2018 HONDA PILOT Power Train Problems

This 2018 Honda Pilot has been taken to mechanic after a number of check engine and other dash lights came on while trying to accelerate to merge with freeway traffic. Mechanic pulled a P0369 code and I paid for replacement of the cam shaft sensor. Problems continued shortly after work and mechanic conducted further inspections and determined the sensor had been worn by a walking camshaft. There are hundreds of these same complaints posted on the web by angry customers dating back over 5 years yet no recall. The car will unexpectedly lose power at any time and shudder and will not accelerate with difficulty steering when all the engine lights start flashing. With luck, you can pull over to side of road. Repair is over $3500 after spending a lot of money already replacing the camshaft sensor which didn't fix the problem.

I have taken this vehicle into the Honda dealership on five separate occasions to report a power transfer problem. I first visited the Honda dealership to report this problem on 9/2024. It hasn't been until my most recent visit on 12/18/25, that a customer service representative told me that my vehicle needed a new torque converter. It is available for inspection upon request. The first occasion when the vehicle caused a safety issue, we were preparing to make a left hand turn and the car jerked, the dash lights flashed, and the vehicle completely turned off. This was in the summer of 2024. We have had many smaller incidents leading up to this first occurrence but they haven't resulted in the vehicle completely shutting off. Most of the power transfer problems occur when we first back out of the driveway, put the car into drive, press down on the gas...

Issue with Power Train caused car to go into limp/survival mode. Dealer found issue with power train sensor Code, error PO 369 CMP Sensor Interruption CMP Sensor Damaged. Mileage on care was 73,048. Had to replace power train at approx $ 3,646.00.

This car has had numerous transmission issues and a documented torque converter failure. Honda extended the warranty for 2018 pilots with these failures but did not include our vin number even though it’s the sane problem. They are refusing to fix it. This is a widespread issue and they are refusing to help us even though there are known manufacturing problems. The dealer hid this problem from us before the sale even though the code was documented in their system in Dec 2024 and we bought in May of 2025 reassured that it was a great car. Dealer refusing to fix it even with these records and hiding this from us and Honda corporate doesn’t care and said they only have to fix the ones that have certain vin numbers even though it’s the same problem and systemic. Rotten crooks endangering our family and ripping us off!

While accelerating to merge onto the highway at 40-50 mph, the ~50K mile engine lost power and began to abruptly decelerate. All warning lights came on. The car was taken to the dealership where we were informed that the camshaft broke. Fortunately we were not struck or involved in an accident because of this but it was very dangerous and we were very lucky. There were not any warning indicators before this incident, but the car was taken to the dealership recently for a torque converter replacement per a recall. I am unsure if this repair contributed to excessive play that could have caused the camshaft failure.

I am filing this complaint because Honda has acknowledged a torque converter defect in Service Bulletin 23-078 (dated August 31, 2023), which applies to 2017–2019 Pilots and Ridgelines equipped with the 6-speed automatic transmission. The bulletin states that certain torque converters may have been manufactured outside proper specifications, causing cracks in the lock-up piston, pressure bleed-down, and eventual loss of clutch capacity. This failure is associated with diagnostic trouble code P0741 (“Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance / Stuck OFF”) and can result in shuddering, hesitation, loss of power during acceleration, or sudden and irregular transmission behavior — all of which create safety risks in traffic, merging, or highway conditions. My 2018 Honda Pilot meets all the published eligibility criteria: it is within 8 years of the original service date, has fewer than 150,000 miles, and has stored the DTC P0741. Despite this, both my dealership and Honda America have denied...

Driving to work on the freeway, all of a sudden acceleration stopped. Pulled over as warning lights came on due to transmission. Additionally, the check engine light appears randomly due to emission and also the “AWD” light comes on. Within a few days or even weeks it turns off. This has been on and off since we purchased the vehicle from CarMax.

I came to a stop at a red light on a busy street. Vehicle turned off due to autorignite feature. When light turned green it no longer would turn the engine on in order to go. All my lights turned on, I couldn't put the car in drive. I couldn't put in neutral, reverse or any feature. It wouldn't allow me to do anything but put the hazards on. It had happened to me 3 times since the same exact way. Only way to get it to go in drive is by turning the vehicle off completely, if it let's you. Then once it is off, starting it and going about your day. Codes do not register as I have taken to dealership before and they say it would note it but it doesn't and have refused to repair under the warranty. It also has an acceleration and deceleration issue...

