Overview & Reviews

Since its launch for the 2003 model year, the Honda Pilot has helped shape the market for crossover SUVs with three rows of seating. Offering V6 power, respectable fuel economy, a comfortable ride, plenty of interior space and seven-to-eight-passenger seating, the Pilot is exactly the kind of vehicle that appeals to growing families who are leery of traditional minivans. Other crossover SUVs might be sportier to drive or more stylish on the inside, but Honda's three-row crossover appeals to your practical side and packs in a lot of functionality.

Choosing a Pilot is straightforward, as Honda packages equipment in a few basic trim levels rather than offering countless options. Regardless of the year, all Honda Pilots give you three useful rows of seating and lots of storage slots, though early models are smaller and aren't quite as accommodating for teenagers in the third row. Cargo capacity has also increased over the years.

User Reviews:

• 

  Worst harmonics roaring noise EVER!!!!! - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Natalie McMahan - March 3 - 4:25 pm

  I was excited to get my new pilot! Then I started hearing a harmonics noise that is not pleasing to the ears when driving down the road. It is bad all over the vehicle. You can hear it at high and low speeds and also when turning. Hendricks Honda of Hickory told me it was the tires which were the oem bridgestones. So I assumed it was the problem because I believe the dealership. I took the tires off around 36,000 miles and put on a highly rated michelin tire. I still have the noise. So I took it back to the dealership and left it with them and they did not offer me a car to drive. I got it back still have the noise and they told me it is the new tires I bought!!!!!!! How do you have the same noise with 2 different brands of tires???? The dealership said I bought a tire with to ruff of tread? What? However I am not happy with the dealership or my car!!! It is annoying to buy a high end car with a big price tag! Then you end up with problems no one wants to fix or even try to help you with!!!!!! Dear Honda you need to stand behind your product and if you choose not to you will have customers like me that will never purchase one again. It is unacceptable that I paid for a new car and I feel like I am driving a piece of junk. I am driving a 2005 ford freestyle awd with 327,000k miles with michelin tires with no harmonics roaring noise and with that mileage it should be not my 2016 Honda Pilot with 37,000k miles??????/

• 

  Weird Engine noise Honda Pilot EXL - 2016 Honda Pilot
  By Vipul Joshi - March 22 - 2:31 pm

  I am an Honda lover but... My affection on Pilot 2016 EXL is slowly reducing 😒 Purchased Pilot EXL 2016 model in last March 2016 . Less than one year time some abnormal noise started from the engine ( under hood) ! It can be heard clearly when vehicle starts and slowly accelerate ( sound like helicopter !) It can not be heard while vehicle in speed above 100 kms / hour . Pilot given to Honda agency for the repair 4 days before ( got replacement rent a car from Honda) They confirmed that there is abnormal noise coming either from engine or timing belt or tensioner ( they are not sure as vehicle still under inspection/ investigation stage) As per Honda Most probably they have to order parts from Japan and will take more than two weeks time! ( also they have to get approval to order such parts) I wouldnt expect such problems in very first year from Honda Pilot !!! Am I alone to have such noise issue on Pilot 2016 or my other Piloters friends also experienced the same ? Need your feedback friends 🙏🏽 Thanks Vipul ( Honda lover) 😒

• 

  Meh - if you want no surprises and can settle.... - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By Alvin - January 4 - 7:54 pm

