2014
New 2020
Used 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

Honda Pilot Change Vehicle

While this version of the Pilot shows its age, the basic blueprint still provides plenty of space and convenient functionality within a comparatively small package. Driving dynamics are sound with a steady, supple and controlled ride complementing responsive handling. The engine and transmission also operate very smoothly.
Alerts
There are 3 recalls on this vehicle. Learn More.
2014
New 2020
Used 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003

Honda Pilot

Reliability
See All
Owner Satisfaction
See All
Crash and Rollover Tests
IIHS Front Moderate Overlap Good
IIHS Front Small Overlap, Driver Poor
IIHS Side Crash Good
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Driver
NHTSA Frontal-Crash, Passenger
See All

Road Test Results

Performance
Acceleration Acceleration Acceleration tests are conducted on a smooth, flat pavement straightaway at the track. Time, speed, and distance measurements are taken with a precise GPS-based device that’s hooked to a data-logging computer.
0 to 60 mph 0 to 60 mph (sec.) The time in seconds that a vehicle takes to reach 60 mph from a standstill with the engine idling.
Transmission Transmission Transmission performance is determined by shifting smoothness, response, shifter action, and clutch actuation for manual transmissions.
Fuel Economy Fuel Economy We perform our own fuel-economy tests, independent of the government's often-quoted EPA figures and the manufacturers' claims. Using a precise fuel-flow measuring device spliced into the fuel line, we run two separate circuits to represent city and highway consumption.
CR's Overall Mileage CR's Overall Mileage CR's overall mileage is a composite of measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course and highway cruising; and CR's 150-mile test trip of mixed driving, if tested. In recent road tests, we've discontinued the 150-mile trip test.
CR's City Mileage CR's City Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed city course.
CR's Highway Mileage CR's Highway Mileage Measured fuel usage on a prescribed highway cruising.
Annual Fuel Cost Annual Fuel Cost The cost and amount of fuel used in 12,000 miles and is calculated from CR's overall mileage.
Braking Braking The braking rating is a composite of wet and dry stopping distances and pedal feel. Braking distance is from 60 mph, with no wheels locked.
Emergency Handling Emergency Handling Several factors go into the rating, including the avoidance maneuver speed and confidence, as well as how the vehicle behaves when pushed to its limit,
Comfort / Convenience
Ride Ride Our expert judgment of how well the suspension isolates and absorbs road imperfections and how steady it keeps the body on various road surfaces.
Noise Noise Our expert judgment of the vehicle's interior noise level in everyday driving.
Front Seat Comfort Front Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the front seat is for drivers of various heights.
Rear Seat Comfort Rear Seat Comfort Our judgment of how comfortable the rear seat is for two passengers to sit across.
Interior Fit and Finish Interior Fit and Finish An expert evaluation of the interior quality and craftsmanship.
Trunk/Cargo Area Trunk/Cargo Area Our rating is based on the amount of luggage or cargo space that a vehicle has in the trunk or cargo area.

Owner Reports

Worse Better
Reliability History Reliability History The reliability charts are based on responses on hundreds of thousands of vehicles from our latest Annual Auto Survey. Consumer Reports subscribers reported on any serious problems they had with their vehicles during the past 12 months that they considered serious because of cost, failure, safety, or downtime, in any of the trouble spots included in the table below. The results are presented relative to the average model that year. Extra weight is given to the more serious areas such as major engine or transmission problems. Based on this data and further analysis, we predict reliability for the latest year. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Reliability Trouble Spots
Engine Major Engine Major Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.
NA
Engine Minor Engine Minor Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.
NA
Engine Cooling Engine Cooling Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.
NA
Transmission Major Transmission Major Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.
NA
View all Reliability
Owner Satisfaction Owner Satisfaction To learn about satisfaction, CR has collected survey data from our annual survey on more than half a million vehicles. Our subscribers provide great insights into their satisfaction by answering one simple question: If they had it to do all over again, would they definitely buy or lease the same model? In addition, respondents also rate their cars in six categories: driving experience, comfort, value, styling, audio, and climate systems. N/A indicates that we did not receive a large enough sample size to provide data for a specific year. An X indicates that the vehicle was not manufactured for a specific year.
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
Driving Experience Driving Experience Includes acceleration and handling
Comfort Comfort Includes seats, climate control, noise, and ride
Value Value Did you get what you wanted relative to the price you paid?
Styling Styling How it looks inside and out
View all Owner Satisfaction
Safety Equipment
ABS and side air bags standard. ESC available in 2005, standard from 2006. Head protection air bags standard from 2006. Forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking available from 2016.
Road Test

While this version of the Pilot shows its age, the basic blueprint still provides plenty of space and convenient functionality within a comparatively small package. Driving dynamics are sound with a steady, supple and controlled ride complementing responsive handling. The engine and transmission also operate very smoothly.

