2012 Honda Pilot: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 225 complaints
225
Total Complaints
32,625mi
Median Mileage
Engine
Top Issue
22
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
6,700
25th Percentile
32,625
Median Mileage
60,000
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Engine
34
Service Brakes
25
Power Train
20
Air Bags
20
Electrical System
16
Vehicle Speed Control
15
Suspension
14
Steering
11
Fuel/Propulsion System
10
Body
8
Severity Assessment
22
Crashes
2
Fires
27
Injuries
0
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE PEDAL WOULD DEPRESS TOO FAR DOWNWARD BEFORE THE BRAKES ACTUALLY ENGAGED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD INTERMITTENTLY NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER,..."
"TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45-70 MPH HE NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD START TO SHUTTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT WHAT HE WAS FEELING WAS NORMAL FOR THE VEHICLE. AFTER THE DIAGNOSIS THE OWNE..."
"2012 HONDA PILOT - DOES NOT START CONSISTENTLY. CONSISTENTLY HAS A ROUGH START, AND OFTEN STALLS. WITHIN DAYS OF OWNING MY BRAND NEW 2012 HONDA PILOT, THE CAR STALLED WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO START IT IN MY GARAGE. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT COU..."
Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.
When Were Complaints Filed?
Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.
When Does Each Component Fail?
Median mileage at complaint for top components.
Engine
34 complaints
25th: 4,642 mi
Median: 22,650 mi
75th: 45,795 mi
Service Brakes
25 complaints
25th: 16,750 mi
Median: 36,000 mi
75th: 48,000 mi
Power Train
20 complaints
25th: 200 mi
Median: 4,839 mi
75th: 17,500 mi
Air Bags
20 complaints
25th: 35,250 mi
Median: 58,500 mi
75th: 79,250 mi
Electrical System
16 complaints
25th: 5,275 mi
Median: 12,000 mi
75th: 48,000 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
CA: 22
TX: 20
NC: 19
FL: 18
PA: 18
NY: 17
OH: 12
MD: 8
GA: 8
CT: 7
Who Files Complaints?
3.6%
Original Owners
96.4%
Second+ Owners
Honda Pilot — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (9)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Inflator Module
Campaign 18V661000 | 27/09/2018
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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.
Inflator Module
Campaign 18V268000 | 26/04/2018
An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are K1P, and M1O.
Inflator Module
Campaign 19V502000 | 27/06/2019
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
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.
Inflator Module
Campaign 19V378000 | 16/05/2019
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.
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 M4
Inflator Module
Campaign 17V545000 | 31/08/2017
In the event of a crash, an incorrectly installed passenger frontal air bag inflator may deploy the air bag improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are O07, Y0A, N06, G05, M04, Y01, and O09.
Inflator Module
Campaign 17V030000 | 10/01/2017
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The manufacturer has mailed an interim notification, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's num
Inflator Module
Campaign 18V042000 | 09/01/2018
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are B0K and L0J.
Tank Assembly
Campaign 12V063000 | 17/02/2012
AS A RESULT, FUEL MAY LEAK FROM THE TANK, INCREASING THE RISK OF FIRE.
HONDA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VSF ASSEMBLY DATE AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 13, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-999-1009.
Air Bags
Campaign 13V016000 | 18/01/2013
The absence of more than one rivet could alter the performance of the driver's airbag during deployment. This could potentially increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda dealer. The dealer will inspect the driver's airbag module and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.
Extend Your Engine Life
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
- Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
- Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
- Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
- Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
- Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage
Compare Honda Pilot
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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.
Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.
Data through: 2026-03-28