Car · Honda problems

2013 Honda Pilot problems

271 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Honda Pilot. The most reported area is engine and engine cooling (31% of them). NHTSA also lists 39 service bulletins and 6 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: 12. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 271 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Engine and engine cooling84 · 31%
• Power train (transmission and drive)54 · 20%
• Body and structure47 · 17%
• Service brakes42 · 15%
• Other or unknown35 · 13%
• Air bags18 · 7%
• Speed control and throttle16 · 6%
• Fuel system13 · 5%

10 smaller areas not shown (60 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 2013 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. A26-002Received February 6, 2026

   Engine and engine cooling

   The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge.

2. A25-060Received September 5, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring wear and sticking from sludge.

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. APP05122020Received May 19, 2020

   Equipment

   The May episode of Tech2Tech is now posted.

5. A20-023Received March 11, 2020

   Engine and engine cooling

   The front rocker arm oil control valve is leaking.

6. AAW10212019Received October 29, 2019

   Body and structure

   On August 29, 2019, American Honda launched five revised and one new Warranty Extension paint bulletins.

7. A19-055Received September 5, 2019

   This warranty extension only applies to 2013 Odyssey and 2013-15 Pilot vehicles painted NH-578 Taffeta White.

8. A19-057Received September 5, 2019

   This warranty extension only applies to 2013-14 Odyssey and 2013-16 Pilot vehicles that are painted NH-603P White Diamond Pearl.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2013 Honda Pilot. Recall repairs are free at a Honda dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 13V382000August 27, 2013

   Engine

   During manufacturing of the engine piston, it is possible that the heat treatment process was not properly applied, resulting in the piston having an insufficient hardness level, making it more...

2. 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...

3. 19V378000May 16, 2019

   Air bags

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

See all 6 recalls for the 2013 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.

This model year has an engine recall in NHTSA's data. Before you pay for an engine repair, check the recalls and ask the dealer about warranty extensions for your VIN. Those repairs can be free.

Start with a diagnosis

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

Engine and engine cooling 84 complaints · 31%

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

Power train (transmission and drive) 54 complaints · 20%

• Transmission fluid service$140 to $480
• Transmission solenoid replacement$290 to $1,200
• Torque converter replacement$880 to $2,475
• Clutch replacement (manual transmission)$1,000 to $2,050

Body and structure 47 complaints · 17%

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

Service brakes 42 complaints · 15%

• 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

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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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2013 Honda Pilot: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2013 Honda Pilot?

Of the 271 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Honda Pilot, 84 (31%) name engine and engine cooling, and 54 (20%) name power train (transmission and drive). 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 2013 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 12 of the 271 complaints as involving a crash and 4 as involving a fire. They also reported 12 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2013 Honda Pilot have?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2013 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 2013 Honda Pilot.

More

• 2025 Pilot problems
• 2021 Pilot problems
• 2020 Pilot problems
• 2019 Pilot problems
• 2018 Pilot problems
• 2017 Pilot problems
• 2016 Pilot problems
• 2011 Pilot problems
• 2013 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.