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:

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  hesitation - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By Don Wagner - December 16 - 12:30 pm

  This Honda model has a terrible hesitation problem. Often it will quit running and let you sitting in the middle of an intersection, and sometimes it just quits running altogether. I had to have towed to the dealer recently and after having the vehicle two days thet told me it had a bug, the size of a gnat in the air/fuel mixture chamber. Told me it was repaired, but it still has the same problem.

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  love after 10 years - 2005 Honda Pilot
  By lena - October 19 - 9:18 pm

  I had times with 13 mpg in the city traffic holdups. So prepare to pay for gas. Reliable, but dealer maintenance prices are $500-650 after a few years.

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  Little less than 20k and many electrical problems - 2015 Honda Pilot
  By New Piloteer - October 7 - 2:11 am

  At less than 20k miles - Driver power seat only moves back and forth plus lumbar support, up/down and recline stopped working - just found out today Passenger side up/down stopped working- just found out today glass hatch stopped working (door button/remote/button on the rear door)- fixed by dealer 3-zone climate control stopped displaying the setting status on the middle display. The rear still works fine. - waiting on dealer ordered parts The car is pretty loud on highway, but nice in town and city express ways. Its bulky but relatively easy to maneuver because of its tight turning angle and responsive steering. This car wont win any drag race but the target buyers wouldnt care about it either. It has enough power with the responsive transmission to easily move around the towns and cities. Tried the 2016 Subaru Forester and 2015 CR-V, but are much smaller with adequate power. But the CVT they have making the acceleration hectic and less predictable, which is horrible on stop and go city traffic, or making left turn on intersections. The MPG figure as pointed out by so many already, not very green or Honda like (CR-V come to mind). But theres nothing new here, even the 2016 new Pilot is still horrible in this department. If you care about MPG, this is not your car for sure. The main drawing power for me is the square boxy look and feel (while driving) of the yester-year. Its truck-like road manner matches the look as well. This is what my family happens to appreciate - the quiet and smoother and longer mini vans and Mazda CX 9/Highlanders give them sea sickness. Also, I found the Pilot easier to handle on highway than Toyota Highlander and Camry. The Toyotas are bit over sensitive to steering and make driving it a bit nervous on crowded multi-lane highways. Pilot somehow feels more stable in similar situations, as clumsy and boxy as it is. As for alternatives, the 4-runner is less practical for our purposes, too expensive and we are not into off-road. The GMC/Ford/Chevy are much bigger than we need and more expensive as well, with questionable reliability (had many Americans in the past to prove my doubts). But, the recent sleuth of electric problems on the Pilot makes me wonder about Hondas reliability. I do hope that these problems are just my one time bad luck and things will be rosy from here. I am holding my breath with fingers crossed...

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  rotor problem - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By scott - October 6 - 12:23 pm

  Im generally happy with my pilot but Im miffed currently. This summer the truck started to vibrate while braking on the highway. A quick Internet search found many complaints of warped front rotors at low mileage. Hondas position is that repair isnt covered under the warranty. The dealer charged $180 to cut the front rotors. Honda should do right by its customers and issue a recall to cover these defective parts.

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  Started off trouble-free, but... - 2007 Honda Pilot
  By krazykarguy - October 6 - 8:55 am

  We purchased this car in 2010 with 55k miles. We were shopping for a lower-end EX or even an LX, but the wife didnt like the colors of the other Pilots on the lot that were EX/LX. We ended up with the [more expensive] EX-L because of the color. The car was initially operated in RI, and we used it in VT. It was involved in an accident that showed up on CarFax prior to our ownership (which was disclosed by the dealer), but was repaired to a high level, so I was OK with the purchase. We expected a growing family, so we wanted a larger vehicle, with high safety ratings, and large cargo capacity. We also wanted to tow a pop-up camper with it in the future. AWD was a must because of the snow that was expected annually in Vermont. We quickly noticed that the Pilot was a great long-distance cruiser, and very comfortable to boot. The engine was a little overwhelmed at times due to the large bulk of the Pilot, but overall was up to the task. Fuel economy was around 18-19 mpg all the time - maybe 20 on the highway if you were really gentle. AWD was great in the snow, especially with a set of snow tires (a prerequisite for VT winter driving). Towing, however, was another matter. Hills were to be feared, and the engine was over-taxed, all the time. Acceleration with a 1,700 lb trailer was unacceptable. The brakes always seemed to be soft and not incredibly powerful, pedal pressure seemed not in line with braking power. This, of course, was amplified while towing. Also worth noting - when adding a tow hitch - be certain to clean the threads on the RH side before attempting to install the bolts - if the bolts get bound up, then you have a high likelyhood of breaking the welded capture nut loose on the inside of the frame rail. To correct this issue requires removal of the entire 2nd and 3rd row of the interior, and making a 3" hole in the cargo area floor to access the loose nut. Maintenance was relatively simple, and the minder on the dash made it easy to keep track of. I performed all of the maintenance on the car, and my only complaint was that when the oil filter was removed, the oil would drain on the front subframe, making a mess. All other maintenance (including the timing belt/water pump at 105k) was straightforward and uncomplicated. I did NOT like needing to replace the rear VTM-4 differential fluid every 15k miles, though... that seemed really excessive - especially since it requires a GALLON of Honda fluid at $40 a gallon. Now, on to the problems: 1.) While every car in Vermont will develop rust from the salt eventually, the Pilot did a relatively decent job at resisting it. When we finally traded it in, the underbody was pretty clean for a VT car. However, the door moldings retained dirt, sand, and filth really badly, and I dont want to know what the steel doors looked like underneath. 2.) June, 2014 - At about 120k, the lower portion of the right rear knuckle on the car fractured, leaving the lower mount of the shock dangling in place. Had I not noticed it immediately, it would have cut the tire. Honda did not have a single replacement part anywhere in the country, and I was forced to replace it with a used component. The replacement of that component required removal of all of the suspension and brakes in that corner of the car and a $900 repair bill. Keep in mind that this is a cast-iron part, and should be good for the life of any vehicle. 3.) November, 2014 - At 130k, the power steering rack began to leak badly, despite two proper fluid maintenance services having been performed since 2010. Replacement of this component is also excessively labor intensive - requiring 15 hours of labor to remove. I was not happy about this. This was a $1700 repair. 4.) January, 2015 - The final nail in the coffin for the Pilot was that the rear differential began to howl at any speed above 35-40 mph. This was despite the fact that the fluid changes had been performed regularly, with the expensive Honda fluid. Research showed that this would be a $1000-$1500 repair, with a used differential. We got rid of it for a 2011 Kia Sorento SX.

