2018 Honda Pilot Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
CautionComplaint Index
60/100
#7 most-complained of 16 Pilot years
The 2018 Honda Pilot has a Complaint Index of 60, ranking 7th worst of 16 model years, with a Caution verdict. It has 440 complaints, 7 recalls, and 9 crashes, with Engine issues the top problem area at 42% of complaints.
- Complaints
- 440
- Recalls
- 7
- Crashes / fires
- 9 / 2
- Injuries / deaths
- 11 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 22
- 19 city / 26.5 hwy
Top 2018 Honda Pilot problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Engine183 (42%)
- Fuel System125 (28%)
- Electrical System86 (20%)
- Transmission & Powertrain78 (18%)
- Other74 (17%)
- Structure & Body23 (5%)
- Brakes13 (3%)
- Seat Belts12 (3%)
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras11 (3%)
- Visibility & Wipers11 (3%)
What owners report
- Owners describe sudden, unwanted acceleration while parking or making slow turns, with brakes seeming to have no effect on stopping the vehicle.
- Several reports describe the vehicle surging forward or lurching into walls, trees, or parked vehicles at low speed in parking lots and garages.
- Airbag warning lights illuminated after crashes, and in one case airbags reportedly failed to deploy during a low-speed collision.
- One owner reported a transmission overheat warning appearing repeatedly during highway driving in hot weather.
- A brake-related complaint described the vehicle continuing to move despite pressing both the brake and emergency brake pedals while reversing.
- An electrical system complaint described the brake pedal becoming unresponsive and the vehicle seeming to accelerate instead of slowing down.
2018 Honda Pilot recalls
7 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 26V365000Jun 4, 2026Structure & Body880,514 vehicles
Structure:frame and members
American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
Risk: Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.
- NHTSA 26V332000May 21, 2026Airbags98,892 vehicles
Air bags:sensor:occupant classification:front passenger
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2021, 2023 Acura TLX, 2019-2024 RDX, 2017-2020, 2022-2026 MDX, 2017-2021, 2023, 2025 Honda Ridgeline, 2017-2022 Pilot, 2019-2021 Passport, 2018-2026 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Insight, 2019-2021 HR-V, 2018-2020 Fit, 2020-2022 CR-V Hybrid, 2017-2022 CR-V, 2017-2018, 2021 Civic Type R, 2017-2021 Civic hatchback, 2016-2020 Civic coupe, 2016-2022 Civic, 2017-2022 Accord Hybrid, and 2016-2022 Accord vehicles. The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
Risk: Air bags that deploy unintentionally during a crash increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 7, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are BOL, WO9, OOA, WOM, XOH, NOC, POD, BOE, UOF, POB, EOG, AOI, QO8, TOJ, DO7, and SOK. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 24V064. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning May 29, 2026.
- NHTSA 23V858000Dec 18, 2023Fuel System2,490,460 vehicles
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Risk: Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
2018 Honda Pilot fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19 MPG
- Highway
- 26.5 MPG
- Combined
- 22 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,950
- 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.
2018 compared with other Pilot years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2018 Honda Pilot reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2018 Pilot a Complaint Index of 60 and a Caution verdict, ranking 7th worst among 16 model years of the Pilot. It is not the worst year, but it trails the strongest years like 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2015.
- What are the most common complaints on the 2018 Honda Pilot?
- Engine complaints lead with 183 reports (42% share) and a median failure mileage of 58,000 miles, followed by Fuel System complaints at 125 (28%) with a median mileage of 79,250 miles.
- Does the 2018 Honda Pilot have recalls?
- NHTSA lists 7 recalls tied to the 2018 Pilot, covering areas including Engine, Fuel System, Airbags, and Structure & Body. None of these are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2018 Pilot compare to other Pilot years to avoid?
- The 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2025 model years carry Avoid verdicts with higher Complaint Index scores of 100, 80, 87, and 93 respectively, all worse than the 2018 model's score of 60.