The Honda Pilot is among the most popular Honda models sold in the United States. However, fairly recent model year Honda Pilot vehicles have been included in multiple class action lawsuits for transmission problems. According to the lawsuits, Honda Pilot transmission problems include:
- Violent shaking
- Acceleration problems
- Stalling
- Lurching
- Torque converter problems
- Gear shifting issues
- Transmission failure
The transmission issues that may come up will depend on what kind of transmission your vehicle has. Earlier transmission types were subject to Honda Pilot and Odyssey lawsuits, though certain model year Honda Pilot vehicles may overlap with the more recent Honda 9-speed transmission cases.
To provide a glimpse into the issues plaguing some Honda Pilot SUVs, we have compiled a sample of complaints submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Please note that the Honda Pilot transmission complaints have been edited for grammar and clarity.
2015-2016 Honda Pilot
2015 Honda Pilot
Train vehicle in motion from start up. Engine/transmission sounds as though it should shift, but it does not make smooth shift from 1 gear to next. Vehicle has vibration as result of transmission not making a shift up to next gear.
2015 Honda Pilot
At about 55,000 miles, my Pilot started jerking/hesitating at all speeds, any road, usually after shifting gears both up and down. Now I bought it in February 2017, certified pre-owned, so all recommended scheduled maintenance should have been performed. So, I took it in for diagnosis and the dealer said the transmission fluid needed to be flushed 3 times!!! Since I needed a vehicle to drive to work, I couldn’t argue and got the service done. After reading of other languages with similar issues with the jerking/stutter/hesitation, I decided to file this complaint.
2016 Honda Pilot
For the last couple of months, the transmission has had gears slipping out of gear and takes a few seconds to find the gear to accelerate up to speed. I’ve taken it to the dealer twice to address the issue but it’s still causing an issue.
2017-2024 Honda Pilot Complaints
2017 Honda Pilot
Auto dashboard warning lights started and remained flashing. Transmission would not upshift – slipped into neutral – surged and jerked when up shifting. This experience was repeated after pulling off the highway and attempting to reenter traffic. This was a dangerous experience as it occurred on a high speed Interstate. I took the auto to the dealer BUT they were not able to reproduce the problem and their diagnostics check could not find a problem.
2017 Honda Pilot
After coming to a stop or slowing down to a very low speed, when I reaccelerate to build speed, the transmission stalls and then jerks into gear while in eco-mode. At times, this is almost causing a collision. I reported this to the dealership almost a month after my purchase and 4 more times after the first report and each time they had no resolution except the last time to do a transmission flush which I had to pay for. In some of suggestions and questions, it appears that the dealership knows that there’s an issue.
2018 Honda Pilot
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate and then lunged forward. The contact sustained whiplash from the vehicle lunging forward abruptly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the independent mechanic could not duplicate the failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.
2018 Honda Pilot
My transmission is having problems. During acceleration, the car will jolt forward, also when using the brakes. The dealer did recognize the problem but said it is not covered by warranty and that transmission needed to be flushed… which was going to cost $500. He said had it been flushed before they may cover it, yet Honda doesn’t recommend a flush before 45,000 per my owner’s manual. Very dangerous… could cause an accident with speed going up and down at a moment’s notice without you doing it.
2018 Honda Pilot
When accelerating gradually on the 2018 Honda Pilot Touring AWD from complete stop, the car jerks hard after the car starts moving – probably from 1st to 2nd gear. The car is in automatic drive mode.
The 2018 Honda Pilot Touring AWD turns off engine unexpectedly. When slowing down to traffic, sometimes the car turns off the engine. This is especially bad when on an uphill and in heavy traffic, causing panic. The sudden engine stops also happen occasionally when stopping to shift to reverse into my garage – this causes a dangerous situation as cars are coming and can get into T-bone collision.
2019 Honda Pilot
The transmission has slipped now twice while driving. Once on the highway and again yesterday after turning right onto a busy narrow road. The navigation system and screen display has blacked out and become non-functional while driving at least 6-7 times (no radio, navigation, or anything functions when this occurs). The car has had to be turned off in order reset the screen and function again. It is not possible to turn off the car when driving on a highway or narrow country road. Lastly, the car has braked unnecessarily on several occasions despite adjusting the settings to not be overly sensitive. Once it came to a complete stop unnecessarily, thankfully no one was behind me. It has started breaking unnecessarily while driving on a highway and on a country road when no vehicles or anything were around. These situations have been scary and unsettling.
