2020 Honda Pilot Review: Outstanding 3-Row SUV Plagued by Major Problems
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- čas přidán 19. 11. 2020
- The roomy and comfortable Honda Pilot is one of the best three-row SUVs out there but during his week-long test, our Road Test Editor Dan Ilika experienced a few very serious issues.
Read the full review on autoTRADER.ca:
www.autotrader.ca/expert/2020... - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I have 2019 Honda Pilot and I got it fixed September 2020 now it's working 100% no problem.
My wife has a 2020 Pilot Touring. It had a recall for the radio connections. Once we got it swapped, never had any issues. We love it.
My friends Pilot had the AC stop working and the electric static issue. Happy an honest review captured some of the Pilot issues. It spent a week in the shop for them to replace three wiring modules. Problem came back even after a headunit replacement. Now the infotainment system freezes constantly and he lost the display on a road trip with his family. He is going for the lemon law. I feel bad because he specifically bought this after having issue with his Explorer and though he was getting a more reliable vehicle
A genuine critical review! That's why I subscribed.
I have the 2020 Black Edition. Never had the static issue, but I did have the infotainment issue occur 3 times over the period of a year. Loses all audio, backup camera doesn't work, and the infotainment system didn't shut off when the vehicle was shut off. I found the fix for this by pulling the radio fuse under the hood to reset it. I took it in for it's first oil change, and they did 2 software updates on the infotainment system, and replaced a speaker wiring harness for the static even though I never experienced the issue. So far so good, but I'm not driving a lot during the pandemic anyway (less than 3k miles in 1 year).
I have a 2020 Honda pilot EX. I bought it one year ago. I was having the same problem with the radio. I just took it in for safety recall at my local Honda dealership here in California June 2023. They fix the problem by switching out some plugs to the radio and flash my speedometer. I have not had any more problems with the radio or camera.
Experienced all the issues you described here for my 2019 pilot. Fixed the back up camera issue myself by unplugging and replug one of the chips under the hood(this was to revert one of the software updates) even before I received the recall notice. That never happened to me ever since. For the crackling sound, I had the local dealer figured that out for me, it was one of the electrical connection components having issue. Once that got replaced, so far it's been good for couple months now. Seems like all these issues are not specific to my own car now. I feel like this version of Pilot is not living up to its reliability reputation, at least not for the electronics. Glad you put out this video and being honest with what you saw. Thank you!
They now came out with recall for 2019 to 21 pilots I just got one 3 weeks ago it's 10/15/23
My wife’s touring Pilot 2020 has same popping noise. She took it in “to get fixed”. Stopped for a few months, but after a scheduled service. Started again.
Finally late in 2020, Honda released the parts to repair these infotainment issues! My new 2019 Touring was one of those. It comes down to resistance interference with connectors in the Master BUS. It’s a completely separate issue from the recall software patch to fix the rear view camera issue. With the connector fix, my Pilot works flawless.
Now the only issue is to address the VCM by-pass as it relates to engine life. Honda 3.5 Vtec is plagued with shorten life by the VCM operation so much so they extended engine warranties up to 10 yrs/150k miles in the US.
If Honda can't hear your complaint about electronic issue for three years... it is time to say "Hello" to Toyota Highlander. I must confess that the Pilot is roomier than the Highlander for sure.
I believe the static issue in the infotainment system is a known recall. I have a 2020 touring. This issue wasn’t apparent for a few months and then it was a subtle issue marked by intermittent crackling. Dealer was great in dealing with this. Bottom line: I bought this over the competitors because it has a very sophisticated AWD system. It is crazy good in snow and ice.
So it took a class action lawsuit to get a recall.
I have owned my 2021 since August. Zero problems. It's the best vehicle I ever owned.
Too soon to say that, don’t you think so?
Soooo…how’d your original comment hold up now a year later?? 2021 elite with nothing but issues. Worst mistake I’ve made in my life. 🍋🍋🍋
@@JaxPadsLSW still holds up. Cost of maintenance so far has been a fraction of my kia. It still a great suv. 3rd row holds my 6 foot brother no problem.
