Car · Honda problems

2021 Honda Pilot problems

450 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda Pilot. The most reported area is electrical system (30% of them). NHTSA also lists 29 service bulletins and 10 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: 10. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 450 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

• Electrical system136 · 30%
• Engine and engine cooling117 · 26%
• Forward collision avoidance98 · 22%
• Other or unknown85 · 19%
• Lane departure44 · 10%
• Air bags32 · 7%
• Visibility and wipers31 · 7%
• Service brakes28 · 6%

12 smaller areas not shown (117 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 29 repair bulletins from Honda for the 2021 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. A24-061Received November 19, 2025

   Electrical system

   The wireless charger starts charging the phone and then stops charging, even when the phone remains in the correct position on the charger due to software specifications that can cause some phones...

2. A20-022Received August 8, 2025

   Body and structure

   One or more accessory running board lights are flickering or not working due to a faulty running board light assembly.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. A23-050Received August 13, 2024

   Visibility and wipers

   Customer complaint of the A/C not blowing cold air due to Oil/Refrigerant leak from the A/C compressor shaft seal.

6. A24-085Received July 26, 2024

   Engine and engine cooling

   MIL flashes and vehicle will not accelerate, low power.

7. A23-091Received December 23, 2023

   Fuel system

   Due to variations in the purge control solenoid valve spring, the valve wears unevenly and intermittently sticks.

8. 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.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2021 Honda Pilot. Recall repairs are free at a Honda dealer. The 3 to look at first:

1. 20V440000July 28, 2020

   Electrical system

   Incorrect central network software programming may cause several errors to occur that can delay or prevent the rearview camera image from displaying.

2. 26V365000June 5, 2026

   Structure

   The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.

3. 26V332000May 22, 2026

   Air bags

   The front passenger seat weight sensor may crack and short circuit, which can cause the air bags to deploy unintentionally during a crash.

See all 10 recalls for the 2021 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

Electrical system 136 complaints · 30%

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

Engine and engine cooling 117 complaints · 26%

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

Forward collision avoidance 98 complaints · 22%

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

Lane departure 44 complaints · 10%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 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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2021 Honda Pilot: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2021 Honda Pilot?

Of the 450 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda Pilot, 136 (30%) name electrical system, and 117 (26%) name engine and engine cooling. 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 2021 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 14 of the 450 complaints as involving a crash and 2 as involving a fire. They also reported 10 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2021 Honda Pilot have?

NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns for the 2021 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 29 repair bulletins for the 2021 Honda Pilot.

More

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