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:
31,624 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 6 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #60

Mar 012019

Pilot

  • 40,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. While driving 30-50 mph, the vehicle began to hesitate. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to moses Honda (located at 5210 us-60, huntington, wv 25705, (304) 736-5226) where they flushed the transmission, but continued to experience the failure. The vehicle was taken to lester raines Honda (located at 5102 maccorkle ave sw, South charleston, wv 25309, (304) 768-1251) where they also flushed the transmission, but the failure continued. The vehicle was taken back to lester raines Honda and was informed that they were unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 40,000.

- Huntington, WV, USA

problem #59

Sep 012019

Pilot

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the transmission was failing and the vehicle did not accelerate safely in traffic. The vehicle was purchased brand new by the contact. The contact stated that the transmission fluid overheated and the transmission needed to be flushed of the burnt fluid on a regular basis. The repair cost $300 to $400 each time. The contact stated that the failure was becoming more widespread. The vehicle was taken to howdy Honda (5519 E ben white blvd, austin, tx 78741, (512) 686-1544) where the vehicle's computer was currently being updated. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 60,000.

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #58

Dec 112018

Pilot

  • 82,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle jerked, lunged, and lost power while driving various speeds without warning. The vehicle was taken to dick brooks Honda (14100 E wade hampton blvd, greer, SC 29651, (864) 877-9090) where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be flushed and a transmission update was needed. The failure recurred three additional times. The dealer stated that the transmission needed to be flushed every 1,500 miles. The contact referenced technical service bulletin: 10161287 (power train); however, it was expired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and did not assist. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

- Easley, SC, USA

problem #57

Sep 262019

Pilot

  • 32,500 miles

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

When going down a straigt hill going around 15mph my RPM's go up to 5 and 6. if I press the gas they go up higher. I usually have to pull over when this happens so it the RPM's stop climbing higher. This also happens somethimes when going on a backroad going around 20-25mph but the RPM's only go between 2-3. it seems like the gears are not shifting.

- California, KY, USA

problem #56

Sep 132018

Pilot

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle was equipped with an auto shut off system that was faulty, which caused the vehicle to not restart after a stop. Also, the instrument panel illuminated. The contact called sarasota Honda at 941-923-3413 (located at 7333 S tamiami trl, sarasota, fl 34231) and scheduled an appointment. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

- Venice, FL, USA

problem #55

Aug 262019

Pilot

  • 97,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. While driving 50 mph, the vehicle jerked, shook, and failed to accelerate. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to economy Honda superstore (6001 lee hwy, chattanooga, tn 37421, (423) 381-6429) where it was diagnosed that the transmission fluid was burning. The dealer updated the software and flushed the transmission fluid; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted and provided case number: 09868694. No further assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 97,000. The VIN was invalid.

- Cleveland, TN, USA

problem #54

Jul 192019

Pilot

  • 47,000 miles

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

When I come to a stop, the auto stop feature turns the engine off, if I try to go at the same moment it turns off, the car stalls. It is very rare but has happened 2-4 times. The car starts again but it takes multiple attempts.

- Chanhassen, MN, USA

problem #53

Jul 212019

Pilot

  • 43,000 miles
The transmission is jerky and clunky in lower gears. Often when shifting from first and second gears the Pilot jerks and misfires. Happens sporadically, but consistently. Started around 25 -30K miles and getting worse.

- Plantation, FL, USA

problem #52

Jul 122019

Pilot

  • 63,000 miles
While stopped at a traffic light the car put itself into park without my (the driver) knowledge. When the light turned green I attempted to accelerate however the car was in park. I attempted to shift the car into drive and it would not do so. I had to turn the car off and then back on in order to place the car into drive and proceed through the intersection.