We bought the 2018 Accord Hybrid new. Best car I've ever owned despite major problems with the sensing system(nothing works in rain or snow unless you pull over and clean off the sensor then problem repeats as soon as it gets obscured again) and the infotainment rebooting from time to time. No cracking or camera issues at all. But everything else is amazing. 4.8L/100klms in summer 5.2-5.5L/100klms in winter. We bought a '17 VW Alltrack instead of the CRV didn't want fuel in oil problem but need more room for cargo. Hope Honda fixes these issues as we love Honda - have purchased 3 new vehicles over the years.
Static issues were fixed by replacing and adding additional wiring by the dealer at free of cost. Manufacturers didn't anticipated the no slack in wiring length.
I had that issue before on my Civic EX T 2017 infotainment freeze all i need to do is reboot or update, now i got Pilot EX L so far so good😎
I have a 2020 pilot and it hasn’t had any of these problems
Good to know. I'd love to buy one!
We have driven our Black Edition over 15k miles and have had issues with crackling speakers, Bluetooth phone call issues (people on other end of call cannot hear me), the infotainment screen randomly rebooting, and the occasional issue of getting the "Anti-theft system has lost power" alert on the touchscreen. However, knock on wood, we no longer have those issues at the time of writing this review (fingers crossed 🤣). Issues aside, we still love our 2020 Honda Pilot Black Edition and would buy another one in a heartbeat! :-)
Had the same issues on our 2020 Odyssey. They fixed it 3-4 times and they did what the factory said to do, but then I would lose power on all the screens. Finally they swapped me out for a 2022. That one has annoying issue of disconnecting Apple Car play and Android Auto.
I got my Pilot 2021 touring never had any issues so far giving my family a good ride.
That's great news! What's your favourite feature so far?
Give it about a month. And in the meantime start looking into your states lemon laws. Prepare now. Trust me.
I have a 2019 black edition pilot and so far all is working well 🤞🤞🤞 but I do not like the paddle shifters on the steering wheel I have hit them so many times … but love mine so far ..
Thanks for sharing!
Granted the head unit adds to the overall experience of a car. I wish reviewers focus more on the build and drivability of a vehicle. My 2016 had numerous mechanical issues but never left me stranded. All fixed under warranty - although time consuming. Will buy again as there is nothing better out there.
The static issues as well as the backup camera it's under a recall just had mine fixed on a 2020 pilot Elite it was because of a super tight wiring harness connection on the amp that's in the right rear quarter panel by the sub speaker.
I noticed over the yrs most of the issues where on the touring,black edition,elite all high end pilots with the infotainment system with the troublesome 9 spd transmission. I have a 2020 exl 6spd.i chose not to get the 9spd cause it was a new transmission and already heard issues with the transmission.
Have a special edition 2021 pilot. Infotainment system has been shutting down during first 3 weeks of having it. MOST harness replaced and had to bring back to the dealer < 24 hrs later. But unfortunately this is hazardous. Love everything about it but if it persists will def dump it. Should have kept my CRV
Honda, made in USA, a little problem is all normal, American quality, it’s not made in Japan
Have they come up with a fix??
I have the 2020 Pilot and Ive never had any problems.
Thats my issue with my 2019 Pilot fix by the dealer on warranty.....
SOLUTION to static & popping noises is to replace wire harnesses which had bad electrical connectors (see "MOST Bus Network" warranty extension). It has completely resolved the problem for over a year now (mine is 2020 Pilot). It took a while for Honda to determine the root cause because there were three related problems (e.g. kinked fiber optic cables during installation, etc) that caused similar issues.
How many miles on your pilot when it happened
Thinking of buying a 2022 pilot. Do you know of this issue is resolved for the 2022 model??
I have a 2020 Pilot and I have never had any problems with it at all.
We bought Honda Pilot 2020 in June and after 1 week of driving started to have those annoying crackling sounds.
Thanks for watching, Olga! Is it still happening, or was it fixed?
Are the problems with the static in the speakers and the back-up camera only on the 2020 Pilot?
