2026 Honda Passport Problems

What owners report

The 2026 Passport is a new-generation vehicle, so most complaints come from the first months of ownership. Owners most often describe uncomfortable front seats, a sunroof that shatters while driving, and automatic emergency braking that activates with nothing in front of the vehicle. Steering-wheel clicking, rough low-speed transmission behavior, and failed over-the-air software updates also recur in the sample.

1. 1
   Seats

   Front seats uncomfortable, pressure under tailbone

   • 9 complaints (13%)
   • typically at 0.6 yrs old
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe a hard, localized pressure point under the rear of the driver's seat cushion, often linked to the seat ventilation hardware, and report tailbone and lower-back pain within a short drive. Several say adjusting height, tilt, recline and lumbar does not remove it, and some use extra padding to make longer trips tolerable. Complaints also mention the AUTO climate setting overriding manually selected seat heat, and seat memory resetting on its own. Reported from the first weeks of ownership, often within 20 to 60 minutes of driving and at low mileage.

   What to check: Sit in the driver's seat for at least 20 minutes during a test drive, including with the ventilation on, and check for a hard ridge under the cushion. Ask whether the seat frame or ventilation hardware has been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The driver’s front seat has an internal manufacturing defect causing severe physical pain and numbness, creating a hazardous distraction and impacting my ability to safely operate the vehicle. While operating my 2026 Honda Passport, the driver's front seat induces intense pressure and localized pain against my tailbone and lower back within 20 to 30 minutes of driving. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11763851, filed 2026-09

   “I would like to register a formal complaint regarding the front seats in my 2026 Honda Passport TrailSport Elite. The seat ventilation system creates significant discomfort around the tailbone, making it extremely difficult to tolerate drives of any meaningful length. I did not raise this concern sooner because my wife typically drives the vehicle and had accepted the discomfort as “normal.” It is not normal. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11759065, filed 2026-08
2. 2
   Forward collision avoidance

   Automatic braking activates with no obstacle

   Mentioned in 8 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report the vehicle braking hard on its own on clear roads with nothing ahead, sometimes with a brake warning on the dash. Others describe it happening in heavy rain or spray, or while passing a truck, and several mention near-misses from following traffic. Complaints also describe lane keep assist steering toward other lanes or the opposing turn lane, and one owner links uninstalled over-the-air updates to the driver-assist systems. Reported at highway and around-town speeds, in dry weather and in rain, generally at low mileage.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether all over-the-air and audio-system software updates have been installed, and confirm during a test drive that forward collision warning and lane keep assist behave normally. Note any stored warning messages.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The vehicle’s software can’t be updated due to a well known long standing error. This could effect safety systems, I was told that my car has four updates (dealer)which can’t download/install due to this OTA problems. Whats worse is that Hondas engineers looked at my vehicle’s systems and reported no pending updates. Short story, this has been years of errors that Honda can’t fix. Dealer said that repairs could potentially “brick” my vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #11754870, filed 2026-08

   “I was driving approximately 70 MPH, on a freeway in rain; I moved to the passing lane to go around a semi-truck. Spray from the semi was heavy but I could still see the road. Suddenly, the car brakes engaged very strongly. We were jolted forward in our seats. Had a car been following me, that driver may not have had time to brake himself. I believe the dash flashed a large braking sign. It only happened once. I'm reporting it to the dealer tomorrow for the first time.”

   NHTSA complaint #11754813, filed 2026-08
3. 3
   Steering

   Steering wheel clicking and sticky return

   • 5 complaints (7%)
   • median 1,200 mi at 0.1 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2025–2026

   Complaints describe a clicking sound from the steering wheel when turning at low speed, sometimes with a dead spot or a delay in the steering catching up. Dealers replaced the clock spring, the steering column or the whole steering wheel; several owners say the noise returned within days or weeks. Others report the wheel sticking on its return to center, and one owner traded the vehicle after repeated repairs. Reported at low speeds and low mileage, sometimes within the first months of ownership.