- Fontana, CA, USA

problem #51

Jun 212019

Pilot

  • 48,000 miles
I was driving at 15 mph and my car jolted and stalled and several (5) warning lights came on. Vehicle stability, brake, power steering, and a couple other lights. I turned the vehicle off and restarted the car. I tried to drive it a few miles and it would not shift properly and I couldn't drive it more than about 20 mph. I had it towed from home to the closest Honda dealership. The vehicle had around 40K miles on it at the time. Honda said it's a known issue with a bulletin - stating that the cam shaft assembly needed to be replaced along with a sensor. They told me the cam shaft assembly was under the power train warranty but I had to pay for the sensor. When I did a little research, I found that Honda was giving extended warranties to newer models having the same issue and even doing recalls but my VIN didn't qualify. A few months down the road and my car started having shifting problems again. So, I take it in and they are saying the transmission needs to be serviced but the service only gets a little bit of the fluid out so they wanted to do the service 3 times and charged me for doing the same thing 3 times. After some research, I find out that it's a known issue that they are willing to give a limited warranty on up 80K miles. My concern is that I don't feel safe driving on the highway with shifting issues, stalls and jolts that have happened within 4 months of each other. If I were on the highway when that happened, going at 60 mph, it would have caused unnecessary accidents. It's dangerous but, still no recall for my vehicle and it's like fighting tooth and toenail with Honda to get them to do what is right. I don't know when or if it will happen again. I purchased my Honda brand new. This vehicle needs to be off the roads until the issues are fixed. I think I have a lemon!

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #50

Jun 202019

Pilot

  • 63,000 miles

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

This has happened several times and Honda has been unable to replicate. It has happened on the freeway and on city streets. The car is in drive and my car has an engine idle so that when traffic comes to a halt the engine cuts out to conserve gas. On many a occasion it will not just automatically start but will instead kick the vehicle into park. It is extremely scary as it will then not start as if the battery is dead but the battery if fine and has been replaced as Honda thought that would resolve it. They also replaced all the fuel injectors and this also has not stopped the problem. I feel I am going to be killed in this car. I have case # 08783155 with Honda and after having just spoke to them they advised me to film problem!! yes they expect me to get my phone out and film while my vehicle has come to a halt in moving traffic!

- Carlsbad, CA, USA

problem #49

Apr 152017

Pilot

  • 43,400 miles
I got problem with shift stick make noise, look like come from transfer case or tramission.I go many time to dealer and the dealer just say nothing wrong, honestly they know but the prentend didn't know.I hope somebody can help me for fight to dealer for fix my car.second thing my axel leak littlebit and dealer didn't want to fix.pls help my case

- Elmhurst, NY, USA

problem #48

Jul 122017

Pilot

  • 5,000 miles
We have had multiple, ongoing problems with our 2016 Honda Pilot elite since early on in our ownership. When I try to go after coming to a stop, the car tries to stall and has stalled several times in the middle of the road. When it stalls, it has switched itself to neutral and for several minutes, it will not let me do anything to try to get the car going again such as change gears, start the car, etc. As I try to get it going, it will tell me that I need to start the engine to change the gear back to drive but will not do anything when I press the start button. Further, there are several issues with the infotainment system: The back up camera goes black, the entire system reboots while driving, the audio screen freezes and audio ceases while driving, the entire screen goes black except the time line on top while driving, and the navigation screen blacks out while driving. Despite providing video and photographic evidence of the issues, Honda kept saying they couldn't replicate it and thus couldn't test it, but when I was able to bring it to them with the screen frozen, they said there were no tests they could run. They finally tried replacing the infotainment system, but the issues returned. These issues are on top of the fact that they replaced the dvd player because it was looping. We feel we have received a lemon and that these issues cause a hazard during what should be normal operation of our vehicle.

- Lutz, FL, USA

problem #47

Feb 202019

Pilot 6-cyl

  • 30,536 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle shifted out of gear independently while driving 45 mph. The vehicle was taken to steve padgett's danville Honda (4050 riverside drive, danville, va 24541, (866) 981-4298) where it was diagnosed that the transmission fluid needed to be replaced. The transmission fluid was replaced, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who stated that there may be corrosion at the gear shifter area, which may have caused the wires to short. The dealer replaced the gear shifter, but the repair did not correct the failure. The contact stated that the gear shifter shifted into park when reversing, and shifted into park when the gear was in drive. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was 30,536.

