Trouble codes › By vehicle › Honda Pilot
Common check-engine codes on the Honda Pilot
2009-2022
The Pilot uses Honda's 3.5L V6 with Variable Cylinder Management, so it shares the Accord and Odyssey's best-known problem: VCM misfires from oil-fouled spark plugs, with warranty extensions on some years.
Most common: P0300, P0420, P0171, P0456, P0141.
Known problems on the Honda Pilot
- Honda 3.5L V6 VCM misfires and fouled spark plugs (P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303)
P0300 Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected
P0300 means the engine is misfiring in more than one cylinder, often from worn plugs or coils, a vacuum leak or low fuel pressure.
On the Honda Pilot: Misfires on cylinders VCM shuts off, from oil-fouled plugs and piston rings, are well documented on 2009-2013 Pilots (covered by the Soto settlement) and some later years (a 2025 extension for certain 2013-2015 Pilots). Ask a dealer with your VIN.
P0300: causes, can I keep driving, and what to check first →
P0420 Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold (Bank 1)
P0420 means the catalytic converter on bank 1 isn't cleaning the exhaust well enough, usually a worn converter, an exhaust leak or a lazy oxygen sensor.
On the Honda Pilot: Catalyst efficiency, often with P0430: fix misfires first.
P0420: causes, can I keep driving, and what to check first →
P0171 System Too Lean (Bank 1)
P0171 means bank 1 is running lean (too much air or too little fuel), most often from a vacuum leak or a dirty MAF sensor.
On the Honda Pilot: Lean codes, often with P0174: vacuum leaks or the air-fuel sensor.
P0171: causes, can I keep driving, and what to check first →
P0456 Evaporative Emission System Leak Detected (Very Small Leak)
P0456 means the EVAP system has a very small leak, often a gas cap that isn't sealing perfectly.
On the Honda Pilot: Very small EVAP leaks: the gas cap first.
P0456: causes, can I keep driving, and what to check first →
P0141 O2 Sensor Heater Circuit (Bank 1 Sensor 2)
P0141 means the heater in bank 1's rear oxygen sensor isn't working, usually burned out or missing power.
On the Honda Pilot: Rear oxygen sensor heater failures at higher mileage.
P0141: causes, can I keep driving, and what to check first →
Got a code on your Honda Pilot?
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Common codes and known problems as widely reported for these model years; your vehicle may differ. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a dealer about service bulletins for your VIN, and confirm in your service information.