2025 Honda Pilot — Paint Color Codes & Touch‑Up Guide

Quick reference

Notes:

• Availability can vary by trim (for example, Diffused Sky Blue Pearl has typically been TrailSport-only).
• Honda may adjust names or introduce/deprecate colors mid‑year. Always confirm the exact paint code from your vehicle’s label or by VIN at a Honda dealer or paint supplier before ordering.

Where to find your paint code

On the 2025 Honda Pilot, the exterior paint code is on the driver’s side door jamb:

• Open the driver’s door and look on the B‑pillar certification label. You’ll see a field labeled “Paint,” “Ext Color,” or a paint code printed alongside the interior trim code (for example: NH‑883P‑A). The portion before the dash is your paint code.
• If the label is hard to read, your Honda dealer’s parts department can confirm the paint code from the VIN. Most online paint suppliers can also decode by VIN.
• Older Hondas sometimes had an under‑hood plate, but for this generation Pilot the B‑pillar/door‑jamb label is the primary location.

Best touch‑up paint sources

• Honda dealer: Genuine Honda touch‑up pens/bottles matched to your code (e.g., NH‑883P). Convenient for small chips and scratches.
• Dupli‑Color Perfect Match: Widely available aerosols and pens by color code. Good for mirror caps, small panels, and quick blends.
• AutomotiveTouchup.com: Mix‑to‑code bottles, pens, and aerosols; also sells primer, clear, and spray accessories.
• Tcoat custom‑mix (local jobber): Professional paint stores can custom mix by code in bottles, aerosol (pre‑charged), or fill a small touch‑up pen. Bring your code or VIN.

How to use touch‑up paint

1. Clean and prep: Wash the area, remove wax/grease with isopropyl alcohol or a prep solvent. Feather any sharp edges with 1500–2000‑grit. De‑rust chips down to bare metal.
2. Mask smartly: For chips, avoid heavy masking ridges; for scratches or small panels, back‑mask to keep edges soft.
3. Primer (if bare metal/plastic): Apply an etch or epoxy primer on metal, or an adhesion promoter on raw plastic. Let dry, then scuff lightly.
4. Basecoat: Shake the color thoroughly. Apply in multiple light passes, allowing flash time. Stop once coverage is uniform—don’t flood.
5. Mid‑coat (pearls/tri‑coats only): If your color is a tri‑coat (many Honda pearls), apply the translucent pearl mid‑coat in light, even passes until the flop/pearlescence matches.
6. Clearcoat: Apply 2–3 light‑to‑medium coats, allowing proper flash, then let cure.
7. Finish: After full cure (typically 24–72 hours), you may nib sand dust with 2000–3000‑grit and polish to blend gloss. Avoid harsh washes for a week.

Color matching tips for pearls and tri‑coats

• Confirm the exact code from your door‑jamb label or VIN. Many Honda colors have similar names; the code (e.g., NH‑883P) ensures the correct formula.
• Spray orientation matters: Pearls and metallics change with gun angle, distance, and coat thickness. Keep passes consistent and overlap evenly.
• Test first: Spray a test card next to the panel in the same light. Adjust mid‑coat passes on tri‑coats until the depth and hue align.
• Blend when possible: For visible areas, blend color into adjacent sections before clearing to hide any minor shade differences.
• Temperature and lighting: Match in daylight when possible. Warm panels and cans to room temperature for consistent atomization.
• Aging and fade: Older vehicles can shift slightly from the factory formula. A jobber can variant‑match by spectrophotometer if your code doesn’t visually align.

When in doubt—especially with Platinum White Pearl, Sonic Gray Pearl, and other pearl/tri‑coat finishes—practice on a card and aim to blend edges rather than spot‑repair a hard edge.

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