Skip to content
Honda PassportModel year report

2021 Honda Passport Problems

Compared with other Honda Passport years

More complaints than typical for this model

78/100 1.9× a typical year · 50 = typical

Open NHTSA investigationInadvertent Automatic Emergency Braking

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
145filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
5,650miles, 18 complaints with mileage
Recalls
7campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
5 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
22 mpgcombined, 3.5L 6-cyl FWD · 20 city / 25 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2021 Honda Passport (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2021 Passport most often describe the forward collision mitigation system braking or warning on its own when nothing is in the way, frequently at highway speeds and sometimes hard enough to startle drivers or prompt evasive action from traffic behind. A second cluster covers the auto idle stop feature (the engine not restarting after a stop), electrical complaints about the dash and infotainment screen going blank, and transmission complaints reported very early in ownership. Reports span low-mileage vehicles as well as some past 90,000 miles.

  1. Forward collision avoidance

    Collision braking activates with no obstacle ahead

    • 39 complaints (27%)
    • median 15,125 mi at 2.6 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
    • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2021–2026

    Owners describe the collision mitigation braking system applying the brakes on its own, often forcefully and without warning, when no vehicle or obstacle is present. Several say it happens at highway speeds, on curves when a car is in the opposite lane, or near bridges and road plates, while others report the brake alert appearing too late in a real closing situation. According to the complaints, dealers frequently could not duplicate the condition or said the system worked as designed, and in some cases dealers quoted camera or sensor replacement at owner expense. Reported from a few thousand miles to over 30,000, often during highway driving.

    What to check: Test drive at highway speed and on a curving road, and ask whether any front camera or radar work has been done. Check that the windshield and front grille emblem are clean and undamaged, since snow or debris on the radar area can trigger warnings.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I have had multiple instances where the car appears to engage the brakes to prevent a collision, although I don't see any obstruction. It also makes the alarm sound indicating that I should brake as well. This occurs only on highways at highway speeds. It lasts for a few seconds and the car slows down significantly.”

    NHTSA complaint #11584159, filed 2024-04

    “Driving to work in normal speeds and conditions. The emergency braking enabled and slammed on the brakes to my car - despite there being no threat or need. The brake was with such force that I jerked forward. This is the third time this has happened with this car in the past week. Car is available for inspection if needed. The car has not yet been inspected by Honda for this situation.”

    NHTSA complaint #11732628, filed 2026-04
  2. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission harsh shifting and dropping into neutral

    • 17 complaints (12%)
    • median 400 mi at 0.3 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2021–2026

    Complaints describe rough or delayed shifting between gears, hard engagement when moving from Reverse to Drive, and in some cases the vehicle shifting itself into Neutral with a transmission problem message on the dash. Several owners mention a grinding or rumble-strip noise after a transmission cooler was installed for towing, and some report the transmission was replaced without fully curing the harsh shifts. According to the complaints, dealers often said the behavior was normal or could not duplicate it. Reported from very low mileage, some within the first thousand miles, at speeds from driveway maneuvering to highway driving.

    What to check: Drive from a cold start through all gears, including a slow Reverse-to-Drive shift, and ask whether a towing cooler was installed and whether any transmission work or replacement was done.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving along at 65 miles an hour when the car randomly threw itself into neutral. I turned the car off restarted it drive a little bit. It continued to happen over and over and it usually does not matter on the speed. After the transmission replacement, the transmission still continues to hit hard on third and fourth gear..”

