While traveling at approximately 60 MPH, with no vehicles or obstacles nearby in either direction, my 2025 Honda Pilot unexpectedly activated its collision warning system. The red "BRAKE" warning appeared on the dashboard, immediately followed by sudden, forceful automatic braking without any input from the driver. The unexpected deceleration threw me forward, resulting in a headache and mild wrist pain. Fortunately, my children were not in the vehicle, and there were no vehicles traveling behind me at the time. This incident created a serious safety concern, as the sudden braking could have resulted in a collision. The vehicle is scheduled for inspection at a Honda dealership on November 2, 2026. I am requesting that Honda investigate this unintended braking event and determine why the collision mitigation system activated when no apparent hazard was present.
The worst 2025 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.
- Driver assistance67
- Electrical45
- Steering44
- Brakes33
- Engine33
- Transmission23
- Acceleration15
- Fuel system15
- Visibility14
- Seat belts12
- Airbags6
- Body4
- Lights3
- Wheels3
- Seats2
- Suspension2
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2025 Honda Pilot
Adaptive cruise 19Collision warning 17Power steering loss 15Jerking 13Steering noise 11Loss of power 10Warning lights 8Hesitation 7Lane assist 7Windshield crack 7Engine failure 6Stalling 6Sunroof shattered 6Check engine light 5
Recalls 5
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
Seat belts: rear/other
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The third-row passenger seat belt assembly may not function, due to incorrect routing that traps the seat belt behind the passenger side panel. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Risk
- A non-functioning seat belt cannot properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the seat belt routing as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's number for this recall is ZL4.
Recall number 25V056000 · 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
See all 5 recalls for the 2025 Honda Pilot
Defect investigations
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 2025 Honda Pilot 35
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- The driver-information interface may display a warning message when a malfunction in the Auto Idle Stop...
- Dealer Message
- 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
2025 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 2025 Honda Pilot owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My car would rev without increasing speed and would jerk with braking and acceleration. The honda technician diagnosed a transmission problem called a slip flare and the transmission is being replaced under warranty at 28k miles. I do not believe this caused a safety issue because I caught it early but it took the dealership a couple days to reproduce the issue. There were no warning lights or error codes alerting an issue.
My 2025 Honda Pilot TrailSport has lost electric power steering assist twice. First failure, about 6,000 miles: the vehicle lost power steering while driving on pavement in normal road use, with no water or off-road driving involved. The Honda dealer replaced the steering rack under warranty. Second failure, about 24,000 miles: a few days after the vehicle was driven through shallow puddles on a trail at Broken Bow Lake, OK (about 5 inches deep, below the wheel rims, about 5 mph), it lost power steering assist while being driven to work on public roads in Lawton, OK. The dealer attributed the failure to water and mud entering the power steering electrical connector/wiring and denied warranty coverage. A Honda field representative upheld the denial and told me to file an insurance claim. This failure is in the same area the dealer worked on during the first rack replacement. The failed parts are at the dealer. The steering system's electrical connections should be sealed against ordinary road splash, especially on the TrailSport, which Honda markets as its most rugged and off-road capable SUV. Here, shallow water led to a loss of steering assist days later, in normal traffic on a public road. Any driver who goes through a flooded street or heavy rain could face the same failure without warning. Loss of assist sharply increases steering effort and could cause a crash. I ask the federal safety agency to review whether the electric power steering connectors on 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles are adequately protected from water intrusion.
There is a constant clicking noise when turning the steering wheel which seems to come from the clock spring. I have verified this same issue on two other 2025 models, and although it does not currently affect vehicle safety, it could potentially do so in the future.
My 2025 Honda Pilot Elite has a persistent creaking/rubbing noise from the steering wheel area when turning at low speeds. This has been brought to Richfield Bloomington Honda twice with no resolution. Visit 1 (9/28/2026): Dealer replaced the clock spring under warranty. Noise returned within days. Visit 2 (10/16/2026, 15,158 miles): Dealer compared vehicle to 3 other Pilots, stated they all make the same noise, and closed the repair order as ‘operating as designed’ with no safety concerns found. Honda has not provided a fix. Multiple other 2025 Pilot owners have filed identical the federal safety agency complaints (ODI #11765610, #11725404, #11750240) with the same outcome — clock spring replaced, noise persists, dealer calls it normal. I believe the root cause is the steering column bearing assembly, not the clock spring. I am requesting the federal safety agency investigate this as a potential defect.
While driving to work my back passenger tire bumped a shallow pothole. After the bump, several warnings came on the screen about ABS, Power Steering, automatic bright headlight control and a couple of others. The power steering was completely out. I turned my car off and restarted my car. This restored the power steering, but there was a lane assist error and one other error. I turned around to head home and the sensors went away as if they were reset. When the vehicle was taken to the dealer it did not display that any alerts had been registered on the car and they were not able to duplicate the problem after driving the car for 50 miles. I took the car back home after getting the tires aligned. 2 weeks later the same thing happened again.
While I am driving my vehicle, it suddenly applies the brakes with force and the "BRAKE" dash light appears. This began in Feb 2026 after several months of driving on the same road with no issues. I am at risk of being in a rear end collision if the person behind me is following closely and my car suddenly applies the brakes with force. The dealer cannot reproduce the problem, but it is happening on the same road and they have not tested the vehicle on this road. I do have a video of it happening and the dealership has a copy. We have taken it to the dealership 3 times and I have a lengthy record of each occurrence. The problem seems to be happening more often as time goes on. The dealership keeps telling us they can't find anything wrong - even though they now have the incident on video.
The passenger side seat is either missing or the foam material has been displaced. SInce this seat is both heated and cooled this presents a situation where the air ducts may be covered which if the heat is being seated could cause a buildup of heat and a possible melting or fire concern. The auto is still under the 36,000 mile threshold of warranty coverage but the dealer has refused to fix the issue. They gave me a number for Honda Customer Relations. I have a case number which is #XXX. This should trigger a recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I am about to replace my windshield for the 5th time in my 2025 Honda Pilot Black edition. It has happened in different spots at different speeds and the windshield immediately spreads. I have replaced with OEM glass everytime. This is a safety concern. I joined a FaceBook group for 2025 Honda Pilots and so many others have this sane issue. Its very concerning
A recent drive on the expressway with my two young children turned into a nightmare when my vehicle's transmission failed without warning. Traveling at 65 mph, I was faced with a huge risk to our safety. Sadly, this was not the first time I've experienced problems with this vehicle. The steering wheel has locked up on me multiple times. I've lost count, but it's happened at the least 7 times – and I've been living with the constant fear of being involved in an accident. I've previously tried to address these issues through the lemon law, but unfortunately, I haven't seen any resolution yet.
Compare the 2025 Honda Pilot
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Other model years
200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Questions about the 2025 Honda Pilot
Is the 2025 Honda Pilot reliable?
Owners have filed 217 complaints about the 2025 Honda Pilot, fewer than a typical Pilot model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2025 Honda Pilot?
Driver assistance and stability, with 67 complaints, typically around 3,200 miles. Next is electrical (45).
How many recalls does the 2025 Honda Pilot have?
5 recalls, covering steering, service brakes, hydraulic and seat belts.
What year does the Honda Pilot have the most driver assistance problems?
The Honda Pilot model years with the most driver assistance complaints are 2019 (200 complaints), 2021 (123 complaints) and 2020 (117 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2025 Honda Pilot get?
Official estimates for the 2025 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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