Honda Pilot pulling problems

Filed Sep 22, 2026 · NY

American Honda Motor Co. Inc. and dealership (Della Honda - Plattsburgh, NY) refused to perform the required alignment as part of recall campaign 26V365 without out-of-pocket payment. As part of the recall, they removed and replaced lower trailing arms and installed subframe bracing. The service advisor said alignment was part of the recall. However, after the work was complete and I drove away from the dealership, the steering wheel was noticeably pulling to the left. I brought it back immediately and they said they had not performed the alignment as it was not part of the covered recall. They charged me for the alignment stating they thought the steering pulling was from my recent strut replacement, not the rear subframe replacement. Alignment after this type of subframe work should be standard practice and part of the covered expenses for the recall.

Filed Oct 3, 2025 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 173,273 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2005 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 25-35 MPH, the vehicle slowed down unexpectedly, and the brake pedal was hard and slow to respond when depressed. The contact stated that the steering wheel was pulling to the left, and it was difficult to correct the steering wheel. The vehicle was difficult to control. The VSA light was illuminated. There was a triangle with an exclamation mark symbol displayed on the instrument cluster. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the VSA module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired because the parts were on backorder. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 173,273.

Filed Dec 26, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · CO

Our 2016 Honda Pilot suddenly lost power on [XXX] and simultaneously developed a loud knocking sound coming from the engine on Monday ([XXX]) evening sometime between 7 and 8 PM. My son who was driving the vehicle was lucky to avoid an accident because it was difficult to pull to the right side of the road as there were fast-moving cars merging onto [XXX] from the westbound lanes of [XXX] . He pulled onto the right shoulder of [XXX] at just about [XXX], [XXX] . My other son and I drove to him. I was able to start the car but the knocking sound was still there and the engine struggled to stay on. I drove 0.5 miles safely and slowly (20-25 mph) to Midas at 1410 S. Nevada Ave. Midas diagnosed the vehicle with "a bad engine rod knock and main bearing squeak" that they could not fix. We had the vehicle towed to Corwin Honda in Colorado Springs on [XXX]. Honda technicians diagnosed the problem as connecting rod bearing failure. They recommended an engine replacement. There were recalls for the exact problem of our vehicle but our VIN was not part of the recall. We contacted Corporate Honda but they would not assist with any repairs and denied manufacturer responsibility for the connecting rod bearing failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Apr 30, 2024 · Steering · ID

My 2019 Honda Pilot alignment pulls badly to the right while driving on any type of road surface. I have had the vehicle aligned numerous times and the car still pulls to the right. I have heard from other people friends of mine that own Pilots that they have this issue as well. Honda needs to look into this as it is a safety problem out on the road. The problem has been confirmed by my tire dealer and my mechanic the problem continues. No warning lights have ever appeared.

Filed Feb 3, 2024 · Driver assistance · CT

This morning 01/30/2024, I was travelling in the right lane of two on the highway. The vehicle slowed rapidly just about to a stop. I barely had time to pull to the right shoulder. I narrowly was struck from a vehicle travelling behind. This was from one of the safety mechanisms in the Pilot SUV I think the lane departure sensor. This was very scary. I feel this is a huge safety concern and need to report it. If I didn't have a shoulder what the heck would have happened to me. I probably would have been struck from behind and who knows possibly injured or worse. The shoulder was approximately 8 ft wide thankfully. Later that morning it did the same thing but this time many error messages appeared. Thankfully this time there was nobody behind me and was able to pull to the right shoulder again. The error messages are as follows 1) Adaptive Cruise Control Problem 2) Brake System Problem 3) Power Steering System Problem 4) Vehicle Stability Assist Problem 5) Hill Start Assist Problem 6) Trail Stability Assist Problem 7) Collision Mitigation System Problem 8) Road Departure Mitigation System Problem. The engine lost power and would not shift properly. About 15 minutes later the vehicle drove normal. The error messages were still there. I parked my car upon arrival to work. I saw that the rear brake lights stayed illuminated as if the brakes were depressed but they were not. I had no tools to disconnect the battery and the rear lights stayed on for the next several hours. I returned to the vehicle and thankfully it started. The vehicle error lights were still there on the dash. I put the vehicle in gear and started my way home. Again, the engine lost power and would not shift properly. About 15 minutes later the vehicle drove normal. The error messages were still there. I parked my car at my house and the rear lights were still illuminated. I had to disconnect the battery so the battery would not be drained and/or ruined. I feel like this is a severe safety issue.

Filed Jul 19, 2023 · Driver assistance, Steering · MN

The vehicle pulls hard to the right when the driver lets go of the steering wheel for a few sseconds. this happens with LKA on or off. This happens no matter which lane is being driven in or what speed. The alignment has been verified 4 different times at both an independent mechanic and Honda dealer. Honda is unwilling or unable to remedy the situation. New tores did not fix the pull, rotation did not correct it. They basically told us there was nothing wrong with the car. This is dangerous because the car will end up in the ditch if the driver is incapacitated or distracted for just a few seconds. This is an expensive vehicle that we were confident was safe. Our oldest will be driving this car in a few short weeks. Not sure we feel safe letting him.

Filed Sep 19, 2022 · Brakes, Suspension · 9,800 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The stated that the vehicle was pulling to the left or right while driving. The contact stated while depressing the brake pedal the vehicle started pulling to the right. Additionally, while driving over rough road surfaces the vehicle was making a loud rumbling sound as if the traction control was failing. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 9,800.

Filed Dec 14, 2021 · Acceleration, Wheels · OH

Travelling on interstate w/ cruise speed set @ 70 mph. VSA (vehicle stability assist) engaged with a brief grinding noise & pulled to the right. Very startling event. VSA activation indicator triangle light came on, as well as, the VSA system indicator light. Have experienced the event a dozen or so times on both the interstate and roads with a speed limit of 35/40 mph, without use of the cruise control. We are original owners of the vehicle and it has been diligently worked on throughout & currently has 230,000 miles on it. Awaiting delivery of a new vehicle, but intend for my newly licensed son to drive the vehicle. Took it to my repair shop, but they couldn't replicate the issue. Replaced both front speed sensors, but the issue occurred on the interstate drive home immediately after. Hope to be able to drop the vehicle off for an extended period once I take delivery on my new vehicle. Worried the issue will occur in rain or snow & be even more dangerous. Repair shop ran diagnostic showing the yaw issue, but said the Honda generated code report only went up to 25 mph. Has always pulled to the right during activation and the grinding noise is very evident & startling. Kinda feels like maybe the ABS anti-braking system engages on 1 tire for a brief few seconds in my non auto mechanic analysis.

Filed Jul 13, 2021 · Tires · IA

March 2021 - car pulling to right, took to dealership & they did alignment, problem persisted, returned to dealer April 22, 2021, still pulling right, they said they swapped front tires left to right and pull diminished, service manager indicated a tire belt/band problem & could go flat or have a blowout, two front tires replaced at 34579 miles on 70000 mile tires, found out about Honda recall UA2 for same problem with Continental Tires but my VIN not on recall list.

Filed May 8, 2018 · Driver assistance · 166,000 miles · CA

Vsa system activates brakes without any input from driver under normal driving circumstances. Vsa light came on, car braked on its own on highway at 65mph, car pulled to the right; same thing happened during gentle left turn at 15mph. I believe this to be a defective yaw rate sensor. My VIN was not included in recall in 2013, #13v092000. Local dealer replaced battery stating that failing a load test could cause vsa code. Problem happened again, now local dealership found yaw rate sensor error code.