    NHTSA complaint #11676726, filed 2025-07

    “I brought my 2021 Honda Passport brand new in May 2021. It started having a safety defect issue in July 15, 2022, i placed the vehicle in reverse and proceeded to back out and the vehicle switched to neutral as i was backing out. Then a dash indicator displayed that read stop driving when safe transmission problem, see manual. Then a few weeks later, i put it into drive and proceeded to drive off and the vehicle switched to neutral and the same dash indicator came on that read, stop driving when safe transmission problem, see manual. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11494533, filed 2022-11
  3. Engine

    Idle stop: engine does not restart after stopping

    • 6 complaints (4%)
    • typically at 5.4 yrs old
    • filed 2025–2026

    Complaints describe the engine shutting off at a light or stop sign under the auto idle stop feature and then failing to restart, sometimes requiring the driver to shift to Park and press the start button, and occasionally stalling with a warning message on the dash. Some owners link repeated battery and starter replacements to the system, and one described the vehicle dropping into Neutral on releasing the brake. According to the complaints, dealers ran software updates or replaced batteries and starters without fully resolving the behavior. Reported from very low mileage up through tens of thousands of miles, often at stops in traffic or at lights.

    5 related service bulletins

    What to check: With the engine warm, let idle stop engage at a stop and confirm it restarts promptly; ask for the service history on idle stop software updates, battery, and starter work.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Honda has a recall on certain vin numbers for the starter. My starter i was told to replace at a $2500 fee from reggie jackson honda in raleigh nc. I had to visit the dealership 3 times, they said its the battery, replaced the battery at my cost, now they said its the starter. They said there is a recall but my vin number was not included in the recall. The starter is worn out from the auto start and stop feature at stop lights. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11751380, filed 2026-07

    “After having constant issues with the idle stop and the car alarm going off in the middle of the night and day for no apparent reason I took it to the dealer to get it fixed. After supposedly fixing the idle stop, about two weeks later I was going up a ramp during a heavy traffic hour and the car completely shot down. It took me a few minutes to get it back on. I’ve had issues with this car from day one (brand new). I’m currently trying to get another car.”

    NHTSA complaint #11719998, filed 2026-02
  4. Electrical system

    Instrument panel and displays going blank while driving

    • 6 complaints (4%)
    • median 3,313 mi at 0.8 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2021–2026

    Owners report the instrument cluster, infotainment screen, or both going dark for seconds to minutes while driving, taking the speedometer and warning displays with them before the system reboots. A few describe broader electrical loss, including the radio cutting out and the vehicle shutting off. According to the complaints, dealers pointed to dashboard wiring connectors in one case and sometimes could not reproduce the problem. Reported from a few thousand miles upward, typically while driving at road or highway speeds.

    Recall 23V4310002 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the rearview camera and display recall work has been completed, and watch for flickering or blank screens during a test drive, including the backup camera image.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I was driving at 60mph and the entire dash went blank for about 30seconds. There was no speedometer, warnings, no display at all. After about 30 seconds the tach showed back up followed by the gear indicator and speedometer with the drivers information center showing up last. This happened on Sunday 5/7/23 this has happened once before but it was brief and I wasn’t sure it had actually happened. This time I saw it go blank and watched the whole process of it coming back on.”

    NHTSA complaint #11520930, filed 2023-05

    “My 2021 Honda Passport experiences a sudden, complete failure of the digital instrument cluster and infotainment screen while driving. The dashboard controls go pitch black without warning, resulting in an immediate and dangerous loss of the speedometer, critical vehicle safety warnings, and the federally mandated rearview backup camera. The system stays dark for 3 to 4 minutes before attempting a forced system reboot. This matches the exact failure mode of NHTSA Recall 23V-431 (MOST Bus Network Connectors). …”

    NHTSA complaint #11767013, filed 2026-09

Buying note. Check that open recalls were completed and ask for records of idle stop software updates, battery and starter replacements, and any transmission or engine work. A thorough highway test drive helps surface both the collision braking sensitivity and transmission behavior before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 145 consumer complaints for the 2021 Honda Passport. 18 of the complaints include a mileage, and 83% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 5,650 miles. Of all complaints, 10 involved a crash, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns and 93 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 4 Honda Passport model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 78 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Exterior lighting (3), Seats (3), Steering (3), Tires (3), Vehicle speed control (3), Seat belts (2), Suspension (2), Back-over prevention (rear camera) (1), Engine cooling (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Forward collision avoidance: “I bought my car in 2021. Two weeks ago 4-5 dashboard signs came up on my screen. I contacted local dealer and they said they need nearly $3000 to fix it. I told them it’s a safety issue and they refused to budge. I complained to Honda through X and they refused to help me. They are not taking it seriously”

