The Lemon Index2021 Honda Pilot.
The 2021 Honda Pilot is worse than average by owner complaints: 218 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 158, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about automatic emergency braking, it has 10 recalls, and it gets 22 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 2021 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 445 owner complaints, owners reported:
Every Honda Pilot year. 2021 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 8K to 68K miles on the car (47 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- electrical complaints mostly came at 25K–77K miles
Recalls 10
- 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.
- airbags 2024
The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, failing to suppress the air bag as intended.
Show all 10 recalls
- fuel system, gasoline 2023
The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
- brakes 2023
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 cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
- back over prevention 2023
Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display.
- visibility 2023
The heating pads behind both side-view mirrors may not be bonded properly, allowing the mirror glass to detach.
- tires 2020
The tires may have been cured for a time beyond the specification limits.
- electrical 2020
Incorrect central network software programming may cause several errors to occur that can delay or prevent the rearview camera image from displaying.
- back over prevention 2020
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 cycle.
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 99 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Dealer Message - American Honda Motor Co., Inc
- Service Bulletin - Honda has received customer complaints of the air conditioning system not…
- Service Bulletin - Customers have complained that the air conditioning system is not blowing…
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
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 $2800–2900 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 3.5L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
Problem Dealer said recall for airbags risk/ seat sensor cannot be fixed due to unable to get parts.
2021 Honda Pilot owner · NHTSA complaint 11592992
More owner reports
Upon turning on my vehicle all of the emergency warnings came on. I did a diagnostic and was shown that nothing was wrong with the vehicle but the warnings will not reset.
NHTSA complaint 11605524
When stopped at red light idle stop feature was active and car wouldnât restart couldnât turn the truck off or on all electrical components such as radio, screen and heating were on but engine wouldnât start or stop
NHTSA complaint 11571230
Quick answers
Is the 2021 Honda Pilot reliable?
No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 1.6× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 158; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Honda Pilot year by this measure is 2010.
What are the most common 2021 Honda Pilot problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are automatic emergency braking (33%), electrical (24%) and engine (18%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2021 Honda Pilot have?
10 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 2021 Honda Pilot get?
22 to 23 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
Is the 2021 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 2021 Honda Pilot problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 8,000 and 68,000 miles. The middle report was at 32,000 miles, from 47 complaints.
Does the 2021 Honda Pilot have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.
How much does the 2021 Honda Pilot cost in fuel a year?
About $2800 to $2900 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2021 Honda Pilot have?
3.5L 6-cyl.
What Honda Pilot year is better than the 2021?
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