2013 Honda Pilot problems & reliability
270 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Honda Pilot, alongside 6 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.
8 complaints report injuries (12 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2013 Honda Pilot vehicles were involved in 49 fatal crashes with 10 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 78 | 29% |
| Power Train | 54 | 20% |
| Structure | 47 | 17% |
| Service Brakes | 40 | 15% |
| Unknown OR Other | 35 | 13% |
| Air Bags | 18 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 16 | 6% |
| Suspension | 13 | 5% |
| Steering | 12 | 4% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 11 | 4% |
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.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 41,500 miles (middle 50% between 11,600 and 80,000 miles), based on 164 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Recalls without notification; 1) Engine- recurring problem piston seal leak - continual replacement of coils & spark plugs. Engine light on VTM-4, traction bar symbol on, engine missing. [XXX] 2025: [XXX] ][XXX] Oil change 7 days later wrench & engine light gone [XXX] * 2 days later it came on again. I let it sit for…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jun 29, 2026
“The factory clear coat and paint on the roof of this 2013 Honda Pilot are delaminating and peeling away from the metal. The failure began about 1.5 years ago and continues to spread; in places it has now progressed through the paint to bare metal that is corroding and rusting. The vertical body panels remain glossy…”
Structure · filed Jun 21, 2026
“Had a car accident and hit a sand barrel at about 40 miles an hour without the airbags didn’t deploy. The grill and bumper were damaged with impact.”
Air Bags · filed May 26, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
89 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Honda Pilot. The 10 most recent:
Service Bulletin - The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge. Oil adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire. This can set DTCs P0301 No. 1…
A26-002 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2026
Service Bulletin - The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring wear and sticking from sludge. Oil from the crankcase adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire. This can set DTCs P0301 No. 1…
A25-060 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 29, 2025
Owner Notification Letter - the piston ring function can deteriorate due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge. Oil adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire. This can set DTCs P0301…
ONL6Z6072025 · Other · issued Jul 29, 2025
Service Bulletin - The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge. Oil adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire. This can set DTCs P0301 No. 1…
A25-060 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 18, 2025
Dealer Message - Piston ring effectiveness may be reduced due to excessive wear and oil sludge build-up, which can cause oil to adhere to the spark plug, potentially leading to carbon fouling and misfire triggering DTCs…
AEBM06172025901 · Other · issued Jun 17, 2025
Service Bulletin - The piston ring function deteriorates due to ring low wear toughness and sticking from sludge. Oil adheres to the spark plug leading to carbon fouling and misfire.
A25-060 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2025
"Service bulletin - American Honda is announcing a powertrain warranty extension as a result of a settlement of a class action captioned, Soto et al.v. American Honda Motor Co., Inc., Case No. 3:12-cv-1377-SI (N.D…
A13-082 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 19, 2022
"Service Bulletin - There are several A/C leak detection tools available. -Refrigerant Gas Leak Detector -Ultrasonic Leak Detector -Leak Dye"
A07-030 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 23, 2021
Dealer Message - The May episode of Tech2Tech is now posted. We've got some valuable information for you, so check it out! This month we're featuring "Replacing That Leaky Front Rocker Arm Oil Control Valve."
APP05122020 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 2020
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…
A20-016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 10, 2020
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 2013 Honda Pilot has 6 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 2013 Honda Pilot?
- · 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.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 41,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.