Overview & Reviews

The 2013 Honda Pilot is little changed, but in an effort to update its electronics feature content, several new features such as Honda's HandsFreeLink Bluetooth connection for smartphones and music players and a USB connection are standard equipment, as is a rearview camera. A revised interior center stack gets a standard 8-inch screen.

• Comfortable ride
• Above-average fuel economy, useful interior storage areas.
• Roomy third-row seat

• Disappointing braking distances
• Cumbersome to drive.
• Some cheap interior plastics

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 44.00

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  hesitation - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By Don Wagner - December 16 - 12:30 pm

  This Honda model has a terrible hesitation problem. Often it will quit running and let you sitting in the middle of an intersection, and sometimes it just quits running altogether. I had to have towed to the dealer recently and after having the vehicle two days thet told me it had a bug, the size of a gnat in the air/fuel mixture chamber. Told me it was repaired, but it still has the same problem.

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  Bought With Some Reservations - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By Mike - December 15 - 1:22 pm

  I will preface my remarks by saying that I got a great deal on a left-over 2013 model so I am not overly disappointed with this purchase. With that being said, the engineering that went into designing the cargo area with either row of back seats down is horrible. The cargo area has a terrible backward slope resulting in anything you stow ending up at the lift-gate. The road and wind noise are excessive, overall outward vision is poor, oil change cost is expensive with the 0w-20 oil requirement, and the electronic gadgetry lags behind other like-level vehicles. And finally, at 14,000 miles the left front inner CV boot self-destructed resulting in a new driveshaft and bearings. I do like the power lift-gate, the back-up camera, storage slots and cubby holes, and the center front console is cavernous. I hate to say it but, with the exception of better gas mileage, I sometimes miss my 1999 Isuzu Trooper LS.

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  rotor problem - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By scott - October 6 - 12:23 pm

  Im generally happy with my pilot but Im miffed currently. This summer the truck started to vibrate while braking on the highway. A quick Internet search found many complaints of warped front rotors at low mileage. Hondas position is that repair isnt covered under the warranty. The dealer charged $180 to cut the front rotors. Honda should do right by its customers and issue a recall to cover these defective parts.

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  Serious ECO Issues *** Do Not Buy *** - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By Michael - September 28 - 8:49 pm

  I purchased a 2013 Pilot Touring 2WD fully loaded and noticed hesitation when the vehicle is in ECO mode. The dealer is aware of the problem but says there is no fix for the problem. My problems started at 3000 miles. The problem really occurs when in ECO mode going up hill. When the stuttering/hesitation starts you will feel as though you are on a rodeo bull. In addition, I notice serious front-end shaking with no evident cause. I though I was the only person, but when Googled I discovery many pilot owners experiencing the same issues. See the links below. http://www.piloteers.org/forums/14-problems/33382-2013-pilot-constant-eco-vibration.html http://www.carcomplaints.com/Honda/Pilot/2013/drivetrain/power_train.shtml Sincerely, Michael

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  A great vehicle in every way - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By Scott Hansen - August 5 - 5:55 pm

