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Exterior lightingPart report

2003 Honda Pilot Exterior lighting Problems

Complaints
32about this part
Share
4%of 720 total for the year
Median mileage
104,950miles
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 32 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 2003 Honda Pilot, 4% of the 720 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 104,950 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Lighting recall. There was a recall in 2012 affecting my 2003 Honda Pilot that I did not know about until my headlights went out while driving and almost wrecked. My low beams do not work but my high beams do, me and my child could of died from this. We were just driving as normal on a highway with no other traffic around and lights just stopped working. After pulling over I realised my hi beams still work. I do not understand why my recall isn't listed when a recall was issued”

NHTSA complaint #11156680, filed 2018-12, 170,000 miles

“Lo beam headlights stopped working. Bulbs fuses and relays are good. High beams work ok. Lights stopped working and I discovered it at night when I went to drive the car home.”

NHTSA complaint #11207412, filed 2019-05, 226,000 miles

“On 9/6/2012 Honda performed recall work on this vehicle, see NHTSA recall 12v-136. On 8/5/2013 I checked the vehicles lights and all were working. On 8/6/2013 while moving vehicle in driveway I noticed that both low beams were not illuminating even though the switch was turned on. The parking lights and high beams both worked, but the low beams did not work. On 8/8/2013 I took the vehicle to the local Honda dealer (roberts in downingtown, pa). The dealer's service representative reported that the recall work was fine and that the headlamp switch was broken. …”

NHTSA complaint #10534296, filed 2013-08, 139,925 miles

“The headlights on my new 2003 Honda Pilot are like a small pocket flashlight extremely dim and insufficient for night driving pleaser help me remedy this problem.”

NHTSA complaint #10018651, filed 2003-05, 1 miles

“Low beam headlights symptom when you turn the combination light switch to the headlight on position, the low beams may not come on. Probable cause in a rare case, the wire harness may have been misrouted, causing a terminal in the headlight wire harness connector to become heat-damaged, which may cause the low beam headlights to not come on.”

NHTSA complaint #10398379, filed 2011-04, 101,000 miles

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Exterior lighting: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202531%
202411%
202321%
202141%
202071%
201991%
201831%
2017101%
2016141%
201544%
201433%
201331%
201211%
201131%
201011%
200911%
200897%
2007178%
2006145%
2005304%
2004122%
2003324%

Other parts of the 2003 Honda Pilot

Transmission and drivetrain
224 complaints
Electrical system
129 complaints
Air bags
115 complaints
Body and structure
47 complaints
Seats
40 complaints
Engine cooling
37 complaints
Other or unknown
34 complaints
Steering
32 complaints
Suspension
32 complaints
Brakes
25 complaints
Engine
25 complaints
Vehicle speed control
20 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2003 Honda Pilot

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology