repaired · 2020 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
2003 Honda PilotProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 720 owner complaints about the 2003 Honda Pilot, most often about the power train. It is covered by 13 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-499 the manufacturer reports only 22% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 21, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Dennis Elzinga, CC BY 2.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2003 Honda Pilot has problems
720 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
224Power train12 crash/fire/injury
129Electrical system10 crash/fire/injury
115Air bags16 crash/fire/injury
47Structure
40Seats
37Engine and engine cooling
32Exterior lighting
32Suspension
32Steering
14718 other systems22 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 224 | 12 |
| Electrical system | 129 | 10 |
| Air bags | 115 | 16 |
| Structure | 47 | 8 |
| Seats | 40 | 6 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 37 | 2 |
| Exterior lighting | 32 | 2 |
| Suspension | 32 | 0 |
| Steering | 32 | 3 |
| 18 other systems | 147 | 22 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
13 recalls
2003 Honda Pilot recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2020 Q4
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2020 Q3
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. An explosion of an inflator within the driver frontal air bag module may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver, front seat passenger or other…
repaired · 2019 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An incorrectly installed air bag may deploy improperly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Show 9 more recalls
repaired · 2017 Q3
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2017 Q4
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the passenger…
repaired · 2017 Q4
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other…
repaired · 2016 Q1
Air bags
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…
repaired · 2015 Q4
Air bags
Risk. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passengers frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle…
no report yet
Ignition: switch
Risk. Removal of the ignition key when the gear selector of a vehicle with an automatic transmission has not been shifted to the park position can allow the vehicle…
no report yet
Headlights: switch
Risk. IF THE TERMINAL ENDS MELT WITHIN THE WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS MAY BECOME INOPERATIVE, REDUCING DRIVER VISIBILITY AND INCREASING THE…
no report yet
Power train: automatic transmission
Risk. GEAR FAILURE COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION LOCKUP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.
no report yet
Engine and engine cooling: engine
Risk. IF THE TIMING BELT BREAKS, THE ENGINE WILL STALL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Honda.
Mileage at failure
When do power train problems start?
124kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 198 power train complaints. 30% were reported before 100,000 miles.
6under 30k miles60under 100k miles138100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Power train
29 owners mentioned a cost$4,000median
Middle half: $3,000 – $4,700
Electrical system
19 owners mentioned a cost$538median
Middle half: $500 – $737
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2003 vs. every other Pilot year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Pilot median. How we score
'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2003 Honda Pilot safety ratings
2003 Honda Pilot 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
Frontal crashNot rated
Side barrierNot rated
- Rollover: 4 stars (0.0% risk)
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
5 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2003 Honda Pilot, and the recalls they led to.
- Low Beam Headlights Stop IlluminatingLed to recall 12V-136
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 22V-945
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator RuptureOpen
- Ignition Interlock Failure - RollawayLed to recall 12V-573
- Air Bag Inflator RuptureLed to recall 13V-172
In owners' words
What Pilot owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle violently jolted forward with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The failure had…
The contact owns a 2003 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shift into gear properly, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware…
Water leaked into front floors of vehicle soaking the carpet and the fuse panels in the floor. Yes it is available. Fuse boxes had standing water building up behind them slowly dumping water into them causing shorts in electrical system which could have caused the car to catch on fire. Yes the…
Own a 2003 Pilot?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.