Leaking front shock, front differential, and transmission

Transmission hesitates upon acceleration from a stop, intermittently. Yes, available for inspection upon request. When pulling out into traffic it will roll out and then no response...catastrophic results if taking a left turn or pulling on to highway. The transmission will then jerk abruptly when more gas is added while you are trying desperately to get going. No, they deny it every time...at one point they reset the block learn saying it was the way we were driving. Inspected by dealership. CEL comes on with various warning messages and tech confirmed customer concern and scanned for codes. Codes were misfires on 4,5,6...and random. changed injectors etc. under extended warranty... The hesitation from stop has occured many times

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the transmission warning light illuminated while driving above 70 MPH on the highway. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the warranty was extended but was declined due to the vehicle having a Salvage Title and a Rebuilt Title. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

There is a popping noise when turning and hitting bumps and a slight clicking noise when driving. I am very unsure as to where the issue is coming from (CB axle, steering rack, ball joints, bushings, some say welds or loose bolts). I see many people online talking about this issue online. It needs to be addressed

- Received error when driving that stated "Transmission System Problem." - Took into a service shop and the code P0741 was confirmed as the error. - Took to Honda Service repair, they confirmed the issue with the Torque Converter that needed to be replaced - Proceeded with the repairs at Honda (replacement of torque converter and replacement of 2 studs on catalytic converter that broke during their replacement of torque converter) - Informed there is a Warranty Extension for my Year/Make/Model on this torque converter as it has a known issue, however my VIN is not currently included in the Warranty Extension. My vehicle is in great condition with low mileage (approx 85K miles at time of repair), so I believe given the circumstances my VIN should be included in the Warranty Extension that currently exists for other VINs in my same Year/Make/Model as there was clearly a defect/issue with...

I have had a recall that the dealer has renegged on helping me with. About a couple of years ago we scheduled appointments, we missed work, showed up at the appointments for our two cars, only to be told that the parts are on back order. We keep getting the same response over and over. The last time I called a couple of weeks ago, the service department hung up on me. I called back and asked to have the Service Manager call me. He did not return my call. I have left message for the general manager, and he has NOT returned my calls. I need my recall remedied. My vehicle sometimes hesitates to start and has acceleration issues.

There is an auto start/stop feature on my 2018 Honda Pilot. I’ve owned it new since July 2018. My wife and I have experienced the same issue both together and separately. The auto stop feature will engage with the break depressed, but the auto start function will not always engage when the break is released. This has left us stranded in the middle of intersections in the middle of left turns with oncoming traffic driving around us, stalled on the freeway with cars whizzing by us at 70+ MPH blocking the fast lane, blocking congested one lane roads with no recourse for drivers behinds to get around us, etc. This feature stops the engine but periodically does not allow it to turn back on. With the engine stopped by this feature, but not shifted to park/ neutral, pressing the ignition start/ stop button does nothing. Shifting to park, and pressing...

My transmission failed although it was scanned a few weeks earlier indicating no issues with the transmission. I was lucky that the car failed once I stopped and wouldn't shift back into gear however it could have failed while driving. The car was driving fine and was slightly slow to engage, but I believe that was due to the fuel pump recall, which I could not have fixed because of a shortage of parts. My concern is that the transmission would have failed during my trip while driving over the mountains. It would have been really dangerous. There appear to be problems with the transmission in the 2018 Honda Pilots.

Transmission failed suddenly while on the highway. Engine light came on, and could not shift above first gear. Took to the Honda dealership where we purchased the vehicle (purchased new in 2018) and was told transmission failed and needed to be replaced. This is a 2018 Honda Pilot with only 35,000 miles on it with all routine maintenance done.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing engine hesitation while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission fluid and the coolant were flushed. The contact was charged a service fee; however, the failure recurred while driving. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH on the third lane of an interstate with her children in the car seats in the rear seats, the vehicle made an abnormal clunking sound. The vehicle decelerated to 35 MPH abruptly, causing the driver's and passengers' seat belts to retract. The contact immediately depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to exceed 40 MPH, nearly causing a crash. The contact activated the hazard lights and drove...

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and hesitating with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 64,000.

