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.
2004 Honda PilotProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 544 owner complaints about the 2004 Honda Pilot, most often about the power train. It is covered by 12 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 August 7, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2004 Honda Pilot has problems
544 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
142Power train6 crash/fire/injury
85Seats20 crash/fire/injury
81Air bags12 crash/fire/injury
60Electrical system10 crash/fire/injury
42Structure5 crash/fire/injury
28Engine and engine cooling
27Suspension
22Engine
21Vehicle speed control
11417 other systems12 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 142 | 6 |
| Seats | 85 | 20 |
| Air bags | 81 | 12 |
| Electrical system | 60 | 10 |
| Structure | 42 | 5 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 28 | 1 |
| Suspension | 27 | 2 |
| Engine | 22 | 1 |
| Vehicle speed control | 21 | 4 |
| 17 other systems | 114 | 12 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
12 recalls
2004 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 8 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
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
Other: labels
no report yet
Power train: automatic transmission
Risk. GEAR FAILURE COULD RESULT IN TRANSMISSION LOCKUP, WHICH COULD RESULT IN 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?
106kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 130 power train complaints. 41% were reported before 100,000 miles.
9under 30k miles53under 100k miles77100k 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
15 owners mentioned a cost$3,800median
Middle half: $2,500 – $4,475
Air bags
11 owners mentioned a cost$800median
Middle half: $100 – $850
Seats
8 owners mentioned a cost$1,200median
Middle half: $875 – $1,425
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
2004 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
2004 Honda Pilot safety ratings
2004 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 (15.9% risk)
- Stability control: Optional
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
5 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2004 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 14E-073
In owners' words
What Pilot owners report
Recent power train complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
The contact owns a 2004 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the transmission was shifted into drive(D) and the vehicle shuddered. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 04V176000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the…
I was approaching a stop sign and slowing down to < 10 miles and the engine continued to slow down and the car started to push forward while I was totally pressing on the brake - it did not want to stop and kept pushing forward. I wasn't sure what was happening and quickly put it in neutral. My…
Transmission locked up while driving and wont drive after I stored the vehicle Iam glad no one was behind me on the freeway there is a extremely huge problem with this transmissions the government needs to get this kind of vehicles checked out at Honda before someone loses his life
Own a 2004 Pilot?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.