YearToAvoid

2019 Honda Pilot Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

87/100

#3 most-complained of 16 Pilot years

The 2019 Honda Pilot ranks 3rd worst among 16 model years, with 904 complaints and a Complaint Index of 87. Electrical System issues lead at 30% of complaints, followed by Engine at 29% and Fuel System at 21%, backed by 13 recalls.

Complaints
904
Recalls
13
Crashes / fires
13 / 5
Injuries / deaths
15 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
5 / 5 ★
EPA combined MPG
22
19 city / 26.5 hwy

Top 2019 Honda Pilot problems

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

  1. Electrical System270 (30%)
  2. Engine266 (29%)
  3. Fuel System193 (21%)
  4. Other170 (19%)
  5. Collision Avoidance & Cameras161 (18%)
  6. Transmission & Powertrain92 (10%)
  7. Lane Departure72 (8%)
  8. Brakes57 (6%)
  9. Visibility & Wipers23 (3%)
  10. Structure & Body15 (2%)

What owners report

  • Owners describe sudden unintended acceleration while parking at low speed, sometimes resulting in collisions with walls or trees.
  • Some vehicles reportedly filled with smoke from under the dashboard near the glove box, followed by a fire that spread through the interior.
  • The rearview camera and parking sensors are reported to fail to sound alerts for vehicles or objects behind the Pilot while backing up slowly.
  • Owners report the forward collision/emergency braking system engaging inconsistently, sometimes not activating before a rear-end crash.
  • Airbags are reported to fail to fully inflate during frontal or side-impact collisions.
  • Drivers report the transmission skipping or slipping gears during hard acceleration attempts, such as evasive maneuvers.
2019 Honda Pilot complaints: complaints filed per quarter1242018 Q42019 Q42020 Q42021 Q42022 Q42023 Q42024 Q42025 Q4
1346 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2018 Q4 to 2026 Q3; peak 2022 Q3 (124).

2019 Honda Pilot recalls

13 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

See all 13 recalls for the 2019 Honda Pilot →

2019 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.

2019 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
2017Avoid80924422
2018Caution60440722
2019Avoid879041322
2020Caution674871122
2021Caution734331022.5

All Honda Pilot years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2019 Honda Pilot reliable?
Compared with other Pilot model years, 2019 ranks 3rd worst out of 16 years tracked, with a Complaint Index of 87 and 904 NHTSA complaints. The top problem area is the Electrical System, making up 30% of complaints.
What are the most common problems with the 2019 Honda Pilot?
NHTSA data shows Electrical System complaints leading at 30% (270 complaints), followed by Engine issues at 29% (266 complaints) and Fuel System issues at 21% (193 complaints).
Does the 2019 Honda Pilot have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 13 recalls affecting the 2019 Pilot, covering areas including Structure & Body, Airbags, Fuel System, Engine, Collision Avoidance & Cameras, and Suspension. None are listed as do-not-drive recalls.
How does the 2019 Pilot compare to other years?
The 2019 Pilot's Complaint Index of 87 is close to the 2016 model (100, the worst year) and 2017 model (80), all rated Avoid, while years like 2014, 2015, 2012, and 2010 rank Best with much lower indexes.
What is the fuel economy of the 2019 Honda Pilot?
The EPA rates the 2019 Pilot at 22 mpg combined (19 city / 26.5 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,950.

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.