This has happened several times but today it was dangerous. I was doing around 40mph and there were some changes in the concrete color and my car slammed on the breaks (again) for no reason. I was almost hit. This keeps happening in my vehicle and I am terrified to drive it. Please help get this recalled. I have a child with cancer and I bought this safer vehicle to transport her to the hospital.
2021 Honda Passport brakes problems
22 complaints (15% of all complaints for this car). 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 22
- of this car's complaints
- 15%
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 1
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Honda Passport brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2021 Honda Passport brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
- Risk
- Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Recall number 23V458000 · Recall details
What 2021 Honda Passport owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I purchased a used 2021 Passport the end of May 2025. While driving, the 'collision mitigation braking system' or CMBS would activate the braking system and would intermittently just brake, causing panic for not only myself, but I'm sure drivers behind me for suddenly braking with no imminent threat in from of me. This happened multiple times without receiving any warning or notifications, just suddenly. It would happen without warning, or sometimes nearing a bridge or a cover plate on the road, which almost caused accidents multiple times to get rear ended. I have driven for decades and never felt anxiety until I drove this vehicle for a few months. I felt scared driving this vehicle, feeling uncertain when it would suddenly just brake. Eventually after a few months of driving, I got a reading that said CMBS problem on the screen. I scheduled an appointment with the dealer. The dealer suggested a near $3000 replacement for a camera (on a 2021 vehicle). At the appointment, I ultimately returned this vehicle to the dealer where I bought it and unfortunately lost out on thousands of dollars after having the vehicle about 6 months. I have always liked Honda, and have had 2 prior Hondas, but with this vehicle purchase, I felt the most unsafe I have ever felt in a vehicle, and moving forward will not feel comfortable purchasing Honda.
Was driving 47 mph at 12:35 EST on a clear sunny day and car braked automatically. No car in front of me.
Concerns with the brake master cylinder and brake booster. Bolts not torqued enough during manufacturing. I had an independent inspection completed on 6/4/25. Technician determined the bolts were not torqued properly. Concern is my brakes could fail causing fatal crash
The vehicle infotainment system froze. Several minutes later after driving, I pressed the brakes but they did not function. The vehicle would not stop and crashed into the vehicle in front of me. Emergency braking did not engage or otherwise show signs of activation. After turning off the car and dealing with the accident, I restarted the vehicle and the brakes and infotainment system operated normally.
This afternoon traveling home from our 5 year olds swim class, turning into our neighborhood at appropriate speed and braking. Shortly after I turned in, my passport jerked, dinged, locked the steering and then was ok. No error lights came on but was very scary. Too many recalls with this vehicle
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Passport. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a stop light, the brake pedal was depressed, and the wheels locked up. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to come to a gradual stop. The contact was able to continue driving after the brakes had been released. The failure occurred intermittently. The service brake warning light was illuminated. The dealer was unable to reproduce the failure and the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 20,000.
The automatic emergency brake system will randomly activate despite there being nothing in the way, no car in front, and no obstruction. It causes the car to slam on the brakes for no reason which I’m afraid will cause someone to hit me from behind.
I purchased this vehicle from a dealership 1 week ago. Prior to receiving the vehicle it had been serviced by the dealership and had passed inspection. The vehicle is a 2021 with low miles and appeared to be in very good condition with no appreciable rust, corrosion or wear. Since purchase, I have driven the vehicle about 160 miles on my daily commute. I did have issues with one of the automatic systems, but will submit that as a separate report as I do not believe it is related to this issue. Tonight I was driving home from work on a hilly, curved two-lane road and came upon a vehicle parked across the opposite lane and slightly into my lane. I was traveling at about 45 mph and pressed on the brakes suddenly but with reasonable force in order to slow to pass with caution. I immediately felt loss of brake pressure and did not stop as expected. I continued on at the same speed and passed very close to the rear of the stopped vehicle. Fortunately, I was able to swerve to avoid a collision. Once the brake pedal was pressed completely to the floor, the vehicle began to decelerate gradually as I continued down the hill. No warning lights or alerts came on at that point. At the bottom of the hill, I turned onto a flat quiet road to drive slowly and assess the situation. I determined that the brakes were compromised and that most pressure had been lost. I parked the vehicle and about 15 minutes later turned it off and back on and numerous warning systems came on saying that the brake fluid was low and other steering and traction control systems were compromised. I got out of the vehicle and brake fluid was pooled on the ground by the rear tire on the driver's side. When the roadside assistance person arrived we confirmed the leak by putting more brake fluid in, which gushed out onto the ground when the brakes were applied. The vehicle was transported by flatbed to a repair shop. There was no warning prior to this incident and no emergency system alert until well after.
Vehicle started having issues with steering wheel shaking under braking at 10k miles. It started getting worse and at15k miles dealer diagnosed warped rotors . Dealer stated that brakes are not under warranty as this is wear and tear item. Dealer resurface rotors instead of replacing them as Honda wouldn’t cover it . Issue has returned again and under breaking steering wheel is shaking pretty bad . Honda does not want to cover this under warranty. I have contacted them and they said this is not under recall and they can’t help me. I wanted to report this as I do believe this safety issue that could result in serious accident and possible even casualties.
Questions about the 2021 Honda Passport brakes
Does the 2021 Honda Passport have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 22 complaints about the brakes of the 2021 Honda Passport, 15% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2021 Honda Passport brakes problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 2021 Honda Passport brakes?
Yes, 1 recall: 23V458000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Honda Passport have bad brakes?
The Honda Passport model years with the most brakes complaints are 1999 (67 complaints), 1998 (64 complaints) and 2019 (23 complaints).
Other 2021 Honda Passport problems
Driver assistance 54Engine 30Electrical 27Transmission 23Fuel system 8Visibility 6Airbags 4Steering 4Acceleration 3Lights 3Seats 3Suspension 3Tires 3Seat belts 2Wheels 1
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