On September 13, 2026, I was cleaning my 2015 Honda Pilot at a car wash while my young child was inside the vehicle. My keys and phone were also inside. After I closed the front passenger-side door, the vehicle unexpectedly locked all doors with my child, keys, and phone inside. I did not intentionally lock the vehicle and did not expect the doors to lock when the passenger door closed. I immediately attempted to regain access. A car wash employee and others also tried to help. I borrowed a phone and called 911. A locksmith was contacted but estimated approximately 35 minutes before arrival. Because my young child remained trapped inside the closed vehicle in hot weather, the situation became increasingly urgent. After continued unsuccessful attempts to gain access, 911 was contacted again and police and fire personnel responded. My child was trapped inside the vehicle for approximately 30 minutes. Emergency personnel ultimately broke the rear driver-side window to gain access and remove my child. Due to the duration of the incident and heat exposure, my child was taken for medical evaluation and later discharged. I do not know what specific component or system caused the vehicle to unexpectedly lock. The problem has not yet been diagnosed or confirmed by Honda or a dealership. I am reporting this because the unexpected locking created a serious safety situation requiring emergency personnel to break a window to rescue a young child. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.
The worst 2015 Honda Pilot problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine24
- Electrical13
- Brakes12
- Airbags11
- Transmission11
- Body10
- Suspension7
- Visibility7
- Fuel system6
- Lights4
- Acceleration3
- Steering3
- Driver assistance2
- Seat belts2
- Seats2
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2015 Honda Pilot
Trouble codes owners of the 2015 Honda Pilot mention
P0301 2P0304 2
Recalls 4
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of the federal safety agency recall numbers 21V‑215 and 20V‑314.
Recall number 23V858000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F5F and Q5E.
Recall number 19V502000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.
- Risk
- An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M4O, P4R, T4Q, and W4P.
Recall number 19V378000 · Recall details
Air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Honda is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Acura TSX, TSX Wagon and ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Insight, Fit and Pilot vehicles, 2011-2012 Honda Accord and 2011 Honda Civic NGV, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Lastly, Honda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX and ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot, 2011-2013 TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord and 2010-2011 Honda Civic NGV, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag air bag inflators assembled as part of the frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
- Risk
- An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M2J and S2K.
Recall number 18V661000 · Recall details
See all 4 recalls for the 2015 Honda Pilot
Defect investigations
Engine failure
On November 8, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Recall Query RQ24013 to assess the scope of Honda recall 23V‑751 after receiving complaints that alleged connecting rod bearing failures in vehicles that were not within the scope of recall 23V‑751. In November 2023, Honda recalled 248,999 various Model Year (MY)2016â2020 Honda and Acura vehicles equipped with the 3.5L V6 engine. Honda recalled these vehicles due to a crankshaft manufacturing defect that caused premature connecting rod bearing wear and engine seizure. While the out-of-scope failures involved in these complaints appear to have a very similar failure mechanism as the recalled engines, a thorough analysis of all available data from Honda has not indicated that the same manufacturing defect exists in the out-of-scope engines as the engines recalled by 23V‑751. Based on this analysis ODI has determined that Honda has properly defined the scope of recall 23V‑751. Consequently, ODI will close this RQ investigation. the federal safety agency will continue to investigate these complaints of engine failure as part of a new Preliminary Evaluation Investigation (PE25008). The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by new circumstances.
RQ24013
Technical service bulletins for the 2015 Honda Pilot 85
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
2015 Honda Pilot fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | FWD | 18 | 25 | 20 |
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | AWD | 17 | 24 | 20 |
What 2015 Honda Pilot owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
On July 3, 2026 the check engine light, check VSA warning and check emissions warning indicators all illuminated simultaneously and the vehicle began to misfire and sputter which triggered an immediate slow down of traffic behind me. My local Honda dealership acknowledged a known defect with 2013 - 2015 Pilots in which the piston rings deteriorate leading to cylinder misfires. After system diagnostics they confirmed the spark plugs were damaged due to the piston rings defect causing engine misfires, rough idling, and slow minimal acceleration. This situation absolutely placed me, my family and others on the roadway at immediate risk due to the sudden nature of the engine malfunction. While there were no police report or insurance claims the Honda dealer did inspect and perform diagnostics on the vehicle. However American Honda declined any responsibility and refused to repair the vehicle even though this is a known issue with Honda. Prior to this date there were no warning or indication that the vehicle had any issues.
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that upon pulling into the gas station and parking the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormally loud sound, and the contact also noticed a grinding sound coming from the underbody of the vehicle. The contact stated that the grinding sound persisted and became louder while reversing out of the parking spot. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to Mavis Tires the following day. The vehicle was inspected and diagnosed with sway bar, suspension, and strut failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 270,000.
