I ALMOST FORGOT! My wife got a flat tire and replaced it with the EXACT SAME make and model as stock. Honda tech said the tire could have been stored at a different temperature or humidity level resulting in all the issues we are having. Holy Christ the delusion… then they said the first dealership that had the car (we bought it from one dealership that exchanged something they had on the lot for the one we wanted) might have put aftermarket rims on it, which could have caused all the issues we are having… seriously? Seriously you’re going to say that to a customer? Are you out of your mind?

 

Also wait.....you also posted in 2023 that you just got the car and hated the stock rims and wanted to swap them out. And now you are acting like you may or may not know about whether aftermarket rims were put on your car by the dealer????

(2) EX-L stock rim size | Honda Pilot - Honda Pilot Forums

"Hello all,
I just bought a ‘24 EX-L for my wife. I hate the look of the stock rims and would like to swap them out. Does anyone know the stock size/lug for the rims so I can swap them out? I’d like to keep the rim size stock, just get some that look better. "

 

 

I’m doing a lemon law, I’m not losing that much money on a trade in for a car that hasn’t worked

 

That's terrible. Good luck in all your future endeavors.

 

May Toyota/Mazda/Nissan/Hyundai/Kia treat you well

 

Sorry you have had such bad luck with it! In regards to the three times fuel gauge went out, did the dealer replace anything like the sending unit on the fuel pump assembly? Or was it an intermittent indication they could not duplicate? Was the brake lockup with Adaptive Cruise control on. How did you resolve the rear hatch not opening?

 

Just Some Guy has really had Just Some Really Bad Luck it seems

At least his username is Just Some Guy and not HondaGoFarkThyself or whatever

 

DUDE, Hogan DUDE, chill the F out DUDE and stop attacking and bullying every poster who got issues with Honda. Unless you got anything good to add just STFU man. You're constantly pissed off at the world and anyone who don't like their Honda purchase. I strongly encourage you to get out and touch the grass man. Grab your twin 21EXL when touching grass, will ya? Or you two get a room or something, and release some steam.

 

Well said. Hogan is attacking someone who is just at wits end with this mediocre product. I have never understood the extreme brand loyalties to, well, anything.

 

For anyone curious, I have a letter of intent from Honda to purchase the car back and requesting some documentation. I have heard nothing since, they don’t answer the phone, if I finally get someone to transfer me the line hangs up. Literally the worst customer service imaginable. At any rate, I spoke with a lawyer and I have to give them 8 weeks to respond before they will take action on my behalf. Statute says I get 100% of what I paid for the car, all taxes, registration, everything. Presumably Honda wants to make sure I despise them so rather than doing that and closing the case they’ll make me wait as long as they can.

 

What worked for me is emailing to the C-Level /US HQ and they will quickly assign a case manager to work with you. My interaction started rough and I had to do some screaming. On top of that, as you can see here, the forum designated a-holes are also giving you shit like you don't have enough to deal with.

Here, e-mail these people a nice and constructive email about your experience and your ask for a solution:

ana_brown@ahm.honda.com; elly_bradford@hna.honda.com; erik_berkman@hna.honda.com

You can also find the emails and CC your dealership owners or GM if you feel the dealership can help in your situation. In my case the dealership owner got involved and put a lot of pressure on Honda HQ. I also got $6000 off the MSRP for two CRV purchase I made for me kids in 2025, so in my case the dealership really helped. And later a nice $2000 gift card from Honda

https://www.piloteers.org/threads/honda-came-true-at-so-many-levels.190769

 

I'm sorry to hear about this and hope it gets resolved as quickly as possible. I think those that belittle or make light of the situation haven't had to deal with all the BS on top of raising a young family and all that. I had an issue with a vehicle I purchased last year and Carmax was top notch to deal with - I will be buying from them again.

Sure, my purchase means nothing in the grand scheme of things but I will share my experience and if they get enough other people to have similar experiences it does make a difference and I think they get that.