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  Great vehicle but discovering some flaws - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By Shree - August 5 - 7:49 pm

  The size and Honda reliability are what drew me to the Pilot. Ive owned it a little over a year and Im still pleased but have a few issues. The drivers side sun visor is drooping and after some research it appears this is common with numerous Honda models. The MPGs are about 19 not what Honda rated. Theres a clip on the back of the middle seat that pops off. Not thinking its good for whatever reason it was put there if it pops out when someone is in the seat. Otherwise, the size, storage, features and drivability of the SUV are great. I enjoy driving it!

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  Great vehicle for the price! - 2015 Honda Pilot
  By Dave - July 28 - 2:51 pm

  Overall, I love this car. I wasnt too thrilled the first week. The VCM (variable cylinder management) system is kinda clunky and going from a smooth CVT to this led me to believe I was having transmission issues. This is not the smoothest SUV. It does great in every other gear but when I hit 20mph and downshift into 1st gear (I believe) there is an audible clunk that you can feel. It was a little annoying but only because I previously owned a Ford Explorer with tranny issues that started similarly to this. After taking it in to be looked at, it was explained to me that this is normal. With the car constantly turning off and on 3 cylinders, it does make the ride "less smooth" but you get better fuel economy in exchange. I will say that its a great highway cruiser with lots of nooks, crannies and cargo space. The A/C blows cold as soon as you start it up! (Even in the hot VA summer.) I love the interior of the new pilot. Its a huge step up. The interior is a little dated. I wouldve waited a couple weeks and bought a 2016 but I dont want a mini van. Which is what all new SUVs look like nowadays. I had to choose between interior aesthetics or exterior aesthetics and I chose exterior. I want my SUV to look like a SUV. Not a mini van. So, I chose the 2015 instead and got the square body SUV I know and love, but at the price of a dated interior. I do love this car. Aside from the VCM, I will say braking distance is poor, but its s great vehicle overall. If the 2016 Pilot kept the same body style but updated the interior to what it is now, I wouldve bought a 2016 in a second. This looks like the last true SUV in the market Ill ever be able to afford. I turned down a 2015 Pathfinder strictly due to the mini van design. Had the pathfinder kept true to its SUV design, Id be the owner of one right now. I understand gas mileage is important. Especially this day and age. But, me personally... Id rather sacrifice a few mpg and have a real SUV, not a minivanified SUV. Overall a great car. It has it quirks but its super reliable and super comfortable and looks like a real SUV. What more could you ask for. Id give it a solid B+ overall. Now is the time to buy a 2015 Pilot. With the new 2016, lots of dealerships are offering their 2015 models far below invoice price. The pilot has always been outside of my budget, but the 2016 Pilots new designed changed that for me and allowed me to buy a car I could never afford. Thats the only thing I like about the 2016 Pilot.

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  Sales Rep car - 2014 Honda Pilot
  By Mark - July 10 - 10:01 pm

  Transmission seems weak, shifts goofy. Wandered around when new, Honda said the ball joints needed to seat. Blows around in the wind. Like the rear camera. Front seats are small. MPG is okay. Never over 24. Seats stained from spilled water?

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  New 2015 Pilot - Love the car but lost confidence in it & Honda - 2015 Honda Pilot
  By jmcinpa - June 5 - 4:55 pm

  May 22nd I Traded in my perfectly working 2011 Element because it had Takata airbags ( which Honda never notified me of ) and couldnt afford to have the replacement complicate my drive out west in August.. I traded for a brand new 2015 Pilot EX with 7 miles on it. Drove the Pilot home that evening. May 23rd I drove the Pilot a few places May 24th Drove Early in the evening I went to move the Pilot and it wouldnt start. Tried many times to start it and it wouldnt start. We put the trickle charger on it overnight. May 25th It started in the morning and I drove to Agway. I shopped at Agway for about 20 minutes and the 2015 Pilot wouldnt start. Cont- in Favorite Features

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  bad year for pilots - 2004 Honda Pilot
  By pilotfixer1 - May 26 - 6:01 pm

  If you have a chance to buy another make of small SUV you will be money ahead to go with that make. We have had nothing but trouble with this vehicle from the doors locking while charging the A/C, to when the battery is going bad the oil light comes on and the oil level and pressure is fine, to the ignition not accepting the key that I have been using for the last 3 years, to the transmission making a rumbling noise if the oil is not changed every 10,000 miles (the manual recommends every 30,000 miles). Not to mention the huge problem with mice getting into the interior of this vehicle. And these are just the major problems. And we have only owned it for 3.5 years.