  My wife and I never buy new cars and the cars we have we keep for 10 or 15 years. The last car that my wife had was a 2002 Mercury Mountaineer and we had it 10 years and it was time to get a new vehicle. Two years ago we purchased a used Honda Civic and are very happy with it so when it came time to research vehicles we knew the Pilot would be one of them. We test drove three different SUVs. We tried the 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe and the Toyota Highlander. We did not like the Santa Fe at all. The ride was not nice and despite raves from the reviewers, the interior seemed to be made out of cheep materials. The road we drove on was under construction and we felt every bump and hole we hit. The third row seating area was cramped, and that is being generous. The Toyota Highlander was next and we liked that car. It drove well, it looked nice, it was large and roomy but they tended to be more expensive and with less equipment than the Pilot. When we drove the Pilot I knew right away we found our next car. We drove one that had 17,000 miles on it and it had all the comforts we were used to and a bit more. The seats are very comfortable, there is plenty of second row seating leg room, and the third seat actually looks like it may be comfortable for adults. We liked the way it handled and how intuitive the controls were. I went to work and researched used Pilots and I honed in on three of them, on in Fargo, one where we live in the Twin Cities and one in Wausau, WI. The Fargo one and the Wausau one are about 3 1/2 hours from our house. I hate dealing with car dealerships but because I did the research I knew I was going to pay a fair price. When it came to numbers I wanted a towing lighting system installed as well as winter mats and a cargo area mat. The place in Fargo and I talked and then the place in Wausau and I talked. I was able to get a lower price from the Wausau place even though I was told this was the lowest they could go. They responded well when there was another valid offer on the table. I ended up going with the Wausau one because the vehicle they had was a Certified Honda which meant an extra years warranty. I then paid $795 to kick that out to the year 2020 or 100,000 miles, and with the low number of miles we drive I know I will be covered for five full years. Even with the warranty I ended up paying less than I would have at the Fargo dealer but the Fargo dealer was going to deliver it to my doorstep and I had to pick up the Wausau one. I then went online and found this forum. I was nervous when I read all about the vibration problems when the car goes into ECO mode. Since I did not test drive the exact vehicle I was buying, I thought it could be trouble. I also thought about this when I bought the extended Honda warranty. My wife and I have had the car now for about a month. So far there has been zero problems with vibrations. The car is a dream. It is built well and it gets better gas mileage than our old Mountaineer. It is more comfortable to drive and there is nothing better than getting that new car feeling even if it is a used car. My wife loves it too and is very happy with our choice. We are going to start saving our pennies so we can buy our next car with cash in about 10 years and most likely it will be a Honda or Toyota.

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  2013 Honda Pilot EX-L - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By Shannon - April 2 - 2:28 pm

  I purchased our pilot used with 21,000 miles. Still had factory warranty. After about 6 months of ownership I noticed the plastic above rear hatch was starting to separate from the window, which looked terrible. I brought it to the dealer and they told me it was a "feature". I kept complaining and they said they would fix it once and not again. They fixed it and it has already started to separate from the window. The straw that broke the camels back is a shudder when the ECO kicks in. When just barely accelerating the car would shudder, shaking the steering wheel and floor. I brought it to them twice for the same reason, and was told that is a "feature of the car". I just sold it.

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  VCM Issue - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By mostmiles - January 2 - 1:55 pm

  From the day I drove the car off the lot, I have had concerns about vibration noises and hesitation in the engine. I am just about up with my warranty period and have complained about these issues every time I go for service. The dealer maintains there are no bulletins that address this issue however, I have noted on other sites that there are complaints about this issue. Other than that, I love the car - especially the extra space for transporting lots of stuff. I also appreciate Hondas pricing structure - unlike Toyotas which is difficult to figure out.

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  VCM Horrible - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By thebigv21 - August 26 - 10:02 am

  My wife had this vehicle for a month. While driving, when the engine went into ECO mode there would be a stutter and hesitation. The entire floor would vibrate. I researched this problem and it seemed that a lot of people were having the same issue without a fix. I traded the vehicle in instead of dealing with this. Bought a highlander and it runs much better.

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  ECO mode issue - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By rachlk - August 1 - 2:06 pm

  There is a problem when the car goes into ECO mode. The dealer told me it was normal and that I must be over sensitive to vibration & sound. It feels like a "hesitation" or "stutter" and is NOT normal! *sigh* I love everything else about my Pilot, but am sad to say Im currently looking to trade it due to this issue.

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  Best vehicle I have ever owned... - 2013 Honda Pilot
  By hondaloverinmd - March 28 - 9:57 pm

  ..and thats saying a lot - this is my 9th vehicle, 4th Honda, and 2nd Honda Pilot. Had my first Pilot (05 model) for 7 years. Just bought a 2014 EX 4WD. There is NO engine vibration when in the VCM (aka, ECO) mode. Honda has reduced exterior noise considerably from my first Pilot - this one has a very quiet interior. Very smooth engine and transmission - typical Honda. Fantastic amount of interior space and cargo room. Great looking SUV, unlike many of the so-called modern SUVs that look like ugly, glorified station wagons. I love everything about the Pilot. The USB port and bluetooth hands-free link are much appreciated. Thanks Honda!!!