11 Honda Pilot Statistics You Should Know (Facts & Numbers)

The Pilot is Honda’s largest SUV with five doors and a vibrant V6 engine.

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It is currently assembled in Lincoln, Alabama, United States, and is marketed in North America, the Middle East, the Philippines, and South Korea amongst others.

The Honda Pilot has evolved since its debut with three generations. It has notched sales of over two million units since 2002 and has also achieved critical success across board.

This article explores a variety of facts, numbers, and statistics about the Honda Pilot. Let’s get right to it.

How Many Honda Pilots Have Been Sold Per Year in the U.S.?

The Honda Pilot has been sold in the United States every year since 2002.

Let’s take a look at the numbers from each year and the exact number of units sold in total.

Year	Number of Units Sold
2002	52,062
2003	106,917
2004	128,158
2005	143,353
2006	152,154
2007	117,146
2008	96,746
2009	83,901
2010	102,323
2011	116,297
2012	114,848
2013	126,678
2014	108,857
2015	136,212
2016	120,772
2017	127,279
2018	159,615
2019	135,008
2020	123,813

The Honda Pilot has managed to sell a decent number of units every year since 2002.

We also have a full list of the good and bad years for Honda Pilot here.

In 2018, it sold a record 159,615 units, breaking its own previous yearly record of 152,214 units in 2006.

Cumulatively, the Honda Pilot has sold over 2,252,139 units.

Please also read our article about the Honda Pilot and keys.

What Year Did Honda Start the Pilot Models?

Honda started producing and marketing the first-generation Pilot models in April 2002, starting off with the 2003 model.

Production of the first-generation model ended in 2008 and the second generation model picked up from there until 2015.

The company started production of the third-generation models in May 2015. The Pilot is still in its third generation although there have been a few facelifts.

How Is the Fuel Economy on a Honda Pilot?

Considering that the Honda Pilot is a non-hybrid SUV, we really can’t expect too much from it in terms of fuel economy.

It certainly isn’t one of Honda’s most fuel-efficient vehicles.

However, the pertinent question, in this case, might be “How does it stack up against the competition in the fuel economy department?” Let’s take a look.

Model	City MPG	Highway MPG	Combined MPG
Honda Pilot AWD	19	26	22
Honda Pilot FWD	20	27	23
Hyundai Palisade AWD	19	24	21
Hyundai Palisade FWD	19	26	22
Kia Telluride AWD	19	24	21
Kia Telluride FWD	20	26	23
Toyota Highlander	20	28	23
Toyota Highlander AWD	20	27	23
Mazda CX-9 4WD	20	26	23
Mazda CX-9 2WD	22	28	24

One thing to notice from the table is that the FWD/2WD are a bit more fuel-efficient than the AWD/4WD variants.

Also, the Honda Pilot has equal and slightly better numbers than every other SUV in the line-up except the Mazda CX-9 and the Toyota Highlander.

Truth is, the Pilot wouldn’t get an A or even B for fuel economy. However, it’s still one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles of its class and size.

Make sure to also read our article about the Honda Pilot in snow and winter driving.

How Quickly Do Honda Pilot Depreciate?

Car Edge estimates the Honda Pilot depreciates by 40% after five years. This would mean that if you buy one for $46,498, you may not be able to sell it for more than $27,848 in five years.

AutoPadre predicts a drop in the Honda Pilot’s value by 47% in five years. This is better than other SUVs like the Nissan Armada, Kia Telluride, and Hyundai Palisade which all have at least a 50% depreciation rate.

Did Honda Recall Any of the Pilot Models?

Like most other manufactures, Honda frequently recalls some of its models due to some functional problems.

The Honda Pilot has been recalled several times, with some models getting more recalls than others. Here is a breakdown of the numbers.

Model Year	Number of Recalls
2003	14
2004	13
2005	16
2006	10
2007	9
2008	9
2009	9
2010	10
2011	11
2012	9
2013	6
2014	3
2015	3
2016	4
2017	–
2018	2
2019	9
2020	7
2021	5

The Honda Pilot has been recalled a total of 149 times across all 19 model years.

Honda Pilot (2005) has the highest number of recalls so far with 16 and the 2018 model has the lowest with just two so far.

The 2017 Honda Pilot hasn’t been recalled at all since its debut.

How Much Do the Pilot Models Pollute?

FWD variants of the Honda Pilot pollute less than the AWD variants. However, both variants are not very environment-friendly as we are about to see. Actually, SUVs generally pollute more.

The Honda Pilot AWD has a Greenhouse Gas Emissions rate of 406 grams per mile and 6.1 metric tons per year. It has an energy impact score of 15.0 barrels and an EPA smog rating of 4/10, which is below average.

Honda Pilots with FWD, on the other hand, have a Greenhouse Gas Emissions rate of 388 grams per mile and 5.8 metric tons per year. They have an energy impact score of 14.3 barrels and an EPA smog rating of 5/10.

With those numbers, you can be certain the Honda Pilot won’t be in contention for the Green Car of the Year Award anytime soon. Nonetheless, the Honda Pilot FWD is the “greener” variant.

How Much Can the Pilot Models Tow?

The Honda Pilot has a maximum curb weight of 4,004 pounds for the FWD variant and 4,176 for the AWD variant.

The Pilot FWD has a maximum towing capacity of 3,500 pounds while the Pilot AWD can tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped.

We have a full overview of towing capacity for all Honda Pilots here.

How Reliable Is a Honda Pilot?

The Honda Pilot has proven itself reliable amongst owners and critics alike over the years. It has a critics’ rating of 9.0/10 and an overall rating of 8.4/10 on U.S. News & World Report.

J.D. Power gives the Pilot a quality and reliability score of 78/100, indicating overall satisfaction amongst owners.

Also check out our article about how long the Honda Pilot lasts.

How Safe Is a Honda Pilot?

The Honda Pilot has also received excellent safety ratings especially from the NHTSA and the IIHS.

U.S. News & World Report caps the Pilot’s safety rating at an impressive 9.1/10.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives it an overall five-star rating, with four-star ratings in the Rollover and Frontal Crash category.

The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety (IIHS) marks the Pilot “Good” in five of eight categories, including Rear Crash and Side Impact tests.

It gets an “Acceptable” rating in Headlights and small overlap front passenger test results. The vehicle also gets an “Advanced” score in the Front Crash Prevention Results.

Based on the above ratings, it’s fair to rate the Pilot’s safety as relatively excellent. Below are some of its most notable safety features:

Multi-Angle Rear-View Camera
Vehicle Stability Assist
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Child-Proof Rear Locks
Seatbelt Pre-tensioners
Anti-Lock Braking System
Cross-Traffic Alert
Lane Keeping Assist
Lane Departure Warning
Airbag (Passenger, Front Head, Rear Head, Front Side)

Additionally, the Honda Pilot is considered one of the safer SUVs in terms of visibility. This SUV does not have more blind spots than other cars. In fact, it has a remarkably wide-ranging view of the road.

What Is the Typical Buyer Demographic for this Model?

Based on information gathered by J.D. Power in 2017, 62% of Honda Pilot buyers are men and the average age is 50.

Another recent study we can go by was carried out by Hedges Company.

Their report found that 43% of SUV buyers are between 25 and 54, while 26% are aged between 55 and 64. The report also revealed that 31% of the buyers were aged 65 and above.

While the Hedges report is more general than specific, we can fairly conclude that most Pilot buyers belong to Generation X and Y.