2021 Honda Pilot Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 25about this part
- Share
- 6%of 450 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 20,000miles
- Trend
- RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 25 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2021 Honda Pilot, 6% of the 450 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 20,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“I just bought my brand new 2021 Honda Pilot I had it for 1 week so I decided to take it to las vegas on the way there it was fine but on the way home I'm coming down I started to feel a jerk in the transmission I didn't think nothing of it so I kept driving. …”
NHTSA complaint #11407317, filed 2021-04, 900 miles“The heat stopped working last year when parked. To the point where it's blowing out cold air. I brought it to the dealership and they told me nothing is wrong. It appears to be the thermostat which I now have to replace on my own. Also the transmission slips randomly and I was told that could not be repeated either. Yet the car only has 90,000 miles, this should not be occurring.”
NHTSA complaint #11625133, filed 2024-11“I am having an issue with the start stop function on my 2021 Honda Pilot. When active, the start stop struggles to restart after it is engaged at a stop light. There have been two instances in the last two weeks where the vehicle did not restart on its own and needed to be restarted manually. Spoke to the dealer service team and they indicated there were no known recalls and it would be out of pocket for me to diagnose and repair.”
NHTSA complaint #11740001, filed 2026-05“When the brake is pressed at a light or when idling, the gear shifts automatically to neutral and will not drive. I have to press and hold the power button to restart the car. It is happening more frequently. I have taken it to the dealership several times and they have not been able to replicate it. It also doesn’t give any codes. This is a true safety concern because I have impeded traffic multiple times when it occurs. I tried to add pictures of the invoices that I received from the dealership but was unsuccessful.”
NHTSA complaint #11766025, filed 2026-09“When driving and wanting to accelerate at 65mph car just because limp, won’t go when accelerating for a few seconds, speed drops, then you press back on the accelerator and after a few times the car goes back to normal. So, you loose control of the accelerator for a few seconds and you cant go faster, it just freezes and speed drops. This has been happen g for awhile. I even called Honda Corporate to advise them. It’s been happening for over 2 years. It comes and goes. We are starting to hear a clunk noise now.”
NHTSA complaint #11703797, filed 2025-12Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 11% |
| 2025 | 23 | 11% |
| 2024 | 12 | 10% |
| 2023 | 10 | 7% |
| 2022 | 18 | 11% |
| 2021 | 25 | 6% |
| 2020 | 35 | 7% |
| 2019 | 94 | 10% |
| 2018 | 78 | 18% |
| 2017 | 122 | 13% |
| 2016 | 201 | 12% |
| 2015 | 11 | 10% |
| 2014 | 7 | 6% |
| 2013 | 54 | 20% |
| 2012 | 20 | 12% |
| 2011 | 21 | 7% |
| 2010 | 6 | 5% |
| 2009 | 12 | 9% |
| 2008 | 11 | 8% |
| 2007 | 13 | 6% |
| 2006 | 13 | 5% |
| 2005 | 176 | 26% |
| 2004 | 142 | 26% |
| 2003 | 224 | 31% |
Other parts of the 2021 Honda Pilot
136 complaintsEngine
112 complaintsForward collision avoidance
98 complaintsOther or unknown
85 complaintsLane departure
44 complaintsAir bags
32 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
31 complaintsBrakes
28 complaintsFuel system
23 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
19 complaintsTires
13 complaintsVehicle speed control
8 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2021 Honda Pilot
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 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