Reliable Auto DB

2013 Honda Pilot reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Honda Pilot holds 271 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 37 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Pilot years here — over the median of the other years, which is 32. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Inflator, Engine, and Air bags.

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

271

Per year

37

Recalls

6

Years on the road

14

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (79 of 271), then Powertrain (54) and Structure (47). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 28,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 1,500 and 66,024 miles. Those filings include 12 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, and 8 that report an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Pilot has 171 complaints, 22 per year, and the 2014 has 116 complaints, 13 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

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 2013 Honda Pilot. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (6)

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 2018-01-09 · 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 Engine 2013-08-27 · NHTSA campaign 13V382000
Summary Honda is recalling certain model year 2013 Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles and certain model year 2013 Odyssey vehicles. During manufacturing of the engine piston, it is possible that the heat treatment process was not properly applied, resulting in the piston having an insufficient hardness level, making it more susceptible to premature wear.
Remedy Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the engine short block free of charge. The recall began on September 16, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009. Honda's recall numbers are JB4 (Honda Odyssey) and JB5 (Honda Pilot).
Vehicles affected 270
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

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

Complaints by component (271 total)

Engine
79
Powertrain
54
Structure
47
Service brakes
40
Air bags
18
Speed control
16
Suspension
13
Steering
12
Fuel and propulsion system
11
Electrical system
9
Seats
7
Engine and engine cooling
5
Wheels
5
Visibility and wipers
4
Electronic stability control (ESC)
3
Exterior lighting
3
Fuel system, gasoline
2
Hydraulic brakes
2
Latches, locks, and linkages
2
Seat belts
2
Show 12 more Show less
Crash-flagged

12

Fire-flagged

4

Injury reports

8

Death reports

0

Of the 201 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 28,000 miles. The middle half fall between 1,500 and 66,024 miles.

Complaints filed per year

4220134420142420151620161820172420183520192120207202192022112023720245202582026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Diagnosed by CMA Honda dealership - need piston ring replacement due to the ongoing issue and Service Bulletin SB-10099310-9340. This was under 8 year warranty from date of purchase, but this just started happening at…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-25
  • "Recalls without notification; 1) Engine- recurring problem piston seal leak - continual replacement of coils & spark plugs. Engine light on VTM-4, traction bar symbol on, engine missing. [XXX] 2025: [XXX] ][XXX] Oil…"
    Unknown or other, Engine · filed 2026-06-29
  • "The factory clear coat and paint on the roof of this 2013 Honda Pilot are delaminating and peeling away from the metal. The failure began about 1.5 years ago and continues to spread; in places it has now progressed…"
    Structure · filed 2026-06-21
  • "Had a car accident and hit a sand barrel at about 40 miles an hour without the airbags didn’t deploy. The grill and bumper were damaged with impact."
    Air bags · filed 2026-05-26
  • "Multiple mechanics have told me it’s spark plugs and piston ring and issues. I constantly get my oils changed when I’m at 10% and never let it run out of gas. Constantly babied this thing. It only has 145k miles on it.…"
    Powertrain, Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-05-17

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2013 Honda Pilot SUV 4WD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2013 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

Previous year 2012 Honda Pilot Next year 2014 Honda Pilot See every Honda Pilot model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Honda Pilot reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2013 Honda Pilot holds 271 complaints after 14 years, a rate of 37 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Pilot years here — over the median of the other years, which is 32. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Inflator, Engine, and Air bags.

What are common problems with a 2013 Honda Pilot?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (79 of 271), then Powertrain (54) and Structure (47). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 28,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 1,500 and 66,024 miles. Those filings include 12 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, and 8 that report an injury.

Is the 2013 Honda Pilot more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2012 Pilot has 171 complaints, 22 per year, and the 2014 has 116 complaints, 13 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

Has the 2013 Honda Pilot been recalled?

The 2013 Honda Pilot has 6 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 2013 Honda Pilot?

Owners have filed 271 complaints about the 2013 Honda Pilot with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Honda Pilot get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 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.