In regards to TSB 23-078 Honda states that my VIN does not meet the parameters for service even though the dealer service techs are stating this is the issue. Since it is not a recall there is nothing they can do but recommend what the service dept wants to do, which is temporarily fix the problem. Which is bring the vehicle in for a transmission service every 20000 to 30000 mile for service at a cost of $500-600 to me. Which is less than half of the recommended interval. They have been treating the transmission with an additive up until this point.

The components of my vehicle that were affected is from the power train and emissions.Honda issued an TSB on August 2023 for this. The warning light on my vehicle is now illuminated. I have a DTC code P0471 stored on my vehicles computer and can no longer pass a smog chech without the problem being repaired. This issue has impacted my vehicles torque converter. When I drive at high speeds my car shakes and I get a warning that says transmission system problem. Also the transmission slips and has poor fuel mileage. Honda extended the warranty for this part because it is prone to failure. My vehicle was diagnosed at Gardena Honda on Sep 4,2024. The service advisers confirmed that my vehicle has the issue that the warranty was extended on. However, due to my vehicle having a salvage title they will not honor that warranty. This issue should have...

While driving my 2018 Honda Pilot I stopped in an intersection to make a turn and when I came to a complete stop my vehicle stopped running. Assuming it was the auto start/stop I released the brake and attempted to accelerate to complete my turn the vehicle failed to re-start and shuttered / stalled. I then could not get my vehicle to restart and had multiple warnings on my dash along with check engine light being lit. 1 of the errors showed "Emissions System Problem" as well as "Move vehicle to side of road and park". I could not get the vehicle to do anything even though it was already in parked from stalling out. I had to press Start/Stop button to turn my vehicle off completely for approx. 2 minutes and then was able to get vehicle restarted and then shifted to Drive to clear intersection. This has happened...

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the message stated that the transmission was overheating was displayed. The contact pulled over to the nearest exit to park the vehicle and allowed the engine to cool off. The contact then continued to drive; however, the message displayed after driving for a while, caused the contact to pull over and allow the engine to cool off again. The failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to East Coast Honda (8756A US Highway 17 Bypass South, Myrtle Beach, SC 29588); where it was diagnosed and determined that the rotors needed to be replaced and the transmission...

Sitting stopped at a red light. These messages with the check engine light start scrolling on the dashboard: TSA, Emissions system problem, stability control, EPS, etc. it kept changing. When trying to go in drive to he engine had reduced power and I had to get out of the intersection quickly. The code to show up when scanned was P0369 camshaft sensor. Had the vehicle towed to Honda dealership to find out that other pilots in my same year model have this issue but my specific VIN was not included in the recall LVM or the service bulletin 19-045 even though the same year model is included.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated while responding. Additionally, the power train warning light was illuminated intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the fuel injectors were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

my car is 2018 with 54k mile .now the car has check engine light on . the code is P0430 . this code relate with fuel pump recall . i went to Honda dealer at Fremont but they said . they need to back order part . but my car now has a problem could not pass smog . please could you help to us how to do . Thank you so much .

I have been waiting since March for the fuel pump recall replacement and am now experiencing transmission issues. Vehicle lurching repeatedly and all light indicators came on. Honda is recommending replacement of cam shaft, thrust cover, and position sensor but still has yet to replace fuel pump recall. Vehicle only has 68k miles on it and has all required maintenance completed at dealer.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent at first but had started to become a recurring failure. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she was no longer driving the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 23-078 torque converter lock-up clutch (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

“Transmission system problem” message is displayed. Vehicle still runs fine, but reverse camera becomes disabled.

for months Honda dealer has not yet resolved the two recalls indicating parts and instructions from Honda are not availalbe. Thus, the dealer is unable to resolve the recalls. This has been going on for months and is unacceptable. When the NHTSA issues a recall, why can't consumers get their recalls fixed ?

Shortly after 60k warranty expired, check engine light came on. We went to dealer right away and were told the torque converter needed to be replaced to prevent permanent damage. The repair was quoted at over $2000.00. We left the car with service and contacted Honda corporate. They paid half, but still left us with bill over $1000.00. I have heard of this issue with other 2018 Pilots. We had the repair done and have not had any other problems, but we were told that, if this became a recall in the future, we could get our money back. There needs to be a recall done for torque converters on 2018 Pilots. Thank you.

