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.
My car is shifting harshly and dangerously while accelerating between 20-30 mph and decelerating. This is a very common problem in the 2016-2019 Pilot and should be addressed by the manufacturer! 2016 Honda Pilot (52,000 miles)
When I am at a stoplight and the car goes into idle stop, it does not restart after I take my foot off of the break. I have to put it back in park and hold the start button down as it struggles to turn over. It is very dangerous because cars behind me expect me to be moving and I have been almost hit as a result. It used to work fine and restart as I took my foot off of the brake. I took it to the dealership and they couldn't replicate it. We tried replacing the battery. It did it that same day after I left the dealership.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. When the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle violently hesitated to drive and jerked. The vehicle was taken to colonial Honda of dartmouth (225 state rd, dartmouth, MA 02747, (508) 996-6800) where the contact was informed that the software needed to be updated so that the vehicle would not overheat. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
Our 2016 Honda Pilot jerks and hesitates; appearing that it does not know which gear to shift into while driving on the highway and on a city street. As recommended by Honda, the transmission service was done at 30,000 mile intervals. However the problem persists. I took the vehicle to the local dealership and was told that the vehicle need a new powertrain control module at a cost of $1400, with no guarantee that it will solve my problem. Option #2 is to replace the transmission at a price of $5,000. I called Honda's corporate customer service and was told that since the vehicle was not under warranty, they could not do anything for me unless their certified mechanic at the dealership let them know that the root cause of the problem was a mechanical defect from the manufacturer. I was given a case number. This is a high risk hazard that needs corrections and corrective actions, not rhetoric. Honda corporation needs to recognize near misses can easily escalate to incidents, if effective controls are not implemented. In addition to this persistent transmission problem, the vehicle's emissions warning light comes on at various times. The dealership says that all of the fuel injectors need to be replaced. I asked about possibly cleaning them. I was told by the service representative that his directive is to replace them and that Honda does not have a procedure in place for cleaning fuel injectors. I was also told by the service representative that a Honda computer code, P0776 (pressure control solenoid B performance or stuck off), was shown. My vehicle was bought new (zero miles) and now have 101,000 miles. It has been served at the recommended intervals stated in Honda's service booklet.
- Fort Mitchell, AL, USA
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
The vehicle was having sporadic surges of acceleration while driving at speeds of 20 to 50 mph on city streets and while climbing gradual hills on the highway at 65 to 70 mph. Brought it to the dealership and they performed a software update to the transmission and flushed the transmission fluid. Notes from the dealership say it was caused by fluid deterioration.
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.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed. In addition, the vehicle jerked forward forcefully and made an abnormal noise. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred three times within two miles. The vehicle was taken to howdy Honda (located at 5519 E ben white blvd, austin, tx 78741, (512) 686-1544), but the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 50,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. While driving 30 to 50 mph, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate and jerked. The failure was experienced numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was 50,000.
Jerking when accelerating (usually happens at speeds between 30mph and 50mph) or heading up a hill at low speeds on city streets and highways. It happens while driving straight and turning in curves. The tac will jump when this is occurring. I have been told there is an issue with the transmission in this model year (the transmission fluid deteriorates quicker than it's supposed to). I've only had this car for 18 months so now I'm worried about the transmission and what damage if any this issue has caused and if I will continue to have trouble with this car.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. While driving approximately 40 mph or less, the vehicle jerked. When the accelerator pedal was depressed, the gear shifted into a different gear, especially on an incline. There was no warning indicator illuminated. The failure recurred several times. The contact called Honda of concord at 704-774-4538 (located at 7650 bruton smith blvd, concord, nc 28027) and scheduled an appointment. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Petersburg, VA, USA