2013 Honda Pilot: ABS light or ABS activating

Filed Jan 10, 2026 · Brakes, Engine · OH

Repeatedly there has been a cylinder 1 misfire causing the check engine light to activate. The vehicle starts to shake and idling is rough. It has happened repeatedly over the past 3-4 years. In 2025 it happened in August, October and December despite repeated maintenance. Error codes that have popped up due to the issue primarily include cylinder 1 misfires a known and documented issue related to the faulty VCM system. The problem has repeatedly been identified by multiple mechanics. I use my vehicle primarily to transport my children to and from school. We have all been in the car during these misfires endangering their safety. At many of the times when the misfires have happened my children have been in the car and any engine failure while operating the vehicle puts them in danger. My children are ADHD/autistic and during the times the vehicle has broken down while driving it has caused them extreme distress. The vehicle is available for inspection at any time. I have reached out to Honda repeatedly to have the issue resolved however despite repeated promises the vehicle would be fixed due to recalls and extended warranties Honda officials have repeatedly made erroneous claims and insist my vehicle's vin needs to be approved for any repairs. This is a well documented known issue for this make and model due to the faulty VCM system causing oil to get into the cylinders leading to the misfires and piston ring wear and corroded spark plugs. All I am requesting is for Honda to make the necessary repairs so my vehicle is safe to transport my children. I have kept up with the maintenance of the vehicle. The problems we have experienced are directly caused by the known VCM/MIL failures. Also we have consistently had codes come up for the ABS as well. Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act Honda is responsible for making the repairs.

Filed Jun 27, 2025 · Brakes · VA

The VSA/ABS lights came on and I took it to the repair shop. The mechanic told me that the VSA/ABS module is bad and needs to be replaced. He said this is a very common problem in my vehicle type. He said the anti-lock brakes won't work which can be dangerous. He said the parts are always backordered and can take months to come in and they are extremely expensive. They range from $1200-$2400 for the part only. I researched the problem online and it seems to be a common problem across many Honda models and years. Many people have taken apart the modules themselves and have repaired them. They mention that the connective wires on the modules are extremely thin and not recommended for circuit boards. The thinness of the connective wires causes the failure.

Filed Aug 28, 2023 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 74,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2013 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the ABS warning light, the brake warning light, and the traction control warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the pressure sensor had malfunctioned and the VSA module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and stated that the parts was unavailable. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the part unavailable and did not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 74,000.

Filed Jan 17, 2018 · Brakes · 50,000 miles · IN

I have a 2013 honda pilot ex 4wd with 52,610 miles on it. In very cold weather (around 5 degrees f or less) the brakes don't function correctly when the car is first started. There is a lot of pedal resistance and it only goes down about a third of the way or less. During this time, the brakes are barely engaging (it takes 3 feet to make a stop that would normally only take 6 inches). Then suddenly the pedal will go down all of the way and the brakes will be working. Sometimes it corrects itself almost right away on the first push, other times it takes several minutes to correct. In all but one occasion, this happened while parked, however, it has happened once on the road on an extremely cold (sub 0 f) day (notably on that day it had been stored inside overnight prior to the trip). Note that this is not an ABS type experience (where you are pushing the pedal hard because the ABS is activating) ' in my case the pedal is barely going down, and the brakes are barely engaging. The vehicle has been twice inspected by a honda dealer, and they replaced the brake fluid and both front and rear brake pads, but it still happens. The challenge is that it does not happen all of the time, so it is hard to duplicate for the dealer. Based on a web search, it appears that others have experienced the problem: http://www.piloteers.org/forums/82-2012-2015-pilot/147306-cold-weather-brakes.html http://www.piloteers.org/forums/114-2016-third-generation-pilot/141257-hard-brake-pedal-morning.html

Filed Jun 28, 2016 · Brakes · 28,350 miles · NY

For the past 8 months, I have been having a problem with the car excellerating while I was braking. The dealership looked at the car on 3 occasions and stated that there was no problem with the transmission. Because of a recent scare while driving, I took the car to someone who knows about cars. After a test drive, he concluded that the brakes were not engaging properly giving the feeling that the car was excellerating. He felt that the ABS was not functioning correctly and raised an issue that could an accident as the brakes were disengaging when the driver expected them to stop the car. He also felt that the brake action could cause a loss of control it happens at both street and highway speed.