NHTSA complaint #11728301, filed 2026-03

Engine: “My 2021 Honda Passport Elite suffered cataphoric engine failure at 90,000 miles. The 6th cylinder bearing was missing when my vehicle was towed into Honda for diagnosis after my engine shut off while I was traveling 55 mph. I had no warnings for this failure including no engine noises and no check engine lights. I had to have a new engine put in my vehicle and Honda refused to cover the cost at 100% because they stated there were no open recalls at this time. …”

NHTSA complaint #11735989, filed 2026-05, 90,212 miles

Electrical system: “I was at a traffic light, when the light turned green I gave the car gas it hesitated, then went into neutral, the battery sign showed on the dash, the car would not go. I was 1 line under half a tank of gas, so I wasn’t empty. Also, just before this happened the radio became full of static on an FM channel. It wouldn’t allow me to switch to park to try and restart it. Scary and Frustrating!!!”

NHTSA complaint #11770229, filed 2026-10

Transmission and drivetrain: “Bought the car from the dealer drove great ! Weeks into owning it transmission is clicking banging and driving rough most of the issues are second and third gears . Street or highway . Service can't seem to fix it vehicle is also some times sluggish and doesn't have the pep that it should . Test drove 2 other passports and they both had great power and no transmission issues please help!”

NHTSA complaint #11394358, filed 2021-02, 700 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

83% of the 18 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 400 and 30,000 miles.

56%0–106%10–2522%25–506%50–756%75–1006%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (18 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 5,650 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

20212022202320242025202632
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2021 Honda Passport. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Passport · SUV AWD★★★★★5 / 4554 · 17.4% risk
Passport · SUV FWD★★★★★5 / 4554 · 16.9% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2021 model year: forward collision warning not available, lane departure warning standard, automatic emergency braking standard.

Neighbouring years: 2020: same overall rating; 2022: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2021 Honda Passport version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Passport AWD3.5L 6-cyl9-speed automatic192421$3,200
Passport FWD3.5L 6-cyl9-speed automatic202522$3,050

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

See all 7 recalls for the 2021 Honda Passport → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 93 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 93 bulletins →

Other model years of the Honda Passport

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026695901521Too new to compareToo new
20254822,5000521Too new to compareToo new
2024202,2001521—Too new
2023404,261552126 · FewerToo new
20226338,100452217 · FewerRising
20211455,650752278 · MoreRising
20201047,6001052250 · TypicalRising
20192826,0001052287 · MoreStable
200223116,5002—17—Falling
2001134100,5003—17Not compared (before 2008)Stable
2000102102,5041—16Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199922898,0002—17Not compared (before 2008)Falling
1998229114,5505—17Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19975699,8000—16Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199641138,4410—16Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199560157,8601—16Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199436111,8004—16Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Honda Passport model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2021 Honda Passport?

Owners of the 2021 Passport most often describe the forward collision mitigation system braking or warning on its own when nothing is in the way, frequently at highway speeds and sometimes hard enough to startle drivers or prompt evasive action from traffic behind. The issues reported most often: Collision braking activates with no obstacle ahead; Transmission harsh shifting and dropping into neutral; Idle stop: engine does not restart after stopping.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2021 Honda Passport have?

NHTSA recorded 145 consumer complaints for the 2021 Honda Passport as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2021 Honda Passport is reported most often?

Forward collision avoidance is named most often, in 52 complaints (36% of the total), followed by engine with 29.

Has the 2021 Honda Passport been recalled?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2021 Honda Passport do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2021 Honda Passport 5 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2021 Honda Passport get?

The EPA rates the 2021 Honda Passport (Passport FWD, 3.5L 6-cyl) at 22 mpg combined, 20 city and 25 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,050 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2021 Honda Passport reported?

Among the 18 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 5,650 miles and the middle half falls between 400 and 30,000 miles; 83% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.