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The 2022 Honda Pilot is meant to be a family-friendly SUV designed for the long haul. The automaker claims it is “made for the bold.” Yet, customers can’t deal with the boldness of the defects, including the glitchy electrical system, faulty engine and malfunctioning service brakes.
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NHTSA Complaints for the 2022 Honda Pilot
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Structure:body | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | |
| Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking |
Most Common Problems with the 2022 Honda Pilot
The most common problems owners of the 2022 Honda Pilot complain about relate to forward collision avoidance and the vehicle’s brakes and braking system. Drivers report that the SUV frequently flashes BRAKE when there is no reason to brake. There are also major issues with auto braking.
Powertrain issues also rank at the top of the list of complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) along with electrical problems. But electrical problems are sometimes linked to brake issues. One that isn’t, states very simply: “Doors open while running, (the) car still driving if suddenly open the door.” That is kind of scary!
Other components and systems mentioned in NHTSA complaints are backover prevention, the engine, fuel/propulsion system, structure, and vehicle speed control. Some are mentioned in conjunction with one another.
Problems with the Brakes
Complaints about brake issues are varied. In some cases dealers have been able to identify the problem, in others, not.
An owner from Pennsylvania had brake problems after only 200 miles.
The complaint reads, “SUV (Honda Pilot 2022) continues to brake and lose power after (the brake pedal has been released, causing unsafe and uncontrolled stopping. (No warning lights or errors). We have almost been rear-ended due to this.”
The dealer replaced the antilock brake module. “After repairs, (the) SUV seemed to brake normally for about one week. Then (it) started doing the same thing again but way worse, to the point we didn’t think we could make it home. The sticking brakes, (and) loss of power to the SUV got so bad that it was unsafe to operate, and was towed to the dealer awaiting another repair…in shop now two times with less than 500 miles for the exact same safety issue. This braking issue could possibly cause serious accidents if not remedied soon. Hearing stories other 2022 Hondas are dealing with this issue as well….hoping no one gets seriously hurt if (this) issue is left unaddressed.”
Another braking-related complaint states that “while driving at various speeds, the braking system would erroneously activate causing the vehicle to abruptly reduce speed. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the brake lights would randomly flash on and off. The cause of the failure was not yet determined.” This Pilot had only 1,000 miles on the clock.
When it comes to braking issues, Honda has chosen not to release any documentation at this time. For now, the automaker remains quiet, who knows why?
Forward Collision Avoidance Problems & Brakes
There are also no manufacturer communications shared with the NHTSA by Honda about issues regarding forward collision avoidance. Yet all 5 complaints about this involve the Pilot’s braking system.
The first of these is from an owner from California who describes how, while driving on the freeway, the SUV braked “without me pressing the brake. In what has become a common problem, “There were no vehicles in front of me to trigger the Automatic Brakes sensors. The brake warning light turned on and began flashing. I was almost hit from the back by the car behind me.”
An owner from Texas describes how the Collision Mitigation Braking System “has almost gotten me rear-ended (and almost got me punched by one of them who thought I slammed on my brakes on purpose.) It’s a long story that you can read on the NHTSA website.
Other complaints describe how the SUV flashes “BRAKE” when there clearly isn’t any reason to brake. For example: “When driving on highways and interstate the vehicle flashes BRAKE when the is no reason to brake. This happens multiple times per day, in my commute.”
As an owner from Utah states, “This is a very dangerous and possibly fatal flaw. The issue is definitely ongoing.”
Powertrain Problems
Complaints about the 2022 Pilot powertrain are generally combined with engine complaints.
Both these complaints are from people in different parts of California.
Someone who leased a brand new 2022 Honda Pilot states that two weeks later “it developed a severe leaking problem with the transmission.” The original dealer replaced the transmission. “There was some sort of metallurgical fault or defect with the transmission casing, necessitating replacement of the entire transmission. The vehicle had less than 500 miles (on the clock) when this happened.”
The second complaint is from an owner. “On several occasions, while driving, my vehicle would not accelerate when I pressed the gas pedal. It stalls and then bursts forward. I have noticed that it is more prevalent when I drive off. I have taken my car to the dealer service center, and they said they could not replicate the issue.”
Aside from this problem, there are 11 manufacturer communications on file with the NHTSA. These include various technical service bulletins (TCBs) and other documentation released to dealers. One of these discusses how the CD players won’t work following an OTA update. However, Honda’s response to the matter is that “This issue is a normal occurrence, but it’s not a hardware issue.”
Your Lemon Law Legal Rights
Do you think you have a lemon? You don’t have to handle this on your own. Lemberg Law has loads of experience with ‘lemon’ vehicles and we can work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Honda pay the legal fees for lemon law cases. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.
