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.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
5 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
30,912 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2016 Honda Pilot drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2016 Honda Pilot Owner Comments (Page 2 of 9)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #151

Nov 242023

Pilot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When driving down the interstate with a car full of people. We noticed a clicking sound coming from the engine. The sound proceeded to get worse and louder. We pulled over and stopped driving. Had the car towed home and had our mechanic look at it who diagnosed it as a Rod knock. We have now towed it to the dealer and waiting for a -??official-?? diagnosis from -??master Mechanic.-?? Honda doesn-??t seem to promising in resolving the issue or willing to replace the engine. This car will be worthless if they are unable to live up to their quality control, take some ownership for their mistakes, and do the right thing to fix the car they messed up from the beginning.

- Senoia, GA, USA

problem #150

Sep 142023

Pilot

  • miles
On 9.14.23, rod to crankshaft broke leading to catastrophic engine failure and damage. I had to coast off of the exit ramp I was on to the side of the road; then have vehicle towed to Martin Honda Services. ~$13k in repairs. This was prior to their knowledge that on Nov 13, 2023, Recall Report 23V-751 was issued. For the reason my engine blew up. However, my VIN is NOT covered in this recall. My hope is they expand the netting of VIN population to include ALL impacted 2016 Honda Pilots! $12,694 REMOVED OIL PAN FOUND BROKEN CYLINDER #3 PISTON ROD, DAMAGE ENGINE BLOCK AND CYLINDER HEADS. P&A ON SHORT BLOCK AND BOTH CYLINDER HEADS AND ALL NEEDED GASKETS $529.50 PERFORM V-6 VALVE ADJUSTMENT WHICH INCLUDES REPLACING BOTH VALVE COVER GASKETS.

- Hockessin, DE, USA

problem #149

Nov 172022

Pilot

  • miles
vehicle has been to standard maintenance at dealer. Rod problem at 100,000 miles resulting engine replacement. Transmission is not suitable and slips after 100,000 miles.

- Severn , MD, USA

problem #148

Nov 172023

Pilot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I have a very loud knocking noise in the engine of 2016 Honda Pilot. The dealership told me it was a bad rod bearing. The same day the dealership told me there was going to be a recall on my vehicle for this exact problem. They are now telling me my VIN number is not covered in the recall for this exact problem. I find it hard to believe this problem occurred on my vehicle and is not related to recall. Thanks

- Bentonville, AR, USA

problem #147

Sep 242023

Pilot

  • miles
While driving at freeway speeds of 80 mph, and while passing a vehicle, Engine wants to temporarily slow (like it's dropped a cylinder or two), and the car will NOT speed up. Then engine warning light starts to blink, Emissions Problem light starts to blink, then car downshifts several gears and slows dramatically - or will rev at 4500-5000 rpm. ON THE INTERSTATE! DRAMATICALLY UNSAFE. I've reported this to my dealer, Penske Honda in Carmel, IN - and they can't resolve any issue or see a stupid "error code". This has happened three times in past 3 years. IT"S TERBBYLY UNSAFE. Car goes from 80 to 60 and engine and transmission go on the blank.

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #146

Oct 212022

Pilot

  • miles
When driving vehicle between 20 to 60mgh the vehicle judders. The vehicle almost feels like it's going to come out of gear. The vehicle also seems to not speed up or react to the accelerator. This being an SUV that my wife and kids drive everyday seems to be a very high safety issue for our family. If this vehicle does not accelerate in time or shift in time it could potentially put my family in harm's Way. And the other vehicles involved as well. The dealership has inspected and acknowledged that there is a problem with the transmission shifting or shuttering. But they only say that the transmission needs servicing. I service the transmission at the Honda dealership 10 months ago and it's reoccurring again. A 10-month transmission service and it reoccurs seems to be excessive. Attached is a Honda service bulletin that I found and mentioned to the dealership and American Honda. They mentioned to me that my VIN number is not covered by this Service Bulletin. The bulletin States all VIN Bulletin # 17-015, #16-091 February 18, 2017 A judder from the torque converter lock-up clutch may be felt while driving between 20 and 60 mph. The problem is typically diagnosed as a bad torque converter. American Honda investigated the judder and found that the torque converter was not causing the judder and the transmission is not damaged by this judder. The judder was caused by deteriorated transmission fluid. The transmission fluid deteriorates quicker than expected when it is exposed to intermittent high heat loads under specific driving conditions. A software update is available to maintain the transmission fluid temperature within the desirable range under all driving conditions and eliminate the potential for this judder. There are two bulletins referring to this subject: x 17-014 - 2016-?"17 Pilot: Judder from the Torque Converter Lock-Up Clutch. American Honda customer service says that my VIN # is not cover by this Service Bulletin # 17-015, dated February

- Fontana, CA, USA

problem #145

Jul 032021

Pilot

  • 90,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while at a stop light, the vehicle shut off with the "Shift to Park and Restart Vehicle" message displayed. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and a software update was performed on the transmission but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that an update on the started software was needed. The update was performed but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 90,000.

- Jonesboro, GA, USA

problem #144

Jun 112023

Pilot

  • miles
while driving on highways and streets, car would jerk and transmission downshift or not work, causing a grinding noise within the car. pilot would just shut off and slowing decrease speed by itself. happens many times already and is a safety concern for people who purchased this vehicle. Pilot transmission needs to be recalled before it causes death for people who drives this vehicle.

- Fresno, CA, USA

problem #143

Jul 062023

Pilot

  • miles
Car left us stranded at busy intersection. Auto start system failed to restart vehicle. Car would not restart even after placing car back into park.

