2011 Honda Pilot Air Bags
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
PRIOR TO PURCHASE, THE RECALL AND POSSIBLE PROBLEM EXISTED. I WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT THE PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED. IF IT WAS IN FACT CORRECTED, SHOULDN'T MY VEHICLE NOT BE ON THE RECALL LIST OR WAS IT JUST REPAIRED ON PAPER, IN ORDER TO CONCLUDE THE SALE. SHOULDN'T THEY HAVE NOTIFIED NHTSA, IF THEY HAD IN FACT MADE THE REPAIRS?
AIRBAG LIGHT BEGAN COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY IN NOVEMBER OF 2014. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP TO GET CHECKED OUT, WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE NEEDED TO REPLACE IT. WE WERE THEN INFORMED THAT IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS NOT PART OF THE RECALL OF AFFECTED AIRBAGS. ADDITIONALLY, IT WOULD COST $900+ TO REPLACE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF AN OBVIOUS DEFECT IS PLACED ON THE CONSUMER RATHER THAN THE MANUFACTURER. THERE IS NO REASON THAT A VEHICLE THAT HAS NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AND IS LESS THAN FIVE YEARS OLD SHOULD BE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I AM SURE THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE TO GET INJURED BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD A $900 FIX FOR A PROBLEM THAT THEY DIDN'T CREATE?
COMING OUT OF A 30MPH ZONE INTO A 55MPH ZONE -- I HAD ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 45MPG WHEN I HIT AN ICY SECTION OF A THE ROAD. I LOST CONTROL OF OUR HONDA PILOT ON A GRADUAL TURN IN THE ROAD. THE PILOT TURNED SIDEWAYS. I QUICKLY TRIED TO REGAIN CONTROL AS THE VEHICLE POSITIONED ITSELF FORWARD, BUT HEADED FOR THE DITCH. STILL OUT OF CONTROL, A UTILITY POLE WAS UNAVOIDABLE. I HIT THE POLE HEAD ON AT A 45 MPH SPEED. THE VEHICLE SNAPPED THE UTILITY POLE IN HALF AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP AFTER 20 FEET. NEITHER AIRBAG DEPLOYED FOR ME OR MY PASSENGER. THERE IS EXTENSIVE FRONT END DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT HAVE HIT THE UTILITY POLE ANY MORE DEAD CENTER ON. AND YET, AT 45 MPH AND DRIVING THROUGH A UTILITY POLE, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WE WALKED AWAY FROM THE ACCIDENT. BUT, AT WHAT SPEED AND HOW MUCH MORE HEAD ON COULD WE HAVE GOTTEN FOR THE AIR BAGS TO DEPLOY? *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE PASSENGER ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND SHUT THE DOOR, THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED INADVERTENTLY AND STRUCK THE PASSENGER ON THE HEAD AND ARM. THE FAILURE CAUSED ALL THREE OF THE CHILD PASSENGERS AND THE DRIVER TO ENDURE HEAD AND EAR ACHES FROM THE LOUD NOISE OF THE AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT. THERE WAS NO MEDICAL ATTENTION REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE; THEREFORE, THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE DIAGNOSED BY A DISTRICT MANAGER IN ORDER TO CONFIRM THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A CRASH. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 61,100.
MY WIFE HAD AN ACCIDENT AND CRASHED INTO THE BACK OF A PARKED VEHICLE. THE CRASH ITSELF WAS HER FAULT, HOWEVER THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED INTO HER FACE AND CAUSED INJURIES, FRACTURING THE BRIDGE OF HER NOSE, BLEEDING IN HER LEFT EYE AND BASICALLY MADE HER WHOLE LEFT SIDE OF HER FACE SWELL UP TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD NOT RECOGNIZE HER. MY WIFE IS 5'3" AND NEEDS TO ADJUST HER SEATING POSITION CLOSE TO THE STEERING WHEEL IN ORDER FOR HER FEET TO REACH THE BRAKE/ACCELERATOR PEDAL. MY CONTENTION IS THAT AT A LOW SPEED ACCIDENT, IF THE AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY I THINK SHE WOULD HAVE WALKED AWAY WITH NO INJURIES. ALTERNATIVELY, IF THE CAR HAD A TELESCOPING STEERING WHEEL THEN SHE WOULD HAVE HAD ENOUGH CLEARANCE TO AVOID THE AIRBAG DEPLOYING INTO HER FACE. *TR
MY AIRBAG CAUSED ME INJURY WHEN IT DEPLOYED DURING A COLLISION. I WAS THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE AT THE TIME. MY VEHICLE WAS SUBJECT TO A RECALL BECAUSE RIVETS THAT ATTACH THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIRBAG WERE NOT INSTALLED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 HONDA PILOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, ANOTHER CRASHED HEAD-ON INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED CHEST INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED DAMAGES TO THE ENTIRE FRONT END AND THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THE POLICE WERE NOTIFIED AND A REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2011 Honda Pilot has 57 Air Bags complaints on file. 10 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.