Wrench.Pro

2007 Honda Pilot Recalls, Problems & Maintenance

The 2007 Honda Pilot has no open NHTSA recalls. Owners report 8 recurring issue clusters, led by “Rear subframe and frame rust corrosion.” Honda vehicles use the Maintenance Minder system — your dashboard displays a Code A (oil change) or Code B (oil change plus inspections) along with sub-codes 1-6 for additional services. Intervals adjust based on how you drive. The schedule below reflects Honda's underlying targets.

Save this car as:

No open recalls on file. NHTSA lists no unrepaired safety recalls for this year, make and model. A recall can be issued at any time, and a specific car can still have one open — check yours by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Known issues & problems for this vehicle

What drivers and federal regulators have officially reported about the 2007 Honda Pilot.

Reported to NHTSA

Rear subframe and frame rust corrosion

SUSPENSION

10 NHTSA complaints · 2019-11 → 2025-10

“The 2007 Honda Pilots rear subframe suspension mounting points and the driver side rear sping and shock support rusted away so bad that the driver side wheel collapsed, fortunately it was discovered just in time before there was an major accident, had this happened at full”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11694332
“* Rear Frame Corrosion on my 2007 Honda Pilot EX * This is causing instability issues with the potential risk of the subframe uncoupling from the rear frame rail. * No, but a visual inspection clearly shows heavy corrosion”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11641275
“While driving with six on board (car holds up to 8) I hit a moderate bump. The car made a loud bang, and felt unstable. At the same time, ABS, VTM-4, and stabilty warning lights came on”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11419777

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Low-beam headlight failure

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

11 NHTSA complaints · 2014-07 → 2024-08

“Both front headlights on low beam suddenly stopped working, high beams work as do the rest of the indicator lights on the vehicle, I have replaced the bulbs, checked fuses and relays and switches and they still do not work”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11611526
“COMPLAINT - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING I NOTICED MY PASSENGER SIDE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHT FAILED TO OPERATE. I REPLACED THE LAMP(BULB) AND CHECKED THE FUSES BUT THIS DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11179935
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING AND FAILED TO REACTIVATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT NO WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10610946

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Climate control and dash button illumination failure

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING

8 NHTSA complaints · 2011-08 → 2017-05

“07 HONDA PILOT EX, THE CLIMATE CONTROL LIGHTING, RADIO BUTTON LIGHTS AND THE DOOR AJAR ON/OFF, CRUISE CONTROL AND SUNROOF BUTTON LIGHTS HAVE ALL GONE OUT. I BOUGHT THIS BRAND SPANKING NEW AND WITHIN 2-3 YEARS THESE LIGHTS WENT OUT”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10991851
“THE HAZARD,VTM 4 LOCK, AND CRUISE CONTROL BUTTONS DO NOT HAVE ANY LED ILLUMINATION THUS WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT THESE BUTTONS ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO LOCATE UNLESS TURNING ON THE CABIN LIGHT TO LOCATE”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10689845
“HONDA PILOT CLIMATE CONTROL PANEL DOES NOT LIGHT. THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM IN NEWER HONDA PILOTS. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO CONCENTRATE ON DRIVING AT NIGHT WHEN DRIVER CAN NOT SEE THE CONTROL LIGHTS CLEARLY”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10416825

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

OEM tire wet-traction loss and blowouts

TIRES

11 NHTSA complaints · 2007-08 → 2018-02

“EVER SINCE I BOUGHT THE CAR ON 5/25/2007 THE TIRES ALWAYS SLIP IN WET WEATHER. NO MATTER HOW SLOW YOU STOP OR HOW SLOW YOU START OUT FROM A STOP THEY SLIP 90 PERCENT OF THE TIME. THERE HAS BEEN LOTS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE "GOODYEAR INTEGRITY" TIRES”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10277234
“I HAVE A 2007 HONDA PILOT EX. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF INCIDENTS THAT THE BRAKE/ OEM TIRES (GOODYEAR MADE INTEGRITY) ARE NOT RESPONSIVE WELL DURING SUDDEN BRAKING ON DRY ROAD”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10313712
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA PILOT. THE VEHICLE HAS GOODYEAR INTEGRITY, SIZE 175/70R13 TIRES. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A FUNNY SOUND AND THEN THE DRIVER SIDE REAR TIRE BLEW OUT”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10207432

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Driver seat mounting bracket fracture

SEATS

11 NHTSA complaints · 2012-01 → 2024-10

“Driver's seat front left mounting bracket snapped. Seat now rocks backward under pressure or during acceleration, and runs the risk of detaching completely in a collision”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11560195
“THE FRONT DRIVERS SEAT BRACKET HAS BROKEN. AT FIRST IT STARTED ROCKING, THEN AFTER A FEW DAYS I HEARD A CRACK AND REALIZED THAT THE BRACKET ON THE FRONT LEFT SIDE OF THE SEAT WAS BROKEN, WHEN I TOOK OFF THE SIDE COVERS AND COULD SEE IT”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11208858
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT FRACTURED AND ROCKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRACKET FOR THE DRIVER SEAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10510222

