2012 Honda Pilot Engine Problems
- 24
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 1–30k mi | 12 |
| 30–60k mi | 6 |
| 100–150k mi | 1 |
| 60–100k mi | 1 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Engine
Vehicle has excessive oil consumption. Also had spark plug failure.
ODI 11170480
Electrical System · Engine
The gasket on the spool valve on older honda pilots is known to fail. The failure results in oil leaking onto the alternator which fill cause the alternator to eventually fail resulting in a loss of power to the vehicle. This recently to my wife while driving on a busy highway. Oil leaking from the spool valve fouled the alternator resulting in the loss of power to the vehicle including to the power brakes and power…
ODI 11102563
Engine · Fuel/Propulsion System
Excessive oil usage - fouling plugs - reduced gas mileage - vcm fault dtc 3400 technical service bulletin (tsb #11-033)
ODI 11003562
Engine
39000 miles and egr valve malfunction. Just bought this 2012 honda pilot. The dealer covered repair as i just bought it. Is this going to be a reoccurring problem? The dealer only replaced the egr valve and did not clean carbon build up. From what i have read they should have.
ODI 10872569
Engine · Power Train · Wheels
Vehicle developed a vibration around 45000 miles in rear and thought tires needed rebalancing. That didn't help and after vibrating on a 1600 mile trip had dealer replace tires with original brand and size after discussing problem with them. $1000 later i took the car back to dealer and complained about vibration. They rebalanced tires on hi tech balancer. 275 miles on new tires and still vibration is there. Went…
ODI 10853425
Engine · Vehicle Speed Control
Purchased the vehicle used from a franchise dealer and am the second owner. The engine hesitates at low speeds (approx. 10 mph) when accelerating. This becomes apparent when attempting accelerate from a stop light, accelerating from a turn, merging onto a freeway, changing lanes, etc. It does happen periodically and i am unable to reproduce the issue on-demand, but it seems to happen daily whenever the car feels…
ODI 10705665
Engine · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
Problem: while trying to accelerate, there is a resistance/hesitation that is felt in the gas pedal and the engine has trouble increasing rpm's. This is an intermittent issue. Case i: while in a parking lot, trying to pick up a little speed. Gas pedal has resistance and engine won't pick up speed. I keep my foot steady on the accelerator and then pilot picks up speed in a unexpected rush. High level of danger due to…
ODI 10655339
Engine · Fuel System, Gasoline · Fuel/Propulsion System · Service Brakes
The check engine light and vtm4 light come on after over an hour of driving. Sometimes the whole inside of the car smells has while driving and the fuel consumption is not efficient. In addition when the car sits in the garage for a few days, maybe 2-3, and i start driving, the wheels make some deep brushing noise. This gets worst when i brake. Sometimes it smells like something is burning under the hood or around…
ODI 10608297
Engine
My vehicle vibrates when i am driving. It does not behave this way all the time. However, when the vehicle vibrates, it seems as though it wants to shut off. This has been happening frequently since i purchased my vehicle. It usually happens when i slow down to make a turn or while i am cruising at highway speed. When this happen, the eco light on my dash goes on and on... The vibration seems like i am driving a…
ODI 10559320
Engine · Power Train
I have a 2012 honda pilot- i purchased used with 9k miles. I have put approximately 5k miles on the vehicle and immediately noticed an engine vibration similar to being in the wrong gear in a manual transmission. I took the car into the honda dealership and asked them to check the transmission- as i initially thought that it was a "hunting" issue with the transmission- the dealer indicated that it was normal. The…
ODI 10563568
Engine
I have had issues with a strange engine vibration at various speeds. I emailed honda 3 times and never received any response. I finally called honda and was told i have to contact a local dealer. I have brought my vehicle in to honda 3 times and it has not been fixed. The second time i dropped it off i was told they "did some adjustments", but they did not indicate what they did and it did not fix the problem. The…
ODI 10558078
Engine
Suv vibrates abnormally at 30-45 mph. Can feel it in the seat of your pants, floor and center counsel. Had a wheel alignment and wheel balancing done, no help. Was told it is normal, nothing could be done. This problem is very distracting and could cause an accident. *tr
ODI 10588060
Engine · Vehicle Speed Control
Car is having vibrations coming from the engine while going in and out of vcm - variable cylinder management system. Happens regularly at 70 mph while on cruise control, on flat highway going up a slight hill the vibration starts. This comes and goes, and i could not yet replicate with the dealer. Many people with v6 engines with vcm in it from honda are complaining about this issue. Looks like it started in the…
