Honda Pilot Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2020 Honda Pilot drew the most (206; most-reported area: electrical system) and the 2018 the fewest (50).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 23 mpg combined, arrived in 2016.

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2020 Pilot Most reported: electrical system	206	487	11
2016 Pilot Most reported: engine	186	1,703	8
2019 Pilot Most reported: electrical system	148	904	13
2021 Pilot Most reported: electrical system	141	433	10
2017 Pilot Most reported: engine	104	924	4
2023 Pilot Most reported: seat belts	86	142	5
2022 Pilot Most reported: forward collision avoidance	61	156	5
2018 Pilot Most reported: engine	50	440	7

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	22 mpg Gas	1	22
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	22 mpg Gas	4	201
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	22 mpg Gas	6	113
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	22 mpg Gas	5	142
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	5	156
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	10	433
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	11	487
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	13	904
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	7	440
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	4	924
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	23 mpg Gas	8	1,703

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2020: 487 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Honda Pilot
Model year	Complaints
2016	1,703
2017	924
2018	440
2019	904
2020	487
2021	433
2022	156
2023	142
2024	113
2025	201
2026	22

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 22 to 23 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2016.

2026: gas 22 mpg

Show as a table

Honda Pilot best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	23
2017	23
2018	23
2019	23
2020	23
2021	23
2022	23
2023	22
2024	22
2025	22
2026	22

Comparisons

Honda Pilot vs Toyota HighlanderMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests

Questions

Which Honda Pilot years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2020 (206) and 2016 (186) drew the most.

Which Honda Pilot years have the fewest problems?

The 2018 (50) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Honda Pilot years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2020 and the 2016, against 122 complaints in a typical Honda Pilot year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Honda dealers.

Which Honda Pilot years have the most recalls?

The 2019 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (13), then the 2020 (11). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2016 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.

What are the most common Honda Pilot problems?

Of the 5,525 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, the areas named most are engine (35%), electrical system (30%), and powertrain (11%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which Honda Pilot year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 23 mpg combined, first reached by the 2016 gas version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.