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Takata airbag recall repair parts unavailable

AIR BAGS

39 NHTSA complaints · 2014-08 → 2017-10

“TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V344000 (AIR BAGS); HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10904941
“MY HONDA PILOT IS ON YOUR LIST FOR RECALL DUE TO FAULTY AND DEADLY AIRBAGS. HOWEVER HONDA HAS STILL NOT PUT MY CAR ON THEIR RECALL LIST. ACCORDING TO NATIONAL AND LOCAL (BOSTON) NEWS STATIONS IT IS BECAUSE WE DON'T LIVE IN AN AREA THAT HAS A WARM/HOT CLIMATE MOST OF THE TIME”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10651181
“TAKATA RECALL. I BOUGHT THE CAR, USED, ON OR ABOUT JUNE 20, 2017 FULLY AWARE OF THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL. I BROUGHT THE CAR TO EVERETT HONDA ON JULY 1, 2017 FOR THE RECALL. AIR BAG INFLATER REPLACED. I THEN BROUGHT THE CAR TO CAMBRIDGE HONDA ON OCTOBER 20, 2017 FOR OIL CHANGE”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11035613

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

VSA module failure with unexpected braking

ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC), SERVICE BRAKES

13 NHTSA complaints · 2008-04 → 2019-12

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 HONDA PILOT. WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, A BURNING RUBBER ODOR WAS DETECTED ALONG WITH A THUMPING VIBRATION AND NOISE; WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED THE BRAKES DID NOT RESPOND NORMALLY BUT THE THUMPING VIBRATION WAS EVEN MORE APPARENT”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11291041
“STABILITY CONTROL (VSA) ENGAGES WHILE DRIVING AUTOMATICALLY ON ALL WHEELS LOCKING THE VEHICLE UP AND RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNMOVABLE. THIS HAS BEEN RECALLED IN 2005-06 MODELS”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10855022
“I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO EXIT A HIGHWAY AND I GENTLY APPLIED THE BRAKES. THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY APPLIED ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON THE BRAKES WHILE MAKING A LOUD NOISE. I CAME TO A STOP AND NO PROBLEM WAS IDENTIFIED”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10224670

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Unintended acceleration during braking or idle

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

15 NHTSA complaints · 2007-05 → 2023-05

“OUR 2007 HONDA PILOT ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL WHEN APPLYING BREAKS TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP. I COULD NOT STOP THE VEHICLE. THE FIRST TIME THE CAR WENT THROUGH A STOP SIGN AND NEARLY CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10958602
“CAR ACCELERATED AND BRAKES FAILED COMPLETELY. THIS WAS A FATALITY ACCIDENT. WHEN APPROACHING A RED LIGHT THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN AT ALL. THIS ACCIDENT OCCURED IN THE MIDDLE OF A CLEAR DAY”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #10321660
“I experienced a sudden unintended acceleration while coming to a full stop at a traffic light. The vehicle kept accelerating around 5k RPM on it's own without pressing the gas pedal. I was able to stop the vehicle by engaging the emergency brake”
— Owner report, NHTSA ODI #11504211

Read all complaints on NHTSA →

Issues on other model years

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI). Complaint data refreshed Sep 20, 2026. Investigation data refreshed Sep 20, 2026.

We display NHTSA's record with attribution; we don't editorialize on what these complaints mean for any specific vehicle.

Raw data + downloads for this vehicle →

Essential maintenance

Critical for safety and preventing major damage

Engine Oil & Filter (Code A)

Every 7,500 mi

Replace 0W-20 full-synthetic oil and filter. The Maintenance Minder triggers Code A between 7,500 and 10,000 miles depending on driving conditions.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$120–$160

Shop

~$85–$115

DIY

~$25–$55

Full synthetic costs more than conventional. 5-quart 0W-20 + filter is the typical bill.

Tire Rotation (Sub-code 1)

Every 7,500 mi

Rotate tires front-to-back to even out wear. Honda triggers Sub-code 1 alongside every other oil change.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Often free at the shop where you bought the tires — worth asking before paying.

Brake Inspection (Code B)

Every 15,000 mi

Inspect brake pads, rotors, and parking brake. Code B includes a multi-point inspection of brakes, suspension, and fluids.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Free

Most shops do this free as a courtesy with any service. Don't pay separately if you can avoid it.

Brake Fluid (Sub-code 5)

Every 45,000 mi

Replace DOT 3 brake fluid every 3 years regardless of mileage to prevent moisture absorption and corrosion of ABS components.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$180–$200

Shop

~$125–$140

DIY

~$10–$25

DOT 3 or 4 — match the cap. Vacuum bleeders make this a one-person DIY.

