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.
2025 Honda Pilot engine problems
33 complaints (15% of all complaints for this car).
- owner complaints
- 33
- of this car's complaints
- 15%
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
Owners did not name a specific part.
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Honda Pilot engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2025 Honda Pilot engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Loss of power 10Engine failure 6Stalling 6Check engine light 5
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related 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
What 2025 Honda Pilot owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The AC compressor went out on a new car
Engine is mis-firing and Honda has dreamed the vehicle inoperable until the back ordered parts arrive. I took the var to the dealership on Aug 28, 2026.
On Friday August 21,2026 at approximately 10:00am I departed my house. Approximately 4 minutes later while traveling the engine lost power and began misfiring. Steering and braking capabilities were both reduced. Numerous system failure lights were flashing. The vehicle is currently at the dealership awaiting Honda repair plan.
My Ac went out and upon taking it to the dealership, it was determined that my clutch and coil are melted into my compressor. They ordered the part but there were over 1,000 other dealerships that put in an order for the same part so I was told it could take over two months to get this sort in. They also said this was highly abnormal and it normal wear and tear so it definitely feels like a malfunction of the equipment Honda has that should be considered a recall.
my vehicle since the first week verhicle stops for no reason comes into a sudden dangerous stop the vehicle in the highway turn off and vehicle take off on its own 0 to 40 miles on its own
Message Emissions System Problem – Avoid Heavy Acceleration and High Speed. See Dealer. Car has been dropped off at dealer on 7/12/26 and has still yet to be returned. Dealer stated they contacted Honda corporate and they need to take the engine apart and submitt photos
On June 25, 2026 my 2025 Honda Pilot Elite (47,503 miles) upon ignition had every warning light in the system illuminate sequentially without any prior incident. I had never experienced any indication of malfunction, including warning lights or messages. The Emissions System Problem light remained illuminated on the dashboard and, after review of the Owner's Manual instructions to avoid heavy acceleration and high speed, I had the vehicle towed by AAA on a flatbed truck 75 miles to my home. The incident occurred during the evening and the next morning I drove the vehicle to Herb Chambers Honda of Seekonk, the dealer who has performed every service on the vehicle, including recalls. Of note is that the service team at the Honda dealer, specifically Malainne Costa, has been exceptional in addressing this issue. American Honda was consulted to determine the best plan for resolution. I understand that American Honda is trying to work through necessary adjustments with the new 2025 model year. One month after the incident, my vehicle remains at the dealer. I learned that the two cylinder heads in the engine block on my vehicle need to be replaced and those parts are still on backorder. Another engine component system may require replacement due to calcium buildup on the intake valves. I was assured that my driving habits were not a factor in this incident. My concern is that this incident occurred at a time when I was in a safe location and was able to await the arrival of AAA without worry about my personal safety. I bought the brand new vehicle in November, 2024 and it is obvious that I drive a significant amount of miles per year. I worry about the safety risk of other drivers having a similar experience in a less than optimal location especially since there was no indication of a problem prior to this critical incident. I share this incident in the spirit of exploring whether this is a systemwide problem that may result in a safety recall by Honda.
The vehicle displayed a check engine light with a message stating an emissions issue. The car would accelerate on its own up to 10-15mph without any input to the throttle. Braking was extremely difficult and the car could not accelerate over 40 mph. My wife was driving and my 6 week old daughter was in the car.
Auto Idle Stop (AIS) system failed to restart engine after automatic shutdown at high elevation (~10,000 ft), following a long sustained incline. Vehicle had been driven through extreme heat (100°F+) in foothills prior to the climb, then ascended into cooler mountain air (~70°F). Coolant temperature gauge read normal (under half) at time of incident. At a stop, AIS shut off the engine as designed. Engine did not start when I released the brake pedal. I have tried to turn off the car completely and start it again. Engine would not restart via the ENGINE START/STOP button afterward. Cranking was strong and fast, but engine did not catch/start. Vehicle was inoperable for approximately 5 minutes, after which it started normally with no further intervention (no jump start, no mechanical repair). After restart, Auto Start/Stop was manually disabled for the remainder of the trip. Vehicle then completed a 1-hour drive home with no further starting or performance issues, suggesting the AIS restart logic, not an unrelated mechanical or electrical fault, was the cause.
Questions about the 2025 Honda Pilot engine
Does the 2025 Honda Pilot have engine problems?
Owners have filed 33 complaints about the engine of the 2025 Honda Pilot, 15% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2025 Honda Pilot engine problems start?
Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.
Was there a recall on the 2025 Honda Pilot engine?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
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).
Other 2025 Honda Pilot problems
Driver assistance 67Electrical 45Steering 44Brakes 33Transmission 23Acceleration 15Fuel system 15Visibility 14Seat belts 12Airbags 6Body 4Lights 3Wheels 3Seats 2Suspension 2Tires 1
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2025 Honda Pilot?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history