What 425 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Honda Pilot

In regards to TSB 23-078 Honda states that my VIN does not meet the parameters for service even though the dealer service techs are stating this is the issue. Since it is not a recall there is nothing they can do but recommend what the service dept wants to do, which is temporarily fix the problem. Which is bring the vehicle in for a transmission service every 20000 to 30000 mile for service at a cost of $500-600 to me. Which is less than half of the recommended interval. They have been treating the transmission with an additive up until this point.

NHTSA ODI 11614849

The components of my vehicle that were affected is from the power train and emissions.Honda issued an TSB on August 2023 for this. The warning light on my vehicle is now illuminated. I have a DTC code P0471 stored on my vehicles computer and can no longer pass a smog chech without the problem being repaired. This issue has impacted my vehicles torque converter. When I drive at high speeds my car shakes and I get a warning that says transmission system problem. Also the transmission slips and has poor fuel mileage. Honda extended the warranty for this part because it is prone to failure. My vehicle was diagnosed at Gardena Honda on Sep 4,2024. The service advisers confirmed that my vehicle has the issue that the warranty was extended on. However, due to my vehicle having a salvage title they will not honor that warranty. This issue should have been recalled instead of extending the warranty. Other pilot owners may pose a serious risk to themselves and others as Honda failed to notify myself and other about the risks of having a defective part on the vehicle. I can no longer drive my vehicle because of the risk involved. The dealer quoted me $5000.00 to repair. Federal law requires car manufacturers to repair any issues that arise from emissions regardless of bad title. Honda refused to repair on 9/4/2024.

NHTSA ODI 11613103

While driving my 2018 Honda Pilot I stopped in an intersection to make a turn and when I came to a complete stop my vehicle stopped running. Assuming it was the auto start/stop I released the brake and attempted to accelerate to complete my turn the vehicle failed to re-start and shuttered / stalled. I then could not get my vehicle to restart and had multiple warnings on my dash along with check engine light being lit. 1 of the errors showed "Emissions System Problem" as well as "Move vehicle to side of road and park". I could not get the vehicle to do anything even though it was already in parked from stalling out. I had to press Start/Stop button to turn my vehicle off completely for approx. 2 minutes and then was able to get vehicle restarted and then shifted to Drive to clear intersection. This has happened multiple times in different circumstances. I have had the vehicle back to Honda dealership twice and they said the do not see any issue or cannot get issue to repeat.

NHTSA ODI 11612328

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the message stated that the transmission was overheating was displayed. The contact pulled over to the nearest exit to park the vehicle and allowed the engine to cool off. The contact then continued to drive; however, the message displayed after driving for a while, caused the contact to pull over and allow the engine to cool off again. The failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to East Coast Honda (8756A US Highway 17 Bypass South, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588); where it was diagnosed and determined that the rotors needed to be replaced and the transmission fluid needed to be flushed and refilled. The rotors had been replaced and the transmission was flushed and refilled. Approximately two weeks after receiving the repair, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved with an abnormally loud sound. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where the contact was informed that the failure was related to the recall; however, the part for the recall repair was not available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 66,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11611098

Sitting stopped at a red light. These messages with the check engine light start scrolling on the dashboard: TSA, Emissions system problem, stability control, EPS, etc. it kept changing. When trying to go in drive to he engine had reduced power and I had to get out of the intersection quickly. The code to show up when scanned was P0369 camshaft sensor. Had the vehicle towed to Honda dealership to find out that other pilots in my same year model have this issue but my specific VIN was not included in the recall LVM or the service bulletin 19-045 even though the same year model is included.

NHTSA ODI 11611190

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated while responding. Additionally, the power train warning light was illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the fuel injectors were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11604736

my car is 2018 with 54k mile .now the car has check engine light on . the code is P0430 . this code relate with fuel pump recall . i went to Honda dealer at Fremont but they said . they need to back order part . but my car now has a problem could not pass smog . please could you help to us how to do . Thank you so much .

NHTSA ODI 11598470

I have been waiting since March for the fuel pump recall replacement and am now experiencing transmission issues. Vehicle lurching repeatedly and all light indicators came on. Honda is recommending replacement of cam shaft, thrust cover, and position sensor but still has yet to replace fuel pump recall. Vehicle only has 68k miles on it and has all required maintenance completed at dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11596169

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had started to become a recurring failure. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she was no longer driving the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 23-078 torque converter lock-up clutch (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

NHTSA ODI 11593975

“Transmission system problem” message is displayed. Vehicle still runs fine, but reverse camera becomes disabled.

NHTSA ODI 11590299

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated to respond. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving from a complete stop, nearly causing a crash. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated, and the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure could be related to the fuel injectors and the transmission. The TCM software was updated, and a transmission flush was performed; however, the failure persisted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), and related the failure to the recall; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,155. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11589618

for months Honda dealer has not yet resolved the two recalls indicating parts and instructions from Honda are not availalbe. Thus, the dealer is unable to resolve the recalls. This has been going on for months and is unacceptable. When the NHTSA issues a recall, why can't consumers get their recalls fixed ?

