Customer Complaint: Clunking/Rocking noise heard in front end, on both sides near feet from interior, when making turns at low speeds. Noise would go away when driving straight. Correction: Technician found two outer subframe bolts to be loose/not torqued to manufacturer specification causing front sections of the subframe to shift under load. Technician retorqued all bolts to manufacturer specification, reinstalled underbody shield, and test drove. No noise indicated at this time. Miles: 46,075 Repair Order: 456280 Date: Nov 02, 2026
The worst 2023 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.
- Seat belts38
- Electrical28
- Driver assistance22
- Steering19
- Brakes17
- Engine13
- Visibility11
- Seats10
- Transmission10
- Body7
- Fuel system5
- Acceleration4
- Airbags4
- Wheels4
- Lights2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2023 Honda Pilot
Seat belt 14Adaptive cruise 10Lane assist 9Power steering loss 8Collision warning 7Hesitation 7Steering noise 7Sunroof shattered 7Loss of power 6Warning lights 6ABS 5
Recalls 6
Steering: electric power assist system
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2022-2024 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Pilot vehicles. The software for the electric power steering (EPS) assist may cause the EPS system to enter a failsafe mode, resulting in a loss of power steering assist.
- Risk
- A loss of power steering assist can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the EPS control unit, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed December 14, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1‑866‑784‑1870. Honda's numbers for this recall are KQB and TQA. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning November 11, 2026.
Recall number 26V721000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: pedals and linkages
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
- Risk
- A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
Recall number 25V391000 · Recall details
Electrical system: software
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Acura MDX Type-S, 2023-2025 Honda Pilot, and 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type-S vehicles. A software error in the fuel injection electronic control unit (FI-ECU) may cause an engine stall or a loss of power.
- Risk
- An engine stall or loss of power can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EL1 and AL0.
Recall number 25V031000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: filler pipe and cap
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Passport and 2023-2025 Pilot vehicles. The fuel filler neck tube and fuel filler pipe may separate, allowing fuel to leak.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the fuel filler neck tube and pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's number for this recall is OKM.
Recall number 24V900000 · Recall details
Seats: critical fasteners
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Honda Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Pilot, and 2024 HR-V, Acura Integra and Acura Integra Type S vehicles. The driver's seat cushion frame may not have been tightened properly, which can result in an unsecured seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."
- Risk
- An unsecured driver's seat may not adequately restrain the driver during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the driver's seat cushion frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 6, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138.
Recall number 24V859000 · Recall details
Steering: rack and pinion: rack
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Pilot vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the gear box assembly may contain a loose ball bearing, which can result in a loss of steering control or steering lock-up.
- Risk
- A loss of steering control or steering lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the electric power steering rack, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 18, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's number for this recall is FFX.
Recall number 23V735000 · Recall details
See all 6 recalls for the 2023 Honda Pilot
Defect investigations
Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status
On October 28, 2025, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened PE25-017 to investigate allegations of inaccurate rear seat belt warning status indicators. These allegations concern both false positive and false negative status indications in model year (MY) 2023-2024 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured by American Honda Motor Co. (Honda). A false negative occurs when the occupant’s seat belt is latched and the warning light illuminates, indicating the occupant is not belted. A false positive occurs when the occupant’s seat belt is not latched yet no warning is provided to the driver of this unlatched condition. ODI’s data analysis revealed that nearly all complaints involved false negative alerts. Regardless of the type of failure, there is no effect on the performance of the rear seat belts or on occupant protection during collisions. ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation. The closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist. The Agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the ODI reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to
PE25017
No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several field reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2019-2022 Honda Passport, and 2020-2023 Honda Ridgeline vehicles. The repair outlined in the service bulletins is a two-stage countermeasure to remedy the issue. The first stage is a Programmed Fuel Injection (“PGM-FI”) software update. The second stage is only deployed if the software update fails to remedy the issue. The second stage, depending on the model and model year, consists of replacement of the starter assembly, starter relays, and a valve adjustment. Additionally, Honda extended the warranty coverage to 10 years with unlimited mileage for vehicles requiring the second stage component replacement. ODI continues to receive complaints of the AIS failure to restart, with many complainants alleging the campaign countermeasures had been completed.the federal safety agency has reviewed Honda's Information Request Letter responses involving warranty claims, lawsuits, and consumer complaints in addition to ODI's own data. This Engineering Analysis is being opened to further consider the potential safety defect, including gathering additional data regarding Honda’s service campaign efficacy. ODI is additionally expanding the scope to encompass all vehicles addressed in Honda’s service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009 as well as newer model year vehicles, which are substantially similar to the vehicles covered by the service campaign. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to
EA25004
Technical service bulletins for the 2023 Honda Pilot 91
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Dealer Message
- The driver-information interface may display a warning message when a malfunction in the Auto Idle Stop...
