YearToAvoid

2010 Honda Pilot Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

0/100

#16 most-complained of 16 Pilot years

The 2010 Honda Pilot has a Complaint Index of 0, the lowest of all 16 model years covered, and ranks as the Best year for this model. It logged 110 complaints and 10 recalls, with Airbags as the top problem area at 29% of complaints.

Complaints
110
Recalls
10
Crashes / fires
11 / 1
Injuries / deaths
5 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
18.5
16.5 city / 22.5 hwy

Top 2010 Honda Pilot problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags32 (29%)
  2. Engine30 (27%)
  3. Suspension, Wheels & Tires19 (17%)
  4. Other11 (10%)
  5. Electrical System10 (9%)
  6. Brakes9 (8%)
  7. Structure & Body7 (6%)
  8. Transmission & Powertrain6 (5%)
  9. Steering5 (5%)
  10. Visibility & Wipers5 (5%)

What owners report

  • Airbags deployed unexpectedly during low-speed maneuvers or minor impacts, sometimes causing drivers to lose control.
  • Some owners reported the airbags failed to deploy on the driver's side during a crash despite deploying elsewhere.
  • Owners described unintended acceleration while braking at low speed, including one case where the vehicle continued accelerating after the driver's foot was on the brake.
  • Brakes reportedly failed to slow or stop the vehicle at all in some incidents, with the pedal going to the floor without response.
  • One owner reported an electrical fire that started after a battery warning light appeared, which spread through the front end and into the cabin.
  • A rear liftgate was reported to detach from its struts and swing shut, causing injury during routine use.
2010 Honda Pilot complaints: complaints filed per quarter192010 Q12012 Q22013 Q42015 Q22017 Q12018 Q32020 Q32022 Q3
139 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2010 Q1 to 2025 Q2; peak 2016 Q3 (19).

2010 Honda Pilot recalls

10 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 19V502000Jun 27, 2019Airbags9,555 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F5F and Q5E.

  2. NHTSA 19V378000May 16, 2019Airbags19,138 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

    Risk: An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M4O, P4R, T4Q, and W4P.

  3. NHTSA 18V661000Sep 27, 2018Airbags1,355,406 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Honda is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Acura TSX, TSX Wagon and ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Insight, Fit and Pilot vehicles, 2011-2012 Honda Accord and 2011 Honda Civic NGV, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Lastly, Honda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX and ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot, 2011-2013 TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord and 2010-2011 Honda Civic NGV, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag air bag inflators assembled as part of the frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M2J and S2K.

See all 10 recalls for the 2010 Honda Pilot →

2010 Honda Pilot fuel economy and fuel cost

City
16.5 MPG
Highway
22.5 MPG
Combined
18.5 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,500
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2010 compared with other Pilot years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2010Best01101018.5
2011Caution532931118.5
2012Best20171920

All Honda Pilot years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2010 Honda Pilot reliable?
Among Honda Pilot model years, 2010 has a Complaint Index of 0, the lowest of all 16 years with data, and is rated Best. It had 110 NHTSA complaints and 10 recalls.
What problems does the 2010 Honda Pilot have?
NHTSA data shows Airbags as the top problem area, making up 29% of complaints, followed by Engine issues at 27% and Suspension, Wheels & Tires at 17%. Median mileage at failure for airbag complaints was 53,000 miles.
Does the 2010 Honda Pilot have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 10 recalls for the 2010 Honda Pilot, all involving Airbags, mostly related to passenger frontal air bag inflator or module replacement. None are listed as do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2010 Pilot compare to other Pilot years?
The 2010 Pilot ranks 16th out of 16 years by worst-first complaint ranking, meaning it has the fewest complaints relative to other years. Years like 2016 (Complaint Index 100) and 2017 (Complaint Index 80) are rated Avoid, in contrast to 2010's Best verdict.
What is the fuel economy of the 2010 Honda Pilot?
The EPA rates the 2010 Honda Pilot at 18.5 mpg combined, 16.5 mpg city, and 22.5 mpg highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,500.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.