Honda Pilot reliability by year
32 recalls and 7,761 owner complaints across 22 model years. Best year to buy: 2023. Year to avoid: 2016.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
Years to avoid — and why 3 flagged on the NHTSA record
Cleaner on the data: 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and others. Still verify the specific vehicle.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 22 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Pilot aggregated across 22 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Honda Pilot?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2023 Honda Pilot scores 7.8/10 — the strongest in the 2005–2026 range. 121 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Honda Pilot year should I avoid?
The 2016 Honda Pilot scores 5.6/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 1,672 owner complaints with NHTSA, 4 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2016 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Honda Pilot should I avoid?
On the NHTSA complaint and recall record, the model years to be most careful with are 2019 (avoid — the powertrain — powertrain: 84 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 13,000–71,000 mi); 2013 (avoid — the powertrain — powertrain: 47 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 4,500–51,000 mi); 2005 (high-risk ownership — brakes: 73 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 60,000–115,900 mi). The cleaner years on the data are 2023, 2010, 2025, 2024, 2022, 2021. This is our read of the federal data, not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection of the specific vehicle.
How many years of the Honda Pilot are tracked?
22 model years (2005 through 2026) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 32 recalls and 7,761 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Honda Pilot?
electrical is the most-reported category — 1,617 complaints across 21 model years. Average shop repair runs about $850.