CarComplaints.com Notes: It's worrying when the top category for 2016 Honda Pilot problems are transmission problems. Owners report jerking when accelerating. Also as the first model year of the redesigned 3rd generation Pilot, it's not a good sign.
Honda released a TSB on October 29 2016 that's possibly related. The TSB deals with a "a judder from the torque converter lock-up clutch ... while driving between 20 and 60 mph" due to deteriorated transmission fluid resulting from "specific driving conditions". In the TSB, Honda states they are developing a software fix to try to keep the transmission fluid temperature within spec.
We are keeping a close eye on this defect trend because if certain driving conditions can affect transmission shifting in the first year of ownership, we'd hate to think what 10+ years will do.
My 2016 Pilot Touring is possessed. Once in a while the stereo comes on and off continuously while driving. The Volume goes up all the way. I turn it off and it comes on again by itself. I reset the system but it doesn't work.
I also get errors on my navigation and I can't upgrade the system to save my life!
I was a fan of Honda cars because of Reliability, Durability, Quality, and Technology. This is my second Honda car "Pilot", I bought brand new after driving Accord for so many years without any problem.
I bought this car in Jun 2016. After 1 year and 10 months, the radio unit stopped working. I went to dealership and they replaced the unit with new one. After 6 months, it started rebooting but this time my car is out of warranty to get fixed for free. If I have to get fixed, I have to spend almost $2000. I am so devastated with this frustrating problem. This $200 piece of sh*t "Radio unit" can ruin your new car experience and Honda don't do anything about it.
- Now, I can't make any changes to car settings through this unit.
- I can't use my backup camera.
- I can't see right side mirror video.
- I can't play music.
- I can't make hands free call.
Honda make robots too but they can't make a good reliable radio unit. I think they must learn from new and young company Tesla.
My radio is behaving erratically and Honda doesn't know what to do anymore. They've updated software, replaced the head unit/screen, and replaced the radio tuner but the problems persist. The system turns on and off intermittently, adjusts brightness all the way up or down, and brings up strange menus/options that are inaccessible otherwise from the on-screen menus. The worst is that the volume turns all the way to the maximum and won't respond (lower) to any inputs from the screen or steering wheel controls, or turn off. Lately the touch screen is unresponsive to touch. Sometimes power cycling the vehicle gets the glitch out, and sometimes it does not.
Update from Jan 31, 2023: The problem was not in the radio head unit. I had a wireless charger clipped to the vent just next to the screen, and the magnetic field generated by the inductive charger was 'pushing buttons' on my radio. I have not had a repeat of the issue since not using that charger in that location.
- Chris D.,
Jenison, MI, US
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My 2016 Pilot Touring is possessed. Once in a while the stereo comes on and off continuously while driving. The Volume goes up all the way. I turn it off and it comes on again by itself. I reset the system but it doesn't work.
I also get errors on my navigation and I can't upgrade the system to save my life!
- Radu G., Puyallup, WA, US