ODI 10544422
Engine · Power Train · Vehicle Speed Control
Intermittent accelerator response delay. Sometimes when you need to accelerate, as when making a left turn in traffic, the response delays and then responds. This is a safety issue. You cannot depend upon response to the accelerator when you may need it. Honda upgraded a program earlier and there was improvement, but the problem still persists. *tr
ODI 10521689
Engine
At various times at slower speeds the vehicle will not accelerate for approximately 3 seconds. This seems to occur when turning or beginning to travel uphill. I took it to dealer and the dealer mechanic could not replicate this occurrence. This happens about every two or 3 days. I believe it is dangerous when traveling through an intersection of merging lanes. There are several posts on a honda owner's website with…
ODI 10513859
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 honda pilot. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the vehicle stalled and lost acceleration power. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer for a diagnostic testing. The test result did not identify a defect in the vehicle. The dealer changed the main computer but that did not remedy the stalling issue. The failure was reported to the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 20,800.
ODI 10516033
Accelerator Pedal · Electrical System · Engine
From a dead stop or slow roll, the engine fails to respond immediately to the accelerator pedal. There is a slight delay from the pressing of the accelerator to the engine responding, creating a very dangerous situation when trying to clear intersections, turning on to a highway, turning from a blind curve and many other situations. I have experienced several near crashes. The vehicle was taken back to the…
ODI 10542939
Engine
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 honda pilot. The contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the vehicle started to vibrate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician advised that the vehicle was performing to standards and the vibration was normal for the eco mode. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered to extend the contact's warranty on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The…
ODI 10505910
Electrical System · Engine · Power Train
My 2012 honda pilot ex-l has had issues with vibration when driving at consistent speeds between 40-50 and 60-70 (i.e. Not accelerating). Local dealer initially tried to update control software with no impact, then replaced the torque converter under warranty, also with no impact. Honda service manager now says that this is a known issue with the variable cylinder management program that is designed to increase fuel…
ODI 10618587
Electrical System · Engine
This is first summer for my brand new honda pilot 2012 lx car and i notice when ac in on and car is not moving there is some kind of moaning very loud noise coming from the engine. I took my car to the dealer from where i purchased this vehicle. I was informed that honda motors is aware about this issue in 2012 pilot. I am very surprise and upset that despite honda motor is aware about this issue, till the date…
ODI 10469567
Engine
2012 honda pilot touring- vehicle is having vibrations coming from the engine while going in and out of vcm - variable cylinder management system. Happens regularly at various speeds.the vibration/shuttering is both felt and heard. The dealer has said this is normal with this engine and vcm technology. I had a 2005 pilot without the vcm system and was very happy, i bought this one without a test drive. Had i known…
ODI 10553119
Engine · Power Train
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 honda pilot. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician was unable to find a failure. The transmission fluid and oil were changed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 10. Updated 6/3/15*cn updated 06/09/15*jb
ODI 10706166
Engine · Vehicle Speed Control
When accelerating from a low speed, such as entering a parking lot from the roadway or entering a roadway from a parking lot, the engine does not respond to my pressing on the accelerator. After a few seconds, the car lurches forward. This only happens when accelerating from a very low speed, about 10 mph. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice and an accelerator module was replaced, but there has been no change,…
ODI 10481139
Engine
Engine has a fine vibration around 35-45 miles that disappears with either acceleration or deceleration. The vibration can be felt not only by the driver but also the passengers, enough to shake a bobblehead on the console. It seems that it is associated with the transmission as if the transmission is not shifting and stalling. As soon as it shifts or the speed changes it disappears. Another issue is a occasional…
ODI 10487564