Owners have filed 24 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the brakes, electrical, and transmission. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2023Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2023 Honda Passport: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2023's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
Worth adding to your 2023 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2023 Honda Passport. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | AWD | 21 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2023 Honda Passport, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
A front caliper bolt can come loose or go missing, letting the caliper shift or drop onto the wheel. Drivers hear loud knocking or a booming noise near a front wheel at highway speed, then braking weakens with no warning light. Two reports describe this around 70 mph, and one driver lost control and coasted to a stop. A dealer blamed a bolt installed incorrectly at the factory. Other complaints describe warped front rotors that cause shaking and rattling under braking, in one case after repeated false emergency braking.
The engine can shut off while driving, taking power steering and brakes with it. One report describes this at 55-60 mph, with the car refusing to restart, even after an ECU and wiring harness were replaced. Another describes the car rolling forward while in Park, and the driver was injured. Other complaints cite random automatic braking, an emissions light that stays on, and adaptive cruise and lane-keeping warnings that dealers blame on a battery that keeps failing. Dealers often cannot reproduce the faults.
Shifts feel sloppy and slow. Revs hang high instead of dropping smoothly, and power reaches the wheels late and unpredictably. Some drivers hear popping when shifting into Park or Drive, or odd sounds under acceleration. On an incline the car can roll backward in Drive or forward in Reverse, and one dealer called this normal for the transmission design. Other reports mention the car sometimes not starting at the push of the ignition button and automatic braking engaging with no obstacle ahead.
Collision mitigation braking slams on the brakes with nothing in the way. These reports include 6 injuries, among them a driver thrown into the steering wheel. False braking happens on winding roads and even at stop lights. One complaint describes the car not accelerating from a stop on a hill and nearly causing a crash during a merge, which a dealer called a design trait. Related problems include a dead backup camera and sensors, a flashing dashboard display, and radio static over Bluetooth.
Lane keeping assist jerks the steering without warning, pulling the car toward another lane or into a curb. One report describes a crash at 50 mph after a brake warning, leaving possible frame or suspension damage. Automatic emergency braking also triggers as oncoming cars approach. Dealers inspect the cars and find nothing wrong. One service advisor said the problem had been reported before and could not be fixed. Contacting Honda directly has not resolved these complaints.
Excerpts from complaints Passport owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Car feels sluggish and delays accelerating when driven. Occasionally will make a strange sounds when trying to accelerate. The automatic brake will engage when there no obstacle in front of me while I’m driving- has happened a few times since I bought the car. At times, the car will not turn on when the ignition button is selected for no apparent reason.
Filed with NHTSA, July 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2023 ranks fifth for owner complaints among 7 Passport years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2023 is the fifth model year of the Passport's third generation (2019–2025).
It is also the first year of a mid-cycle update.
What changed for 2023
Recall repairs are free at any Honda dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Passport and 2023-2025 Pilot vehicles. The fuel filler neck tube and fuel filler pipe may separate, allowing fuel to leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the fuel filler neck tube and pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 7, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is OKM.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Passport and Ridgeline vehicles. The inner ball joint housing in the steering gearbox assembly may loosen and detach from the steering rack and result in a loss of steering control.
Risk: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the steering gearbox as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 11, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is LHY.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
Risk: Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility.".
Risk: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the MOST cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are EEL, ZEM, and SFC.
Cars shoppers compare with the Honda Passport, with their own 2023 checklists.
2023 owner complaints, side by side
