The Honda Pilot has a lot to offer in the market for people looking for a family SUV. It has an interior size almost like that of a minivan but provides a lot more capability. The Honda Pilot standard offers a 3.5L, V6 engine which is powerful enough to even tow lots of weights. The Honda Pilot has a 5 out of 5 safety rating, but with some drawbacks. The 2018 Honda pilot had 3 recalls, 0 investigations, and 90 complaints, with most complaints about the short driver side seatbelt and the idle feature. Then there is the occasional powertrain issue, and the serious case of "exploding sunroof", which is happening to a lot of vehicles, and the reason is still unknown. Chevrolet Traverse, the Ford Explorer, and Hyundai Santa Fe are the competitors of the Honda Pilot. The real question is, how serious is the safety of the SUV, and how well does the SUV maintain its reputation.
2018 Honda Pilot User problems and complaints
Mechinal problems
- Engine troubles: Some users noticed the engine shut down when it is put on the engine idle feature, sometimes the engine won’t even start after the idle-stop feature is on. Other users had a problem with accelerating, few users had noticed the SUV slowing down or going left and right for no specified reason.
- Powertrain slow to turn the gears: The SUV seems to jolt and tends to make lots of noise, and also there is a delay in shifting. Buyers have noted hard shifting from 2nd gear to the 3rd in terms of the transmission.
- Brake failure: 1 user had a problem where the SUV would go forward instead of braking and stopping the car. The SUV, somehow, accelerates when the brake pedal is depressed, causing a crash but no injuries were sustained, and a police report was filed. 1 other user had to replace the master, the reason being it was not properly pressurizing the brake lines and causing a wobbling in the brakes at higher speeds.
Electrical problems
- Electrical malfunction of the idle feature: Common issues are when the idle feature is on, the entire SUV shuts down and 1 user had noticed numerous stalling causes of this. A user claimed while driving that the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle still accelerated causing a crash, and when the user attempted to switch off the SUV it would just turn on again. Another user had problems with the keyless control module unit, which would shut off and no warning lights would be illuminated
- Electronic stability control not doing its job: Two users had issues with the SUV automatically turning on Lane assist while being on two lane roads, making the system unstable. Another user had noticed the frontal impact sensors would go off randomly causing a shaky steering wheel, and the user claimed that the shaky steering wheel almost made the user lose control of the SUV most of the time.
Safety problems
- Seatbelt too short: Most of the users found the driver seat belt to be shorter than the front seat belt and found it difficult to close. Other users found the seat belt to detach from the anchor.
Structural problems
- Exploding sunroof: Various users have stated that the glass on the vehicle’s sunroof would spontaneously explode leaving dangerous glass around. This would also happen when the occupants are within the vehicle and the vehicle is in motion.
2018 Honda Pilot Recalls
|
S.No |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
November 29, 2021, |
21V932000 |
Hood opening while driving |
The hood latch striker may become damaged and separate from the hood, resulting in the opening of the hood while driving |
Dealers will either repair the hood latch striker or replace it for free of charge. The owners were emailed about the recall |
|
2 |
April 12, 2019, |
19V298000 |
Timing belt teeth separation |
Timing Belt teeth may separate from the belt |
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the affected part and also will have the engine and any damaged components will be replaced for free if the timing belt was affected. |
|
3 |
April 5, 2018 |
18V221000 |
Rivets that secure seats fail |
Improperly manufactured rivets may cause the seats not to be secured to the floor while crashing. |
Honda will notify owners and dealers will replace the affected problem and replace the seat slide rail frames in the front and driver seat for free of charge. |
Should you buy the 2018 Honda Pilot SUV.
Yes, but there are a few problems with the safety of the SUV, and the customers are recommended to take the SUV for a test drive to see if there are any issues. If not, then the vehicle is ready and set to go. The Honda SUV is perfect for a family since it offers space and comfort. One advantage of the 2018 Honda Pilot is that it has better fuel economy than most of its competitors and has clever cargo space compartments. If you find the Honda Pilot not soothing enough, then we recommend the 2018 Ford Explorer, which is a good alternative to what they offer and both are reasonably priced.
