Car · Honda problems

2011 Honda Pilot problems

293 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Honda Pilot. The most reported area is air bags (23% of them). NHTSA also lists 39 service bulletins and 11 recall campaigns.

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 31. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 293 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Air bags68 · 23%
• Service brakes41 · 14%
• Engine and engine cooling36 · 12%
• Steering34 · 12%
• Suspension34 · 12%
• Electrical system26 · 9%
• Other or unknown22 · 8%
• Power train (transmission and drive)21 · 7%

14 smaller areas not shown (108 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 39 repair bulletins from Honda for the 2011 Honda Pilot. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

1. A18-066Received July 1, 2026

   Air bags

   Warranty Extension: Customer Support Program For Front Passenger's Airbag Inflator.

2. A21120AReceived June 21, 2023

   Equipment

   The navigation clock and date are incorrect.

3. A07-030Received January 30, 2021

   Equipment

   Service Bulletin - There are several A/C leak detection tools available. -Refrigerant Gas Leak Detector -Ultrasonic Leak Detector -Leak Dye.

4. DOR-M3J3F-07Received July 27, 2020

   Engine and engine cooling

   These SKUs are Exhaust Manifolds with Catalytic Converters.

5. APP05122020Received May 19, 2020

   Equipment

   The May episode of Tech2Tech is now posted.

6. A20-023Received March 11, 2020

   Engine and engine cooling

   The front rocker arm oil control valve is leaking.

7. 19-003-1Received August 13, 2019

   Air bags

   Warranty Extension: Customer Support Program For Front Passenger's Airbag Inflator for 2010-12 Accord and Other Listed Years and Models (Expires September 30, 2028).

8. A18-115Received May 15, 2019

   American Honda is conducting an inspection of certain vehicles that have previously had the passenger's airbag inflator replaced as part of the Takata Passsenger's Airbag Inflator recall.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for the 2011 Honda Pilot. Recall repairs are free at a Honda dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 19V502000June 27, 2019

   Air bags

   The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after...

2. 19V378000May 16, 2019

   Air bags

   The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

3. 18V661000September 27, 2018

   Air bags

   These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag air bag inflators assembled as part of the frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle...

See all 11 recalls for the 2011 Honda Pilot, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Pilot will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

• Diagnostic scan (check engine light)$55 to $250

Air bags 68 complaints · 23%

• Airbag clockspring replacement$230 to $670
• Airbag / occupant sensor replacement$220 to $750

Service brakes 41 complaints · 14%

• Brake pad replacement (front)$190 to $400
• Brake rotors and pads (front)$320 to $790
• Brake pad replacement (rear)$180 to $420
• Brake caliper replacement (one wheel)$240 to $590
• Brake fluid flush$75 to $180

Engine and engine cooling 36 complaints · 12%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Steering 34 complaints · 12%

• Tie rod end replacement (one side)$130 to $380
• Wheel alignment (four-wheel)$85 to $250

Check a quote you got

Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

By VIN By year, make and model

VIN (17 characters, on the dashboard by the windshield or the driver door jamb)

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Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2011 Honda Pilot: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2011 Honda Pilot?

Of the 293 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Honda Pilot, 68 (23%) name air bags, and 41 (14%) name service brakes. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2011 Honda Pilot reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 29 of the 293 complaints as involving a crash and 5 as involving a fire. They also reported 31 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2011 Honda Pilot have?

NHTSA lists 11 recall campaigns for the 2011 Honda Pilot. Recall repairs are free at a Honda dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 39 repair bulletins for the 2011 Honda Pilot.

More

• 2025 Pilot problems
• 2021 Pilot problems
• 2020 Pilot problems
• 2019 Pilot problems
• 2018 Pilot problems
• 2017 Pilot problems
• 2016 Pilot problems
• 2013 Pilot problems
• 2011 recalls
• All Honda recalls
• Honda problems by model
• Check-engine codes

Sources

• NHTSA complaint and technical service bulletin files, checked October 29, 2026
• NHTSA recalls

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.