I was starting to pull into the garage to pick up my mother and daughter when the accelerator stuck and kept increasing speed and I was unable to get it to slow down or stop. This is a double car side of the garage and my daughters car was on the right side of the garage so proceeding at a slow cautious speed is necessary. The Honda pilot proceeded to slam into the two refrigerators and one…
2007 Honda Pilot cruise control problems
severe 12 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $600 · see cruise control across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
12
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
3crashes
4injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 12 cruise control complaints filed for the 2007 Honda Pilot, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 25,000-50,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA cruise control complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 15 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
Twelve owners of 2007 Honda Pilots describe sudden, uncontrolled engine acceleration triggered during braking or pedal transitions, often in parking lots or at low speed. The engine revs to 3,500–6,000+ RPM while the driver's foot remains on the brake and off the accelerator. The vehicle surges forward; pressing the brake harder does not stop it. Several incidents resulted in crashes—into telephone poles, garage walls, cement blocks, and parked vehicles—with injuries including fractured bones and concussions.
One owner performed a diagnostic maneuver: shifting to neutral while braking during an acceleration event. The engine continued revving at elevated RPM, proving the problem was not brake-induced but rather unintended engine control. Shifting the vehicle back into drive stopped the acceleration with an audible pop.
Events occur intermittently, sometimes three times within two weeks on a new vehicle, sometimes spread over months on the same car. One owner's vehicle exhibited the failure at 180 miles; another at 44,000 miles. Dealers cannot replicate the failure and diagnostic scans produce no trouble codes. The manufacturer declined further inspection on one case specifically because no codes were generated. No successful repairs are documented in any narrative.
Same Honda Pilot cruise control reports on nearby years: 2005 · 2006
Failure modes owners describe
Unintended acceleration during braking/pedal transition
Engine suddenly accelerates to high RPM (3,500–6,000+ RPM in some cases) when driver applies brake pedal or transitions from accelerator to brake, often causing vehicle to surge forward uncontrollably. Occurs in both high-speed traffic stops and low-speed parking maneuvers. Brake pedal depression does not stop acceleration; foot off accelerator does not stop acceleration.
When: Occurs at various mileages: 180 miles (new vehicle), 2,000–3,000 miles, 44,000 miles, 120,000 miles. Multiple incidents on same vehicle over weeks or months; complaint #2 documents at least two separate incidents (June 2017, April 2018); complaint #5 reports three separate occasions; complaint #9 reports third occurrence in two weeks.
Symptoms owners cite: Engine revs suddenly to 3,500–6,000+ RPM while foot on brake pedal; Vehicle surges forward uncontrollably despite brake application; Brake pedal becomes ineffective at stopping vehicle during acceleration event; Acceleration occurs with no foot pressure on accelerator pedal; RPM increase continues even after shifting to neutral (some cases); Event terminates abruptly (impact, engine off, shifter manipulation, jam on brakes)
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers unable to replicate failure or determine cause during diagnostic testing. Complaint #6 states manufacturer declined further inspection because diagnostic test produced no failure codes. No repairs completed in any narrative; complaints were unresolved at time of reporting.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Honda declined further inspection on complaint #6 due to lack of diagnostic codes. Complaint #3 notes owner's observation that Honda dealer 'didn't seem concerned or surprised' when informed of incident.
Engine rpm surge independent of accelerator input
Engine revs to elevated RPM (up to 6,000) with no pressure on accelerator pedal and while foot is on brake. In complaint #5, owner establishes via neutral-shift test that problem is engine control, not braking: shifting to neutral maintained elevated RPM briefly while brakes held, proving accelerator input was not the cause. In complaint #9, shifter manipulation (neutral to drive to reverse) caused acceleration to stop with audible 'pop.'
When: Complaint #5: three separate occasions (exact timing not specified). Complaint #9: third occurrence in week within first two weeks of vehicle ownership (180 miles).
Symptoms owners cite: Engine RPM climbs to 3,500–6,000 without driver depressing accelerator; Engine continues revving even when shifter moved to neutral; RPM surge terminates with shifter manipulation or hard brake application; Audible 'pop' noted when acceleration stopped (complaint #9); Engine returns to normal idle RPM after event resolves
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs made. Independent mechanic (complaint #7) unable to determine cause.
Synthesized from 12 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
Had cruise control trouble with your 2007 Honda Pilot?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2007 Honda Pilot?
It's a meaningful issue. 12 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Across the 10 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most cruise control failures cluster between 44,000 and 126,625 miles, with the median around 82,354. A quarter of owners report trouble before 44,000; a quarter make it past 126,625. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2007/Honda/Pilot.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.