  Brief summary - If you want a predictable vehicle with good resale value, good safety and plenty of room, the 2009-2015 Honda Pilot is the right vehicle for you. If you want some comfort, good looks, updated design (Pilot hasnt changed much since 2009) and modern technology advances (touch screen navigation), look elsewhere. Coming from previous Honda vehicles (Accord, CRV), we almost purchased the Odyssey before settling on the Pilot. Starting with the trim levels, Honda has these pre-designated so it doesnt confuse consumers. The only way to get both navigation and factory entertainment (DVD) system was the Pilot, which had a MSRP of $42k. Note that for the "top of the line" vehicle in 2014, this thing was well behind the times. Not only has there been no major updates to this Pilot since 2009 (when the first ever Samsung Galaxy smartphone was released), it was well behind the competition. The 14 Toyota Highlander came with LEDs, adaptive cruise control, panoramic moonroof, blu-ray DVD player, heated steering wheel and the 12-speaker JBL system. The Honda Pilot came with regular lights, regular cruise control, regular moonroof, regular DVD player, regular steering wheel, and regular "premium" sound system. FOR ALMOST THE SAME PRICE ($42k Pilot Touring 4WD vs $43k Highlander Platinum AWD) The Honda is very utilitarian meaning it serves its purpose. You want a dependable vehicle that has history of few mechanical issues, good resale value, a lot of interior passenger & cargo room, it is a good vehicle. But on top of a lack of value, it actually is uncomfortable (comparably). Hard leather seats that are far from plush, very hard-plastic interior (same materials as the base Pilot LX...) covers the interior of the vehicle, and a less-than-plush ride. Took a 19 hour road trip over Thanksgiving and it was less-than-desired comfortable, though I have been in worse vehicles. The navigation is an outdated & un-intuitive input system that requires the user to use a knob and turn to the right character, one alphabet at a time...think of a rotary phone but with the whole keyboard as possible options. Also note at 15k and 30k miles, Honda recommends the rear differential fluid to be flushed (~$80-$100 per instance) which wasnt an expected maintenance item. Its in the manual. Also for those who swear by Honda reliablity, google "Honda Pilot VCM" to read through the horror stories many Pilot owners have had with their ENGINE. With the new re-designed 2016 Pilots now out, you can really get a good deal on a low-mileage late model Pilot because the new one fixes a lot of the issues a lot of the old ones have. We got a decent deal (over $4k off MSRP) when we purchased the 14 Pilot 4WD, at the time of this posting new 15 Pilot 4WD Tourings could be had around the $35k mark with all incentives which is a great deal. PLUS - Good gas mileage (23-24mpg highway is realistic) - Aside from the VCM issue, no major concerns around reliability a lot of over 100k mile Pilots still on the road - Great resale value, Honda has done a good job here - Stellar interior room middle row seats has much leg/hip room as a minivan...without being a minivan - Boxy shape means flexibility to haul a lot of cargo like oversized gifts, bicycles and such - Sound system, for being no-brand, sounds pretty decent NEGATIVE - Comfort, comfort, comfort...almost 2 years into ownership, the seats havent gotten any better. - Cheap-ish interior material the fact the leather stains so easily to the very hard plastic that covers the interior of the vehicle from the dash to the door panels, even in the "top of the line" trim is disappointing - Less than plush ride, especially compared to the 14 Pathfinder, 14 Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon, 14 Highlander, 14 Enclave/Traverse/Acadia and even the 14 Durango - Old design, this thing hasnt been refreshed since 2009 when almost all its competitors have come with something new Would I do it again? Absolutely not. Do I regret it? Not really, I am confident this vehicle will run for a long time to come and hold its value respectably. But when you itch to trade the car in almost every month because making car payments on a car that you "settle for", it isnt a good feeling.

• 

  Bought With Some Reservations - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By Mike - December 15 - 1:22 pm

  I will preface my remarks by saying that I got a great deal on a left-over 2013 model so I am not overly disappointed with this purchase. With that being said, the engineering that went into designing the cargo area with either row of back seats down is horrible. The cargo area has a terrible backward slope resulting in anything you stow ending up at the lift-gate. The road and wind noise are excessive, overall outward vision is poor, oil change cost is expensive with the 0w-20 oil requirement, and the electronic gadgetry lags behind other like-level vehicles. And finally, at 14,000 miles the left front inner CV boot self-destructed resulting in a new driveshaft and bearings. I do like the power lift-gate, the back-up camera, storage slots and cubby holes, and the center front console is cavernous. I hate to say it but, with the exception of better gas mileage, I sometimes miss my 1999 Isuzu Trooper LS.

