2020 HONDA PILOT Complaints

When I am driving my car and stop at a stop light sometimes the car will fail to start up. It goes into neutral and then will take at least a minute to restart which is very dangerous. Its something with the start/stop feature and I had this problem two years ago and after many times dropping off my car at the Honda dealership and them telling me nothing is wrong with the car I finally said there had been a service bulletin on the start/stop system and they finally fixed it. Now two years later the same thing is happening. It is very dangerous as it happened when I was at a stop light getting off the highway and a car was coming from the highway and it took a couple minutes to restart and I almost got hit. Honda refuses address the issue and says there is nothing wrong. In fact they told me I needed to replace the mechanism with the park, neutral drive which I did for $1100 and then picked it up and the same thing happened again then they said it was the battery which was less than a year old so I replaced that and again same problem. This happens at least twice a week. This is dangerous!

My battery died while the vehicle was parked. I needed to physically move the vehicle but could not because the electronic button shifter would not allow me to put the transmission in Neutral. The only way to move it out of Park is a lengthy process requiring tools, engine component removals and a manual shifting of the linkage using a long wrench. My solution, was I had to leave the vehicle unattended, call a friend, get tools and replace the battery while blocking traffic. Safety concerns were that the vehicle was blocking traffic at a business and no documentation by Honda of how to fix or even shift the vehicle into Neutral. Now consider if someone has to try and manually tow the vehicle while in Park! I replaced the battery myself, but this is a well documented issue with electronic shifters, that will never make a dealership or service departments records or statistics! There was no warning of the failure, or battery light illuminating. Previous vehicle inspections at the dealership gave no indication that the battery was failing.

The torque converter has a shutter and has had a shutter since the day I bought it. All they want to do is flush the transmission fluid they didn't want to change the torque converter or whatever it's causing the shutter when it was under warranty. They just wanted to continue to keep flushing the transmission to give the torque converter thinner fluid so that way it would continue to run properly instead of actually changing the problem. The started to happen when I had 60,000 mi on the car cuz I had them their way of fixing the transmission first. Then it happened again at approximately 80,000 mi. Have them fix it again. Then it happened again at 115,000, mi The transmission will slam into gear around 19 mph and then it will fluctuate and slam into gear around 30 to 40 mph as well and then once you get past those two spots the transmission seems to run normal.

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.

The auto stop/start idle function does not re-engage after stopping the engine. This has happened at least 4 times in the last 3weeks with my vehicle. When stopped in traffic or at a light and stop sign the engine idle engages and stops running the engine, when releasing the brake pedal the engine does not turn on as it should and the car stalls. This requires the operator to engage hazard lights, shift into park and repeatedly try the push start button to turn on the vehicle to proceed. The passenger safety of myself and children are of concern. While having to wait on a car function, that is the core operation of the vehicle, it is dangerous to shut off a vehicle while in operation. Having other vehicles honking and trying to pass or even stopping at a highway entrance ramp then trying to engage the car to meet highway speeds is a dangerous time for an engine to stall and not re-engage. Yes, the issue has been reproduced and a dealer has already addressed the issue with a software update. This update has not resolved the issue. There are no current recalls on my vehicle. There are no warning signs or messages or the ability to turn off the function permanently. In addition, there a times during the operation of the vehicle where the engine stop/start function works after many stops but then randomly does not start. It is an inconsistent feature.

Transmission shuddering 55,000 miles and 3 months beyond warranty. Quoted a $221 diagnostic fee to “maybe tell me it needs a software update.” Dealer also said when transmission was serviced at 30k it should have been drained and filled 3 times not once as the book calls for. They are doing their damndest to hide a major problem.

I am reporting a safety defect in my 2020 Honda Pilot EX-L ~86,300 miles. The rearview camera and electrical/infotainment system intermittently fail, showing static, disconnecting Bluetooth, and sometimes leaving the camera blank. This creates a serious safety risk when reversing, driving in tight spaces, or transporting my children. These issues began within the first year of ownership (2020–2021) and continued after Recall 23-047, during which cables were replaced and the system later rewired in August 2023. Despite these repairs, the defects persist. The dealership Pohanka Honda Fredericksburg confirmed the faults multiple times but now refuses to repair, quoting over $3,000. The vehicle has also experienced three dead batteries since 2020, leaving me stranded multiple times, including once during out-of-state travel. There were no warning lights for the battery failures, but infotainment and camera issues were noticeable immediately. The vehicle has been out of service for approximately three cumulative months, impairing reliability and my ability to perform daily work and family responsibilities. These defects have significantly impaired the use, value, and safety of the vehicle, especially given my responsibilities as a single mother, caregiver to a blind parent, and emergency department practitioner. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealer and reviewed by Honda corporate. I am seeking a proper remedy for a federally mandated safety feature (rear camera, FMVSS 111). The vehicle and affected components are available for inspection upon request. This complaint documents ongoing safety risks, repeated battery failures, and unresolved recall-related defects that began under warranty. Honda’s failure to properly repair these defects continues to create unsafe driving conditions and a serious risk of injury to myself, my passengers, and the public.

Since I purchased the vehicle it has had a miss, lunging forward, a lag and stall. Appears to be transmission related. Also, all lights related to the CMS suddenly came on. Car only has 59,000 miles and 5 years old and shouldn’t have these kinds of issues. The transmission problem has been from the start…. Two years now. Probably why original owner traded. From what dealer said these are common problems with this vehicle, should definitely be part of a recall. Wanted 3000. to correct issues. Below date is estimate since problems started soon after purchase and have continued. Ongoing issue.

Lane Assist Camera Failure (Part #36160-TG7-A63) Vehicle Information: Make/Model/Year: 2020 Honda Pilot EX-L Failed Component: Lane Assist Camera, Part #36160-TG7-A63 Safety Issue Description: The lane assist camera has failed, disabling multiple critical safety systems, including: Adaptive Cruise Control Lane Keeping Assist Collision Mitigation Braking System Road Departure Mitigation Auto High-Beam System Concern: This camera component is not subject to normal wear and tear, being housed within the vehicle's protected interior near the rearview mirror. The failure of this part represents a potential manufacturing defect that compromises essential safety features designed to prevent accidents and save lives. The simultaneous loss of multiple Honda Sensing safety systems creates a significant safety hazard, particularly given that drivers rely on these systems for collision avoidance and lane departure prevention. This premature failure suggests a systemic defect that may affect other 2020 Honda Pilot vehicles. Request: I request that NHTSA investigate this matter for potential safety defects and consider whether a recall is warranted for affected Honda Pilot vehicles with this camera component.

The 'infotainment system; which in includes the navigation system and backup camera and sensors suddenly goes black. I may first get a black screen with "network Communications lost" message, then it goes black or get a message that says "unfortunately, com.honda.tuner has stopped". It started happening after I had to replace the batter. This was the 2nd replacement battery I've had to install. I had the battery replaced in March, 2025 at my honda dealer, and before I even got home I started getting the messages. Sometimes, the infotainment system may come back, other times, it does not come back. If I pull over, shut the car down, wait a few mintues, open the door and then close the door, it may come back when I start the car up again. I took it to the dealer - they could not figure out the problem and said that maybe replacing the tuner for 1600 would help, but they would not guarantee it. I've contact American Honda and lodged a complaint in June 2025 but so far it has not even been assigned to a manager.