Complaint Data
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Mar 02, 2023 |
| State | CA |
| Description | My car turned off and all dashboard lights were on, an warning message pop up on the display “auto engine idle stop†|
| Category | Fuel System, Gasoline |
| Date | Feb 06, 2023 |
| State | SC |
| Description | The contact owns a 2022 honda pilot. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle hesitated. The contact stated that the emissions warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the entire fuel system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred, and the emissions warning light illuminated again. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,020. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
| Date | Jan 06, 2023 |
| State | AZ |
| Description | The car has used automatic braking 3 times for no reason. No one is front of us. It also used automatic braking and then made the car die? Or lose all power and there was no object in front of us, in the middle of the road. We were almost rear ended and the vehicle would not let us move. It was horrible. |
| Category | Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jan 01, 2023 |
| State | MD |
| Description | I bought new car in mid january 2022 and on 1st january 2023 my car was shuts down middle of the road while driving. It is nightmare. No warning or hazard lights working. Call 911 for police for further assistance. I am living in maryland and issue happened in new jersey. It's national holiday and all facilities and accommodations are closed and I stuck with my family. I am attaching police reports for reference. |
| Category | Electrical System, Structure:body, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Dec 10, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | We discovered that both right and left rear door locks were not operating properly in our brand new 2022 honda pilot touring, preventing the passengers from being able to exit the vehicle. From the original purchase on oct 27, 2022, the kids had complained of being unable to unlock and open the rear doors from inside the cabin. After continuing problems, I discovered that once the door locks had been locked electronically, either via the drivers side door switch or the key fob, it was impossible to manually unlock and open the right or left rear passenger doors. Again - the rear seat passengers were not able to exit the vehicle on their own. Once all doors had been unlocked electronically via the switch of key fob, then the rear doors could be manually locked and unlocked using the lock tabs by each door handle. We took the vehicle to the dealer on nov 30, 2022 and they confirmed that the locks were not working properly. (note at this time, the vehicle had already had the rear entertainment system fail and had been at the honda world westminster service facility for five (5) days for repairs and while they replaced the control unit) on dec 2-3, honda world westminster service took 2 days to diagnose and repair the vehicle (now 7 days total in the shop), replacing both rear door lock assemblies (right rear latch assembly part # 72610-t5r-a31; left rear latch assembly part # 72650-t5r-a31). When we received the vehicle I asked what exactly had failed and how could both locks be inoperable on the new vehicle from the dealer, but they could offer no explanation other than poor quality control. I explained that this was more that simply bad parts, it created a serious safety concern as the rear passengers were essentially "trapped" in the rear seat area as they were unable to unlock and open the doors had they needed to exit the vehicle in an emergency. I also called honda corp. And advised of the issue, they created ticket # 13512638 |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | Oct 05, 2022 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Wednesday 9/28, some cloud cover but nothing on the deck, mild temps, straight highway– traveling on I-90 eastbound at 10am, and past north bend and the 436th ave se exit, our 2022 pilot braked suddenly from 70 to about 40 mph accompanied by the red flashing braking light. At that point the west bound traffic is some 100 feet away from the eastbound. We were in the left line with a speed of 70 mph with acc activated. Just prior, I noticed an ambulance, westbound, with lights on – in the westbound left lane, as our cmbs went bonkers eastbound. Luckily, there were no other cars near us. |
| Category | Electrical System, Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
| Date | Sep 17, 2022 |
| State | UT |
| Description | When driving on highways and interstate the vehicle flashes brake when the is no reason to brake. This happens multiple times per day, in my commute. The 2nd thing (and most dangerous) is the automatic braking. Several times on the interstate the car has done a hard brake while travelling at high speeds, only there wasn't a reason for it no other vehicles were in front of us at the time. It has also happened several times on the state road that we drive daily. It's not. I have contacted honda and have note heard back as of yet. This is a very dangerous and possibly fatal flaw. The issue is definitely ongoing. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
| Date | Aug 22, 2022 |
| State | TX |
| Description | I have only owned this car, purchased new from the dealer, for a few weeks. Three times already the collision mitigation braking system has almost gotten me rear-ended (and almost got me punched by one of them who thought I slammed on my brakes on purpose.) -once was on the expressway when I was changing lanes. I guess the car thought I was too close to the car in the lane I had already left, but it slammed on its brakes anyway causing a car behind me to have to avoid a collision with me. - the second was at a stop light waiting for a left turn arrow. There were several of us in line (obviously in close proximity to each other) and, when the green arrow came on to allow the turn, I started moving and the car slammed on its own brakes. The car behind me had to panic brake to avoid rear-ending me. He then started getting out of his car; furious that I'd just done that. - the third time was again from a stop at a red light, but going straight this time. The light turned green, I started moving, and after a couple seconds the car slammed on its brakes again almost getting me hit. There needs to be a way to permanently disable this feature rather than defaulting to "on" at every start. I will work on remembering to manually turn it off every start-up, and hopefully I can remember 100% of the time before someone gets injured. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