2020 Honda Pilot
I am experiencing recurring issues with my vehicle that closely mirror the problems described in complaints with NHTSA IDs 11565876, 11490438, and 11489885. In July 2023, while driving through an intersection after stopping at a traffic light, I heard a loud clunking noise. Over the next 45 minutes, I noticed at least six additional clunk sounds at low speeds. I took the vehicle to the dealership at 51,244 miles, where I was informed that the transmission fluid was both dark and low. The dealership inquired if I had used the vehicle for towing, despite there being no tow hitch assembly. They recommended a transmission flush service, but within 2 to 3 weeks, I began experiencing transmission juddering at constant speeds and harsh shifting during acceleration. Despite multiple visits to the dealership, where I was advised that the vehicle needed time to “re-learn” driving patterns and that nothing was wrong, the issues persisted. Although the problem seemed to lessen, it reoccurred in 2024. At 73,656 miles, I returned to the dealership, where I was informed that the transmission fluid was once again dark and that the torque converter needed replacement. Throughout the period before the 60K powertrain warranty expired, I was repeatedly told that there are known issues with the 6-speed transmissions and torque converters, but since no “error codes” were present, the dealership could not authorize a warranty repair. Now that the vehicle is out of warranty, I am being advised to replace the torque converter at my own expense.
2020 Honda Pilot
2020 Honda Pilot had started what was called Juddering by the dealer. Transmission upon acceleration will hesitate and jump hundreds of rpms up and down. I did research and was told also by the dealer Honda had issue with a torque converter within the transmission that I was told a bulletin extended the warranty on the 2017-19 pilots with 6 speed auto transmission. The 2020 I own has the same issue which the dealer confirmed but also told me my vin and model year is not covered. It is the same issue as the 17-19 and I’m concerned for me and my family’s safety due to the transmissions’ issue. Concern it will get much worse, possibly breaking down on a longer highway trip which we will take sometimes 3 times per year.
2020 Honda Pilot
Transmission grinding gears sound at about 45-52mph when easing off the gas and a shift occurs. Car tends to lurch when this happens. Happens just about anywhere you can cruise around 45-50mph. Dealer attempted fix with Honda USA, but they only reversed a transmission bracket and replaced transmission fluid. Now it is muffled, but exactly the same otherwise. There is also a notable metallic thunk/slam sound around 20-30mph when easing off the gas and a shift occurs (very harsh and abnormal sound for a car, despite dealer stating this is normal for this vehicle). Happens anytime you cruise at 20-30. I live right near a stop sign so it happens every time I go home.
2021 Honda Pilot
I just bought my brand new 2021 Honda pilot I had it for 1 week so I decided to take it to Las Vegas on the way there it was fine but on the way home I’m coming down I started to feel a jerk in the transmission I didn’t think nothing of it so I kept driving. But for a new car it should not be doing anything like that at all so I took it to Honda dealer and they did a multi inspection check and said they didn’t find anything wrong with it and everything shift fine but when I took it home a week later it’s happening more and more especially when it’s traffic you will feel it way more I just hope it don’t go out after my 60k miles warranty right now it’s only 2,500 miles and I feel I got a lemon I already have transmission problems but it just too new to go out right now.
2022 Honda Pilot
Since we purchased our 2022 Honda Pilot three months ago, two VERY important things have happened to me and I am still wondering WHY the Honda engineers did not catch these things. Or if they did, why did they allow it to make it to production??? I cannot say if the NHTSA would consider this a malfunction but it should definitely be considered a dangerous function especially to an unaware driver. Our vehicle is available for inspection if you want me to show you what I mean. I am taking this vehicle to the dealer this Saturday to be inspected for these reasons. Problem #1: If you need to do a 3-point turn in the middle of the road above a certain speed and you need to do it fast, forget about it. There seems to be about a 3 to 4 second lag between the time you make the first turn, push the reverse button, and hit the gas to make the Pilot go in to reverse. The same for when you switch to drive to go forward. When there is oncoming traffic, this is some scary shit! Here you are, in the middle of the road trying to go back and the darned vehicle is just sitting there not moving for 3-4 seconds. To make it even scarier, you get to repeat the process over again when trying to go forward all the while cars are coming in your direction. I am like “What the hell is this?” Problem #2: Some rocket scientist decided it was a good idea to put the transmission speed changer (D2, D3) on a piece of plastic that is located just behind the left side of the steering wheel. Great idea! At least until you accidentally grab it while driving down the road at 70 or 80 miles per hour and the transmission decides to go into that gear and make all sorts of terrible noises. This not only scared the shit out of me but also my wife and kids. For an inexperienced driver, I suspect this could cause the driver to do something erratic and in turn cause an accident. So while driving at 70 down the highway, the only way I could figure how to keep from burning up the transmission and get it back
Have A Honda Pilot Transmission Problem? Talk To A Lemon Law Attorney
If you have recurring problems with your Honda Pilot transmission, your vehicle may be a lemon. Read more about common Honda transmission problems, Honda 9-speed transmissions and your California lemon law rights. If you would like more information, complete the form below to request a free consultation.
Lemon Law Help by Knight Law Group is an automotive lemon law firm that exclusively practices in California. If you are a California resident who purchased or leased a defective vehicle from a licensed dealership in California, we may be able to help you get rid of your potential lemon and recover significant cash compensation. Model year restrictions apply: 2020–Present vehicle models only.
However, we cannot help those who reside outside of California or purchased their vehicle outside of California unless they are active duty members of the Armed Forces, nor will we be able to refer those to a lemon law firm in their states.
To learn more about the California Lemon Law and your legal rights, visit our guide on the California Lemon Law for more information.
