2021 Honda Pilot engine problems
104 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2021 Honda Pilot — 24% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Our pilot is experiencing similar issues found online with catastrophic engine failure due to a misfire caused by a knocking rod. Honda so far has not responded to our claim despite it being a known issue around the same time ours was manufactured.”
filed Sep 13, 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…”
filed Aug 27, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
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
Engine problems in other Pilot years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Pilot | 30 | 15% |
| 2024 Pilot | 10 | 9% |
| 2023 Pilot | 13 | 9% |
| 2022 Pilot | 28 | 18% |
| 2020 Pilot | 101 | 21% |
| 2019 Pilot | 233 | 26% |
| 2018 Pilot | 156 | 36% |
| 2017 Pilot | 465 | 51% |
| 2016 Pilot | 767 | 45% |
| 2015 Pilot | 22 | 20% |
| 2014 Pilot | 31 | 27% |
| 2013 Pilot | 79 | 29% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2021 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.