2020 HONDA PILOT Complaints

Engine auto off at an intersection. Would not restart. Burned up starter. Towed to Honda dealership. Rod bearing spun causing catastrophic damage to engine. Honda Care Extended warranty is covering at least part of the cost to replace either the shortblock, or possibly replace entire engine. No decision on which just yet.

Last time I changed my oil I had bronze colored flakes of metal in my oil. It looked like parts of the main connecting rod bearing material. No running problems YET, but will likely fail soon. I've kept up on oil changes every 5-7K. 89K on vehicle. Please do something about a full recall on this issue and include this report into the affected VINs.

I am the original owner of my Honda Pilot and have always taken the vehicle to Honda dealerships for all scheduled maintenance and service. On [XXX], I noticed the air conditioning was blowing only warm air, with no cold air at all. I scheduled an appointment at Germain Honda in Beavercreek, Ohio, where the vehicle was inspected on July 28, 2025. I was informed that the A/C system had suffered what is often called “A/C black death” and that the entire A/C system would need replacement at a cost of $6,753.93. I was also told that no parts were available and that I would be contacted when they became available. I have not been contacted since. When I asked why this happened, I was told it was rare and that I was just unlucky. However, my own research has shown that many Honda Pilot owners (and likely Ridgeline owners as well) have experienced the same failure, sometimes repeatedly, even after dealer repairs. Honda has issued recalls and extended warranties for A/C failures in other models such as the Civic and CR-V, but not for the Pilot, despite widespread reports. This is a serious safety issue. Where I live, July and August were extremely hot. The lack of A/C made the vehicle unsafe to operate, as every year children and pets tragically die in overheated vehicles. Driving without functional A/C in extreme heat creates a health hazard for families. I was unable to use my vehicle at all during these peak summer months. My Pilot has fewer than 100,000 miles, has been well maintained, and should not have suffered a complete A/C system failure this early in its life. Honda has clearly known about systemic A/C issues in multiple models yet has not taken responsibility for Pilot owners. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C.

The LKAS camera stopped working and it won’t allow any of the connected systems to operate including ACC, emergency brake assist, cruise control, etc.

While stopped at red light the auto off feature engaged and the car stalled out when restarting. This has happened multiple times since buying the vehicle

All safety features on the dashboard have lit up all are constantly on. Honda America states no open recall, I see many forums for Honda owners having this issue that also impacts safety

I own a 2020 Honda Pilot EX with approximately 58,000 miles. Every time I drive on two-lane roads, I receive a bright orange “Brake” warning from the Automatic Emergency Braking system when vehicles in the opposite lane are passing by. The system falsely detects an imminent collision, even though the oncoming vehicles are safely in their lane. The system then applies the brakes unnecessarily. Most of the time it brakes mildly, but on at least two occasions it has braked very hard, causing the vehicle behind me to nearly rear-end my car. This creates a significant and dangerous situation, as it could easily cause an accident. I now have to disable the automatic braking system every time I drive. During my last drive, after disabling the system, I received a warning message stating: “ABS Failure — Take to Dealer.” I have also experienced dangerous behavior from the Lane Departure Warning/Assist system. When exiting the freeway, if the lane lines disappear or become unclear, the vehicle has slammed on the brakes suddenly. On one occasion, this caused me severe whiplash. Thankfully, I was alone in the car — if my young children had been passengers, they could have suffered serious neck injuries. I have taken the vehicle to the Honda dealer and independent mechanics. Each time, they have only cleared the codes and told me it was due to “dirty sensors.” The warnings and braking issues, however, keep coming back. This issue is persistent, reproducible, and unsafe. The Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure, and ABS systems are not functioning properly and create a real danger to myself, my passengers, and other drivers on the road.

I have a 2020 Honda Pilot (VIN [XXX] ) and have experienced RPM fluctuations when trying to maintain speed. I'm concerned these issues may be related to ODI investigation PE25008 and further use of my vehicle without having it inspected may result in a crash, fire and/or complete engine failure. The engine has not operated smoothly for months, and my mechanic has not been able to figure out why. It feels like the engine is struggling to maintain a steady RPM, leading to bouncing or surging in power. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Rough Shifting at lower speeds when accelerating and deceleration. Very hard jerk while driving with family in the car. Hard jerk happened occasionally and produces no codes. Dealer and mechanic say they can't do anything without codes.

Since purchasing the vehicle there was a leak under the driver's side console after heavy rains. After multiple trips to the dealer they directed us to replace the windshield. We did so (under protest). The leak still existed. The dealership determined that there was a gap at the A pillar. We worry that this is related to the Sturcture recall about missing welds. Honda will not admit to any issue.