Honda Pilot Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2016 draws 8.99 complaints per run and the 2007 1.65, a 5.4-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age, so 76.8% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Engine, with 2,291 complaints, typically at 5.6 years.

Honda Pilot years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Honda Pilot — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2026	1.11	10	9	too new
2025	2.75	206	75	too new
2024	2	116	58	too new
2023	2.47	146	59	too new
2022	1.87	163	87	too new
2021	3.52	440	125	too new
2020	4.08	489	120	yes
2019	6.95	904	130	yes
2018	4	432	108	yes
2017	6.35	914	144	yes
2016	8.99	1681	187	yes
2015	1.49	104	70	yes
2014	1.46	102	70	yes
2013	2.48	241	97	yes
2012	1.81	152	84	yes
2011	2.22	255	115	yes
2010	1.42	98	69	yes
2009	1.45	109	75	yes
2008	1.67	122	73	yes
2007	1.65	177	107	yes
2006	1.85	226	122	yes
2005	5.39	566	105	yes
2004	4.91	457	93	yes
2003	8.11	584	72	yes

ROWS 24·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2016 Pilot asks a median $12,900, against $16,500 for a 2017, the next model year: about 22% less, so sellers do price some of the trouble in.

Among the 9 Honda Pilot years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2016, 2019, 2017; the three worth hunting are 2007, 2006, 2011.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Honda Pilot — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	799	9.5%	covered
1 year	556	16.2%	covered
2 years	593	23.2%	covered
3 years	922	34.2%	you pay
4 years	905	45%	you pay
5 years	976	56.6%	you pay
6 years	893	67.3%	you pay
7 years	716	75.8%	you pay
8 years	559	82.5%	you pay
9 years	540	88.9%	you pay
10 years	330	92.8%	you pay
11 years	175	94.9%	you pay
12 years	160	96.8%	you pay
13 years	113	98.2%	you pay
14 years	90	99.3%	you pay
15 years	62	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 23.2% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 76.8% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 40% of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Honda Pilot, the early trouble is Forward Collision Avoidance — reported at around 3.8 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Engine at 5.6 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Honda Pilot — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Engine	2291	5.6 yrs	18	38
Electrical System	1970	4.5 yrs	28	38
Power Train	1204	5.4 yrs	27	6
Unknown Or Other	1157	4.4 yrs	20	10
Air Bags	656	7.5 yrs	117	4
Fuel/propulsion System	622	5.3 yrs	16	7
Service Brakes	574	4.5 yrs	72	3
Forward Collision Avoidance	508	3.8 yrs	16	—

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Pilot's vehicle class. Per production run, the Ford Escape draws 8.92, the GMC Terrain 2.44 and the Volkswagen Tiguan 3.14, against 3.9 for the Pilot.

FIG.05·Honda Pilot — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Pilot	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Ford Escape	28,602	227	2001–2026
GMC Terrain	3,172	45	2009–2026
Volkswagen Tiguan	2,278	69	2009–2026
Volkswagen Atlas	1,993	77	2018–2026
Jeep Compass	3,990	47	2006–2026
Hyundai Kona	797	29	2018–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

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Everything on the Honda Pilot

Recalls197 campaigns Fuel economy23 mpg best Common problems9,359 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Used prices7,007 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2003–2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the Honda Pilot reliable?

By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 3.9 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.

Which Pilot years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2016, 2019, 2017. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2007, 2006, 2011. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Pilot problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 5 years of age. The most reported system is Engine, typically at 5.6 years, followed by Electrical System.

Will the warranty cover Pilot problems?

Mostly not: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and only 23.2% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 40% of the complaints here.

Is the Pilot more reliable than the Ford Escape?

Yes: 3.9 complaints per production run for the Pilot against 8.92 for the Ford Escape.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

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