I can only speak to my own experiences, and I had the same problem with the 2020 Odyssey I tested but not the 2022 Pilot I drove last year.
Software engineers and computer people are just important as the mechanical engineers and the guys on the line when it comes to QC and cars these days I guess
Pilot doesn’t have Onstar, so what turn by turn etc does it have???
It uses the native Honda system or you can use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
Wife and I got a "21 Special Edition. 30K miles so far with no issues. We love it.
Cheers from Mississauga. I have the 2020 Pilot Touring bought new since mid July 2020. So far I have not experienced that head unit static / crackling so I'm assuming it's been fixed for the 2020 and 2021 model year.
Thanks for watching, Manny! I’m glad you’ve not had any problems with your Pilot! Like I said in my closing monologue, it really does seem like a roll of the dice. One of our contributors drove a 2020 Pilot Touring earlier this year and had no such issues; but I had them in this 2020 Pilot Black Edition, as well as the 2020 Odyssey Touring I reviewed. It’s really quite unfortunate, because both are fantastic family vehicles otherwise.
Absolutely zero percent fixed. 🍋
If you want a reliable vehicle that goes thru alot of snow, the pilot is the ticket!
Lolololol false.
Sooo has this been fixed by honda with the static issue? They keep rolling out new years of the black edition......
Nope.
By any chance do you know if the 2021 model is having any issues yet?
I have the 2021 Passport Elite. Same system. No issues yet with the system (3600 mi).
@@Warren1203 thank you. My wife is in the market for a new vehicle. This seems like a great choice but we are hoping they've worked out the kinks
Nothing but issues. I can’t even make up some of the problems that this car has. The absolute worst choice I have ever made is buying this car.
@@seang1032 so 11 months later, how’s it going?
As long as you get the exl model you be fine .the touring ,elite,black edition 9spd transmission all pretty much had the issue that I've been reading.it was pretty rare the exl and se ex model had the issues.i have a 2020 exl with nav and res and no issues at all with 29,800 miles .this is why I stayed away from the high end models mainly cause the 9 spd new transmission it's to new and there having issues with it stick to the 6spd shifter not push button
Nice
Static in the speakers? That's pretty minor compared to the Dodge Durango, which has a reputation for complete system-wide electronic failure at random times.
If that was the only issue, it would be way less of an issue. Everything blacks out. No backup camera. And the speakers make a constant crackling sound. Not to mention that Bluetooth doesn’t work, so you can’t use your phone. Also, good luck knowing your speed. Zero reliability. Trash.
@@JaxPadsLSW You're responding to my post from over a year ago. Since then, the redesigned 2022 Nissan Pathfinder has hit the market. You should give the Pathfinder a look.
Yes, I just purchased a brand new 2021 Passport EX-L 5 days in and I’m experiencing the crackling sound and the radio completely goes out. Very disappointed 😞
Don't forget the key control module failure $900, not covered and the push button start failures.
Does the 2021 still have this issue?
Yes, I just purchased a brand new 2021 Passport with 10 miles on it 5 days in I am experiencing the radio problem. DISAPPOINTED 😞
@@GarmentofPraiseSewing Same thing with my new Passport, dealer said Honda is working on a fix for it and nothing they can do. It just pisses me off they sell these vehicles knowing there's a problem with the Infotainment.
21 special edition here. Had the static issue. Honda fixed it. Now its back in the shop with transmission issues at 8000 miles!
This car is nothing but issues. You name it, and it’s there. 🍋. This car is a joke.
@@codynipper2460 did the issue come back yet?
I got a 2020 Pilot in February of 2020, and I have the infotainment audio issues non stop. It has rendered bluetooth useless, and is super frustrating... Everything has bluetooth these days, and Honda had no fix yet. They keep trying to adjust a wiring harness.
You should take a look a few comments below for a link to the TSB so you can go to your dealer and get it solved.
@@TacoMonster4eva They've gone through them. Replaced wiring harnesses, replaced the infotainment system, rewired some stuff. It comes back after a couple days, and they can never replicate it. It's been a nuisance. Problem is I'm in the car all day long, so sometimes it'll go 6 hours before it craps out, sometimes 45 seconds.