 

@JustSomeGuy - don't just go by American made. It might be an American brand but possibly manufactured in Canada, Mexico others. All vehicles are made with worldwide sourced parts and up to the manufacturer on the quality control and customer service responsiveness with dealers playing a big role. Sadly every manufacturer has issues, too many electronics IMO. Search the forums of what you might be interested in and do some good reading browsing. Ask the questions of what to look for on what years if buying used.

Check Hertz/Enterprise/Avis and rent one of whatever for a week to see if you really like it. They have almost everything. I have friends that have traded in multiple Ram pickups for issues. One paid out of pocket just out of warranty for new Hemi for a known roller issue. Chevy having engine issues, Ford has other things. My father-in-law followed factory maintenance and had dealer do most oil changes. It burned a lot until it had scored cylinders and low oil pressure. Fortunately I talked him into extended warranty and he got a new motor at 82k miles. My '19 Pilot just got new torque converter, brake booster, strut to the tune of over $6000. It's 7 years old with 78k. I have the extended warranty so it was covered.

Your situation sucks no doubt. Hopefully it gets solved and you get into something that will be more reliable. I was looking at a new Traverse but multiple horror stories turn up on the forums for electrical issues getting stuck middle of nowhere etc. I'm happy Honda fixed mine so far, as they say "The devil you know is better than the devil you don't".

My old Toyota Sequoia was made put together in Indiana, my Pilot in Alabama.

 

@JustSomeGuy - don't just go by American made. It might be an American but possibly manufactured in Canada, Mexico others. All vehicles are made with worldwide sourced parts and up to the manufacturer on the quality control and customer service responsiveness with dealers playing a big role. Sadly every manufacturer has issues, too many electronics IMO. Search the forums of what you might be interested in and do some good reading browsing. Ask the questions of what to look for on what years if buying used.

Check Hertz/Enterprise/Avis and rent one of whatever for a week to see if you really like it. They have almost everything. I have friends that have traded in multiple Ram pickups for issues. One paid out of pocket just out of warranty for new Hemi for a known roller issue. Chevy having engine issues, Ford has other things. My father-in-law followed factory maintenance and had dealer do most oil changes. It burned a lot until it had scored cylinders and low oil pressure. Fortunately I talked him into extended warranty and he got a new motor at 82k miles. My '19 Pilot just got new torque converter, brake booster, strut to the tune of over $6000. It's 7 years old with 78k. I have the extended warranty so it was covered.

Your situation sucks no doubt. Hopefully it gets solved and you get into something that will be more reliable. I was looking at a new Traverse but multiple horror stories turn up on the forums for electrical issues getting stuck middle of nowhere etc. I'm happy Honda fixed mine so far, as they say "The devil you know is better than the devil you don't".

My old Toyota Sequoia was made put together in Indiana, my Pilot in Alabama.

That's what's hilarious about "American Made"

Our Hondas are all made here. And a lot of the "American" brands are actually made in Canada or Mexico.

 

I'm not sure about worst vehicle I ever bought but probably close in terms of issues/recalls/TSB's that my VIN is "not" part of but same issues and trips to dealership. My leaking seam seal on firewall needing the interior ripped out to find and lots of other to repair was a definite kick in testicles. When Honda said body seam leaks are not covered under extended warranty I about lost it. I have a good rapport with the service advisor and calmly said you need to make some more calls. If they say no, just give it back to me as I'll be trading it in the next week after it dries and it won't be at this dealership. It will smell good, no musty odors.

Honda covered the repair but it was still a lot of hassle and time. I have a year left on extended warranty, hopefully all stays well. I still need to really consider everything before Nov '26 when that ends. Between the leak, tranny, brake booster, struts, control arms and a couple other things, I'm good for a solid $10k in parts/labor in the last 1.5 years. Not my comfort zone with vehicles I take to about 200K or more normally.

Other vehicles I didn't have extended warranties and when they started having issues and I didn't feel were reliable for my family, away they went. Maybe that's part of why I'm always on car forums and looking at everything with a "if I had to replace it today" what would I get view.

 

Look up the "lemon law" verbiage in your state and see what the dealer does when you mention those words, if not speak to an attorney.

 

I'm mostly happy w/ my 2023 Pilot Elite. Two annoyances:

1. One time my battery drained for no apparent reason. Jumped it and took it back to the stealership for a check. Nothing found. Under warranty, so no charge. But, no problems like that before or after.