On the other hand, at 18 mpg overall, fuel economy could be better, partly due to the automatic transmission having just five gears. Handling is untidy and sloppy at the limits. Braking performance is also mediocre. While the powertrain is smooth and refined, acceleration is middling. Pronounced road noise also makes this Honda a very loud vehicle. Interior furnishings are blatantly low-rent and festooned with cheap, hard plastics. Modern luxury amenities are sparse, something of a testimony to the time when this version of the Pilot hit the market back in 2008. A rear-view camera is standard on all trim lines, but other modern high-tech safety gear like forward-collision warning or blind spot monitoring is conspicuously absent. Further, this version of the Pilot scored a Poor in the IIHS small-overlap crash test.

Seating
2 front, 3 rear, 3 third
Drive Wheels
AWD , Front
Warranty

In most cases, automotive warranties are based on the vehicle identification number (VIN), and the warranty will be valid regardless of ownership. The dealership can tell you exactly how much warranty is left.

Read more about extended warranties
Body Styles
4-door SUV
Transmissions Available
  • 5-speed Automatic
Engines Available
  • 3.5-liter V6 (250 hp)

Owner Reported Trouble Spots

The Reliability score is based on our latest subscriber survey of 2014 Honda Pilot owners. The owner comments describe problems respondents experienced with this vehicle.

Body Integrity

Squeaks, rattles, wind noises, loose or cracked seals and/or weather-stripping, air and water leaks.

What Owners Say

"dash rattle at around 30mph"

Anonymous, IN (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

"Headliner rattles Somewhere under the rear deck rattles Second row seat belts rattle if not properly retracted and the clip is in a certain position"

Anonymous, TX (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

"High tire pressure (35 psi) tires and lots of light weight plastic finishing parts creates rattles, buzzes, and various other annoying noises of varying frequencies depending on the road surface, speed, and cabin temperature. One was in the steering"

Anonymous, BC (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

"The noise came from the steering column cowling. We fixed this by placing some HD rubber between two plastic covers"

John G., CA (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

"Unknown location forward left rattle. Rattles in the rear. Both interior noises"

Michelle W., CO (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

"high pressure tires + firm suspension + lots of plastic = rattles, squeeks, groans, thumps, * buzzing"

Anonymous, BC (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

"turned out to be a bushing that had a recall - fixed at no charge"

Randy T., TX (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

"seal in door pilar made noise on both sides. fixed by dealership"

Anonymous, IN (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

"In a cross wind the driver or passenger door, depending on directions, starts to leak. If you pull in on window frame the noise goes away. Push out and the noise level increases"

Anonymous, TX (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)
Load more

Brakes

Antilock system (ABS), parking brake, master cylinder, calipers, rotors, pulsation or vibration, squeaking, brake failure or wear.

What Owners Say

Rotors

"Rotors had to be turned because of pulsing problems when applying the brakes"

Anonymous, MD (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

"Shortly after purchasing the Pilot i noticed front end shaking when decelerating from around 60mph. Honda dealer resurfaced the rotor and that fixed it for a few months. It started doing the same thing again when decelerating at speeds over 45mph"

John T., TX (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

"Front brake rotors turned twice; original brake pads still ok"

Joseph J., OH (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

"warped brake rotors"

Randy T., TX (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

"They were warped and had to turned down when the vehicle only had about 27000 miles on it"

Anonymous, PA (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

"Vibration during braking caused by rotors being warped"

Patrick M., CO (2014 Honda Pilot Unsure 3.5-L V6)

"warped"

Anonymous, NJ (2014 Honda Pilot Unsure 3.5-L V6)

"pulsation in brakes when braking at higher speed. found out the front break rotors warped and had to be resurfaced"

Garry M., NE (2014 Honda Pilot LX 3.5-L V6)
Load more

Suspension

Shocks or struts, ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings, alignment, steering linkage (includes rack and pinion), power steering (pumps and hoses, leaks), wheel balance, springs or torsion bars, bushings, electronic or air suspension.

What Owners Say

Wheel bearings

"The front left bearing on a long trip failed in the US. The Honda replaced it under warranty when I returned to CA. they would not deal with it in the US. I was on my own!!"

Harry J., ON (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)
Bushings

"A Arm bushings failed, recall replaced at 0 cost"

Thom K., MO (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

"Leaking bushings were discovered and repaired at a routine maintenance check"

Michael D., CA (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)
Shocks or struts

"Pulsation keeps repeating; what is wrong with Honda rotors?"

Joseph J., OH (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

"replaced a defective shock in back"

Anonymous, MO (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)
Load more

Paint/Trim

Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.

What Owners Say

Loose exterior trim or moldings

"The bumper cover that goes over the trailer hitch has tabs to hold it in place and one of the tabs broke off. Very cheap design!"

Anonymous, NH (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

"Side bumper side molding broke and had to be replaced"

Anonymous, MN (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

"The door trim dented extremely easily from door dings and became loose"

Mike E., ND (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)
Loose interior trim or moldings

"My rear seat recline latch broke off and the molding around that seat detached"

Dean H., GA (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)
Rust

"have had many Hondas over the last 30 years, this is the first one that has had any rust"

Anonymous, VA (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)
Load more

In-car Electronics

CD or DVD players, radio, speakers, GPS, communication system (e.g., OnStar), display screen freezes or goes blank, phone pairing (e.g. Bluetooth), voice control commands, steering wheel controls, portable music device interface (e.g., iPod/MP3 player), backup or other camera/sensors.

