Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 195 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Honda Pilot, and it carries 4 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Forward collision avoidance | 17 | 9% |
| Steering | 14 | 7% |
| Unknown or other | 11 | 6% |
| Service brakes | 10 | 5% |
| Engine | 9 | 5% |
| Electrical system | 9 | 5% |
| Vehicle speed control | 7 | 4% |
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 3% |
| Power train | 6 | 3% |
| Seat belts | 4 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
Lost power on steering wheel while driving, unable to turn left/right. All of the warning lights related to braking, lane assist, hill descent, adaptive cruise control, trailer stability assist, hill start assist, low sp
NHTSA complaint: Steering
The moonroof of my car exploded on my panoramic sunroof. It was a hot summer day and I had the AC on. I opened the panoramic sunshade and as soon as it was fully open the moonroof glass upfront exploded. My family and I
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
On Friday August 21,2026 at approximately 10:00am I departed my house. Approximately 4 minutes later while traveling the engine lost power and began misfiring. Steering and braking capabilities were both reduced. Numerou
NHTSA complaint: Engine
We bought our 2025 Pilot in XXX. Within the first 500 miles, the steering wheel was locking up when trying to turn left or right. I was very concerned driving it that it could have locked up during driving and caused an
NHTSA complaint: Steering
I presented the vehicle to a Honda service shop for a squeaking noise from the front of the vehicle. The technician diagnosed a 'loose crash bar/reinforcement bar.' The technician tried to tighten the bar but noted it di
NHTSA complaint: Structure
The contact owned a 2025 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked on a neighborhood street, a vehicle crashed into the front driver’s side of the vehicle. The vehicle was driving approximately 60
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
The vehicle has suffered a life-threatening, complete loss of power steering while driving under identical, hazardous conditions on two separate occasions. There were no warning lights or inductors prior to either event.
NHTSA complaint: Steering
The automatic breaking sensor put on my brakes at random times. It happens when going over a small rise in the road and also happened on a 2 Lane road when a semi truck was coming the opposite direction totally within it
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2025 Honda Pilot. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Passport and 2023-2025 Pilot vehicles. The fuel filler neck tube and fuel filler pipe may separate, allowing fuel to leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the fuel filler neck tube and pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2022-2025 Acura MDX Type-S, 2023-2025 Honda Pilot, and 2021-2025 Acura TLX Type-S vehicles. A software error in the fuel injection electronic control unit (FI-ECU) may cause an engine stall or a loss of power.
Risk: An engine stall or loss of power can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the FI-ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 17, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The third-row passenger seat belt assembly may not function, due to incorrect routing that traps the seat belt behind the passenger side panel. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal M
Risk: A non-functioning seat belt cannot properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the seat belt routing as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 24, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-21
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2021-2025 Acura TLX, 2023-2025 Acura MDX, and 2023-2025 Honda Pilot vehicles. The brake pedal pivot pin was not secured properly, which can cause the pedal to shift out of position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicl
Risk: A brake pedal that shifts out of position can prevent the driver from applying the brakes as intended, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake pedal assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 29, 2025. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2
| Reliability raw | 85 | excellent |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 84 | excellent |
| Maintenance | 76 | good |
| Depreciation | 57 | average |
| Performance | 67 | good |
| Efficiency | 39 | below average |
| Safety | 93 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other SUVs in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 195 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and forward collision avoidance is the most reported area with 17 of them (9%). There are 4 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 85/100 (excellent) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 84/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2025 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 74/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.