I own a 2018 Honda Pilot (VIN number ending in [XXX] ) which was purchased from Perfection Honda on July 14, 2018. I am the only owner of the car and have taken the car to the dealer for all required maintenance services at the recommended time intervals. The car began stuttering after a stop on [XXX]. I took the car immediately to Perfection Honda and they stated that the issue was the front engine mount despite my concerns about the transmission. They replaced the front engine mount and flushed the transmission fluid and returned the car to me on [XXX]. The car had the same issue on [XXX] and I had to return the car to the dealer. Approximately one week later they stated that there was no issue and returned the car to me. On [XXX] the car had the same issue and had to be towed to...

Transmission is jumping between first and second gear randomly.

The transmission does not transmit consistent power to the wheels to ensure the car moves forward at consistent speed. This intermittent transmission of power to the tires causes a safety concern when driving, especially during a rainfall with stop and go traffic or when joining roads. The car is unresponsive or very slow to respond when moving forward from a stop position. Any attempt to force the car to move results in a lunge or aggressive acceleration which usually causes the tires to screech. The unnatural acceleration results in forward motion not consistent with the flow of traffic. This issue is further compounded when there is rainfall with a little slop. Any forward motion results in the tires screeching forcing the driver to take his/her foot off the accelerator. This results in a stop and go situation which is confusing to other drivers especially when joining a road.

Purchased and next day warning light came on for transmission problem. Took it to Honda and was told it was the torque converter. This part is on back order due to multiple installs on other Honda’s.

Failed Torque converter at 80, 000 miles leading to dangerous underperformance

While stopped at an intersection, the vehicle's Auto Start/Stop technology engaged. When driver attempted to drive, the Auto Start/Stop wouldn't disengage, as a result the car would not start. The vehicle prompted the driver to put the car in park and push the ignition button to start the car, however nothing happened, meaning the car would not start. After about 2 minutes, the car was able to start and the driver was able to continue driving. An immobilized vehicle at an intersection put its passengers at risk, including 2 children under the age of 3. Dealer will be notified of this occurrence.

Powertrain: The transmission has problems engaging, where I have had several near misses due tot he car not moving in the delay of the transmission engaging. This has been going on for some time and the dealer tells me there is nothing wrong, that it is a special transmission and I need to get used to the shifting mode. I have 36,300 miles and have complained several times over the past five years, this is a real safety issue since the car will not move and when it dose it lunges forcefully. Idle shut-off: the engine shuts off and will not restart, it has also shut-off on the freeway at random times.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while approaching a stop, the contact attempted to accelerate however, there was a delay in responding. The contact stated that after a while the vehicle accelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who admitted knowledge of similar failures. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 10,000. The consumer stated the vehicle now has 52k and still exhibits the 2-3 second hesitation when depressing the accelerator. The contact stated the vehicle has started to roll backwards on a hill. The vehicle has just less than 60k miles and has always been serviced by a dealership.

When the idle stop feature is active the vehicle can stop, ceasing all functions, including steering and engine. The entire electrical system does not function, and the vehicle cannot be restarted. In order to restart the vehicle you are required to jumpstart the vehicle. This issue was not common during early ownership of vehicle, but has become more frequent with age. This is a safety issue as the vehicle can become inoperable in busy intersections.

Today my 2018 Pilot EX-L suddenly started displaying these warnings: - Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) Problem - Hill Start Assist Problem - Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) Problem - Power Steering System (EPS) Problem Looking at Honda Pilot Forums, it seems like it is a very common problem and has to do with Fuel Injectors as described by: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2021/MC-10187289-0001.pdf Many people have complained of this issue, here is one such blog of many many more: https://www.piloteers.org/threads/multiple-warning-lights.127665/ This should be a recall and not just an extension of warranty which shifts the burden of proof to the consumer. Please help Honda honor this warranty for my 4 year old pilot with only 47,463 miles on it.

I was stopped at a red light, the engine cycled down because of the environmentally friendly option. My foot was on the break. The transmission shifted to neutral and turned orange. I could not get it to shift back to Drive. I had to turn the car off and restart it. At that point I was able to put it in drive and move the car. This was very dangerous because I was on a busy highway and could have been rear ended by a driver not noticing the car was stopped and off.