2. Trunk sticks sometimes and doesn't auto-open when I press the button. One of these days I have to get out some white lithium grease and see if that helps.

Otherwise, all is well.

 

First of all, sorry to hear what you are going through with Honda Pilot 2023. Did you do enough research before buying Pilot. Lately, their reliability, issues with parts have gone downhill. I see so many people are buying Honda vehicles among my friends' and even lot of people in the city I reside. Honda is notoriously bad for maintenance. I personally own 4 Hondas. Except 2003 Honda Odyssey, the remaining 3 Hondas are maintenance nightmares(1997 Honda Civic, 2005 Honda Odyssey, 2016 Honda Pilot). The 3 Hondas I mentioned are maintenance nightmares where I spent 1000s of $$s. Honda Pilot looks stylish, sportive but reliability and maintenance issues, it is terrible. I'm selling my 2016 pilot now and getting Toyota 4Runner. Toyota 4Runner(until 2024) has bulletproof reliability. Toyotas are far superior in reliability and maintenance issues. Newer Toyotas have issues but still are far superior to Hondas. Stay away from Hondas, even the much talked Hondas have maintenance issues. My honest advice : sell Honda Pilot and buy a comparable Toyota. Best of luck.

 

Interesting perspective, but my experience has been a bit different. I own several Hondas and Toyotas, and I’ve never had any maintenance nightmares with either brand. As long as you follow the recommended maintenance schedule, you’re generally in good shape. I assume you looked into the expected maintenance and associated costs beforehand, right? Maintenance costs are what they are and there’s really no way around that. If that’s your main concern, then perhaps it’s a different issue altogether.

As for reliability, in my experience, Hondas are just as reliable as Toyotas, at least so far. In fact, models like the Pilot or Ridgeline have proven more reliable than the 3rd gen Tundras, which have had major issues like engine failures and over 100,000 recalls for engine replacements. That said, Honda’s had its share of problems too. My 2002 Pilot had a transmission issue around 125K miles (which was addressed under extended warranty with a rebuilt transmission and added cooler), and my 2013 Pilot had a VCM-related issue at 110K miles , rebuild engine top also resolved under extended warranty. Most of these problems come down to design flaws, and every brand has them to some degree, some more than others. The way I look at it is between maintenance cost + extended warranty cost, that is the path forward. Some lucky ones can wrench their own maintenance which is really 1. a great hobby and 2. a very smart way to save money.

That said, in my opinion, both Honda and Toyota are equally solid overall.

 

Sounds like you should have lemon lawed the Pilot way back when.

 

I had the same situation happened to me regarding the Honda company. My brand new 2018 pilot would not walk away lock with regularity so when I brought it to the dealer, they couldn’t find out what was wrong with it. I eventually called Honda corporation National and they told me to bring it to a different dealer after two different dealers the last one being almost 100 miles away. The dealer issued me a loaner which I kept for a month. Every time I called to ask if they found the solution they said oh yeah, the troubled car. The final call they said they would have to tear out the electrical wiring and replace it. I decided to live with a problem because I do love the car.l

 

As an electrical engineer with 30+ years in semiconductor industry .....I always purchase the base LX model with minimum electronics and software .....just to be safe.

 

I’m not saying that these issues don't exist, unfortunately and I believe they’re just rare outliers. Overall Honda and Toyota's brands are pretty solid. I genuinely sympathize with those who have faced serious problems. When you're personally affected, it’s completely understandable that your trust in the brand is broken and often for good reason. But for the rest of us who haven’t experienced such major issues firsthand, these still seem like isolated cases, at least until we’re directly impacted ourselves. Then we will be the ones screaming bloody murder

 

Purchasing a new upscale vehicle today is a crap shoot. My brother got a 2005 Audi Q5....$60,000 plus.....took it on a trip and the AC went out and then it wouldn't start. Lucky for him it finally fixed itself??? and they were able to continue. I love my 2004 Pilot with 206,000 miles. Have spent some $$ to keep it looking and running like new but I'm satisfied with the Honda dealership here in N. Florida. I trust them.

