2012 HONDA PILOT — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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 and throwing the code. It does not drive rough and I believe it is a faulty code that needs to be addressed and updated and cleared. Ive had it cleared out once and it stayed off for a whole month. The light and blinking D doesn't come on all the time or in patterns so that also tells me it isn't a transmission issue or it would be on more frequently and consistently. To where when mine comes on and then I shut my car off for an hour it stays off for quite some time. This really needs to be addressed instead of causing car owners unnecessary costs for diagnostic purposes through a Honda dealer which costs 100.00 or more or even them putting in a complete new transmission.

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 and throwing the code. It does not drive rough and I believe it is a faulty code that needs to be addressed and updated and cleared. Ive had it cleared out once and it stayed off for a whole month. The light and blinking D doesn't come on all the time or in patterns so that also tells me it isn't a transmission issue or it would be on more frequently and consistently. To where when mine comes on and then I shut my car off for an hour it stays off for quite some time. This really needs to be addressed instead of causing car owners unnecessary costs for diagnostic purposes through a Honda dealer which costs 100.00 or more or even them putting in a complete new transmission.

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. The contact stated that at the time of retrieving a Carfax report, it was discovered that the mileage was 140,000.

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 discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the odometer mileage reading was 94,397. After obtaining a Vehicle Carfax, the mileage listed for the vehicle was 204,943.

My 2012 Honda Pilot is experiencing the same engine defect that Honda acknowledged in later model years (2013–2015) and issued recalls/extended warranty coverage for. The defect involves the Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) system causing excessive oil consumption, spark plug fouling, cylinder misfire, rough idle, fuel odor, and drivability issues that create an unsafe driving condition. I brought the vehicle to a Honda dealership in 2023 due to rough idle and a strong fuel smell — symptoms consistent with Technical Service Bulletin 13-082 for misfire and piston ring failure in 2009–2013 Honda Pilots. The dealer did not repair the issue or disclose that this matched a known defect. The vehicle now exhibits severe engine performance issues that pose a safety risk, including hesitation, engine shuddering, loss of power during acceleration, and strong fuel odor that may indicate improper combustion. Honda has issued recalls and warranty extensions for the identical defect on 2013 and newer Honda Pilot models with the same 3.5L V6 VCM engine but refuses to repair or acknowledge the defect for my 2012 Pilot, even though it uses the same engine architecture and has the same symptoms. This discrepancy indicates a potential gap in recall coverage that leaves owners of 2012 Pilots with a known safety-related defect unprotected. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate why the 2012 Pilot was excluded, despite identical engine design and failure patterns.