NHTSA opens probe into 2023–2024 Honda Pilot: Inaccurate Rear Passenger Seat Belt Warning Status
On October 28, 2025, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE25017) into 2023–2024 Honda Pilot, concerning the seat belts. A Preliminary Evaluation is the first formal stage of an NHTSA defect investigation: ODI gathers information from the manufacturer and from owner reports to decide whether to close the case or take it further. As of NHTSA’s latest data it is still open.
- Action
- PE25017 (Preliminary Evaluation)
- Status
- Open
- Component
- Seat Belts: Rear/Other; Seat Belts: Status Indicator Switch
- Listed
- 2 make/model/year entries in NHTSA’s file
Vehicles under investigation
| Make | Honda |
|---|---|
| Model | Pilot |
| Model years | 2023–2024 |
As listed in NHTSA’s investigation file. Not every vehicle of a listed model is necessarily affected.
What ODI says
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 6 complaints, and multiple Early Warning Reporting (EWR) field reports alleging inaccurate rear seat belt warning status. These allegations concern both false positive and false negative statuses in model year (MY) 2023-2024 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured by American Honda Motor Co. (Honda). The complaints state that the rear passenger seat belt warning system is displaying inaccurate information to the driver for both second and third row seating positions. This can lead to the driver dismissing warnings regarding rear seat belt status. The inaccurate information can also cause the driver to believe rear occupants are buckled when they are not. This reliance on false information presents concerns for the safety of children and child seats located in the rear rows, especially in the third row where the buckled status is more difficult for the driver to visually confirm. ODI is opening this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) to determine the scope and severity of the potential problem and to fully assess the potential safety-related issues. To review the ODI reports cited in the Opening Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Official summary by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation for PE25017, quoted in full (U.S. government work, public domain).
What owners have reported
Owners filed 259 complaints with NHTSA about the model years in this investigation, reporting 5 crashes, 2 fires, 5 injuries. These are all complaints on file for those vehicles, about any problem, not only this one; complaints are unverified owner reports.
| Vehicle | Complaints | Crashes | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Pilot | 144 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| 2024 Pilot | 115 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Recalls and problems for these vehicles
Timeline
- ODI opens preliminary evaluation PE25017
- OpenNo closing date yet
What this means for owners
- An investigation is not a recall. NHTSA has not made a defect finding here, and owners are not asked to do anything yet. If a safety defect is confirmed, the manufacturer recalls the vehicles and the repair is free.
- Check your vehicle for open recalls with a free VIN recall check.
- Had this problem? File a complaint with NHTSA. Owner complaints are the evidence ODI uses to open and expand investigations.
Official record: search PE25017 or your vehicle at NHTSA.gov/recalls, which lists investigations alongside recalls. Data: NHTSA ODI investigations file, updated daily. All NHTSA investigations.