2025 Honda Pilot Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
85/100
#4 most-complained of 21 Pilot years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2025 Honda Pilot has a complaint index of 85, ranking 4th worst among 21 model years, and carries an Avoid verdict. NHTSA lists 201 complaints, 4 recalls, and 11 crashes tied to reported problems, with Collision Avoidance & Cameras the top complaint area.
- Complaints
- 201
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 11 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 11 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- 5 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 19 city / 25 hwy
Top 2025 Honda Pilot problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Collision Avoidance & Cameras57 (28%)
- Electrical System45 (22%)
- Engine44 (22%)
- Steering38 (19%)
- Brakes32 (16%)
- Other26 (13%)
- Transmission & Powertrain20 (10%)
- Fuel System15 (7%)
- Lane Departure15 (7%)
- Visibility & Wipers14 (7%)
What owners report
- Collision Mitigation Braking System and backup sensors reportedly failed at low speed, leading to collisions with trees or small objects directly ahead or behind the vehicle.
- Owners describe brakes not slowing the vehicle when the pedal was fully depressed, in some cases at highway-adjacent parking-lot speeds.
- One owner reported the vehicle surging forward on its own after a stop, involving CAN communication and ADAS sensor faults, resulting in a crash.
- Another owner described sudden unintended acceleration while parking, requiring repeated braking before the vehicle stopped.
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in a side-impact crash at highway speed.
- Owners report keyless entry and remote start systems failing in hot weather, traced to a control module problem.
2025 Honda Pilot recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 25V391000Jun 12, 2025Brakes259,033 vehicles
Service brakes, hydraulic:pedals and linkages
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment" and 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Risk: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are FLX and XLY.
- NHTSA 25V056000Feb 5, 2025Seat Belts1,494 vehicles
Seat belts:rear/other
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The third-row passenger seat belt assembly may not function, due to incorrect routing that traps the seat belt behind the passenger side panel. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: A non-functioning seat belt cannot properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the seat belt routing as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is ZL4.
- NHTSA 25V031000Jan 23, 2025Electrical System294,612 vehicles
Electrical system:software
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Acura MDX Type-S, 2023-2025 Honda Pilot, and 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type-S vehicles. A software error in the fuel injection electronic control unit (FI-ECU) may cause an engine stall or a loss of power.
Risk: An engine stall or loss of power can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EL1 and AL0.
2025 Honda Pilot fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 19 MPG
- Highway
- 25 MPG
- Combined
- 21 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,100
- 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.
2025 compared with other Pilot years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2025 Honda Pilot reliable?
- NHTSA data gives the 2025 Pilot a complaint index of 85, the 4th worst of 21 model years tracked, earning an Avoid verdict relative to other Pilot years.
- What problems does the 2025 Honda Pilot have?
- The top complaint area is Collision Avoidance & Cameras (28% of complaints, median mileage at failure 3,200), followed by Electrical System (22%) and Engine (22%). Brakes complaints involved 8 crashes.
- Does the 2025 Honda Pilot have recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2025 Pilot covering brakes, seat belts, electrical/fuel injection software, and the fuel filler neck, none marked do-not-drive.
- How does the 2025 Pilot compare to other Pilot years?
- Its complaint index of 85 is worse than most other years; only 2016 (100), 2019 (95), and 2006 (90) rank worse, while years like 2014 and 2015 rate Best with complaint indexes of 0 and 10.
- What is the median mileage for 2025 Pilot failures?
- Across all reported problems the median mileage at failure was 8,000 miles, with Collision Avoidance & Cameras issues appearing earlier at a median of 3,200 miles.