2021 Honda Pilot: engine and transmission complaints
NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
33%
129 of 395 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2021 Honda Pilot. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 33% of relevant complaints.
Better than 66% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 34 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 30%).
Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN01/28/2026CRASH1 INJURED
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while the engine was idling and with the gear shifter in the park position, the contact reached into the vehicle from the front driver's door, and suddenly the vehicle began to slowly roll backwards. The contact was pushed to the ground, causing the front dri…
2021 Honda Pilot is subject to "rapid acceleration". We had no notification of this issue until the vehicle drove itself into our home on its own causing damage to the car and our home. Only after we did some research did we know Honda had this issue.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE08/27/2026
My 2021 Honda Pilot has repeatedly failed to restart after the Auto Idle Stop system shuts the engine off while the vehicle is stopped. When the system activates, the engine can fail to restart when I need to move, leaving the vehicle stalled in active traffic. This has happened multiple times and creates a serious saf…
Three of 129 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (10)
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Pilot, 2019-2020 Odyssey and 2019-2020 Passport vehicles. Incorrect central network software programming …
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 sof…
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 A37…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2021 Honda Pilot
No elevated drivetrain pattern for this model year. That describes the model, not the car in front of you.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose.
10 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
