MODELYEARINDEX

Which Honda Pilot years to avoid

Across 12 scored model years, the 2016, 2019 and 2020 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Honda Pilot Full report
F
Grade 2010–2021
2016 vs model median 3.5×
Model median3× median
Electrical 235
Engine 107
Drivetrain 94
Avoid

2016 · 2019

Best

2014 · 2015

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2010
0.16× 33 B
2011
0.98× 177 C
2012
0.54× 127 B
2013
0.76× 194 C
2014
0.30× 70 B
2015
0.32× 65 B
2016
3.53× 787 F
2017
1.55× 327 D
2018
1.01× 201 D
2019
2.78× 606 F
2020
2.25× 498 F
2021
2.20× 498 F
2022 P
1.10× 236 C
2023 P
0.80× 194 C
2024 P
0.71× 164 C
2025 P
1.35× 303 D

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2016 F 787 reports · median 39,225 mi

  1. Electrical 235

    The contact owns a 2016 honda pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start. The vehicle had to be towed to a honda dealer where the failure could not be diagnosed. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 107

    On november 10, 2015, at approximately 5:30pm, my wife and I were traveling on north I-75 in southwest ohio. Besides ourselves, we had our two young grandchildren in the car. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Drivetrain 94

    I write to you to convey my safety concerns regarding a new honda 2016 pilot. My attempts to resolve my concerns with american honda motor co., inc. Were met with tepid reluctance and a cavalier neglectful attitude. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

24 crash · 3 fire · 38 injuries

2019 F 606 reports · median 9,000 mi

  1. Electrical 159

    While driving, both highway and around town, loud crackling would occur through the speakers. Then both the navigation screen and/or the speedometer screen would go completely black. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 123

    The contact owns a 2019 honda pilot. While driving 25 MPH, the vehicle vibrated and the check engine, hill start assist, trailer stability assist, power steering, lane departure litigation, blind spot, transmission… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Driver Assist 73

    This happened to me twice. Seems to be when using cruise control for over 1.25 hrs. When you press the cancel button on the steering wheel to cancel the set cruise control, the cars "check engine" light starts flashing. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

14 crash · 2 fire · 18 injuries

The best year for the Pilot

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2014 is the best-scoring Pilot model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 84.9 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations. On complaint rate alone the lowest is 2010 at 0.16× this model’s median, against 0.30× for 2014.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2014 0.30× 70 B
2015 0.32× 65 B
2010 0.16× 33 B

Recalls

43 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
16V346000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010, 2011 2,719,386
23V858000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2015–2021 2,490,460
18V661000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010–2015 1,355,406
23V431000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION 2019–2022 1,209,673
17V030000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010–2012 977,708
26V365000 STRUCTURE:FRAME AND MEMBERS 2016–2022 880,514
24V064000 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION:FRONT PASSENGER 2020–2022 750,114
13V016000 AIR BAGS 2010–2013 748,481
21V932000 STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD 2016–2019 724,826
18V042000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:PASSENGER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE 2010–2013 691,726
21V215000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP 2019 624,552
20V439000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2019–2021 607,786

+ 31 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2016 were reported at a median of 39,225 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Honda Pilot years should you avoid?
2016, 2019, 2020 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Honda Pilot model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Honda Pilot?
2014 is the best-scoring Honda Pilot model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 84.9 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Honda Pilot have?
43 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Honda Pilot model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2016 Pilot
Complaints in window
787
Severity-weighted
1,148.5
Model median (weighted)
326
vs model median
3.53×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
8
Open investigations
2
Score 3.3 F