• 

  Serious ECO Issues *** Do Not Buy *** - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By Michael - September 28 - 8:49 pm

  I purchased a 2013 Pilot Touring 2WD fully loaded and noticed hesitation when the vehicle is in ECO mode. The dealer is aware of the problem but says there is no fix for the problem. My problems started at 3000 miles. The problem really occurs when in ECO mode going up hill. When the stuttering/hesitation starts you will feel as though you are on a rodeo bull. In addition, I notice serious front-end shaking with no evident cause. I though I was the only person, but when Googled I discovery many pilot owners experiencing the same issues. See the links below. http://www.piloteers.org/forums/14-problems/33382-2013-pilot-constant-eco-vibration.html http://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Pilot/2013/drivetrain/power_train.shtml Sincerely, Michael

• 

  Honda pilot 2015 - 2015 Honda Pilot
  By abraham - August 19 - 9:21 pm

  This is the first time I bought Honda vehicle and this will be the last and I will not buy any more Honda vehicles . The brake system is not good and slow pick up and cheap interior . My other vehicles are Toyota when I compare this pilot with my other vehicles I felt toyota vehicles are much more precise and responsive.

• 

  2009 Honda Pilot Review - 2009 Honda Pilot
  By captainbull - June 22 - 9:02 am

  We bought our 2009 Honda Pilot as new from a Honda dealership here are our assessments: 1. Cheap interior design. Cheap plastic and adhesive. The "skin" for the club compartment peels off easy. 2. Cheap glasses. Just one little hit of a little rock the windshield just cracked. Its so thin. 3. Noisy driving (windows not tight seal). 4. Cheap paint (scratch easy) 5. Incorrect gas mileage (they lied) we only get 18MPG on HW and 16MPG city. 6. Stupid trailer light system design. They just want their dealers to make extra cash (so many steps to install it) and the kit cost over $200!) 7. Only one key entry from driver side. 8. Windshield wiper fluid pump failed to early.

• 

  horrible noise from front passenger side - 2015 Honda Pilot
  By suzannened - June 9 - 3:52 pm

  the dealership and Honda reps have tries to fix this noise 3-4 times and it still is occurring. Last time they reset the computer hoping that would help...really! Aside from this nightmare,the car is roomy but cup holders for the driver should be switched so the retractable cover on the console doesnt have to open all the way. The Dvd player should be a larger screen as there are 5 passengers trying to view it. Windshield wiper in the back window is loud when turned off and sets back in the holder. Yes all minor issues compared to the squeaking noise up front. Would I buy Honda again, probably not. (sad since have bought 3 hondas so far).

• 

  Honda pilot SE - 2015 Honda Pilot
  By trickyfl - May 29 - 9:28 am

  Since day one i took it back next day has a dangerous problem hestates when you lease expect it. sitting a light go to take off it like someone hits the brakes. taken it in twice they say nothing is wrong. one day im gonna pull out and im gonna get hit. ASk a friend who use to be machanic at honda now head mechanic at acura , he said it was transmission, not getting right info from computer .he decribed it perfect told that to honda goes in one ear and out the other. i traded a perfect honda 2011 pilot in for this . i want that one back. HOnda service has not done anything helpful . as soon as i can afford to get rid of this i will.

• 

  Drivetrain shutters at cruise speed - 2012 Honda Pilot
  By alesper - February 28 - 10:34 pm

  Maybe if enough people complain about the transmission shuttering at cruise speed on Honda, they will recall and fix. My wifes 2012 Pilot shutters. Her 2006 CRV did it worse. And, it got worse as it got older. Luckily, she automatically trades in at 4 years. The 2003 CRV was perfect, wish she had not ever traded it.