2020 Honda Pilot: headlights failing or too dim

Filed Sep 18, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · AR

Front facing camera fail. Causing brake system adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist , collision mitigation, road departure mitigation. Auto high beams to not work

Filed Jul 12, 2026 · Driver assistance, Electrical · FL

First of, there are a LOT of Honda Pilot owners online who have the same exact complaints in honda forums and social media. Windshield Lane Keep Assist camera is malfunctioning. Adaptive cruise control, Emissions systems, Road departure system, Auto high beam problem, Lane keeping assist, Collision mitigation system warning lights all come on. No previous warnings or failures prior. This started out of the blue and has been happening everyday for a few months now. This malfunction puts driver and passengers at risk.

Filed Jun 20, 2026 · Driver assistance · NV

At every vehicle startup, multiple warning messages appear on the dashboard indicating failure of the driver assistance safety system. The warnings include Collision Mitigation System Problem, Lane Keeping Assist System Problem, and Auto High Beam System Problem. The issue occurs immediately upon ignition while the vehicle is stationary and resets each time the vehicle is turned off and restarted. The problem is persistent and has not resolved over time. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized dealership and diagnosed with a diagnostic trouble code indicating an internal failure of the forward-facing camera unit used for the driver assistance system. The repair recommendation was replacement of the camera module and calibration. This malfunction affects the vehicle’s advanced driver assistance safety systems, which are designed to support collision avoidance and lane keeping. The failure may result in reduced or non-functioning safety features while driving, increasing the risk of unsafe operation without full driver assistance functionality. No windshield replacement or external impact has occurred that would explain camera damage. The issue began without any known external cause and continues consistently at every startup.

Filed Jun 11, 2026 · Driver assistance · PA

Warning lights for Adaptive Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Collision Mitigation, Road Departure, and Auto High Beam all came on simultaneously. From reading several Pilot forums, this seems to be very widespread and dealerships want anywhere between 1500 and 1900 to replace and calibrate the camera system which controls these functions. If it’s widespread, the vehicles should be recalled.

Filed May 22, 2026 · Driver assistance · NJ

The multipurpose front camera (Honda Sensing camera unit) failed internally, triggering diagnostic trouble code U3000-49. Multiple warning lights activated simultaneously on the dashboard, disabling all Honda Sensing safety systems including Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS), Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Road Departure Mitigation, and Automatic High Beams. The failure occurred spontaneously with no prior accident, impact, or windshield replacement. The vehicle has low mileage and the failure appears consistent with a known design defect affecting Honda Sensing camera units in 2016–2020 Honda models. The failure was confirmed by a Honda dealership using Honda Diagnostic System (HDS), which identified internal electronic failure of the camera unit. Safety is at risk because the collision mitigation braking and lane keeping systems — relied upon for highway driving — are completely non-functional. This issue is widely reported across Honda Pilot, Odyssey, CR-V, HR-V, and Ridgeline forums, suggesting a systemic manufacturing defect. Honda has not issued a recall despite the safety-critical nature of these systems. The cost of replacing the multipurpose camera is very high and prohibited for many families.

Filed Apr 19, 2026 · Driver assistance · TX

My current 2020 Pilot has presented a failure/ malfunction at the multipurpose camera in the front side resulting on the most important safety advance drivers assistance systems to not to work (Collision Mitigation System, road departure mitigation system, auto high beam, lane keeping assist, automative emergency breaking). This malfunction for this safety device could put at risk my family while driving since system got deactivated for no reason and will not respond to under unexpected situation while driving. I notice several messages on my dashboard then I confirmed safety componentes where bypassed and not activated not working properly. The problem was reporte at a dealer, then vehicle device was inspected and confirmed by the dealer that the safety multipurpose camera has a malfunction. Prior to the failure there were no messages or symptoms, just stops working without advice. Safety devices must he operative at all time, me vehicle is in very good condition and not more that 6 years old.

Filed Mar 14, 2026 · Driver assistance · MA

LKAS, adaptive cruise control, auto high beams, forward collision, auto breaking warning lights all came on and failed. Lots of other Honda pilots of this vintage are experiencing this issue according to Honda forums.

Filed Feb 25, 2026 · Driver assistance · VA

An internal failure on the front windshield camera assembly part #36160-TG7-A63 had caused the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems to fail. Which in turn has caused the following systems to fail: Adaptive Cruise Control, Automatic Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assistance, Parking Collision Warning, and Rear Cross Traffic Warning. Leaving these systems unrepaired due to a known and common hardware failure issue leads to this specific vehicle and the ones similar unsafe for the driver and occupants due to the safety systems being inoperable. The problem has been confirmed on two separate occasions by my local Honda dealer. The known issue with this specific camera assembly leads to a multitude of warning lights being displayed including: adaptive cruise control warning, lane keep assist, collision mitigation system problem, and auto high beam mitigation.