What Owners Say

External music device interface (e.g., smart phone, MP3 player)

"Because the Bluetooth with Handsfree Link is broken, playing music is annoying sometimes. Additionally, the display will not show audio information unless you plug in with USB. Again, because Bluetooth is a broken product with Honda/Acura"

Jacob R., CA (2014 Honda Pilot Unsure 3.5-L V6)
In-dash navigation system (GPS)

"The navigation system failed within the first month and had to be replaced (under warranty)"

Anonymous, FL (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)
Phone pairing (e.g., Bluetooth)

"Sound is delayed by 3-5 seconds for any device paired by Bluetooth. This has been an ongoing problem with Hands Free Link in Honda/Acura for years, but they refuse to fix it. Very dangerous when GPS instructions are read out way too late"

Jacob R., CA (2014 Honda Pilot Unsure 3.5-L V6)

"the pick up is very erratic. You never know who's phone is going to come on line"

J D., FL (2014 Honda Pilot EX 3.5-L V6)
Load more

Body Hardware

Power or manual windows, locks and latches, tailgate, hatch or trunk, doors or sliding doors, mirrors, seat controls, safety belts, sunroof, convertible top.

What Owners Say

Doors or sliding doors

"Driver side door was scraping when opening and closing the door"

Wm S., NH (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)
Glass defects

"Windshield had an inner crack without any exterior cause. Crack began just below peg used to install the windshield"

Sherrod D., GA (2014 Honda Pilot EX 3.5-L V6)
Mirrors

"side view mirror loose, noisy and distorts vision"

Thom K., MO (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

Electric System

Alternator, starter, hybrid battery and related systems, regular battery, battery cables, engine harness, coil, ignition switch, electronic ignition, distributor or rotor failure, spark plugs and wires failure.

What Owners Say

Body control module

"The power lift gate failed within the first two months and was replaced under warranty"

Anonymous, FL (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)
Warning lights

"No audible warning of approaching items on front right/left sensors.: :Left mirror inoperative'"

Anonymous, CA (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

"Faulty senser for "Check Engine Light""

Steve M., MN (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

Transmission Minor

Gear selector or linkage, leaks, transmission computer, transmission sensor or solenoid, clutch adjustment, rough shifting, slipping transmission.

What Owners Say

Rough shifting

"The car between 2 and 3 would buck. The dealer showed me a tech doc saying this is normal with the cvt transmission"

Andrew W., NY (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

"Our car would shudder at around 35 mph. Honda replaced our driveshaft, and input a new code for the computer, and it still shudders, but only happens when the ECO (cylinder shutdown) mode comes on. Very unhappy"

Jordan T., AE (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

Transmission Major

Transmission rebuild or replacement, torque converter, clutch replacement.

What Owners Say

Torque converter

"They had to make adjustment"

Andrew W., NY (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

Climate System

Blower (fan) motor, A/C compressor, condenser, evaporator, heater system, automatic climate control, refrigerant leakage, electrical failure.

What Owners Say

Electrical failure

"Entire Climate Control system stopped working during the first month of ownership. Warranty covered full replacement of new Climate Control System and haven't had any problems since"

Travis M., NC (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

Engine Major

Engine rebuild or replacement, cylinder head, head gasket, turbo or supercharger, timing chain or timing belt.

What Owners Say

Engine rebuild or replacement

"Pilot died on the road at 2 months old with about 2,000 miles on it. The engine had to be completely rebuilt. Not a happy driver!"

Anonymous, NY (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

Exhaust

Muffler, pipes, catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, leaks.

What Owners Say

Catalytic converter

"All 3 went out at one time"

Sherrod D., GA (2014 Honda Pilot EX-L 3.5-L V6)

Engine Minor

Accessory belts and pulleys, engine computer, engine mounts, engine knock or ping, oil leaks.

What Owners Say

Engine computer

"The Pilot has a serious design flaw with its VCM system. They published a TSB to remedy vibrations when the system engages. Although it reduced them, ulitmately, there is always slight vibration when VCM engages btwn 60 and 70MPH"

Dean H., GA (2014 Honda Pilot Touring 3.5-L V6)

Drive System

Driveshaft or axle, CV joint, differential, transfer case, 4WD/AWD components, driveline vibration, traction control, electronic stability control (ESC), electrical failure.

Fuel System

Check engine light, sensors (includes O2 or oxygen sensor), emission control devices (includes EGR), engine computer, engine computer, fuel cap, fuel gauge/sender, fuel injection system, fuel pump, fuel leaks, stalling or hesitation.

Power Equipment

Cruise control, clock, warning lights, body control module, keyless entry, wiper motor or washer, tire pressure monitor, interior or exterior lights, horn, gauges, 12V power plug, remote engine start, alarm or security system

Engine Cooling

Radiator, cooling fan, antifreeze leaks, water pump, thermostat, overheating.

Change Vehicle