This is likely due to the “FAKRA” brand connectors and the kinked coax cabling because the pigtails were too short.on the video cableing used on the info,camera, and drivers info screens. Our Pilot had the crackling sound system and the occasional blanking of backup camera. The government imposed recall campaign includes a plastic bag filled with a different style connector, pigtail extenders, and the dekinking of coax, caused by the origional pigtails being too short. Ours is all good now, and otherwise its a nice 3 row SUV.
Wow. Good review. Any reports of this in the 2021?
Software update, no longer an issue, easy fix
Nothing but issues. Every single day. Want to listen to music? Too bad. Want to use your backup camera, which is literally required by federal law? Too bad. Want to know your speed? Can’t do that either. Want to charge your phone on the wireless charged? That’s not going to happen. Want to take a phone call via hands free tech, also required by law? Negative. Also, your hood can fly up because that component is broken. And you can’t hear each other talking inside the cabin because of the wind noise.
How os the 2016 ex-l version with issues?
Is*
I have a 2020 exl and no issues and my 2 family members have a 2017 and 2019 exl models no issues.as you look at all the reviews all of them are touring, elite,black edition with the 9spd transmission stay away from the high end models ,go with the exl with 6spd transmission.the 9spd has had to many complaints and it's to new as a transmission
@@pilot2020 Thanks. Went with a 2017 exl 117k miles. Did maintenance timing belt, water pump, brakes, rotors, etc. Should last another 100k
Good choice sticking with the exl and not the more expensive models.im happy with my choice too I was looking at the upper models but to many bad reviews on the touring,black,elite models
That's madness they haven't fixed that yet and the HF9 transmission is apparently not reliable either.
Honda has been sitting on there laurels quite alot now and what really grinds my gears is when people blame Toyota alongside honda which is not fair for Toyota because Toyota still puts effort into their vehicles unlike honDUH
Honda quality been going slowly downhill for years. Its sad. They do a couple good things like the drive comfort and interior quality but electronic or comfort things always have taken a back seat and it shows. They are usually last ones to the party and even then its cheap and halfassed.
back in the day when cars was reliable and easy to maintain. 80s 90s models. doesnt have too much electronic stuff and techs inside. most have 5 speed manual no power steering no power windows. we have 1988 corrola for 15yrs. with almost 200k km on its odo. the only thing we replace was oil, oil filter, spark plug, and battery and tires once in 3 years. no wonder we still see on the road and still running..those 80s and 90s models. compare today cars have so many issues. those features and tech are just gimmik. although its nice to have all those new features and safety tech. still the best safety is to obey traffic law and be a defensive driver and dont drink and drive
I have had opportunities to have rental SUVs and driven over 1000kms, by far the best SUV is the Suburban or Tahoe and second choice would be the Highlander. Reliability wise I would probably bet my money on Highlander. The Pilot was the most disappointing and probably with inferior automatic transmission, I would only lease Pilot while on warranty. Out of warranty, I wouldn’t touch the Pilot with the 10 foot pole. Hondas strength were 4 cyclinder small engines, with double wishbone suspension and straight forward 4 or 5 speed automatic back 20 years ago. The V6 Hondas are horrible combinations with their automatic transmission as they were not built correctly and prone to failure. Honda knew of this issue since 1999 and failed to address this on all their current V6 models.
Just get a minivan
Thank you for your review I was about to buy one and now I am not going to because of your review
Glad to help!
New Hondas are junk.
I hate second row captions chair very annoying g thumb down
Yeah I didn't like them ether I went with the 2020 exl with nav and res stayed away from the high end models to many complaints on them.the captains chairs are not for a family and you lose a seat and have to use 3rd row.
Peace of garbage transmission sucks, motor sucks, all wheel drive sucks. Honda USA knows they have issues. My pilot was my third honda a i will never buy a Honda again.
First and last time viewer. That voice quickly droned and I tuned out. Fail 👎🏽