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severe Owners of the 2009 Honda Pilot have filed 29 NHTSA complaints about the airbags at roughly $1,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See airbags across all vehicles →
| Model year | airbags complaints |
|---|---|
| 2005 Pilot | 109 |
| 2006 Pilot | 60 |
| 2007 Pilot | 50 |
| 2008 Pilot | 29 |
| 2009 Pilot (this page) | 29 |
| 2010 Pilot | 30 |
| 2011 Pilot | 64 |
| 2012 Pilot | 19 |
| 2013 Pilot | 17 |
Of the 29 airbags complaints filed for the 2009 Honda Pilot, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 100,000-125,000 mi.
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.
All 8 active airbags recalls on this vehicle land at critical or severe — none classified moderate.
Airbags accounts for 22% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 11 categories tracked.
An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
In the event of a crash, an incorrectly installed passenger frontal air bag inflator may deploy the air bag improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
The absence of more than one rivet could alter the performance of the driver's airbag during deployment. This could potentially increase the risk of injury during a crash.
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering airbags on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Service Bulletin - Warranty Extension: Customer Support Program For Front Passenger's Airbag Inflator.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service Bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects in the replacement front passenger's airbag inflator only.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service Bulletin - American Honda is conducting an inspection of certain vehicles that have previously had the passenger's airbag inflator replaced as part of the Takata Passsenger's Airbag Inflator recall. If you completed the repair described by this service bulletin on or before May 10, 2019, make sure to use the Warranty Claim Information provided below.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service bulletin - American Honda is conducting an inspection of certain vehicles that have previously had the passenger's airbag inflator replaced as part of the Takata Passsenger's Airbag Inflator recall.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Service bulletin - This bulletin is a notification of a class action settlement relating to airbag inflators. American Honda is offering a Customer Support Program (Warranty Extension) to cover any manufacturing defects in the replacement front passengers airbag inflator only.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The dominant issue in this cluster is the Takata passenger-side airbag recall (NHTSA 16V346000, 17V030000). Multiple owners describe a cascading failure: recall notices arrived in 2016–2017 warning that airbags could rupture and eject metal fragments during deployment. Honda told owners not to sit in the front passenger seat until repair parts became available—which took months or longer, sometimes into fall 2016 and beyond. One crash narrative details a rear-end collision at highway speed where the airbag deployed, metal fragments entered the cabin, and the driver suffered facial scars while passengers sustained neck, shoulder, and back injuries requiring medical attention and a neck brace for three months.
Beyond the Takata defect, owners report intermittent airbag warning lights that illuminate and extinguish randomly; a passenger occupant-detection fault where the airbag shows "OFF" despite someone being seated; and one case of frontal airbags failing to deploy entirely during a 40–60 mph crash. A single narrative mentions water leaking into the cabin around the side curtain airbag. Most of these secondary issues are tied to the recall scenario—parts unavailable, repairs stalled, or dealers charging owners for safety repairs that should be warranty work.
Same Honda Pilot airbags reports on nearby years: 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2010 · 2011
Passenger-side airbags designed with defective Takata inflators that rupture during deployment, sending metal shards and fragments into the cabin. Occurs during vehicle crashes when the airbag is supposed to protect occupants.
When: On crash/deployment; recall issued 2016-2017 (NHTSA 16V346000, 17V030000)
Symptoms owners cite: Metal fragments ejected from airbag upon deployment; Facial lacerations and scars to driver; Neck, shoulder, and back injuries to driver; Neck and knee injuries to front passenger; Whiplash and bruising to rear passengers
Codes mentioned: NHTSA 16V346000, NHTSA 17V030000
Repairs/costs cited: Recall repair parts were chronically unavailable; owners waited months to years for replacement inflators. One owner reported repair completed September 19, 2016 after lengthy delay.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Takata recall NHTSA 16V346000 and 17V030000. Honda advised owners to avoid sitting in front passenger seat until parts available. Parts distribution severely delayed; remedy delayed into fall 2016 and beyond. Multiple owners reported Honda service centers had parts available for related Acura models but not Pilot models, creating confusion.
Frontal airbags failed to deploy during a vehicle crash when occupant impact was sufficient to trigger them.
When: 36,000 miles; crash at 40-60 mph
Symptoms owners cite: Frontal airbags did not deploy upon vehicle crash; One occupant injury reported; Vehicle totaled
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle towed to body shop; status of repair unknown
Airbag warning indicator turns on and off intermittently while driving at various speeds, suggesting electrical or sensor fault in the airbag system.
When: At 238,000 miles; light illuminated intermittently
Symptoms owners cite: Air bag warning indicator illuminates intermittently while driving; Light turns off on its own after vehicle is parked and restarted; Side airbag 'OFF' indicator appears then disappears
Codes mentioned: 12-51 (passenger airbag fault)
Repairs/costs cited: Vehicle not diagnosed or repaired by owner
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall notification sent (16V346000); parts not available at time of complaint
Passenger-seat airbag disable system malfunctions, showing the airbag as 'OFF' or disabled even when an occupant is seated in the passenger position. Poses risk of airbag not deploying if needed, or deploying without proper suppression.
When: Varying; reported at unknown mileage
Symptoms owners cite: Passenger side airbag indicator shows OFF when someone is sitting in seat; Airbag OFF indicator turns on and off automatically or blinks; Airbag warning light comes on after turning off vehicle
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer advised passenger seat is out of order; no repairs completed in 60+ days after recall notice
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall notification issued; parts unavailable to complete repair within a reasonable timeframe
Water leaking into the vehicle cabin around the side curtain airbag assembly, indicating seal or assembly defect in that area.
When: During rainfall; mileage not stated
Symptoms owners cite: Water entering the cab around the side curtain airbag
Synthesized from 29 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2009 Honda pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v346000 (air bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.…
The air bags shards of metal at passengers in vehicle when it was involved in wreck
"takata recall"
The warning sign.... Side air bag off... Turns on automatically or blinks various times....so I stop the vehicle and put in park and turn off vehicle and the warning light for the air bag is no longer there. The warning indicator shows it turns off on its own the side air bags
Takata recall. A letter was sent to me in july 2016 regarding the passenger side airbag. The safety concern was the airbag could cause metal fragments to injure the passengers in the vehicle if the airbag was deployed. The suggestion was to "not sit in the front passenger seat" until the parts were available for the recall/repair. A remedy was supposed to be done by summer/fall 2016 and I have…
It's a meaningful issue. 29 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.
Based on the 29 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 112,620 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags 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.
Yes — 8 active recall(s) cover airbags issues on this vehicle. Recall fixes are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status. Use the VIN decoder at the top of the page to check if your specific vehicle is affected.