   What to check: Turn the wheel slowly lock to lock with the engine running and listen for clicks, and check that the wheel returns to center smoothly. Ask for repair history on the clock spring, steering column or wheel.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “So when I turn the steering wheel to the left it sticks on the return to front position. I thought it was the safety features but I turned off everything I could and it still does it. It’s a little scary . I just brought the car if for an inspection to the dealer and they said everything was ok with the car . I noticed this more and more after the inspection. It happens all the time now .”

   NHTSA complaint #11731678, filed 2026-04

   “I am on my second 2026 Honda Passport. The first one was taken to dealership 6 times (once at red rock Honda in Colorado and 5 times at Cleo bay in Texas) for a failed part in the steering wheel. The airbag and other parts were replaced and would fail again afterward. I had to replace it with another of the same vehicle because of so many problems and no suitable repair. My new 2026 Honda Passport started having same issue. I took it in and they replaced the whole steering wheel and then after about a month it failed again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11725862, filed 2026-03
4. 4
   Engine

   Harsh low-speed transmission shifting

   • 7 complaints (10%)
   • median 190 mi at 0.5 yrs old (1 states mileage, few)
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners of the 10-speed automatic describe harsh downshifts and a jolt just before stopping, requiring careful brake modulation to stop smoothly, and hesitation or jerky acceleration from a standstill. Some report warning messages about the transmission and reduced power under heavy acceleration. Complaints say dealers could not duplicate the behavior or found it within normal characteristics, and resetting adaptive learning did not resolve it in one case. Reported from the first days of ownership through several thousand miles, most noticeable at low speeds and when coming to a stop.

   What to check: During a test drive, come to several smooth stops from 40 mph and accelerate gently from a standstill, watching for lurching or hesitation. Ask whether a transmission software update or adaptive learning reset has been performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2026 Passport has severe transmission issues that the dealership and Honda North America are not acknowledging. The shifts are harsh at any speed. The downshifts (especially from 40-0 mph) are consistently violent and jerky. I cannot drive this car smoothly enough to keep my newborn baby in it because the car rocks and lunges enough to disturb him. I have driven two other brand new Passports and have been able to replicate the same issues. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11688730, filed 2025-09

   “The car in question is a 2026 Honda Passport Trailsport Elite that I purchased in August of 2026 -- and that I'm now thinking of selling! Occasionally when accelerating from a stopped position the acceleration will hesitate for a full second, followed by a slight herky jerky motion. This presents a dangerous situation --- particularly when turning left with oncoming traffic barrelling down. This does not happen all the time but its scary and I end up just waiting to turn rather than risking getting t-boned. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11765901, filed 2026-09
5. 5
   Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

   Panoramic sunroof shatters while driving

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the panoramic sunroof glass breaking suddenly with a loud bang on the highway, with no impact, no nearby vehicle and no bad weather reported. In several cases the sunshade was closed and kept glass out of the cabin; owners note what could have happened had it been open. One owner reports the sunshade failing to close fully with a clicking noise and a sag at one corner, and a dealer handled a warranty claim in at least one case. Reported on highway drives at cruising speed, mostly on vehicles with low mileage.

   What to check: Inspect the sunroof glass for chips, cracks or unusual stress marks, cycle the shade fully open and closed, and ask whether any sunroof glass or shade repair has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Purchased a 2026 Honda Passport and driven approximately 1 month, 1000 miles. While going down the interstate, the panoramic sunroof exploded. Had the fabric cover not been closed, my children could have been seriously injured by shards of glass. We were able to safely pull over and assess the damage. Honda filed a warranty claim for repair.”

   NHTSA complaint #11683052, filed 2025-08

   “The sunroof shattered without any impact issue, while we were driving down the road at approximately 65 MPH. If the sunshade had not been closed the driver and two passengers would have been showered in glass risking serious injury. The driver would have been challenged to maintain control risking serious injury to those in his vehicle and others on a busy highway. High Risk incident. I'm from Iowa and purchased the vehicle in Des Moines. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11752332, filed 2026-07

Buying note. As a new generation, this model year has little long-term history, so check the specific vehicle's repair records for seat, sunroof, steering and software work. A long test drive covering stops, acceleration, steering and the sunroof is the most useful check.

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.