NHTSA ODI 11578496

Shortly after 60k warranty expired, check engine light came on. We went to dealer right away and were told the torque converter needed to be replaced to prevent permanent damage. The repair was quoted at over $2000.00. We left the car with service and contacted Honda corporate. They paid half, but still left us with bill over $1000.00. I have heard of this issue with other 2018 Pilots. We had the repair done and have not had any other problems, but we were told that, if this became a recall in the future, we could get our money back. There needs to be a recall done for torque converters on 2018 Pilots. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11575143

I own a 2018 Honda Pilot (VIN number ending in [XXX] ) which was purchased from Perfection Honda on July 14, 2018. I am the only owner of the car and have taken the car to the dealer for all required maintenance services at the recommended time intervals. The car began stuttering after a stop on [XXX]. I took the car immediately to Perfection Honda and they stated that the issue was the front engine mount despite my concerns about the transmission. They replaced the front engine mount and flushed the transmission fluid and returned the car to me on [XXX]. The car had the same issue on [XXX] and I had to return the car to the dealer. Approximately one week later they stated that there was no issue and returned the car to me. On [XXX] the car had the same issue and had to be towed to the dealer. This time they stated it was the fuel pump, which had been recalled. They replaced the fuel pump and returned the car to me on [XXX]. On [XXX] the car had the same issue of stuttering upon acceleration from a stop and had to be towed again to the dealer. On [XXX] the service personnel called to inform me that a new transmission was needed. When the car first began experiencing the issue, I had had the car for five years and three months, three years of which had restricted driving due to the COVID shutdown in 2020 and in three months during 2021 when I was out of the country for travel. The car now has 57,380 miles. The issue began when the car had 54,079 miles. While there was fortunately no accident, the stalling after a stop and continued stuttering of the transmission is a significant safety issue. Each time I had my two children in the car with me and had to pull to the side of the road to avoid being rear ended. While other 2018 Honda Pilots have active transmission and engine recalls, my specific vehicle is not covered by those TSBs. Honda has stated that there are no active recalls on my vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11575155

Transmission is jumping between first and second gear randomly.

NHTSA ODI 11561961

The transmission does not transmit consistent power to the wheels to ensure the car moves forward at consistent speed. This intermittent transmission of power to the tires causes a safety concern when driving, especially during a rainfall with stop and go traffic or when joining roads. The car is unresponsive or very slow to respond when moving forward from a stop position. Any attempt to force the car to move results in a lunge or aggressive acceleration which usually causes the tires to screech. The unnatural acceleration results in forward motion not consistent with the flow of traffic. This issue is further compounded when there is rainfall with a little slop. Any forward motion results in the tires screeching forcing the driver to take his/her foot off the accelerator. This results in a stop and go situation which is confusing to other drivers especially when joining a road.

NHTSA ODI 11556768

Purchased and next day warning light came on for transmission problem. Took it to Honda and was told it was the torque converter. This part is on back order due to multiple installs on other Honda’s.

NHTSA ODI 11540619

Failed Torque converter at 80, 000 miles leading to dangerous underperformance

NHTSA ODI 11532956

While stopped at an intersection, the vehicle's Auto Start/Stop technology engaged. When driver attempted to drive, the Auto Start/Stop wouldn't disengage, as a result the car would not start. The vehicle prompted the driver to put the car in park and push the ignition button to start the car, however nothing happened, meaning the car would not start. After about 2 minutes, the car was able to start and the driver was able to continue driving. An immobilized vehicle at an intersection put its passengers at risk, including 2 children under the age of 3. Dealer will be notified of this occurrence.

NHTSA ODI 11522810

Powertrain: The transmission has problems engaging, where I have had several near misses due tot he car not moving in the delay of the transmission engaging. This has been going on for some time and the dealer tells me there is nothing wrong, that it is a special transmission and I need to get used to the shifting mode. I have 36,300 miles and have complained several times over the past five years, this is a real safety issue since the car will not move and when it dose it lunges forcefully. Idle shut-off: the engine shuts off and will not restart, it has also shut-off on the freeway at random times.

NHTSA ODI 11509976

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while approaching a stop, the contact attempted to accelerate however, there was a delay in responding. The contact stated that after a while the vehicle accelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who admitted knowledge of similar failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 10,000. The consumer stated the vehicle now has 52k and still exhibits the 2-3 second hesitation when depressing the accelerator. The contact stated the vehicle has started to roll backwards on a hill. The vehicle has just less than 60k miles and has always been serviced by a dealership.

NHTSA ODI 11507286

When the idle stop feature is active the vehicle can stop, ceasing all functions, including steering and engine. The entire electrical system does not function, and the vehicle cannot be restarted. In order to restart the vehicle you are required to jumpstart the vehicle. This issue was not common during early ownership of vehicle, but has become more frequent with age. This is a safety issue as the vehicle can become inoperable in busy intersections.

NHTSA ODI 11498330

Today my 2018 Pilot EX-L suddenly started displaying these warnings: - Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) Problem - Hill Start Assist Problem - Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) Problem - Power Steering System (EPS) Problem Looking at Honda Pilot Forums, it seems like it is a very common problem and has to do with Fuel Injectors as described by: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2021/MC-10187289-0001.pdf Many people have complained of this issue, here is one such blog of many many more: https://www.piloteers.org/threads/multiple-warning-lights.127665/ This should be a recall and not just an extension of warranty which shifts the burden of proof to the consumer. Please help Honda honor this warranty for my 4 year old pilot with only 47,463 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI 11495575

I was stopped at a red light, the engine cycled down because of the environmentally friendly option. My foot was on the break. The transmission shifted to neutral and turned orange. I could not get it to shift back to Drive. I had to turn the car off and restart it. At that point I was able to put it in drive and move the car. This was very dangerous because I was on a busy highway and could have been rear ended by a driver not noticing the car was stopped and off.

NHTSA ODI 11492137

Vehicle will randomly stall after the auto stop-start has kicked in. Car starts then stalls immediately in the middle of an intersection. Shift selector would switch to neutral when this happened requiring the driver to shift into drive even further delaying the ability to get out of traffic. Have since had to replace the shifter switch (PRNDL) to the tune of $750 and have the same random problem. My wife wants to get rid of this car as she afraid to drive it.

NHTSA ODI 11486320