Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
20–22 mpgcombined; city 18–19, highway 23–27; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$14,760–$16,240U.S. average; Ohio $13,190–$14,510 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2026 Pilot. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Pilot. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Steering
12
0
0
0
Unknown or other
6
0
0
0
Seat belts
4
0
0
0
Air bags
3
0
0
0
Power train
3
0
0
0
Suspension
2
0
0
0
Electrical system
1
0
0
0
Seats
1
0
0
0
Service brakes
1
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2026 Pilot over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2026 Pilot and Passport vehicles. The rear subframe bolts may have been tightened improperly.
Risk: Loose rear subframe bolts can lead to a loss of vehicle stability or rear subframe detachment, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rear subframe bolts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 24, 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is OOY. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning July 10, 2026.
NHTSA has no service bulletins on file for the 2026 Pilot.
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2026 Pilot.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: standard sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Pilot Front-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S10)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 27 / 22
Pilot All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S10)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 25 / 21
Pilot Touring/Elite/Black All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S10)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 25 / 21
Pilot TrailSport All-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S10)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 23 / 20
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data