- Over The Air
- The seat belt reminder incorrectly indicates that the second-row right passenger seat belt is unfastened...
- Dealer Message
- Customers have experienced rattle or vibration noise coming from behind the center display area of the...
- When the vehicle is put into reverse, the rear camera may display a black and white image
- Burning oil smell from under hood and/or MIL comes on with DTC P2096 and/or P2270 due to possible porosity...
- Customers are experiencing screeching, squeaking, rubbing, or scraping from the rear wheel area due to...
- Dealer Message
2023 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 | 19 | 27 | 22 |
| 3.5L 6‑cyl | AWD | 18-19 | 23-25 | 20-21 |
What 2023 Honda Pilot owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The rear passenger seat belt warning system is providing both false positive and false negative input to the driver regarding seat belt usage by rear passengers. Ref. Honda Service Bulletin 26-027.
The second-row passenger-side seat belt warning chime activates continuously even though the seat belt is properly fastened and the occupant is seated correctly. The vehicle indicates an unbuckled condition that does not exist. This is an intermittent problem. It does not occur on every trip, but once it starts, the warning chime continues for the entire trip while the vehicle is running or being driven, despite the belt being securely latched the whole time. Stopping and re-buckling does not reliably clear it. I have noticed a pattern in what triggers it: the warning most often begins when the vehicle turns left or right. The lateral movement of the occupant during a turn applies slight shifting pressure to the belt, and this appears to trigger the false unbuckled warning — suggesting a faulty buckle switch, latch sensor, or loose/intermittent wiring connection in the second-row passenger-side buckle assembly that loses contact under minor load changes.
The rear 2nd row passenger seatbelt alarm continues to go on when the seat belt is plugged in. I don’t feel safe having my children sit in that seat. I did go to the Honda dealership that I bought the car and they told me that I would have to pay for that part because it’s not recalled I am not paying for the part when I just bought the car brand new off the lot and we had nothing to do with the seatbelt going wrong.
Faulty second-row (right) seat sensor causing false seat belt warnings during every turn when a child is seated
The car engine shut off while in auto idle stop, prompting me to take to the dealership last year,2025. There, I was informed that the wiring is made from soy, which attracts rats, leading to a repair bill exceeding $1000. Unfortunately, this issue has recurred, as the engine has stalled twice when the vehicle shifted to park during a stop, necessitating a restart.
My Pilot is making abnormal sounds (such as clicking, creaking, or popping) when turning left at low speed or while parking.
2nd row passenger occupancy sensor failure. Honda Sercice Bulletin 23-018 describes the issue. It does not register passenger is seating in the seat, when seat belt connected it confuses system and throws lights and alarms intermittently. This effects the SRS as is a distraction to the driver and could potentially confuse SRS into malfunctioning in an accident.
The second row, passenger side seat has faulty seatbelt alarms. When someone is sitting in the seat with a seatbelt on the alert, continually dings. The inaccurate and continuous alarms create a severe driver distraction while driving! Disconnecting the seatbelt while in motion or the passenger moving to another seat while in motion does not stop the alert from that seat. The only way to deactivate the alarm is to turn the vehicle off and restart to clear the alarm. If the passenger in that seat never buckles the seatbelt, the alarm does not go off.
I have this car for more than 3 years now and ever since this sensor problem keeps bugging me out. The brake system hold error keeps on displaying specially on a rainy days, winter season and not only that, the car suddenly stopped in the middle of thw highway while displaying collision error message although there is no collision. This is very dangerous and knowing that it can happen anytime while your are driving on a highway. I am very frustrated and this type of cars is not cheap and they gave as a junk, not safe for driving cars. And jus today, my honda pilot is not starting at all. The engine keeps cranking while showing brake system hold error, collision error messages and a lot more. I was able to use it last night and suddenly for no reason it stops working because of some errors that I do not have any idea what's going on. Please, I need this to be fix by them (Honda). This is not a safe care at all.
Compare the 2023 Honda Pilot
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2023 Honda Pilot
Is the 2023 Honda Pilot reliable?
Owners have filed 151 complaints about the 2023 Honda Pilot, fewer than a typical Pilot model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2023 Honda Pilot?
Seat belts, with 38 complaints. Next is electrical (28).
How many recalls does the 2023 Honda Pilot have?
6 recalls, covering steering, service brakes, hydraulic and electrical system.
What year does the Honda Pilot have the most seat belts problems?
The Honda Pilot model years with the most seat belts complaints are 2023 (38 complaints), 2024 (27 complaints) and 2017 (15 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2023 Honda Pilot get?
Official estimates for the 2023 Honda Pilot range from 20 to 22 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.5L 6-cyl, FWD) gets 19 city and 27 highway.
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