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This Is Where The Honda Pilot Is Made (Each Component Reviewed)

By: Author Stefan K.

Posted on Last updated:

Categories Crossovers & SUV's

This Is Where The Honda Pilot Is Made (Each Component Reviewed)

Today we’re going to look at where the Honda is made.

This seems to be a straightforward question, but this car consists of many components (engine, transmission, tires, etc.) made in different parts of the world.

But let’s start with a quick answer:

The current generation of the Honda Pilot is assembled in Lincoln, Alabama. The 3.5 J35Y6 engine is made in Anna, Ohio, or Lincoln, Alabama. The 6-speed H6 transmission is made in Tallapoosa, Georgia, and the ZF 9HP transmission is made in Gray Court, Carolina.

However, that certainly doesn’t answer the question entirely.

Below, we’ll first dive into detail about the assembly location. After, that we’ll give you the complete rundown of where the engines are made, and we’ll do the same for all transmissions used in this vehicle.

Finally, we’ll talk about how to identify which tires you have and where they are manufactured precisely. By the time we’re done, you’ll understand everything about where the long-lasting Honda Pilot is made!

What's Inside show

Assembly Locations Per Generation

The first generation of the Honda Pilot, manufactured between 2002 – 2008, was assembled in Alliston, Ontario, Canada for the Canadian market, and Lincoln, Alabama, for the market in the United States.

The second generation started assembly in 2009 until 2015 and was only assembled in Lincoln, Alabama. This is because Honda needed to increase the production of the Honda Civic in Canada, which meant the Honda Pilot needed to move elsewhere. The third generation of the Honda Pilot started assembly in 2016 and is still produced today in Lincoln, Alabama.

You can actually see these vehicles being assembled at the Alabama plant here:

Since the Honda Pilot is a large SUV, Honda has decided to focus this SUV on the North-American market. For this reason, the car is not assembled in any other place in the world.

Engines

The first generation of the Honda Pilot used a 3.5 L J35A4 V6. This engine was made at Honda’s plants in Anna, Ohio, and Lincoln, Alabama. The second generation used a 3.5 L J35Z4 V6, which was a slight variation on the J35A4 of the first generation. The J35Z4 was made at the same plants as the first-generation engine. The current third generation of the Honda Pilot has a 3.5 J35Y6 made in Anna, Ohio, and Lincoln, Alabama.

All engine types of the Pilot run best on 87 octane.

Transmissions

The first and second generations of the Honda Pilot used a 5-speed automatic Honda H5 transmission. The third generation uses a 6-speed automatic H6 transmission made by Honda and a ZF 9HP transmission made by ZF.

Honda Precision Parts make the H5 and H6 transmissions used in the Honda Pilot in Tallapoosa, Georgia. The ZF 9HP transmission is designed in Saarbrucken, Germany, and built in Gray Court, South Carolina.

Tires

The current generation of the Honda Pilot has one of the following two OEM tires: Bridgestone Dueler H/P Sport AS tires with 18-inch wheels and Continental Crosscontact LX Sport tires with 20-inch wheels.

Continental is a German tire manufacturer. However, they do have several manufacturing plants in the United States where tires for the Enclave are made. These locations are located in:

  • Vernon, Illinois
  • Bryan, Ohio
  • Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Mayfield, Kentucky
  • South Sumter, Carolina

and Bridgestone manufactures tires in:

  •  Wilson, North Carolina.
  • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
  • Morrison, Tennessee.
  • Bloomington, Illinois.
  • Graniteville, South Carolina.
  • Des Moines, Iowa.
  • Lavergne, Tennessee.
  • Decatur, Illinois.

Who Designed The Honda Pilot

The first generation of the Honda Pilot was designed by Ricky Hsu in 1999. Ricky graduated from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, in 1990. Besides the Honda Pilot, he was also responsible for the design of the 2006 – 2009 and 2009 – 2013 Acura MDX.

The second generation of the Honda Pilot was designed by Dave Marek. Dave graduated from the ArtCenter College of Design in 1987 in Pasadena, California. He has been with Honda since 1987 and is currently the Executive Creative Director at Acura.

Benjamin R. Davidson and William R. Yex are responsible for the design of the current generation of the Honda Pilot. However, very little information is available about these designers.

Closing Thoughts

While the Honda Pilot’s assembly predominantly takes place in Lincoln, Alabama, its intricate makeup is a testament to global collaboration and expertise.

The diverse locations for the production of key components, from engines in Ohio and Alabama to transmissions in Georgia and Carolina, highlight the international nature of automotive manufacturing.

It’s fair to say that the Pilot is American made, and certainly American assembled. While that may help some folks rest easier, like any vehicle the Honda Pilot isn’t without problems and that’s true no matter where a vehicle is made.

The Honda Pilot’s geographically diverse production process is nothing new in the automotive industry and in line with how the global economy operates. While that can mean lower prices for you, it does make it confusing to figure out where a vehicle is actually made.

Sources

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