2023 Honda Pilot
Gas Midsize / large SUV
The 2023 Honda Pilot is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize or large SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Pilot FWD, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 137 complaints, most often about seat belts. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot FWD | Gas | FWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 19 | 27 | 22 | $2,850 |
| Pilot AWD | Gas | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 19 | 25 | 21 | $2,950 |
| Pilot AWD Touring/Elite/Black | Gas | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 19 | 25 | 21 | $2,950 |
| Pilot AWD TrailSport | Gas | AWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 18 | 23 | 20 | $3,100 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
Out of factory warranty soon?
The 2023 Honda Pilot is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.
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Recalls (5)
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
highProblem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Fuel System, Gasoline
highProblem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Fuel System, Gasoline
criticalProblem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Passport and 2023-2025 Pilot vehicles. The fuel filler neck tube and fuel filler pipe may separate, allowing fuel to leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the fuel filler neck tube and pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is OKM.
Seats
highProblem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Honda Accord, Accord Hybrid, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Pilot, and 2024 HR-V, Acura Integra and Acura Integra Type S vehicles. The driver's seat cushion frame may not have been tightened properly, which can result in an unsecured seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 207, "Seating Systems."
Risk: An unsecured driver's seat may not adequately restrain the driver during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver's seat cushion frame, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 6, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.
Steering
highProblem: Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Pilot vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the gear box assembly may contain a loose ball bearing, which can result in a loss of steering control or steering lock-up.
Risk: A loss of steering control or steering lock-up can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the electric power steering rack, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 18, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FFX.
NHTSA investigations
Seat Belts:Status Indicator Switch — Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status (open)
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 6 complaints, and multiple Early Warning Reporting (EWR) field reports alleging inaccurate rear seat belt warning status. These allegations concern both false positive and false negative statuses in model year (MY) 2023-2024 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured by American Honda Motor Co. (Honda). The complaints state that the rear passenger seat belt warning system is displaying inaccurate information to the driver for both second and third row seating positions. This can lead to the driver dismissing warnings regarding rear seat belt status. The inaccurate information can also cause the driver to believe rear occupants are buckled when th
Opened Oct 28, 2025 · action PE25017
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine — No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages (open)
On June 3, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE22005 after the agency received VOQs and several �eld reports concerning the Auto Idle Stop (AIS) feature on 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles. The complaints allege that the engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the AIS function engaged. The subject vehicles are equipped with a 3.5L engine with a 9-speed automatic transmission. On January 6, 2023, Honda released service bulletins 23-008 and 23-009. These service bulletins address the failure to restart issue in the 2016-2019MY Honda Pilot vehicles, as well as the 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016
Opened Mar 26, 2025 · action EA25004
Owner complaints
137 complaints filed
3 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 3 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2023: 27 · 2024: 22 · 2025: 37 · 2026: 51
Most-cited components
- Seat Belts — 30
- Electrical System — 27
- Forward Collision Avoidance — 23
- Unknown Or Other — 22
- Steering — 17
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 14% |
| SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | 16% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Other Pilot model years
2026 Pilot
1 recalls · 18 complaints
D2025 Pilot
4 recalls · 195 complaints
F2024 Pilot
6 recalls · 109 complaints
D2022 Pilot
5 recalls · 149 complaints
F2021 Pilot
10 recalls · 426 complaints
F2020 Pilot
11 recalls · 484 complaints
F2019 Pilot
13 recalls · 898 complaints
F2018 Pilot
7 recalls · 437 complaints
D2017 Pilot
4 recalls · 918 complaints
F2016 Pilot
8 recalls · 1,697 complaints
Sources & method
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 46374, 46422, 46423, 46424). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.