2021 Honda Pilot Recalls, Complaints & Specs
10 safety recalls list the 2021 Honda Pilot, and owners have filed 438 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
10 safety recalls for the 2021 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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Frame and members (structure) and suspension: rear
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…
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…
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Air bags: 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,…
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,…
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Air bags: front passenger
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Pilot, Accord, Civic sedan, HR-V, Odyssey, 2020 Civic coupe, Fit, 2021-2022 Civic hatchback, 2021 Civic Type R, Insight, 2020-2021 CR-V, CR-V Hybrid, Passport, Ridgeline, Accord Hybrid, 2020 Acura MDX, 2022 Acura MDX, 2020-2022 Acura RDX, and 2020-2021 Acura TLX vehicles.…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the seat weight sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 28, 2024. This is a phased recall. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers…
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Fuel pump (fuel system)
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,…
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…
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Master cylinder (service brakes)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master…
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's…
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Display function (back over prevention)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of…
Remedy: Dealers will replace the MOST cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer…
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Exterior (visibility)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2020-2022 Passport and Odyssey vehicles. The heating pads behind both side-view mirrors may not be bonded properly, allowing the mirror glass to detach. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety…
Remedy: Dealers will replace both left and right side-view mirrors, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed January 17, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is FE5.
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Tires
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain 2021 Pilot vehicles equipped with Continental CrossContact LX Sport 245/50R20 102 H tires with DOT serial number A376 D3K9 2920 and mold numbers S-421920 and S-421921. The tires may have been cured for a time beyond the specification limits.
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four tires and replace the tires that have the affected DOT serial number and mold number, free of charge. The recall began January 11, 2021. Owners may contact…
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Camera (back over prevention) and software (electrical system)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019-2020 Passport, and 2019-2021 Pilot vehicles. Incorrect instrument panel control module software can cause the instrument panel to not display critical information, such as engine oil pressure, speedometer, and gear selector position until the next ignition…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the instrument panel control module software, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138.…
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Camera (back over prevention) and software (electrical system)
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Pilot, 2019-2020 Odyssey and 2019-2020 Passport vehicles. Incorrect central network software programming may cause several errors to occur that can delay or prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of…
Remedy: Honda will notify owners that updated software is available. Owners have the option to either follow the mailed instructions to download and update the software for free, or visit a dealer to have the software update…
438 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2021 Honda Pilot have filed 438 complaints with NHTSA; 13 describe a crash and 1 describe a fire. Reports cite 8 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 39,965 miles. Complaints peaked in 2025 with 128 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Idle auto stop / start - this has repeatedly failed at traffic lights. Vehicle stops dead and will not restart. Taken to 3 dealers over the course of 18 months and finally the 3rd Honda dealership ack”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 1, 2026 · Electrical system
“The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under Technical Service Bulletin: 23-008 (Product Update: PGM-FI Idle Stop Software Update); however, t”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, September 30, 2026 · Engine and engine cooling
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2021 Honda Pilot (Pilot AWD, Pilot FWD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 22–23 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 19–20 / 26–27 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
| Engine | 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic (S9) |
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 2021 Honda Pilot
How do I know if my 2021 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. 10 campaigns currently list the 2021 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 20V439000).
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.