2003 Honda Pilot Recalls, Complaints & Specs
13 safety recalls list the 2003 Honda Pilot, and owners have filed 720 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
13 safety recalls for the 2003 Honda Pilot
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2003-2006 MDX, 2001-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot and 2006 Ridgeline vehicles. These vehicles are equipped with driver…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver 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…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2012 RL, 2003-2007 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, and 2006-2014 Ridgeline vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal airbag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling specific 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2013-2016 ILX, 2013-2014 ILX Hybrid, 2003-2006 MDX, 2007-2016 RDX, 2002-2003 3.2TL, 2004-2006, and 2009-2014 TL, 2010-2013 ZDX and 2001-2007 and 2009 Honda Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2003-2005 Civic Hybrid, 2001-2005 Civic GX NGV, 2002-2007 and 2010-2011 CR-V,…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall began April 10, 2019. Honda owners may contact customer service at 1-888-234-2138.…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly…
Remedy: 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…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2003-2006 Acura MDX, 2005-2011 Acura RL, 2005-2006 Honda CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2007-2008 Fit, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2006-2011 Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or that have ever been registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began June 27, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic vehicles manufactured March 21, 2000, to January 20, 2005, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX vehicles manufactured June 14, 2000, to August 19, 2004, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid vehicles manufactured February 24, 2002, to January 18, 2005, 2003-2007 Honda…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this…
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Inflator module (air bags)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2001-2007 Accord, 2001-2005 Civic, 2001-2004 Honda Civic GX, 2003-2005 Honda Civic Hybrid, 2002-2006 CR-V, 2003-2011 Element, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2008 Pilot, 2006 Ridgeline, 2003 Acura 3.2CL, 2003-2006 Acura MDX, and 2002-2003 Acura 3.2TL vehicles. The affected…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began on July 1, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Owners may contact…
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Air bags
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain model year 2001-2005 Honda Civic, 2003-2004 Civic CNG and Element, 2002-2005 CR-V, 2002-2004 Odyssey, 2003-2005 Accord, Pilot, Civic Hybrid, and Acura MDX, 2005 Acura RL and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in geographic locations associated with…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began January 26, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
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Air bags
American Honda Motor Company, Inc.'s (Honda) is conducting a limited regional recall for certain model year 2003-2005 Accord, Civic, CR-V, Pilot and Acura MDX, model year 2003-2004 Odyssey and Element, and model year 2005 Acura RL, and 2006 Honda Ridgeline vehicles originally sold, or ever registered in California, and equipped with…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the inflators in all affected vehicles, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin during August 2014. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-800-999-1009.
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Switch (electrical system)
Honda is recalling certain model year 2003 and 2004 Pilot and Odyssey and 2003 through 2006 Acura MDX passenger vehicles manufactured from November 26, 2001, through August 30, 2006. The interlock lever of the ignition switch may deform, which can allow the interlock function of a vehicle with an automatic transmission to be defeated.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda or Acura dealer. The dealer will install an updated shift interlock lever and, if necessary, replace any necessary part of the ignition…
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Switch (exterior lighting)
Honda is recalling certain model year 2002 through 2004 cr-v; model year 2003 through 2005 pilot; and model year 2002 and 2003 civic vehicles. In march 2012, honda filed a defect report to recall certain model year 2002 through 2004 cr-v and certain model year 2003 pilot vehicles. In august 2012, honda informed the agency that it was…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will repair the low beam terminal harness or replace the lighting switch as necessary, free of charge. The original recall began in april 2012. Owners of vehicles involved in the…
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Automatic transmission (power train)
On some MINI vans, sport utility and passenger vehicles, certain operating conditions can result in heat build-up between the countershaft and secondary shaft second gears in the automatic transmission, eventually leading to gear tooth chipping or gear breakage.
Remedy: On vehicles with 15,000 miles or less, the dealer will update the transmission with a simple revision to the oil cooler return line to increase lubrication to the second gear. On vehicles with more than 15,000 miles,…
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Engine (engine and engine cooling)
On certain minivans, sedans, coupes, and sport utility vehicles equipped with v6 engines, a timing belt tensioner pulley on the water pump is misaligned and could cause the timing belt to contact a bolt on the cylinder head. Eventually the belt could be damaged and fail.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the water pump and if it is one of the defective pumps, the water pump and timing belt will be replaced. Owner notification began august 30, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized…
720 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2003 Honda Pilot have filed 720 complaints with NHTSA; 38 describe a crash and 11 describe a fire. Reports cite 36 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 112,459 miles. Complaints peaked in 2015 with 82 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2003 Honda Pilot. While having an oil change performed, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of pu”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, April 21, 2026 · Electrical system
“I am the original owner of my 2003 Honda pilot and had to replace the front driver side door actuator years ago. Now all the remaining 3 doors need to have the door actuators replaced. If you're outsi”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, January 14, 2026 · Electrical system
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2003 Honda Pilot (Pilot 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 17 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 15 / 21 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
| Engine | 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 5-spd |
Compare Honda Pilot model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Honda Pilot model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 Honda Pilot | 13 | 720 |
| 2004 Honda Pilot | 12 | 544 |
| 2005 Honda Pilot | 13 | 679 |
| 2006 Honda Pilot | 8 | 268 |
| 2007 Honda Pilot | 7 | 211 |
| 2008 Honda Pilot | 7 | 133 |
| 2009 Honda Pilot | 9 | 134 |
| 2010 Honda Pilot | 10 | 111 |
| 2011 Honda Pilot | 11 | 293 |
| 2012 Honda Pilot | 9 | 171 |
| 2013 Honda Pilot | 6 | 271 |
| 2014 Honda Pilot | 3 | 116 |
| 2015 Honda Pilot | 4 | 109 |
| 2016 Honda Pilot | 8 | 1,710 |
| 2017 Honda Pilot | 4 | 930 |
| 2018 Honda Pilot | 7 | 440 |
| 2019 Honda Pilot | 13 | 909 |
| 2020 Honda Pilot | 11 | 491 |
| 2021 Honda Pilot | 10 | 438 |
| 2022 Honda Pilot | 5 | 160 |
| 2023 Honda Pilot | 5 | 144 |
| 2024 Honda Pilot | 6 | 115 |
| 2025 Honda Pilot | 4 | 205 |
| 2026 Honda Pilot | 1 | 23 |
Checking a specific 2003 Honda Pilot
How do I know if my 2003 Honda Pilot has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 13 campaigns currently list the 2003 Honda Pilot; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Honda dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 02V226000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Honda models
- Accord24,554 complaints
- Civic16,209 complaints
- CR-V15,994 complaints
- Odyssey12,749 complaints
- Fit2,196 complaints
- Ridgeline2,186 complaints
- HR-V1,853 complaints
- Passport1,660 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.