As long as it’s taken care of, there’s no reason why it would be less reliable after 150k. Transmission issues were mostly eliminated after 2005. That’s not to say transmissions don’t fail, but it’s not as bad as it was for first generation Pilots.
Of course any other vehicle stuff is going to break. But if the transmission and engine are well maintained—and by that I mean regular oil changes, timing belt replacement and semi regular transmission fluid changes, it’s not uncommon for these to pass 250k miles with original engine/transmission.

 

Buy the latest year you can. Outside of VCM I think the biggest issue was the compliance bushing for the front lower control arms. Transmission issues are pretty rare, everything else seems to happen with low frequency. These things are generally vociferous with brakes and tires. Being heavier vehicles, the infamous Honda brake "pulse" can happen very quickly with the OEM or cheaper pads. Fresh rotors and quality pads has solved it for pretty much everyone who comes in complaining about that. Some people have had some issues with the weld-nuts on the rear shocks breaking loose. VTEC solenoid gaskets can start to weep. I mean, we are getting pretty nitpicky now.

Bottom line - if you get one where VCM has been disabled or you validate the rear cylinders are all in good condition, you should be good to go for the long haul. The second most common issue (compliance bushings) can be tackled by most people who know how to turn a wrench, so it's not a huge deal if yours has it.

 

I have an '09 i bought new, it now has 216000 miles. It was our family car up to about 190K and then went to my high school daughter for two years and now my son for three years - still surviving. It still looks great - paint and interior have really held up. I have kept up with engine and transmission oil changes. If you have the skill level to do a major brake job (pads, rotors, calipers, hoses) you should be fine. Should ensure timing belt was done or plan on doing that and the spark plugs. Check for rust if in rust belt - my radiator/transmission coolant fittings/lines rusted out and I got the SMOD (strawberry milkshake of death), but the vehicle survived after some messy work. I'd say that radiator is the biggest Achilles heel in rust-prone areas.

Another thing I like is that the Pilot is easy to work on and aftermarket parts are inexpensive.

 

I have an 03 bought with ~89k miles on the clock. I've put another 100,000 on it with no problems. However, it was. car that was bought, driven about 8000 miles a year and then traded in when it got time to do things like timing belt, etc. I could see all service was done by the dealer that sold it. I have a '12 that we bought at about 90k miles, have put 100k miles on it, and it has had no problems beyond what you would expect from a 9 year old vehicle. It is my daily driver.

 

let me get back to you sometime around 2030

 

Nice! Love the good things i'm hearing about it. My Civic is not leaving me but I do need another car so i'm trying to look everywhere despite the high prices right now. I'm also eyeing the 08-11 CR-V's as well.

I didn't disclose this but I DIY everything and I am a very firm believer in maintenance - thats why my 2006 Civic is still going to this day LOL.

 

I have a 2011 Pilot it has 90k on it so far I only did a timing belt, water pump, lower control arms, alternator, front and rear rotor and brakes, sway bar links and bushings and struts and shocks, change transmission fluid every third oil change. Not bad for a 10 year old vehicle I guess I need to drive another 60k to answer your question properly.

 

Small world, I have seen you on the 8th gen forum. EpistleNo81 on there.

Unlike the 8th gen civics, the pilots do not have problems with the engine block just cracking for no reason. I still wonder just how prevalent that problem really is.

I would say though for Pilot VS Civic - Pilots DO need new timing belts about every 100K miles. The water pump is driven by the belt and once you get to the pump, it is easy to replace, unlike that stupid pivot bolt on our Gen 8 civics that people complain about. The Pilot belt is time consuming but not a horrible job.

Fuel economy kind of sucks on the Pilot.

There is more room to work under the hood of course. Based on what I have seen here VS the 8th gen forums, it seems most pilots, except the really old ones like mine, have less problems overall.

Someone mentioned about disabling the VCM. I am not real sure how that works but apparently disabling it helps the engine in the long run. It won't help with fuel economy but will help with the engine longevity. Might do some research on that.

 

Small world, I have seen you on the 8th gen forum. EpistleNo81 on there.

Unlike the 8th gen civics, the pilots do not have problems with the engine block just cracking for no reason. I still wonder just how prevalent that problem really is.

I would say though for Pilot VS Civic - Pilots DO need new timing belts about every 100K miles. The water pump is driven by the belt and once you get to the pump, it is easy to replace, unlike that stupid pivot bolt on our Gen 8 civics that people complain about. The Pilot belt is time consuming but not a horrible job.

Fuel economy kind of sucks on the Pilot.

There is more room to work under the hood of course. Based on what I have seen here VS the 8th gen forums, it seems most pilots, except the really old ones like mine, have less problems overall.

Someone mentioned about disabling the VCM. I am not real sure how that works but apparently disabling it helps the engine in the long run. It won't help with fuel economy but will help with the engine longevity. Might do some research on that.

Hello EpistleNo81! Nice to see you coming from the 8thcivic forum lol (forum is pretty dead - barely active). Unfortunately I didn't end up getting a Pilot like I wanted to but I did end up getting a 2012 Odyssey EX-L which is pretty much the same as the Pilot! Couldn't find a nice 2nd gen for a good price so had to settle for a van. I will be here every once in a while since the Ody shares the same 3.5 as the Pilot. Take care!