- Reidsville, NC, USA

problem #46

Jan 042019

Pilot

  • 83,000 miles
Takata recall my Honda Pilot only 83000 miles. Transmission problem and emmission problem both lights came on at the same time. I was driving to work when I felt the car not wanting to accelerate, I immediately turned into a lot and I am waiting here ever since because the car isn't moving forward.

- Saint Charles, IL, USA

problem #45

Nov 172018

Pilot

  • 66,000 miles
Honda Pilot 2016 emission problem signal appears on dash board, car decreases in power while driving.

- Raeford, NC, USA

problem #44

Nov 062018

Pilot

  • 12,000 miles
2016 Honda Pilot A/C grinding noise after activated at cold start after more than 36-48 hours parked. When A/C activated while driving vehicle belt system slips and pulls forward loosing speed. A/C compressor damage confirmed by dealer and Honda confirmed and acknowledged problem due to severe loop on the A/C suction hose design on this model causing issues with the oil flow. Issue found at 12,444 miles and current mileage 17,874.ongoing issue since 2016. No fix at the moment according to Honda. According to this there's an issue with the clutch engagement which explains the loss of power on the belt system.

- Miami Springs, FL, USA

problem #43

Jul 172018

Pilot 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 49,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. While the vehicle was stationary and while driving various speeds, the "auto idle disabler" feature engaged on several occasions. The vehicle stalled without warning after the brake pedal was depressed at a stop light. Three weeks later, while driving approximately 15 mph on the freeway, the "auto idle disabler" feature engaged again while in heavy traffic and the vehicle stalled. The contact shifted the gear into park, disabled the power, and restarted the vehicle. In addition, while the vehicle was stationary, all of the warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. While driving 55 mph, on another occasion, the vehicle failed to shift gears properly and the rpms rapidly increased to 5,000. Also, the reverse gear shifter became inoperative and the gears would not shift while driving 55 mph. Big star Honda (11200 gulf freeway, houston, Texas 77034) could not diagnose and duplicate the failures. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #42

Sep 142018

Pilot

  • 25,000 miles
While driving 70 mph, I slowed to make a right hand turning merge onto another highway. As I was slowing, I got a transmission problems warning in the dash. When I hit the accelerator to merge safely, the car abruptly began to lose speed and my input to the gas pedal had no effect. I was able to get the car to the side of the road and when it came to a stop, I heard a loud grinding sound. I turned off the car and had it towed to gary smith Honda. Gary smith found an issue with an oil pressure switch but the service tech claims there is no problem with the transmission.

- Niceville, FL, USA

problem #41

Jun 222018

Pilot

  • 48,000 miles
While traveling on I-95 at about 75 mph, every warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The car slowed down and changed into neutral. We were able to coast to the shoulder but the car in park. We did not turn the car off bc we wanted A/C as long as possible (occurred on June in ga, hot). The car would not go into gear so we had to have the car was towed to dealership. The following day at the dealership, they where able to get an error code to appear. After contacting american Honda, the technician was told that Honda is aware of the issue. He was told to clear the code and if the code reoccurred to replace the transmission but if not, they would not do anything. Well, the code would not duplicate even after the dealership tried for multiple days. We drove back to ga for our 4 hour drive home and prayed it would make it back to home. Luckily it did; however, the transmission slips in low gears and we are just waiting on it to happen again. By the way this is not the first time all of the warning light came on. It happened twice in town during the month of May. They did a service update and replaced all of the fuel injectors (out of pocket as it was not under warranty). It is really troublesome that Honda knows about the issue and I personally had this happened three times & have a car with a transmission issue. The last occurrence was a huge safety hazard as we had our family & dog and stuck on the side of the road for over 2 hours in trying to get the car towed. Please american Honda fix this issue.

- Mint Hill, NC, USA

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