The Lemon Index2017 Honda Pilot.
The 2017 Honda Pilot is worse than average by owner complaints: 177 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 132, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about engine, it has 4 recalls, and it gets 21 to 23 mpg combined. The best Honda Pilot year is 2010.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
Fixes owners look up most.
From 100 YouTube videos about the 2016–2022 Honda Pilot, 18.8M views. The 2017 is the same generation.
- Infotainment, battery & electrical655K views
How To Replace Honda Pilot Key Fob Battery 2016 - 2022 Change Replacement Pilot Remote Key BatteriesPYR Automotive · 186K views · 6 videos - Transmission & shifter277K views
Honda Pilot - Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) Change - 2016-2020MINUTE DIY VIDEOS · 190K views · 2 videos - Fuel pump, filter & tank261K views
2016 Honda Pilot P0430 Service Emissions System - Fuel Injector Replacement-Part 1Pete's Garage · 261K views - Brakes & ABS183K views
How to Change Honda Pilot Brakes - Pads and Rotors - 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 | DIYFix and Play · 119K views · 2 videos
Show 4 more
- Cooling system119K views
How to Replace Timing Belt Kit With Water Pump Honda Pilot 2016-2022 3.5L V6TRQ · 119K views - Driveshaft, axles & 4x483K views
2016 - 2023 Honda Pilot Rear Differential Fluid Replacement (With Bleeding Procedure)Owen Lucas · 83K views - No-start: theft light, key & ignition83K views
2016 - 2022 Honda Pilot no startBCauto_ · 83K views - Oil changes & service72K views
2017 Honda Pilot Basic Maintenance Quick ReferenceOn The Workbench · 72K views
Before you buy, watch
Highlander Vs. Pilot: Which 2017 3-Row SUV Should You Buy? — Cars.comCars.com · 464K views
2016 - 2018 Honda Pilot common problemsBCauto_ · 141K views
2019 - 2022 Honda Pilot problemsBCauto_ · 106K viewsViews show how many people looked up each fix, not how often it breaks. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
How serious. Out of 934 owner complaints, owners reported:
Every Honda Pilot year. 2017 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 18K to 63K miles on the car (253 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- engine complaints mostly came at 30K–67K miles
- electrical complaints mostly came at 27K–59K miles
- transmission & drivetrain complaints mostly came at 19K–61K miles
Recalls 4
- body structure 2026
The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
- airbags 2026
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.
- fuel system, gasoline 2023
The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Show all 4 recalls
- body structure 2021
The hood latch striker may become damaged and separate from the hood, which can result in the hood opening while driving.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Honda told dealers about
Honda sent dealers 181 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Techline summary article - were getting reports of reduced engine power with the mil
- "service bulletin - there is a chirping coming from the engine area with the engine warmed up
- "servicenews article - in a 9-speed a/t, the atf level is critical
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- OpenNo restart after auto start/stop engages2025
- OpenEngine failure2025
- ClosedEngine failure2024–2025
- ClosedNo restart after auto start/stop engages2022–2025
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash test details
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda Pilot SUV AWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| Honda Pilot SUV FWD | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
Fuel cost and engines
About $2800–3050 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 3.5L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
Engine malfunction light comes on and indicates emission control problem. . Low and erratic power. Checked code and it was p0430 related to fuel injectors and fuel pump.
2017 Honda Pilot owner · NHTSA complaint 11353937
More owner reports
Getting an emmissions system warning on vehicle. Vehicle has under 50k miles. Issue caused vehicle to lose power at highway speeds and was unable to maintain highway speed. Vehicle is displaying two obd fault codes p2652 p0430.
NHTSA complaint 11310976
The vehicle has started jerking while accelerating.
NHTSA complaint 11115755
Quick answers
Is the 2017 Honda Pilot reliable?
No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 1.3× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 132; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Honda Pilot year by this measure is 2010.
What are the most common 2017 Honda Pilot problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are engine (25%), electrical (23%) and transmission & drivetrain (19%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2017 Honda Pilot have?
4 safety recalls (latest: body structure). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2017 Honda Pilot get?
21 to 23 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
Is the 2017 Honda Pilot safe?
NHTSA gave it 5 out of 5 stars overall in its best tested version. Ratings differ by body style, and the full table is on the advanced page.
At what mileage do 2017 Honda Pilot problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 18,800 and 63,600 miles. The middle report was at 38,000 miles, from 253 complaints.
Does the 2017 Honda Pilot have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 19% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2017 Honda Pilot cost in fuel a year?
About $2800 to $3050 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2017 Honda Pilot have?
3.5L 6-cyl.
What Honda Pilot year is better than the 2017?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2010, 2015 and 2014.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works