2012 Honda Pilot fuel/propulsion system problems
11 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the fuel/propulsion system on the 2012 Honda Pilot — 6% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“On April 9, 2026, my daughter came in from school and parked her Honda Pilot at about 5:10PM. At about 7:03PM, my wife and I were sitting outside and heard a loud POP, it sounded like a car backfiring. I went to investigate and saw a little smoke and a small orange glowing piece of something on the…”
filed Apr 12, 2026
“My 2012 Honda Pilot is experiencing the same engine defect that Honda acknowledged in later model years (2013–2015) and issued recalls/extended warranty coverage for. The defect involves the Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system causing excessive oil consumption, spark plug fouling, cylinder…”
filed Nov 17, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Fuel/propulsion System problems in other Pilot years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Pilot | 12 | 6% |
| 2024 Pilot | 5 | 4% |
| 2023 Pilot | 5 | 4% |
| 2022 Pilot | 8 | 5% |
| 2021 Pilot | 21 | 5% |
| 2020 Pilot | 31 | 6% |
| 2019 Pilot | 115 | 13% |
| 2018 Pilot | 63 | 14% |
| 2017 Pilot | 122 | 13% |
| 2016 Pilot | 170 | 10% |
| 2015 Pilot | 6 | 6% |
| 2014 Pilot | 5 | 4% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2012 Honda Pilot
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.