK. [XXX] THEN ACCELERATED OUT OF THE GUARD BOOTH WHILE MAKING AN IMMEDIATE LOW SPEED RIGHT TURN DOWN A RAMP INTO A PARKING GARAGE. FROM THIS POINT THE HONDA PILOT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE DOWN THE RAMP AS SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL AND FAILED TO BRAKE. IT JUMPED A SMALL MEDIAN AND EVENTUALLY HIT A CONCRETE BLOCK WALL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE RAMP. [XXX] MAINTAINS THAT SHE WAS APPLYING THE BRAKES DURING THE DESCENT DOWN THE RAMP UP THE MOMENT OF IMPACT AND THE CAR WAS STILL CONTINUING TO ACCELERATE AND BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND. I CONTACTED HONDA AND SUBMITTED A WRITTEN REQUEST THAT THE EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR) BE TESTED. A REPRESENTATIVE FROM HONDA CALLED ME ON SEPTEMBER 6 (I WAS ONLY GIVEN A FIRST NAME OF [XXX]) HE EXPLAINED THAT ON OR ABOUT AUGUST 19 A TECHNICIAN EXAMINED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THAT NO PRE ACCIDENT DATA COULD BE RECOVERED. HE EXPLAINED THAT WHILE THE 2012 HONDA PILOT HAS AN EDR ONLY SOME OF THESE VEHICLES HAVE THE ABILITY TO RECORD PRE ACCIDENT DATA AND THAT MINE DID NOT HAVE THIS ABILITY. HE ALSO SAID THAT I WOULD NOT RECEIVE A REPORT OR ANY CONFIRMATION IN WRITING ABOUT THE INCIDENT OR SUBSEQUENT EXAMINATION OF THE VEHICLE. THE OWNER MANUAL INDICATES THAT EDRS HAS THE ABILITY TO RECORD DATA UP TO 30 SECONDS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT IT WILL REPORT IF THE ACCELERATOR OR BRAKE WAS BEING ACTIVATED AT THE MOMENT OF IMPACT. IT WILL ALSO INDICATE THE VEHICLE SPEED. MY REQUEST IS THAT HONDA FOLLOW THROUGH AND TEST THE EDR TO DETERMINE IF THE BRAKES AND OR ACCELERATOR MALFUNCTIONED AS [XXX] MAINTAINS AND SUPPLY THE RESULTS TO ME. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10643861

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING 60-70 MPH CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS PUSHED INTO AN INTERSECTION, WHICH THEN CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE BACK AND NECK. THE FRONT PASSENGER SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE BACK, NECK, FACE AND RIBS. THERE WERE TWO REAR SEAT PASSENGERS WHO ALSO SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE RIBS. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED OF THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY SERVICED UNDER AN AIR BAG RECALL (CAMPAIGN NUMBER 13V016000 -AIR BAGS) BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED AFTER THE CRASH TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE AIR BAG FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 21,000. UPDATED 05/12/14*LJ

NHTSA ODI 10574436

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ENTERING A PARKING SPOT, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO DECELERATE BUT THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT THEN CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 15,000.

NHTSA ODI 10555371

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HE WAS AT STOP THE VEHICLE WAS CRASHED INTO FROM THE REAR BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING 60 MPH. THE IMPACT PUSHED THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE FORWARD, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A BRICK WALL AND THEN A TREE. THE FRONT AND SIDE AIR BAGS ALL FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE HEAD, NECK, BACK, LEFT SIDE OF THE BODY AND THE LEFT LEG. THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE HEAD, FACE AND LEGS. A REAR PASSENGER SUFFERED INJURIES TO THE BACK, LEFT LEG AND FRACTURED RIBS AND A SECOND REAR PASSENGER SUFFERED TWO FRACTURED RIBS. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,000.

NHTSA ODI 10551937

MY WIFE PULLED THE VEHICLE INTO OUR DRIVEWAY AND EXITED THE CAR JUST A SHE NOTICED WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. SHE CALLED ME OUT OF THE HOUSE TO LOOK AND I SAW THERE WAS A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I TRIED TO PUT IT OUT WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER BUT IT SPREAD TOO FAST. THE END RESULT IS THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS BURNT WITH NOT MUCH LEFT. I AM ASSUMING IT WAS SOMETHING ELECTRICAL DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE INITIAL SMOKE AND THE LOCATION OF THE FIRE ORIGINS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10482886