2018 Honda Pilot: Focus on your recalls

The 2018 Honda Pilot is a popular SUV choice for growing families. Offering seating for up to eight passengers, plus generous standard features like Bluetooth® connectivity and a seven-speaker audio system, this three-row SUV can also be a great alternative to the “traditional” minivan.

In terms of safety, the 2018 Pilot also receives a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, which can give you added peace of mind behind the wheel. Depending on the specific model you choose, you can take advantage of safety features like front and rear parking sensors, forward collision mitigation, automatic emergency braking, and more.

Since its debut for the 2018 model year, the Pilot has had some notable safety recalls. If you drive a 2018 Honda Pilot, you’ll want to be aware of these recall notices and check to see if any of them may specifically affect your vehicle.

The first recall issued on the 2018 Pilot came in April 2018, after it was discovered that up to 5,810 Honda vehicles (including the Pilot and Ridgeline) may have been manufactured with defective rivets in the front seats. Specifically, these rivets are designed to hold the driver and front passenger seat in place on models equipped with power seats.

Due to a manufacturing defect, the rivets can break in the event of a collision, which may allow the seats to separate from the vehicle floor or slide off the seat rails. As a result, these models do not meet federal motor vehicle safety standards. Additionally, in the event of an accident, drivers and front-seat passengers of the vehicles involved may be more susceptible to serious injuries.

It should be noted that this recall only affects Pilot models equipped with power-adjustable front seats (manually adjustable seats are not part of this recall). If your 2018 Pilot has power front seats, check the Honda Recall Page or the NHTSA Recall Page to determine if your vehicle is part of the safety recall.

To remedy this problem, Honda is offering to replace the driver and front passenger seat assembly on all recalled vehicles. This includes the seat slide rail frames and rivets.

More than 93,000 Honda vehicles (including Pilot and Odyssey) were recalled in April 2019 for a possible timing belt issue. In affected vehicles, it was discovered that the teeth of the factory-installed timing belt could slip or separate from the rest of the belt. A vehicle’s timing belt plays an important role in controlling an engine’s camshafts, allowing valves to open and close smoothly so the engine runs properly. The teeth of the timing belt are specifically responsible for turning the camshaft at the right time with the crankshaft.

If the timing belt were to separate, it could cause the engine to stop suddenly, which could increase the risk of an accident, especially on busy roads or at high speeds. In the event of a stop, the driver may also not be able to restart the engine if the timing belt has come loose.

If your 2018 Pilot is affected by this recall, you can schedule an appointment with an authorized Honda dealer to have your vehicle’s timing belt inspected. If necessary, the timing belt will be replaced free of charge. If your vehicle’s engine was damaged as a result of a timing belt problem, you may also qualify for these free repairs.