Filed Feb 10, 2026 · Driver assistance · MO

On or about January 7, 2026, we were driving through town and the dash cluster lit up with five separate warnings for safety features no longer operational. These are adaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist, collision mitigation, road departure mitigation, and automatic high beams. We cleaned the windshield and radar housing. Then the battery was replaced. None corrected the problem. An appointment was then scheduled at the dealership for 1/9/2026. It was determined the multi-purpose camera had an internal short. The only fix is a new camera ($1284) and re-aim process. The total repair cost, not including the $165 diagnostic fee, is $1727. In the meantime, the driver safety features are mostly unavailable, including the traditional cruise control. I say mostly because the system randomly works for a few minutes before overheating/shorting. I worry about fire and sudden emergency braking due to the short. I must note this system has never functioned well. In particular, the camera and/or radar “sees” problems that don’t exist and unnecessarily and repeatedly activates the warning notifications, especially on two-lane highways. I may still have video of a trip where there were dozens of warning notifications within just a few miles for cars in their own lane. The collision mitigation system has been off for nearly all our ownership as it nearly caused a major accident on our second day. As I was accelerating up to highway speed to merge onto the highway I activated my turn signal. A truck in the driving lane was slowing to let me in, however, the system saw traffic in the vicinity and activated numerous warnings on the dash while simultaneously activating the brakes and steering me towards the ditch. The car behind me had to panic brake to avoid hitting me. I had limited driver input during this period but was able to get stopped on the shoulder of the highway. I liken the Honda Sensing system to a 16 year old driver who is prone to panic.

Filed Oct 5, 2025 · Driver assistance, Electrical · SC

Lane departure front facing projection camera suddenly went out disabling multiple safety features of the car. The part number for the car is 36160-TG8-A83. This car only has ~86,000 miles and this is unacceptable. This failure disables the Lane keep assist, lane departure, auto high/low beam, adaptive cruise control, auto braking safety features and causes the brake light system light to come on. Apparently, this is a common issue and should be investigated. The parts are on back order nationally and good luck finding a used one.

Filed Jul 17, 2025 · Electrical · KY

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? When calling the dealer they believe it is the “Smart Control unit.” How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My vehicle will not start most of the time…leaving me stranded when I have to go anywhere and I have to get out to take the battery terminal off and back on just to try to reset it long enough for it to try to start. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? No, from my understanding of reading other people having the same problem Honda knows it is a common issue and has not done anything about it. The dealer wants paid to do an inspection. I do not have the money they are asking for. I know inspections aren’t very expensive but most people (myself included) can’t afford even a simple inspection. Just to pay for the car takes all I have. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? At first I noticed my car alarm would go off randomly and originally thought my doors weren’t being shut all the way however after making sure all doors were in fact shut it still went off. I was at work that night and had to keep going out to turn my alarm off…the next morning I go in to start my car and leave and it had trouble starting saying “keyless start system problem” after finally getting it started I drove to the gas station to get gas and turned off the engine as I was walking away I heard cracking noises and my car making the ding noise it makes when you turn it on ACC mode. When I came back to the car all the lights on the dash, radio screen, headlights, tail lights, and mirror lights (the ones that light up when a car is close) were flashing like crazy and still heard the crackling noise.

Filed May 30, 2025 · Lights · FL

I am writing to formally report a safety concern related to a recent maintenance issue on my Honda vehicle. Approximately one month ago, I had my vehicle serviced to address an issue with the rear tailgate lighting. Although the issue was supposedly repaired, I discovered during nighttime driving that the tailgate lights were still not functioning properly. Despite the headlights being on, the rear tailgate lighting failed to illuminate, creating a serious safety hazard. I was nearly involved in a rear-end collision with a truck due to this malfunction. Upon stopping and inspecting the vehicle, I confirmed that the tailgate lights were not working as intended. This problem raises serious concerns, especially considering the dealership performed a multi-point inspection at the time of service. The malfunction was not detected or corrected adequately. Additionally, I question the reliability of these inspections, as there have been inconsistencies in their findings. For example, one inspection indicated that my brakes were fine, but just three weeks later, another inspection claimed they required replacement. The main issue, however, is that the tailgate lights were supposedly repaired but were not correctly configured to turn on automatically with the headlights. This oversight directly jeopardized my safety and the safety of others on the road. I respectfully request that the federal safety agency investigate this matter and determine whether there is a broader issue with the repair or inspection protocols being followed by Honda service centers, particularly regarding rear lighting systems and multi-point inspections. Thank you for your attention to this urgent safety concern. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)