2003 Honda Pilot

Rating applies to 2003-05 models

Tested vehicle: 2003 Honda Pilot EX 4-door 4wd

The Honda Pilot was introduced in the 2003 model year.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has evaluated the crashworthiness of the Pilot in two 40 mph moderate overlap frontal crash tests into deformable barriers. In the first test, the frontal airbags deployed late, with the result that high forces were recorded on the dummy's head, indicating the likelihood of head injuries. This led Honda to modify the frontal airbag deployment characteristics on models produced after August 18, 2003. Also, Honda initiated a safety improvement campaign to modify at its cost vehicles produced earlier.

The Institute tested a second Pilot with the modified airbags, and the airbags inflated much earlier. Ratings of the Pilot are based on the results of the second test, except structural performance is based on both tests.

Honda has told the Institute that the 2006 models are sufficiently re-engineered that the the ratings for 2003-05 models do not carry over.

Action shot taken during the second of two frontal offset crash tests.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after both crash tests indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained reasonably well (second test shown).

Dummy movement was well controlled. During rebound, the dummy's head hit only the head restraint, as indicated by smeared greasepaint.

Forces on the legs and feet were low, indicating that significant injury was unlikely.

Seat type: Leather seats

Seat type: Cloth seats