Car · Honda problems

2018 Honda Pilot problems

441 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Honda Pilot. The most reported area is engine and engine cooling (37% of them). NHTSA also lists 49 service bulletins and 7 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: 11. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 441 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 cooling162 · 37%
• Fuel system125 · 28%
• Electrical system85 · 19%
• Power train (transmission and drive)78 · 18%
• Other or unknown75 · 17%
• Speed control and throttle23 · 5%
• Body and structure17 · 4%
• Seat belts12 · 3%

13 smaller areas not shown (67 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 49 repair bulletins from Honda for the 2018 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. A23-009Received July 9, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and engaging idle stop, the vehicle may not restart automatically due to excessive cylinder pressure and/or low cranking torque.

2. A23-078Received June 5, 2025

   Engine and engine cooling

   Torque converters may not have been manufactured to proper specifications.

3. A24-048Received December 3, 2024

   Body and structure

   The AWD warning light is on potentially due to water intrusion into the rear differential pump motor connector area that corrodes the terminals.

4. A24-085Received July 26, 2024

   Engine and engine cooling

   MIL flashes and vehicle will not accelerate, low power.

5. A18-080Received July 1, 2024

   Visibility and wipers

   The A/C does not blow cold air, and the lower corner of the condenser around the receiver/dryer cap is stained due to a poor O-ring compression against the receiver/dryer barrel wall.

6. A23-008Received November 29, 2023

   Engine and engine cooling

   Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and the idle stop feature engages, the vehicle may not automatically restart.

7. A23-073Received September 13, 2023

   Power train (transmission and drive)

   The vehicle's transmission temperature can become too hot due to automatic transmission fluid deterioration causing high foaming and low viscosity.

8. A23-023Received April 22, 2023

   Engine and engine cooling

   The engine will not crank on initial startup after precipitation and sub-freezing temperatures.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2018 Honda Pilot. Recall repairs are free at a Honda dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 23V751000November 13, 2023

   Engine and engine cooling

   Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.

2. 19V298000April 12, 2019

   Engine and engine cooling

   The timing belt teeth may separate from the belt.

3. 23V858000December 19, 2023

   Fuel system, gasoline

   The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.

See all 7 recalls for the 2018 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 162 complaints · 37%

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

Fuel system 125 complaints · 28%

• Fuel pump replacement$370 to $1,075
• Fuel injector replacement (one injector)$170 to $820
• EVAP purge valve replacement$80 to $240
• Gas cap replacement$5 to $95

Electrical system 85 complaints · 19%

• Battery replacement$150 to $470
• Alternator replacement$360 to $930
• Starter replacement$280 to $740
• Battery cable replacement$100 to $340

Power train (transmission and drive) 78 complaints · 18%

• 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

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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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2018 Honda Pilot: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2018 Honda Pilot?

Of the 441 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Honda Pilot, 162 (37%) name engine and engine cooling, and 125 (28%) name fuel system. 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 2018 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 9 of the 441 complaints as involving a crash and 2 as involving a fire. They also reported 11 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2018 Honda Pilot have?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2018 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 49 repair bulletins for the 2018 Honda Pilot.

More

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