2013 Honda Pilot Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2013 Pilot most often write about a vibration or shudder that appears when the engine drops into its cylinder-deactivation (ECO) mode at steady, light-throttle speeds, plus paint peeling from the roof and tailgate on white vehicles. A second large group of complaints centres on engine misfires traced to oil fouling the spark plugs, often diagnosed as piston ring wear, and on brake judder felt through the steering wheel and front end. Complaint volume falls off after the early years, but many engine and paint reports arrive years later with higher mileage.

1. 1
   Engine

   Misfire from oil fouling spark plugs (piston rings)

   • 47 complaints (17%)
   • median 51,000 mi at 3.8 yrs old (31 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2026

   Owners report the check engine light plus stability and traction lights coming on, rough idling, poor acceleration and misfire codes for individual cylinders. Complaints state that dealers traced this to oil passing the piston rings and fouling the spark plugs, with recommendations ranging from replacing plugs and rings on the affected cylinders to a full engine replacement. Several owners say their vehicle was excluded from the related campaign or warranty extension because of build details or mileage. Typically reported from about 50,000 miles upward, with several around 80,000-130,000 miles; some also describe heavy oil consumption.

   Recall 13V38200011 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the oil level and look for a fuel or oil smell, ask for service records showing plug or ring work, and confirm with a dealer whether any piston-ring warranty extension or bulletin applies to the VIN.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car has engine check light and traction lights are on. Mechanic diagnosed the codes to match a recall which my VIN is excluded even thought I am facing the same exact issue. Piston misfiring and the engine can lock at any time causing an accident. Codes give to me by mechanic that said that Honda should address this issue: DTC - p0301 and p0304. Bulletin -13-082. Dtc 83-11 and DTC - 83-12. Dealership never mentioned this to me I had to go to independent mechanic. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11331364, filed 2020-06, 90,000 miles

   “Engine/piston/ring issue. Rings not aligned properly in one of pistons ( factory/assembly error) resulted in oil leaking and thrown on engine , caused 2 spark plugs to fail, this caused engine light to come on and then the vsa and vtm-4 came on and the eco light stopped working...we were travelling 70 miles an hour on highway. We were really afraid when the vtm-4 light came on! We had to pull off road, for fear of ruining the 4-wheel drive system, we didn't know what was happening.. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10902999, filed 2016-09, 51,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine

   ECO/VCM vibration and shudder at steady speed

   • 39 complaints (14%)
   • median 448 mi at 0.8 yrs old (32 state mileage)
   • filed 2013–2026

   Owners describe a rumble, flutter or shudder through the steering wheel, seats, console and floor when the ECO light comes on, typically while cruising at light throttle between roughly 35 and 45 mph or after backing off the accelerator. Some say it eases when they press harder on the gas, and a few report hesitation or a brief loss of power when pulling away or turning. Complaints state that dealers called the behaviour a normal characteristic of the vehicle and offered no repair. Mostly reported within the first few thousand miles, often from the first days of ownership and at low speeds under light throttle.

   What to check: Drive the vehicle at a steady 35-50 mph on a flat road at light throttle and watch for the ECO indicator and any shudder; ask whether the owner has had the behaviour inspected.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I purchased a brand new 2013 Honda Pilot in september 2013. From the first day of driving it, I noticed a vibration coming from the drive train/engine/transmission when the engine was switching into eco mode. The vibration can be felt through the steering wheel, gas pedal, and floor board. It becomes worse when cruising at a low RPM, or when climbing a hill (no matter how steep the hill is) when the eco mode is engaged. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10558227, filed 2014-01, 100 miles

   “I purchased a new 2013 Honda Pilot ex-l on june 15. I noticed on my first trip on the interstate that the car hesitates when driving in eco mode. This is very annoying as it feels like the engine isn't getting enough gas. Had it checked out at the dealership and was told others had complained too, but this was a normal function, nothing could be done. I feel like I'm jerking down the road. I traded a Honda odyssey, which also had eco drive, and I never had these issues with the van. I hate to drive this car!”

   NHTSA complaint #10523747, filed 2013-07, 450 miles
3. 3
   Body and structure

   Paint peeling on roof and tailgate

   • 44 complaints (16%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 6.2 yrs old (30 state mileage)
   • filed 2017–2026

   Complaints describe paint lifting, bubbling and peeling in sheets from the roof between the windshield and the sunroof, and from the tailgate, often exposing grey primer. Owners say body shops attribute it to poor primer adhesion, and several report peeling spreading to the hood and around the windows. Some owners were told the repair was partly or fully covered depending on paint colour, warranty period and mileage, while others paid out of pocket. Usually noticed between roughly 30,000 and 90,000 miles, most often on vehicles a few years old and reported especially on white-painted examples.

