2012 Honda Pilot reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 171 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Honda Pilot over 15 years — 22 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Pilot years here — under the median of the other years, which is 36. NHTSA has 9 recalls on file, including Inflator, Air bags, and Tank.

2014 Honda Pilot Touring — Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0

Complaints

171

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (35 of 171), then Service brakes (25) and Electrical system (22). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 36,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 6,850 and 69,500 miles. Those filings include 17 that report a crash, 3 that report a fire, and 9 that report an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Pilot has 271 complaints, 37 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Honda Pilot. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (9)

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2019-06-27 · NHTSA campaign 19V502000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembled as a recall remedy part or replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F5F and Q5E.

Vehicles affected 9,555

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2019-05-16 · NHTSA campaign 19V378000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M4O, P4R, T4Q, and W4P.

Vehicles affected 19,138

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2018-09-27 · NHTSA campaign 18V661000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Honda is also recalling certain 2011-2013 Acura TSX, TSX Wagon and ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Insight, Fit and Pilot vehicles, 2011-2012 Honda Accord and 2011 Honda Civic NGV, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Lastly, Honda is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX and ZDX, Honda Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot, 2011-2013 TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord and 2010-2011 Honda Civic NGV, Civic, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag air bag inflators assembled as part of the frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M2J and S2K.

Vehicles affected 1,355,406

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2018-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 18V268000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are K1P, and M1O.

Vehicles affected 1,335

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2018-01-09 · NHTSA campaign 18V042000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles and 2013 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Honda is recalling certain 2010-2012 Acura TSX, Honda Accord, Accord Crosstour, Fit and Pilot, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V, and 2010 Acura ZDX and Honda Insight vehicles ever registered in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Unless included in Zones A or B above, Honda is recalling certain 2009 Acura TSX, Honda Accord, Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid, CR-V, Fit, and Pilot vehicles ever registered in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to higher absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are B0K and L0J.

Vehicles affected 691,726

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2017-08-31 · NHTSA campaign 17V545000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2008-2012 Accord, 2010-2012 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2012 Fit and Pilot, 2010-2012 Insight, and 2009-2012 Acura TSX vehicles that received replacement passenger frontal air bag inflators. One dealership may have incorrectly installed the replacement air bag inflators.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are O07, Y0A, N06, G05, M04, Y01, and O09.

Vehicles affected 3,257

Recall air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator 2017-01-10 · NHTSA campaign 17V030000

Summary Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight, 2009-2012 Honda Fit, 2009-2012 Pilot, 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2012 Honda FCX Clarity and 2006-2011 Honda Civic, Civic Hybrid, Civic NGV vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, if not included in "Zone A" above, Honda is recalling certain 2009 Acura TSX, Honda Fit and Pilot, 2008-2009 Honda Accord, 2006-2009 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, and 2007-2009 Honda CR-V vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, if not included in "Zone B" above, Honda is recalling certain 2008 Honda Accord, 2006-2008 Honda Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV and 2007-2008 Honda CR-V vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The manufacturer has mailed an interim notification, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KE1 and KE2.

Vehicles affected 977,708

Recall Air bags 2013-01-18 · NHTSA campaign 13V016000

Summary Honda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Pilot and 2011-2013 Odyssey passenger vehicles manufactured from March 13, 2008, through December 21, 2012. One or more rivets that attach the airbag module to the airbag cover may be missing.

Remedy Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda dealer. The dealer will inspect the driver's airbag module and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.

Vehicles affected 748,481

Recall gasoline fuel system, storage, tank 2012-02-17 · NHTSA campaign 12V063000

Summary HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 PILOT AND ACURA MDX VEHICLES. THE VENT SHUT FLOAT (VSF) VALVE CASE IN THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY DOES NOT MEET THE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS.

Remedy HONDA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VSF ASSEMBLY DATE AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 13, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-999-1009.

Vehicles affected 8,709

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (171 total)

Engine

Service brakes

Electrical system

Air bags

Powertrain

Speed control

Suspension

Fuel and propulsion system

Steering

Engine and engine cooling

Structure

Fuel system, gasoline

Visibility and wipers

Hydraulic brakes

Seat belts

Wheels

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Seats

Exterior lighting

Parking brake

Tires

Visibility

Show 14 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 127 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 36,000 miles. The middle half fall between 6,850 and 69,500 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"I own a 2012 Honda Pilot Touring equipped with the factory navigation system. The navigation system clock recently developed a problem where the time displays as 0:00 and does not operate normally. I attempted the…"
Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-27
"On April 9, 2026, my daughter came in from school and parked her Honda Pilot at about 5:10PM. At about 7:03PM, my wife and I were sitting outside and heard a loud POP, it sounded like a car backfiring. I went to…"
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-04-12
"One day my pilot 2012 suddenly started turning on and off the passenger airbag then out of the blue the airbag system light when on. Scanned it an it reads the passenger weight sensor is not communicating the part is no…"
Air bags · filed 2026-03-16
"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…"
Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-02-18
"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…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-01-05

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2012 Honda Pilot SUV 4WD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2012 Honda Pilot SUV FWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Pilot two-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic 5-speed	Front-wheel drive	18	25	20 MPG	$3250
Pilot four-wheel drive	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic 5-speed	All-wheel drive	17	24	20 MPG	$3250

Specs and fitment

2nd generation, 2009–2015

Body styles SUV

Oil 5W-20 (2009-2012) or 0W-20 (2013-2015) , 4.5 qt capacity

Tire size P245/65R17 (all trims)

Towing capacity 4,500 lbs

Known issues for this generation

The 3.5L V6 in certain 2009-2013 Pilots is affected by a documented piston-ring rotation issue: the rings on some cylinders can rotate out of position and align, leading to spark plug fouling and a cylinder misfire (diagnostic codes P0301-P0304) with the check-engine light on. Following a class-action settlement (Soto et al. v. American Honda Motor Co.), Honda extended the powertrain warranty covering this specific misfire repair to 8 years with unlimited mileage from the original purchase date, and the repair procedure ranges from a spark plug replacement to cleaning the pistons and replacing the piston rings, depending on which cylinders are affected.

Compare

Next year 2013 Honda Pilot See every Honda Pilot model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Honda Pilot reliable?

What are common problems with a 2012 Honda Pilot?

Is the 2012 Honda Pilot more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Pilot has 271 complaints, 37 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Honda Pilot been recalled?

The 2012 Honda Pilot has 9 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Honda Pilot?

Owners have filed 171 complaints about the 2012 Honda Pilot with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Honda Pilot get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Honda Pilot is 20 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Honda Pilot take?

2nd gen: 5W-20 (2009-2012) or 0W-20 (2013-2015). 3rd and 4th gen US Pilots use 0W-20 (about 5.7-5.8 qt with filter on recent fills).

Does recall 24V-900 cover the Honda Pilot?

Certain 2023-2025 Pilots are covered for the fuel tank fill pipe: an incomplete connection may allow a fuel leak; dealers inspect and repair the fill-pipe connection.

What generation is the 2020 Honda Pilot?

3rd generation (2016-2022). The 4th generation starts in 2023.