AI Damage2018 Honda Pilot: common problems
Owners of the 2018 Honda Pilot filed 440 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and electrical system. The maker issued 74 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 440
- involving a crash
- 9
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 74
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 36% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 19% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 18% of all complaints
- 4 Fuel/propulsion system 14% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel system 14% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 4% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 3% of all complaints
- Engine: 157 complaints (36% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 7.
- Electrical system: 85 complaints (19% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 9.
- Powertrain: 78 complaints (18% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 8.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 63 complaints (14% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel system: 62 complaints (14% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 14.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.5 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
- automatic, 9-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 440 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 157 | 0 | 7 |
| Electrical system | 85 | 1 | 9 |
| Powertrain | 78 | 0 | 8 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 63 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 62 | 0 | 14 |
| Vehicle speed control | 23 | 5 | 0 |
| Structure | 17 | 2 | 3 |
| Seat belts | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility | 11 | 0 | 5 |
| Service brakes | 10 | 1 | 12 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 8 | 0 | 27 |
| Seats | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Lane departure | 5 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My wife was in an accident where she struck a vehicle crossing an intersection in front of her. She believed she was traveling at between 25-30 mph. Following the accident, the Honda Pilot dash indicated a problem with the airbag. My wife suffered bruising across her chest and her hips from the belt.
The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH during traffic, the vehicle hesitated, jerked, and suddenly accelerated. Multiple unknown warning lights illuminated.
She is a very safe driver, never received a ticket nor involved in an accident. Research into similar accidents showed multiple cases where this occurred with Honda Pilot vehicles.
The contact also stated that when he depressed the emergency brake pedal, the vehicle continue to accelerated and was unable to stop, the contact lost control the vehicle went up on the shoulder of the road and crashed into a pole on the passenger side braking the passenger side window.
As I neared the end of the space, the car suddenly surged forward. It went over the concrete barrier at the end of the space and came to a stop when the right front tire hit a tree and was knocked to a perpendicular position to the axle. I believe this is the only thing that caused the car to stop.
Sudden acceleration while pulling into a parking space in covered parking garage. Car engine revved while pulling into space. Brakes applied leaving skid marks on concrete. Car was damaged be hitting concrete retaining wall.
The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine was knocking very loudly, and the vehicle lost driving power. The contact attempted to contact the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired.
High Pressure Fuel Pump fails after implementing recall listed below. See recall information: December 18, 2023 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 23V858000 Fuel Pump May Fail Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 125 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Pilot has 560 complaints (10 years in the data). This year has 440, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Service Bulletin - Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and engaging idle stop, the vehicle…
Service Bulletin - Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and engaging idle stop, the vehicle may not restart automatically due to excessive cylinder pressure and/or low cranking torque. Typically, the…
- Service Bulletin - Torque converters may not have been manufactured to proper specifications
As a result, the torque converter lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock-up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the…
- Service Bulletin - Torque converters may not have been manufactured to proper specifications
As a result, the lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock-up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the transmission indicator…
- Dealer Message - Torque converters may not have been manufactured to proper specifications
As a result, the torque converter lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock-up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in the MIL not…
- Service Bulletin - The AWD warning light is on potentially due to water intrusion into the rear…
Service Bulletin - The AWD warning light is on potentially due to water intrusion into the rear differential pump motor connector area that corrodes the terminals.
- Service Bulletin - MIL flashes and vehicle will not accelerate, low power
After cycling the ignition, the symptom does not return with no stored DTCs. This issue is more common in regions with cold weather (specifically near or below freezing temperatures). Usually after a long drive (around…
- Service Bulletin - The MIL flashes and vehicle will not accelerate, low power
After cycling the ignition, the symptom does not return with no stored DTCs. This issue is more common in regions with cold weather (specifically near or below freezing temperatures). Usually after a long drive (around…
- Service Bulletin - The A/C does not blow cold air, and the lower corner of the condenser around the…
Service Bulletin - The A/C does not blow cold air, and the lower corner of the condenser around the receiver/dryer cap is stained due to a poor O-ring compression against the receiver/dryer barrel wall.
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc
(AHM) is searching for certain 2019-2023 Passports, 2016-2022 Pilots, & 2017-2023 Ridgelines with a customer complaint of the front passengerâs power window inop from either the driverâs window switch, front…
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc
(AHM) is searching for certain 2019-2023 Passports, 2016-2022 Pilots, & 2017-2023 Ridgelines with a customer complaint of the passengerâs power window inop from driverâs master window switch. Customer may also…
- Service Bulletin - Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and the idle stop feature engages,…
Service Bulletin - Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and the idle stop feature engages, the vehicle may not automatically restart. Typically, the customer can immediately restart the vehicle by…
- Service Bulletin - Torque converters may not have been manufactured to proper specifications
As a result, the torque converter lock-up clutch cannot provide adequate holding force due to pressure bleeding down through a crack in the lock-up piston. The reduced lock-up clutch capacity results in DTC P0741…
NHTSA lists 74 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2018 Honda Pilot?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 440. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (19%), stalls while driving (14%), hesitation when accelerating (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2018 Honda Pilot?
NHTSA lists 74 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2018 Honda Pilot from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2018 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.