Ford Edge vs Honda Pilot: which is more reliable?
The Ford Edge is ahead of the Honda Pilot on the federal record, 69/100 against 61/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Ford Edge
- 13 model years scored
- 9,716 owner complaints on record
- about 72 complaints per year on the road
- 62 recall campaigns, 21 safety-critical
- best year 2023 (90/100) · worst 2017 (35/100)
Honda Pilot
- 15 model years scored
- 6,376 owner complaints on record
- about 76 complaints per year on the road
- 97 recall campaigns, 63 safety-critical
- best year 2014 (84/100) · worst 2019 (27/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Edge against Pilot
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
| Year | Edge | Pilot | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | 34 AVOID | — |
| 2024 | 89 BUY | 68 CAUTION | +21 |
| 2023 | 90 BUY | 73 BUY | +17 |
| 2022 | 85 BUY | 79 BUY | +6 |
| 2021 | 82 BUY | 48 AVOID | +34 |
| 2020 | 83 BUY | 51 CAUTION | +32 |
| 2019 | 60 CAUTION | 27 AVOID | +33 |
| 2018 | 55 CAUTION | 71 BUY | -16 |
| 2017 | 35 AVOID | 51 CAUTION | -16 |
| 2016 | 55 CAUTION | 46 AVOID | +9 |
| 2015 | 65 CAUTION | 81 BUY | -16 |
| 2014 | 85 BUY | 84 BUY | +1 |
| 2013 | 42 AVOID | 75 BUY | -33 |
| 2012 | — | 75 BUY | — |
| 2011 | 54 CAUTION | 73 BUY | -19 |
What owners actually complain about
Ford Edge
- Engine — 2,201 complaints
- Electrical System — 1,787 complaints
- Service Brakes — 1,606 complaints
Honda Pilot
- Engine — 2,060 complaints
- Electrical System — 1,690 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 996 complaints
Both nameplates have Engine as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Ford Edge — avoid: 2013, 2017.
Honda Pilot — avoid: 2016, 2019, 2021, 2025.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Ford Edge prices at about $37,400 and a Honda Pilot at about $40,800 — the Ford Edge is roughly $3,400 less, and they return 21.0 against 21.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford Edge or the Honda Pilot more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Ford Edge scores 69/100 against the Honda Pilot's 61/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Ford Edge and Honda Pilot years should I avoid?
Ford Edge: 2013, 2017. Honda Pilot: 2016, 2019, 2021, 2025. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Ford Edge and the Honda Pilot?
The largest complaint group on the Ford Edge is Engine (2,201 complaints); on the Honda Pilot it is Engine (2,060).
Is the Ford Edge or the Honda Pilot cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford Edge prices at about $37,400 and a Honda Pilot at about $40,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.