- Grimes, IA, USA

problem #142

May 032023

Pilot

  • miles
Transmission has continued to have ongoing kickback issues from 1st to second gear and 2nd to 3rd gear. As well as multiple hesitating accelerations from a stop to go. Safety is at risk due to intersection turns which require acceleration that the pilot transmission at times can-??t produce.. no warning lamps to show there are issues with the transmission. Have taken it into a shop only to hear -?? 2016 honda pilots have transmission issues, kink wasn-??t worked out until 2018-?? which is never a good answer.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #141

May 152023

Pilot

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When coming to a stop and the engine idle stop is activated the car will sometimes die. The car will then need to be shifted into park after a complete reset of the system in order to start. Very dangerous.

- Marion, KY, USA

problem #140

Apr 142023

Pilot

  • miles
Torque converter on transmission failed at 86,643 miles. This is a common problem on most Honda Pilots

- Missouri City, TX, USA

problem #139

Jan 252023

Pilot

  • 125,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationed at her employment parking lot, after starting the vehicle with the auto start, she was unable to shift into reverse. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle and had to restart the vehicle four times before being able to shift into reverse. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the Drive (D), transmission fault, and sensor failure warning lights were intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that she continued driving to her residence while experiencing the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

- Brighton, IL, USA

problem #138

Jul 152021

Pilot

  • miles
The transmission has problems accelerating at all speeds. It jumps and jerks anytime when accelerating at all times. This causes safety concerns for everyone in the vehicle and on the road next to the vehicle as the transmission could fail at anytime putting all passengers' lives at risk. The problems started while the vehicle was under warranty, and we took the vehicle to a certified Honda dealer to get it looked out. They stated there were no problems when they inspected it. We took it back a few months later for the same issues while the vehicle had exceeded the time frame but not mileage of the warranty and they told us we would have to cover the cost of the transmission repair/replacement. We took the 2016 Honda Pilot to a local AAMCO repair shop. They stated the transmission would have to be replaced for $7500. Multiple warning lights came on, but the dealer stated those were just an electrical issue, they repaired those issues but failed to repair the transmission.

- Keller, TX, USA

problem #137

Dec 082022

Pilot

  • miles
1) Engine failure - Several times our 2016 Touring has stalled at a stoplight. It takes time to start back up. I have to turn on hazard light, and it is getting worse every occurrence. This has happened since I bought new, and when it happens, all of the lights come up on the dash. There is a investigation in the state of California, but nothing in Ohio yet. 2) I just had to replace my drive shaft that goes from from to back on center bottom of the car. They said the rear is failing, and that may be part of the problem with sluggish acceleration. 3) Transmission: Sluggish acceleration is this ZF 9 speed (outsourced) by Honda issue. I will be accelerating on the freeway, and all of the sudden, it would down shift to like second gear, causing me to slow down suddenly. Dangerous if cars are behind in rush hour. I also had 4 incidents where I could have lost my life because I could not accelerate (the gear would not engage). Dealer informed me that all of the updates are uploaded, and it should be okay. But it's not okay when you are carrying your children, spouse, or co-workers. I have informed the dealer many times that this car is not safe. I personally ran a business as Tier 1 supplier to Honda and visited many Honda factories. Nothing ever got done. It will be too late before they can help us. All of the data and information is at Honda Marysville (Ohio) dealership. All of my services (including oil change) are done there.

- Dublin, OH, USA

problem #136

Dec 012020

Pilot

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle at lower RPM-??s between 1,500 -?" 1,800 RPM, the vehicle intermittently surged and hesitated to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who reprogrammed the PCM and replaced the transmission fluid however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

- Granite Falls, NC, USA

problem #135

Mar 012022

Pilot

  • miles
Around 60,000 the transmission started to shift erradically. The key indicator is the tachometer is not steady. My mechanic suggested to change the transmission oil which I did. It resolved the problem, except now at 68,300 thr problem has returned.

- Windsor Mill, MD, USA

problem #134

Sep 202020

Pilot

  • 40,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the engine heater coil, the fuel injectors, and the camshaft however, the failure recurred. The fuel injectors were replaced a second time however, the vehicle continued to experience the hesitation while attempting to accelerate. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who diagnosed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 40,000.

- Canton, GA, USA

problem #133

Sep 192018

Pilot

  • miles
For years, dating back to 2018, our 2016 Honda Pilot Elite auto on/off switch operations has been failing. Vehicle will not restart the engine after its engaged the auto start off. Engine and all components including electrical are off. Dashboard indications light up and essentially we are stalled, at risk of not being able to drive. It requires to place the car into park and restart the engine. This is serious safety issue that could result in being struct by another vehicle without being able to move. I have been taking the car to several authorized Honda service dealerships to address the issue. They have replaced multiple times the auto on/off switch, battery, adjusted values and updated software with no resolution. One dealership claimed to disable the auto on/off switch but this is NOT feasible. With the latest inspection, another local Honda dealership contacted Honda Corp Tech Line for assistance. Once again they instructed the dealer to perform all the potential fixes above and to ignore a code P2638. After investigating this online, Honda and NHTSA have opened an investigation June 2022 on this issue after 220+ complaints. There is no known fix, yet Honda Corp Tech Line informed local dealer to conduct value adjustments yet again, at a labor cost to us.

- Pittsburgh , PA, USA

problem #132

Aug 242022

Pilot

  • miles
Vehicle rpms will vary and not be steady on light to medium acceleration between 20 to 60 mph. Rpm guage needle will bounce up and down slightly while accelerating. Torque converter seems to not be locking up resulting in judder. No engine lights or warnings. Dealer was able to confirm the same thing and isssues went away when replaced and flushed transmission fluid. But the problem slowly returned 20k miles later..

- Goshen, IN, USA

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