   9 related service bulletins

   What to check: Inspect the roof panel, the area around the sunroof and windshield, and the top of the tailgate in good light for bubbles, lifting edges or primer showing; ask whether the paint warranty extension was applied or any repaint was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The paint on top of Pilot just above the windshield and before the sunroof is peeling. I've seen lots of owners having the same problem. I noticed this when I washed the Pilot and saw the paint has bubbles and had chipped already. I have been driving it and noticed there is now a big part of the paint the peeled away.”

   NHTSA complaint #11325597, filed 2020-05, 60,000 miles

   “I have a 2013 Honda Pilot with about 85,000 miles. A few months ago we noticed paint peeling off of the hood. We contacted rusty wallis Honda about this and they covered the repairs only at 50%, which left me paying about $450 for the repair which was a total manufacturer's defect. I told them I was unhappy with this but they said the decision was final. Apparently there is some sort of regional manager that makes these decisions, called the dpms . …”

   NHTSA complaint #11133266, filed 2018-10, 84,000 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brake judder and premature rotor wear

   • 51 complaints (19%)
   • median 12,000 mi at 1.5 yrs old (47 state mileage)
   • filed 2013–2025

   Owners describe the steering wheel and front end shaking or shuddering when braking, most noticeably from highway speeds or on downhill grades, and some report pulling or a long pedal travel. Complaints say rotors were resurfaced or replaced more than once, with the vibration returning after a short period, and that dealers described it as normal wear. A few owners also report spongy pedal feel that led to master cylinder replacement. Reported from a few thousand miles up to around 90,000 miles, often on downhill or higher-speed braking.

   What to check: Test-brake from highway speed and on a downhill stretch and feel for wheel shake; ask when the front rotors and pads were last replaced and whether the rotors were resurfaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When driving on the highway between the speed of 60-80 MPH, the steering wheel shakes very noticeably making it very uncomfortable to drive with the vibration. I have had tires replaced and the wheels rebalanced and nothing seems to fix the problem. I have been dealing with this for months and no service station is able to fix the problem. Fearing that something may happen when driving on the highway or when my children drive the car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11123041, filed 2018-08, 55,000 miles

   “My 2013 Honda Pilot steering wheel shudders hard when braking. This started at around mileage 30k and the car currently has 57k on odometer. We bought the car new and have not needed any brake work on the front. Honda serviced the rear brakes so far. Honda representatives have told us that front shudder of the steering wheel most likely means the rotors are warped and need resurfacing or replacement. The shaking on downhill driving is so bad the car feels uncontrollably dangerous. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11353719, filed 2020-09, 57,000 miles
5. 5
   Other or unknown

   Cleaning system messages and warning lights

   • 11 complaints (4%)
   • median 74,000 mi at 6.6 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2025

   Owners report intermittent 'check fuel cap' messages, warning lights that come on and go off on their own, and stale or unreliable readings without an obvious cause. Some describe ABS, brake and traction control lights appearing at start-up, traced in at least one case to a failed pressure sensor and a stability module. Reported across a wide range of mileage, from newer vehicles to examples with well over 70,000 miles.

   What to check: Ask whether the fuel cap has been replaced, scan for stored codes before purchase, and confirm any stability or ABS warning lights are resolved rather than simply cleared.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Rear door is not opening , switch does not respond to pressing , you hear the unlocking sound and light turns on but door wont open , this is not an electrical door that opens by itself , this is a main issue since I cannot open the door to put my kids strollers , etc . By doing so much pressure in the door , I took off the handle and broke one of the pins . Is anybody experiencing the same issue ?”

   NHTSA complaint #11142559, filed 2018-10, 70,000 miles

   “Check fuel cap message comes on sometimes even after I tighten the fuel cap. Sometimes the message stops on its own. Don't know why. Check engine light comes on sometimes and goes off on its own. Don't know why. I noticed these alerts when the car is moving or sitting at an idle. City driving with very little highway driving. I checked Honda website today for a list of recalls on my VIN, but the website said that there were not open recalls on my vehicle. I wonder about the airbags in the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #11359996, filed 2020-09, 125,000 miles

Buying note. Check the roof and tailgate paint closely, feel for ECO-mode shudder on a steady-speed test drive, and review oil-change and piston-ring records before buying. Confirming recall and warranty-extension status for the specific VIN with a dealer is worthwhile, since several complaints note that coverage did not apply to their vehicle.

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.