Vehicle will randomly stall after the auto stop-start has kicked in. Car starts then stalls immediately in the middle of an intersection. Shift selector would switch to neutral when this happened requiring the driver to shift into drive even further delaying the ability to get out of traffic. Have since had to replace the shifter switch (PRNDL) to the tune of $750 and have the same random problem. My wife wants to get rid of this car as she afraid to drive it.

On multiple occasions the idle stop feature will engage and upon re-engage it will stall my vehicle. When I place the vehicle in park, press the brake and press the ignition start, nothing happens. Upon multiple attempts to restart the car it will either do nothing or making a chug without restarting. Continuing my attempts to restart the vehicle it will finally restart. During these times I will be stalled at a stop sign or traffic light with impatient drivers going around me. All the dashboard lights come on. I have taken it to the dealership, they stated they couldn’t duplicate the problem. This is unsafe for motorists or pedestrians. If this happens while I'm in an intersection or other location with moving traffic it could be very unsafe for myself, other motorists and/or pedestrians.

Was in the middle of an intersection and pressed the button to turn off Engine Idle Mode as I have had instances where it was very slow to go when this mode is on and it delays getting out of the way of other drivers. When I pressed the Idle Off button - the car “shut down” and went into neutral. I could not get it out of neutral. Pressed D, R, P. Multiple times. Didn’t work. Had to press the turn off car button twice to turn off car then it finally restarted. I was stranded in the intersection and almost got hit by several cars. Once it started I pulled into a gas station and the radio stopped working. I turned off the car and restarted. Then the engine wasn’t shifting properly. Shut off the car again and went to the dealer. Dealer ran diagnostics and couldn’t find...

While driving, the transmission would not gear up to any higher gears and could only drive 40mph with 3000+ RPMS. The MIL lights showed "Check Engine," "Emissions System Problem," "Transmission System Problem," and "Blind Spot Info System Problem," all at once. When pressing the "P" button for Park, it did not always want to engage in Park. The engine would sometime stutter on acceleration. The "P" and "D" for Park and Driver on the MIL would constantly blink. This action placed the driver and occupants at risk of injury because of the stutter and slow speeds on the highway. Also, when the "Park" button did not engage, the car was at risk of rolling into person or property. Currently, service has been scheduled for the dealership to diagnose the issue. There were no warning signs prior to all of these warning lights showing up all at once.

This has happened to me about 10 times in this vehicle: I am at a stoplight or stopsign and my "Idle-Stop" system in the Honda shuts down my engine and then when my foot comes off the brake it does not restart like it is supposed to leaving me stranded in the middle of traffic with a non moving vehicle. I think this is extremely dangerous and I am scared this will cause a terrible accident if not fixed. The only way the engine restarts is after about 30 seconds to a minute it finally is able to power back on. Please have Honda issue a recall for this issue.

On multiple occasions over the past month or so, my wife has experienced engine issues associated with what we believe is the Auto Start/Stop function on our 2018 Honda Pilot (Touring Edition). Upon coming to a complete stop, the Auto Stop function disables the engine. Upon releasing the brake, the system is supposed to restart the engine. However, on at least five occasions the engine has not restarted, and it has required her to turn the vehicle off and completely restart it as if starting from cold. This has occurred at stop lights, which obviously could cause safety issues/implications. On at least a couple of the occasions, she had to attempt to restart the vehicle multiple times by applying the brakes and pressing the main start/stop button). I frequently drive the vehicle and always turn off the Auto Start/Stop function. I have never run into these issues whatsoever. The vehicle...

When vehicle comes to a stop, vehicle start/stop feature engages, then vehicle stalls. Vehicle then indicates that it should be shifter into park before it can be re-started. This has happened numerous times. Vehicle was brought into dealer, they are aware an investigation is underway with Honda but had no known solution besides updating the main computer program. They also recommended replacing the batter which tested ok. The fact that the vehicle stalls when you come to a stop is a very big safety concern.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving in stop-and-go traffic, the vehicle would engage the engine STOP/START fuel-saving feature while stopped. The contact stated that whenever she depressed the accelerator pedal the message "Place Vehicle in Park" displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact attempted to start the vehicle using the Push to Start button. The vehicle was restarted but failed to respond after shifting into drive. The vehicle was restarted several times before resuming normal operation. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.