Important maintenance

Keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently

Automatic Transmission / CVT Fluid (Sub-code 3)

Every 30,000 mi

Replace ATF or CVT fluid. Honda CVT models (Civic, HR-V, Accord LX) use Honda HCF-2 — do not substitute. The Maintenance Minder triggers earlier under heavy stop-and-go.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$330–$500

Shop

~$235–$355

DIY

~$60–$180

Some sealed transmissions have no dipstick — fill is precise and best left to a shop. Many drivers can still DIY drain-and-fill.

Rear Differential Fluid (AWD models, Sub-code 5)

Every 30,000 mi

AWD CR-V, Pilot, Passport, Ridgeline: replace rear diff fluid every 30,000 miles, sooner if towing.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$150–$195

Shop

~$105–$135

DIY

~$20–$50

Drain plug + fill plug — straightforward DIY. AWD vehicles have two; budget for both.

Engine Air Filter (Sub-code 4)

Every 30,000 mi

Replace the engine air filter every 30,000 miles. Honda uses a long-life cellulose element on most port-injected engines.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

5-minute job on most cars; the airbox lid usually has clips, no tools needed.

Spark Plugs (Sub-code 6)

Every 105,000 mi

Honda uses iridium-tipped plugs rated for 100,000+ miles. Replace at 105,000 miles or whenever Sub-code 6 displays.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$390

Shop

~$200–$275

DIY

~$25–$100

Iridium plugs cost more but last 100k+ miles. V6/V8 access varies wildly — some are tough.

Engine Coolant (Sub-code 5)

Every 60,000 mi

Honda Long-Life Type 2 (blue) coolant: first change at 120,000 miles, then every 60,000 miles. Do not mix with other coolant types.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$285–$330

Shop

~$200–$235

DIY

~$25–$60

Use the manufacturer-specified coolant — wrong color/chemistry can damage the cooling system.

Recommended maintenance

Extends the life of your vehicle and improves comfort

Cabin Air Filter (Sub-code 3)

Every 15,000 mi

Replace the cabin air filter — accessible behind the glove box on most Hondas. Honda recommends 15,000 miles in dusty conditions, longer in clean climates.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$60–$95

Shop

~$45–$70

DIY

~$15–$40

Usually behind the glovebox. Shops charge labor for a 10-minute job — easy DIY win.

Valve Clearance Adjustment (Sub-code 6)

Every 105,000 mi

Inspect and adjust valve clearances at 105,000 miles. Critical on K-series and L-series engines to prevent valve recession.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$495–$535

Shop

~$345–$375

DIY

Pro only

Mechanical-bucket valvetrains (many Honda 4-cyls, older Toyotas) need this. Hydraulic lifters don't. Shop work — feeler-gauge precision required.

Timing Chain — No Replacement

On condition / lifetime

Modern Honda engines (K-series, L-series, R-series, plus all Earth Dreams 1.5T and 2.0T) use a timing chain designed to last the life of the engine. No scheduled replacement.

Estimated cost — typical U.S. ranges

Dealer

~$85

Shop

~$60

DIY

Pro only

Timing chains are normally lifetime. Listen for rattle on cold start — that's the actionable signal. Replacement is major work, quote separately.

Fatal crash history & reported problems

Occupant deaths in fatal crashes (FARS)

79 crashes 1990–2024

How the 79 occupant deaths break down

50

driver deaths

29

passenger deaths

79

occupant deaths

Crash years covered: 1990–2024 This model year first appears in 2007 crashes. Older models have had more years on the road to appear in these crashes, so a higher count here does not by itself mean a vehicle is less safe.

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road. How to read this number

FARS 2024 data is an annual report file. NHTSA revises these records when the final file is published, so this count can change.

Why we show driver deaths too

Every vehicle has exactly one driver seat, so driver deaths line up fairly when you compare one model to another. Occupant deaths include passengers, so a three row SUV can show a higher number than a two seat car simply because it carries more people.

Both figures are plain counts, not rates. A rate would need to know how many of each vehicle are on the road, and that registration data is not public, so we do not publish rates or scores of any kind.

IIHS publishes driver death rates using this same driver only idea, paired with a registered vehicle years denominator we do not have. Their rates and these counts answer different questions, so do not read either number here as a safety rating.

Owner-reported problem signals

Separate from the federal fatality data above: complaints owners filed with NHTSA about this year and model. These are reports of problems, unverified, and are counted here only as signals.

9

complaints mentioning a crash

5

complaints mentioning a fire

Reviewed known issues for this vehicle

Typical U.S. ranges. Actual quotes vary by shop, parts choice, and vehicle condition.

How we estimate: Dealer = OEM parts × 1.4 + labor × $165/hr. Shop = parts + labor × $115/hr. DIY = parts only.

This maintenance schedule for the 2007 Honda Pilot reflects Honda's published service intervals and the Maintenance Minder system. Your actual service needs may vary based on driving conditions, climate, and vehicle usage. Always consult your owner's manual for model-specific recommendations.

Check another vehicle →