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2012 Honda PilotProblems: Top Complaints, Recalls & Failures (NHTSA)

Every owner complaint and safety recall the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has on file for the 2012 Honda Pilot, ranked by the component that failed most.

Complaints on file

171

Recalls issued

9

Crashes reported

17

Fires reported

3

What breaks most

  • Engine35 complaints · 20.5%
  • Service Brakes28 complaints · 16.4%
  • Electrical System22 complaints · 12.9%
  • Air Bags20 complaints · 11.7%
  • Power Train20 complaints · 11.7%

Recalls on this model year

  • Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississipp

    Campaign 18V661000 · reported 27/09/2018 · recall work is free at any franchised dealer

  • Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air b

    Campaign 18V268000 · reported 26/04/2018 · recall work is free at any franchised dealer

  • Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-201

    Campaign 19V502000 · reported 27/06/2019 · recall work is free at any franchised dealer

  • Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009

    Campaign 19V378000 · reported 16/05/2019 · recall work is free at any franchised dealer

  • Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2008-2012 Accord, 2010-2012 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2012 Fit and Pilot, 2010-2012 Insight, and 2009-2012 Acura TSX vehicles that received replacement passenger frontal air bag inflators. One dealership may have in

    Campaign 17V545000 · reported 31/08/2017 · recall work is free at any franchised dealer

  • Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight, 2009-2012 Honda Fit, 2009-2012 Pilot, 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2012 Honda FCX Clarity and 2006-2011 Hond

    Campaign 17V030000 · reported 10/01/2017 · recall work is free at any franchised dealer

  • Air Bags › Frontal › Passenger Side › Inflator Module

    Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles and 2013 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehi

    Campaign 18V042000 · reported 09/01/2018 · recall work is free at any franchised dealer

  • Fuel System, Gasoline › Storage › Tank Assembly

    HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 PILOT AND ACURA MDX VEHICLES. THE VENT SHUT FLOAT (VSF) VALVE CASE IN THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY DOES NOT MEET THE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS.

    Campaign 12V063000 · reported 17/02/2012 · recall work is free at any franchised dealer

  • Air Bags

    Honda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Pilot and 2011-2013 Odyssey passenger vehicles manufactured from March 13, 2008, through December 21, 2012. One or more rivets that attach the airbag module to the airbag cover may be missing.

    Campaign 13V016000 · reported 18/01/2013 · recall work is free at any franchised dealer

What owners report

Engine

  • On April 9, 2026, my daughter came in from school and parked her Honda Pilot at about 5:10PM. At about 7:03PM, my wife and I were sitting outside and heard a loud POP, it sounded like a car backfiring
  • The check transmission light comes and goes. Ive had the transmission flushed with no issues. It pulls codes for the torque converter as its supposedly getting stuck per mechanic or is over heating an
  • Unusual amount of oil consumption. Faulty cylinder 3. Gaskets cause the oil to leak into the spark plugs causing the engine light to come on with loss of power. Changed cylinder 3 spark plug at leas

Service Brakes

  • The contact owns a 2012 Honda Pilot. The contact stated during the past 3 seasons of winter, the vehicle would fail to come to a stop while depressing the brake pedal. No warning lights illuminated. T
  • The contact owns a 2012 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the vehicle experienced an increased RPM while the brake pedal was depressed. The brake pedal was depressed to the fl
  • I RECENTLY BUY THIS CAR AND IT HAS 79000 MILES ON THE ODO METER AND WHEN I CHECK THE CARFAX MILES CAME OUT 186000 MILES IT MEANS THEY ROLLBACK THE ODOMETER AND I WANT TO REPORT A CLAIM BECAUSE IT IS

Electrical System

  • On April 9, 2026, my daughter came in from school and parked her Honda Pilot at about 5:10PM. At about 7:03PM, my wife and I were sitting outside and heard a loud POP, it sounded like a car backfiring
  • Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Honda Pilot. The contact then discovered a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 67,450. Th
  • Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2012 Honda Pilot. After contacting the seller on Facebook Market Place the contact purchased the vehicle and later discovered that there was a mileage discrepan

Air Bags

  • One day my pilot 2012 suddenly started turning on and off the passenger airbag then out of the blue the airbag system light when on. Scanned it an it reads the passenger weight sensor is not communica
  • I got this car as a loan from a 3rd party dealer ship and they never told me it had a recall days after the airbag light pops up in the dashboard I took it to get service and they stated that the prob
  • The contact owns a 2012 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V661000 (Air Bags). The contact stated while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, he cras

Power Train

  • The check transmission light comes and goes. Ive had the transmission flushed with no issues. It pulls codes for the torque converter as its supposedly getting stuck per mechanic or is over heating an
  • While driving the vehicle at around 45 MPH it suffered a complete loss of power for 3-5 seconds. The dashboard lights illuminated and then the vehicle restarted without having to restart via the ignit
  • The contact owns a 2012 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered. Additionally, the contact stated that unknown warning lights were illuminated

Excerpts are anonymized owner complaints as filed with NHTSA, trimmed to 200 characters.

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