2021 Honda Passport problems & reliability
131 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda Passport, alongside 7 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Honda Passport vehicles were involved in 11 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 48 | 37% |
| Electrical System → | 23 | 18% |
| Engine → | 22 | 17% |
| Power Train → | 22 | 17% |
| Service Brakes → | 20 | 15% |
| Unknown OR Other | 10 | 8% |
| Lane Departure | 7 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 4 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The vehicle experienced a catastrophic internal engine failure caused by connecting rod bearing failure. Prior to the failure, the engine developed abnormal internal knocking/noise, indicating bearing deterioration. The engine is currently available for inspection. While traveling approximately 55 mph on [XXX], the…”
Engine · filed Jul 30, 2026
“Honda has a recall on certain vin numbers for the starter. My starter i was told to replace at a $2500 fee from reggie jackson honda in raleigh nc. I had to visit the dealership 3 times, they said its the battery, replaced the battery at my cost, now they said its the starter. They said there is a recall but my vin…”
Forward Collision Avoidance · filed Jul 19, 2026
“The multipurpose front camera on my 2021 Honda Passport failed without warning, causing mutliple Honda sensing safety systems to become inoperative. Warning messages appeared indicating failures of the collision mitigation braking system, adaptaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist system, road departure…”
Lane Departure · filed Jul 18, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- No Restart After Auto Start/Stop Engages
Engineering Analysis EA25004 · opened Mar 26, 2025 · open
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Engineering Analysis EA25002 · opened Jan 17, 2025 · open
- Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking
Preliminary Evaluation PE24008 · opened Mar 7, 2024 · closed Jan 17, 2025
Technical service bulletins
93 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Honda Passport. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - The wireless charger starts charging the phone and then stops charging, even when the phone remains in the correct position on the charger due to software specifications that can cause some phones to…
A24-061 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 7, 2025
Service Bulletin - One or more accessory running board lights are flickering or not working due to a faulty running board light assembly.
A20-022 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2025
Service Bulletin - Under certain circumstances, after coming to a stop and engaging idle stop, the vehicle may not restart automatically due to excessive cylinder pressure and/or low cranking torque. Typically, the…
A23-009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 7, 2025
Service Bulletin - The AWD warning light is on potentially due to water intrusion into the rear differential pump motor connector area that corrodes the terminals.
A24-048 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 22, 2024
Service Bulletin - The wireless charger starts charging the phone and then stops charging, even when the phone remains in the correct position on the charger.
A24-061 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 8, 2024
Service Bulletin - The wireless charger starts charging the phone and then stops charging, even when the phone remains in the correct position on the charger.
A24-061 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2024
Service Bulletin - Customer complaint of the A/C not blowing cold air due to Oil/Refrigerant leak from the A/C compressor shaft seal.
A23-050 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 7, 2024
Service Bulletin - MIL flashes and vehicle will not accelerate, low power. After cycling the ignition, the symptom does not return with no stored DTCs. This issue is more common in regions with cold weather…
A24-085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 20, 2024
Service Bulletin - The MIL flashes and vehicle will not accelerate, low power. After cycling the ignition, the symptom does not return with no stored DTCs. This issue is more common in regions with cold weather…
A24-085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 19, 2024
Service Bulletin - Customer complaint received regarding the A/C not blowing cold air due to an oil/refrigerant leak from the A/C compressor shaft seal.
A23-050 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 19, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Honda Passport has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Honda Passport?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.