1. The engine assembly failed — Piston 1 suffered catastrophic failure due to VCM-related piston ring wear and oil sludge buildup, generating DTCs P0301–P0304 (engine misfire, cylinders 1–4). Vehicle is completely non-operational. Failed engine is available for inspection in Mableton, GA 30126. 2. Progressive engine misfire created risk of sudden power loss and loss of vehicle control at highway speeds. Complete engine failure in April 2026 left the vehicle fully immobile, posing an immediate collision risk to the driver and surrounding motorists. 3. Yes. In October 2025, I brought the vehicle to AutoNation Honda on Thornton Road, Georgia, presenting symptoms consistent with Honda Service Bulletin 25-060. The dealership examined the vehicle but took no action and offered no warranty coverage, despite SB 25-060 being fully active at that time. 4. Yes. AutoNation Honda (authorized Honda dealer) inspected the vehicle in October 2025 while Service Bulletin 25-060 was fully active. No repair was performed and Honda has denied all warranty claims. No police or insurance inspection has occurred. Vehicle remains unrepaired and available for the federal safety agency inspection. 5. Yes. The Check Engine Light illuminated with DTCs P0301–P0304 prior to failure, along with engine misfire, rough idle, and reduced performance. These symptoms were present at the October 2025 dealer visit. No corrective action was taken. The engine progressed to catastrophic Piston 1 failure in April 2026.
While driving in traffic the vehicle suddenly began to sputter and lose power with check engine light flashing on the dash board. I was able to pull over and limp the car the one mile to my home on side streets. I parked the vehicle and called for a tow truck to tow the vehicle to my local dealership that I purchased the car from brand new. This is the third time this failure has occurred. The first occurrence was in October of 2023, the second was in November of 2024. The first two repairs were made at a local independent repair shop in the city of Orange ca. the first occurrence was cylinder 1 and the repair shop indicated that this is a common occurrence in this make and model. The report was a replacement of the spark plug and coil pack as oil was found to be in spark plug chamber. The second occurrence was similar but on a different spark plug (I believe number 2 or 3). This occurrence was diagnosed by the dealer and required a replacement of piston rings and major engine repair and oil in spark plug number 2 I believe. In July of 2025 American Honda sent me a notice in the mail of a known defect affecting this vehicle and offered a repair for this exact problem within an extended warranty of 10 years or 150,000 miles whichever is first. This was my first reciept of such information from Honda. The extended warranty however was sent to me after the 10 year warranty was already expired as I has purchased the vehicle new in October of 2014. American Honda then had fine print at the bottom of the notice extending the extension to Jan. 31st 2026. 15 days later my vehicle experienced the acknowledged problem for the 3rd time. In July of 2025 I contacted my dealership and advised them of the letter I had received and asked for an inspection and or repair of the problem listed. The service advisor spoke with his service manager, and they refused to inspect and or repair the vehicle due to no warning light or symptoms occurring at that time.
The contact owns a 2015 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the error message instructed the driver to pull over immediately. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with piston ring failures. In addition, DTC: P0301 (Misfire in Cylinder #1) was displayed. The contact was informed that the piston rings needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
I bought my 2015 Pilot in 2024 and since then my local mechanic has told me I am burning oil and I have had to replace several spark plugs. I have had error codes like P0304 come up in conjunction with the replacements. I now have a total engine failure. I looked online after my failure and saw the VCM Warranty Extension, but I was never notified about it. I saw where the codes could come up as "misfires" but might actually be the engine failing. Component failure - engine Safety Risk - I was driving when it died. if i had not come to a complete stop i would have hit a snow covered rocky hill. Inspections - awaiting insurance inspector, engine failure confirmed by mechanic. Warnning - no lights were on when it happened.
The catalytic converter system on my vehicle is failing prematurely due to the vehicle’s built-in fuel management and energy-saving computer settings. These settings cause excess fuel to be burned and pushed into the catalytic converter, damaging the unit. In addition, this flaw is causing oil to be pushed out of the car, creating both a mechanical hazard and an environmental concern. This is not the result of poor maintenance or misuse — it is a hazard caused by a design flaw in the system itself.
See attached document for complaint.
Constant mold accumulates inside my car, creating an unpleasant, musty odor that fills the air. Over time, this persistent growth not only detracts from the vehicle's interior appearance but also poses potential health risks for anyone who enters. I have had to clean the car and remove mold repeatedly. This situation is extremely dangerous, especially since I have two small children who are being exposed to mold and mildew, which I believe is affecting their health. I reached out to Honda for assistance, but received no results, concern, or solutions regarding this issue. I have multiple receipts that can verify the mold growth is still ongoing.
Compare the 2015 Honda Pilot
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Other model years
200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Questions about the 2015 Honda Pilot
Is the 2015 Honda Pilot reliable?
Owners have filed 109 complaints about the 2015 Honda Pilot, fewer than a typical Pilot model year.
What is the 2015 Honda Pilot year score?
The 2015 Honda Pilot scores 84 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Honda Pilot: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2015 Honda Pilot?
Engine and cooling, with 24 complaints, typically around 55,000 miles. Next is electrical (13).
How many recalls does the 2015 Honda Pilot have?
4 recalls, covering fuel system, gasoline and air bags.
What year does the Honda Pilot have bad engine?
The Honda Pilot model years with the most engine complaints are 2016 (826 complaints), 2017 (490 complaints) and 2019 (253 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2015 Honda Pilot get?
Official estimates for the 2015 Honda Pilot range from 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.5L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 18 city and 25 highway.
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