 

I love my 2004 Pilot with 206,000 miles. Have spent some $$ to keep it looking and running like new but I'm satisfied with the Honda dealership here in N. Florida. I trust them.

Agreed, the 1st gen Pilots are tanks, I miss my 2002 Pilot. I traded it in for my 2013 Pilot. Both of me kids went home and had their first ride in that Pilot. Some good trips and memories for sure.

 

After experiencing the dreaded white peeling paint on my 2016 Pilot that I bought brand new and having Honda tell me that there is nothing they will do for me, I will never buy another Honda product as long as I live. My buddy has a 2017 Pilot and the cam walked back and destroyed the rear cam cover. Luckily, a local shop repaired it for about $2K whereas the dealer wanted over $5K. I don't mind minor issues but these newer Pilots are experiencing some major failures that are very costly. My 2005 Pilot went over 180,000 miles with no major issues, which is why I bought another one in 2016.

 

My son had a 2006 Civic LX with the common cracked engine block outside Honda's 10 year replacement policy for that known defect; we traded it for a 2010 Civic which has been great. My '14 CRV I bought new had the non fixable grind on start but was great otherwise. My '09 Pilot I bought new needed new brake rotors at 20k miles and lower control arms leaked fluid too. So far my '25 Elite has been great 8k miles on it.

Honda has had a history of defects like every other manufacturer. Buyer beware do your research and buy accordingly. It you think some other brand is infallible then you haven't done enough research.

Also, dealers are franchises and the quality and level of service varies. Research your dealer's service and try to find a competent dealer if an issue arises.

 

My son had a 2006 Civic LX with the common cracked engine block outside Honda's 10 year replacement policy for that known defect; we traded it for a 2010 Civic which has been great. My '14 CRV I bought new had the non fixable grind on start but was great otherwise. My '09 Pilot I bought new needed new brake rotors at 20k miles and lower control arms leaked fluid too. So far my '25 Elite has been great 8k miles on it.

Honda has had a history of defects like every other manufacturer. Buyer beware do your research and buy accordingly. It you think some other brand is infallible then you haven't done enough research.

Control arms don't have fluid. Why are you trying to come across so critical when you don't know the basics? Looks like you are just aching to find bogus faults in everything.

 

I’ve never like Hondas. Never drove one until I started dating my girlfriend (now wife) about 10 years ago. Always preferred different brands. After buying our 2016 Pilot, I didn’t want to buy another Honda. My wife asked me to consider this new model, just go drive it, and surprisingly this has been one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. Yeah, every car has its known issues. Parts fail just like any other machine. Everything rusts and rots away. I think it’s also a matter of perspective. If you’re grateful to have such a nice car, I think you’re able to overlook the idiosyncrasies and just move on with life. If you’re looking for the flaws, you’re going to find them…

 

Wouldn't Lemon law apply here?

 

It does but Honda has offered me a (low) buy back. I am trying to deal with them rather than a lawyer simply because of the amount of time it will take.

 

I wrote this thread so that I could possibly get some help (which I have and thank you) and so anyone else that searches forums before purchasing a car could be aware of what is a possibility with a Honda. Every manufacturer has issues but their customer service has been horrendous.

To the 50% that have been helpful, thank you again, I appreciate the advice and concern. To the rest that have just ran your mouths about how wrong I am, how great you are, laughed at comments as if that made you correct rather than citing evidence for any of your arguments… holy crap you need to get a life.

 

I think you’re being a bit overly sensitive here. This may hurt your feelings but people are allowed to disagree with you. You are giving the reaction that some people thrive off of. Just don’t respond. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.

 

I had a 2012 Pilot Loved it. It was wrecked in a crash. I bought a 2018. Not as happy with it. But it runs. Lol. I doubt I’ll buy another pilot but I must say the right turn signal displaying the right hand mirror camera is worth its weight in gold. It’s great for checking bicycles that like to try to zoom past your right side when you’re turning right. Where I live bicycles rule the downtown. So many crashes and they don’t stand a chance against a car.

 

Agree, out of all Pilot generations that is my absolute favorite look and design. Is built like a tank. Here is my 2011