2019 Honda Pilot · symptom sheet
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early
- 42owner reports
- 8,900median miles
- 2involved a crash
Newest report Mar 20, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
42 of the 907 complaints on this car describe brake wear.
Tick what matches of 42 reports
Brake wear on other Pilot years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026.
What this problem usually is
Brake reports cover a wide spread of symptoms. Grinding or squealing is common, and so is a pulsing pedal or a shake through the car when stopping. Others describe pads and rotors worn out long before they expected, a brake warning light, or a pedal that goes soft or sinks toward the floor. The most serious ones say the car didn't stop in time.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the pads and rotors (4 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the brakes covers the 2019 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the brakes on the Pilot
Vehicle stability assist malfunction. Closed mar 15, 2013.
None of these investigations covers the 2019 model year.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 4,000 and 36,000 miles, from the 17 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 1 service bulletin or notice for the 2019 Honda Pilot that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (AHM) is searching for certain 2018-2021 Accords, 2019-2017 Civics, 2017-2021 CR-Vs, 2018-2021 Odysseys & 2018-2021 Pilots with a customer complaint of an unexpected CMBS operation or a brake application.
What owners wrote
“While driving straight, my 2019 Honda Pilot activates collision âBRAKEâ warnings and applies steering wheel torque when there are no vehicles or obstacles present. The system intervenes unexpectedly and repeatedly. The attached documents show that I reported this issue to a Honda dealership and Honda Customer Relations (case #16094868). No diagnosis has been completed yet. This is a safety concern.”
Filed Jan 13, 2026
“When we are driving the vehicle brake light lights up on dash and car breaks for a second or two. There are no cars around and no railroad tracks. It just does it a random times. We arenât speeding. Just driving down road.”
Filed Sep 1, 2024
“When I am driving and at times the braking system tell me to Brake when I am in my line and no one is heading my way.”
Filed Apr 17, 2024
“On May 27, 2013, while approaching a traffic light controlled intersection, I applied the vehicle brakes (depressed the brake pedal) with no response. My vehicle speed was slow enough to allow me to make a right turn at the intersection without damage to my vehicle or others in the vicinity. Within a few seconds (less than 5) the brakes started responding correctly with no subsequent occurrence, to date.”
Filed May 29, 2023
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 2 of 42 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 201 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 165 reports
- Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking) 65 reports
- Battery dies or the car will not start 63 reports
- Adaptive cruise or lane keeping misbehaves 63 reports
- Fuel pump failure 57 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 57 reports
- Forward collision warning goes off or the camera drops out 57 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 43 reports
- Auto start-stop will not restart the engine 43 reports
- Multiple warning lights come on at once 31 reports