Model year guide

2012 Honda Pilot

Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2012 Honda Pilot is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 669 on record.

2012 Honda Pilot — representative photo
Representative photo · via Wikimedia Commons

2012 Honda Pilot at a glance

Safety recalls9
Owner complaints170
Overall safety4 / 5 ★
Combined20 mpg
Typical price$21,598

Free: specs, open recalls for that exact car, build sheet and fair price.

2012 Honda Pilot recalls 9

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #18V661000 · 27/09/2018

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2014 Honda Insight and Acura TSX and TSX Wagon, 2014-2015 Honda Crosstour and Pilot vehicles nationwide, as well as certain 2014 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles in Florida, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, California, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan) and the U.S. Virgin Islands.…

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M2J and S2K.

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #18V268000 · 26/04/2018

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2003-2012 Honda Accord and Pilot, 2010 Accord Crosstour, 2001-2011 Civic, 2002-2011 CR-V, 2003-2004, 2006-2008 and 2011 Element, 2007 and 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2012 Insight, 2002-2004 Odyssey, and 2012 Ridgeline vehicles. The front passenger air bag may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began June 22, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are K1P, and M1O.

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #19V502000 · 27/06/2019

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2014 TSX Sport Wagon, 2010-2013 ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic and Civic Hybrid, 2008-2010 Civic GX NGV, 2012-2015 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2014 Fit EV, 2010-2014 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with passenger frontal air bag inflators assembl…

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began August 12, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are F5F and Q5E.

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #19V378000 · 16/05/2019

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Acura TSX, 2011-2013 TSX Sport Wagon, and 2010-2012 ZDX and 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2011 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, Civic Hybrid and Civic NGV, 2012-2014 Crosstour, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2013 Fit, 2010-2013 Insight, and 2009-2015 Pilot vehicles. The front passenger air bag inflator may have been installed incorrectly during replacement.

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the inflator installation and, if necessary, replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began July 5, 2019. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are M…

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #17V545000 · 31/08/2017

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2008-2012 Accord, 2010-2012 Accord Crosstour, 2006-2011 Civic, 2007-2011 CR-V, 2009-2012 Fit and Pilot, 2010-2012 Insight, and 2009-2012 Acura TSX vehicles that received replacement passenger frontal air bag inflators. One dealership may have incorrectly installed the replacement air bag inflators.

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag module assembly, free of charge. The recall began October 30, 2017. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are O07, Y0A, N06, G05, M04, Y01, and O09.

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #17V030000 · 10/01/2017

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2009-2012 Acura TSX, 2011-2012 Acura TSX Wagon, 2010-2012 Acura ZDX, 2008-2012 Honda Accord, 2010-2012 Honda Accord Crosstour and Honda Insight, 2009-2012 Honda Fit, 2009-2012 Pilot, 2007-2011 Honda CR-V, 2012 Honda FCX Clarity and 2006-2011 Honda Civic, Civic Hybrid, Civic NGV vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia…

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The manufacturer has mailed an interim notification, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's nu…

Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module NHTSA Campaign #18V042000 · 09/01/2018

Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2010-2013 Acura TSX, ZDX, Honda Accord Crosstour, Fit, Insight and Pilot vehicles, 2011-13 Acura TSX Sportswagon, 2010-2012 Honda Accord,, 2010-2011 Honda Civic, Civic NGV, Civic Hybrid and CR-V vehicles and 2013 Honda FCX Clarity and Fit EV vehicles ever registered in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Caro…

Fix: Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are B0K and L0J.

Fuel System, Gasoline:storage:tank Assembly NHTSA Campaign #12V063000 · 17/02/2012

HONDA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 PILOT AND ACURA MDX VEHICLES. THE VENT SHUT FLOAT (VSF) VALVE CASE IN THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY DOES NOT MEET THE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS.

Fix: HONDA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VSF ASSEMBLY DATE AND, IF NECESSARY, REPLACE THE FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 13, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HONDA CUSTOMER SERVICE AT 1-800-999-1009.

Air Bags NHTSA Campaign #13V016000 · 18/01/2013

Honda is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Pilot and 2011-2013 Odyssey passenger vehicles manufactured from March 13, 2008, through December 21, 2012. One or more rivets that attach the airbag module to the airbag cover may be missing.

Fix: Honda will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Honda dealer. The dealer will inspect the driver's airbag module and replace it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 14, 2013. Owners may contact Honda at 1-800-999-1009.

Source: U.S. NHTSA. A recall applies to a model year, but only a VIN check shows whether a specific car has had the repair done.

2012 Honda Pilot common problems

The most-reported problem areas from 170 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Electrical System
Test every electrical feature: windows, locks, infotainment, charging and all lights. Watch for flickering, dead accessories or warning lights.
Engine
Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.
Fuel/propulsion System
Check for fuel or battery warnings, hard starts and stalling. On a hybrid/EV, confirm charging and range behave normally.
Power Train
Drive through every gear: watch for slipping, hard or delayed shifts, and shudder. Check for transmission/driveline leaks and noises.
Air Bags
Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.
Service Brakes
Brakes should feel firm and quiet — no grinding, pulsing or pulling. Check for an ABS light and uneven pad/rotor wear.

2012 Honda Pilot safety ratings

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 2012 Honda Pilot SUV 4WD. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.

2012 Honda Pilot MPG & running costs

Combined20 mpg
City18 mpg
Highway25 mpg
Est. annual fuel cost$3,100

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov, averaged across trims.

What's a 2012 Honda Pilot worth?

Low
$16,600
Typical price
$21,598
High
$26,000

From 666 comparable 2012 Honda Pilot listings.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2012 Honda Pilot costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$15,500
Depreciation (5 yrs)$13,700
Total$29,200
Per mile$0.39

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. Depreciation compares today's typical asking price for this model year ($21,598) with the same model 5 model-years older ($7,903), from CarLogs listing data. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

2012 Honda Pilot trims & engines on record

Trims
EX-L · EX · LX · Touring · EX-L with RES · EXL-N
Engines
3.5L 6-cyl 250 hp

2012 Honda Pilot vehicles on record

Other Honda Pilot model years

2012 Honda Pilot — frequently asked questions

Does the 2012 Honda Pilot have any safety recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 9 safety recalls for the 2012 Honda Pilot. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

What are the most common problems with the 2012 Honda Pilot?

Based on 170 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are electrical system, engine, fuel/propulsion system.

What is the 2012 Honda Pilot safety rating?

NHTSA gives the 2012 Honda Pilot an overall crash-test rating of 4 out of 5 stars (frontal 4★, side 5★, rollover 4★).

What gas mileage does the 2012 Honda Pilot get?

The U.S. EPA rates the 2012 Honda Pilot at about 20 mpg combined (18 city / 25 highway).

How much is a 2012 Honda Pilot worth?

Comparable 2012 Honda Pilot listings run roughly $16,600–$26,000, typically around $21,598 (from 666 vehicles).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.