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.
2011 Honda PilotProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 293 owner complaints about the 2011 Honda Pilot, most often about the air bags. It is covered by 11 safety recalls, and for recall 19V-502 the manufacturer reports only 36% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 11, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2011 Honda Pilot has problems
293 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
68Air bags16 crash/fire/injury
39Service brakes7 crash/fire/injury
34Suspension1 crash/fire/injury
34Steering1 crash/fire/injury
31Engine4 crash/fire/injury
26Electrical system4 crash/fire/injury
21Power train
19Structure
18Vehicle speed control
7816 other systems10 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 68 | 16 |
| Service brakes | 39 | 7 |
| Suspension | 34 | 1 |
| Steering | 34 | 1 |
| Engine | 31 | 4 |
| Electrical system | 26 | 4 |
| Power train | 21 | 4 |
| Structure | 19 | 3 |
| Vehicle speed control | 18 | 9 |
| 16 other systems | 78 | 10 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
11 recalls
2011 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
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An incorrectly installed air bag inflator may not properly deploy the passenger frontal air bag in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2020 Q1
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.
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 7 more recalls
repaired · 2019 Q2
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.
repaired · 2019 Q1
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. In the event of a crash, an incorrectly installed passenger frontal air bag inflator may deploy the air bag improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
repaired · 2018 Q2
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
repaired · 2018 Q1
Passenger side: inflator module
Risk. An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
no report yet
Air bags
Risk. The absence of more than one rivet could alter the performance of the driver's airbag during deployment.
no report yet
Front: webbing
Risk. IF THE STITCHING IS INCOMPLETE OR MISSING, THE SEATBELT MAY DETACH FROM THE ANCHOR WEBBING, INCREASING THE RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY IN A CRASH.
no report yet
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 air bags problems start?
73kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 22 air bags complaints. 68% were reported before 100,000 miles.
5under 30k miles15under 100k miles7100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2011 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
2011 Honda Pilot safety ratings
2011 Honda Pilot SUV AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★Overall rating
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (16.4% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words
What Pilot owners report
Recent air bags complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
On XXX at approximately 6:04 PM, the vehicle was being driven on a highway in [XXX] — after dark, during an active snowstorm, on slick roads, at approximately 40 MPH — when the front passenger-side airbag deployed spontaneously with no collision, no impact, and no warning of any kind. There were no…
Have a known hacker. They have shown experience on remote hacking using TimeStomping and ECM modifications. I work as an Amazon Delivery driver in Kentucky. My Hackers are my Employer and the Operations Manager. The same hacking to their company vehicles are being done to employees personal…
The contact owns a 2011 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the driver’s side airbag warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was…
Own a 2011 Pilot?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.