| Date | Jul 20, 2022 |
| State | IN |
| Description | When driving on highways and interstate the vehicle flashes brake when the is no reason to brake. This happens multiple times per day, in our commute. The 2nd thing (and most dangerous) is the auto braking. Several times on the interstate the car has done a hard brake while going interstate speeds, only there wasn't a reason for it. No other vehicles were in front of us at the time. It has also happened several times on the state road that we drive daily. We have taken it to the dealership and were told it is functioning normal. It's not. I have contacted honda and I have a case number with them, but they have failed to contact me when they said they would (2 weeks late) we see this as an absolute danger to our family. We need an advocate. The issue is ongoing. |
| Category | Structure:body |
| Date | Jul 14, 2022 |
| State | AR |
| Description | Our familly was driving down the highway on vacation when there was a very loud noise. I was in the passenger seat and looked back to see large pieces flying off of the car. When we got to a safe place to pull over, we noted that the trim at the bottom of the door, both front and rear had come off of the car. Had we been on the very busy freeway, which we had been a few minutes earlier, these large pieces flying into the air could have hit another vehicle or frightened a driver causing them to cross lanes trying to miss these pieces. The incident was reported to the call center and we were told that it was a known manufacturing default. The dealership denied that there was a manufacturing default and was unsure why we were told that. There was no warning of this incident about to occur. The dealership agreed to repair the vehicle as a "good will" offer. |
| Category | Back Over Prevention: Rearview System Braking, Electrical System, Unknown Or Other |
| Date | Jun 22, 2022 |
| State | WA |
| Description | Doors open while running, car still driving if suddenly open the door. |
| Category | Engine, Fuel/propulsion System, Power Train |
| Date | May 27, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | On several occasions, while driving, my vehicle would not accelerate when I pressed the gas pedal. It stalls and then bursts forward. I have noticed that it is more prevalent when I drive off. I have taken my car to the dealer service center, and they said they could not replicate the issue. My vehicle is available for inspection upon your request. |
| Category | Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking |
| Date | May 27, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | While driving on the freeway my vehicle suddenly brakes without me pressing the brake. There were no vehicles in front of me to trigger the automatic brakes sensors. The brake warning light turned on and began flashing. I was almost hit from the back by the car behind me. My car is available for inspection upon your request. I have take my vehicle to dealer service center for other electrical issues. |
| Category | Engine, Power Train, Vehicle Speed Control |
| Date | Apr 23, 2022 |
| State | CA |
| Description | I leased a brand new 2022 honda pilot and after two weeks of leasing it developed a severe leaking problem with the transmission. The pilot was taken to a local dealer, the local dealer refused service. It was then taken to the original dealer, and the original dealer replaced the transmission. There was some sort of metallurgical fault or defect with the transmission casing, necessitating replacement of the entire transmission. The vehicle had less than 500 miles when this happened. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Feb 25, 2022 |
| State | SC |
| Description | The contact owns a 2022 honda pilot. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the braking system would erroneously activate causing the vehicle to abruptly reduce speed. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the brake lights would randomly flash on and off. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not notified of the failure. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 1,000. |
| Category | Service Brakes |
| Date | Jan 24, 2022 |
| State | PA |
| Description | Suv(honda pilot 2022) continues to brake. And lose power after brake pedal has been released causing unsafe and un controlled stopping. ( no warning lights or errors ) we have almost been rear ended do to this. Taken back to dealer to repair after only 200 miles on suv. Dealer replaced antilock brake module. After repairs suv seemed to brake normally for about one week then started doing the same thing again but way worse, to the point we didnt think we could make it home. The sticking brakes, loss of power to the suv got so bad that it was unsafe to operate and was towed to the dealer awaiting another repair... In shop now two times with less then 500 miles for same exact safety issue. This braking issue could possibly cause serious accidents if not remedied soon. Hearing stories other 2022 hondas are dealing with this issue as well.... Hoping no one gets seriously hurt if issue is left unaddressed |
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About the Author:
Brian Jones spent more than 20 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
See more posts from Brian Jones
My 2022 Pilot Elite constantly applies the brakes (hard pulsating)and the steering wheel shakes in both directions. Usually happens on long sweeping right turns as cars approach in their lane, the car thinks they are dangerously in front of me (They are not). No matter how many times it happens it always scares the hell out of me. This is the worst Accident avoidance system I have ever seen. Twice it has forced me off the road in to the rocky shoulder. Mechanic says “Unable to duplicate”. Been doing this since new, now with 6000 miles it is just getting annoying and seems very unsafe to me.
My 2022 Honda has only 3300 miles and going over rough roads the rear right side is thumping loudly…it is very annoying and Honda says it’s the nature of the beast, I don’t accept that. I also get the big BRAKE announcement when I am alone on a road an no one else is in sight, it happens often and the steering wheel jerks.