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#BS-2021-HONPIL-40CD2021 Honda Pilot
Based on reports from 594 owners and 8 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 594 complaints, 23 crashes, 3 fires, and 8 recalls. Complaint rate is 3.5x the class average.
Top reported problems
automatic braking false engagement
5 complaints • Severity 5.6/10
technical bugs
2 complaints • Severity 6/10
cracked chipped windshield
2 complaints • Severity 4/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
98 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 29K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (26 reports) • Median: 29K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Electrical (98 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2021 Honda Pilot: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 16% of all reports filed for the 2021 Honda Pilot, with 98 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 29,300 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 29K-mile mark.
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2021 Honda Pilot, with 84 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking Issues
Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2021 Honda Pilot, with 51 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Collision Avoidance Issues
Collision Avoidance complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2021 Honda Pilot, with 44 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to collision avoidance-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2021 Honda Pilot. Recent trend: decreasing.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (8 recalls)
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019-2020 Passport, and 2019-2021 Pilot vehicles. Incorrect instrument panel control module software can cause the instrument panel to not display critical information, such as engine oil pressure, speedometer, and gear selector position until the next ignition cycle. Additionally, it can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Pilot, 2019-2020 Odyssey and 2019-2020 Passport vehicles. Incorrect central network software programming may cause several errors to occur that can delay or prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
TIRES
American Honda Motor Co. (Honda) is recalling certain 2021 Pilot vehicles equipped with Continental CrossContact LX Sport 245/50R20 102 H tires with DOT serial number A376 D3K9 2920 and mold numbers S-421920 and S-421921. The tires may have been cured for a time beyond the specification limits.
VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES:EXTERIOR
Honda (American Honda Motor Co) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Pilot and Ridgeline, and 2020-2022 Passport and Odyssey vehicles. The heating pads behind both side-view mirrors may not be bonded properly, allowing the mirror glass to detach. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
+ 3 more recalls in the full report
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Honda Pilot is the 2003 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.
2021 Honda Pilot vs. Class Average (Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD)
This vehicle
594
Class avg
172
3.5x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 594 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 8 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Honda Pilot Model Years
View all Honda Pilot years →2021 Honda Pilot: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Honda Pilot?
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Does the 2021 Honda Pilot have any recalls?
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What’s in the full report?
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
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Get the Full 2021 Honda Pilot Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 594 owner reports. Know before you buy.