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 1 of 8)

problem #160

Jun 062024

Pilot

  • miles

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

HONDA PILOT 2016 -THE TRANSMISSION CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO OVERHEAT. THE OVERHEATING ISSUE LEADS TO A 'JUDDER' IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR ACCELERATES IN A VERY JERKY WAY ESPECIALLY BETWEEN 30 AND 50. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE IF YOU ARE TRYING TO PASS SOMEONE. AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE REACHES 80,000 MILES HONDA WILL NO LONGER COVER THE SO-CALLED 'REPAIR' to flush fluid and update software. HONDA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM.

- Shrewsbury, MA, USA

problem #159

Oct 022023

Pilot

  • miles
My spouse was stopped at a traffic light, when the light turned green she accelerated but immediately lost power and the vehicle was stalled in the middle of the intersection. She tried to start it but would not restart. We had to leave the car in the intersection while waiting for the police and towing.She worried that a vehicle would collide with our vehicle and until she was able to exit the vehicle and move to a nearby sidewalk.. Luckily she made it safely and no-one collided with the car. We had it towed to our local mechanic. The inspected the car and found that the bearing had seized up the crankshaft. I connected with Honda and they told me to take it to a local dealer to have it inspected by them. The dealer had the vehicle for two weeks and came up with the same conclusion. After a little back and forth with Honda they declined to give any help with fixing the engine, (a $20,000 repair estimate). I ended up selling the car for junk. Two weeks later a friend sent me an article that Honda was recalling 2016 Pilots for the same incident that happened to my car. There were no warnings prior to the engine failure. My vehicle is not listed on the recall. Honda knew the problem and was attempting to issue a recall.

- Laguna Woods, CA, USA

problem #158

Nov 072023

Pilot

  • miles
My vehicle has been loosing power when accelerating. This has been an ongoing issue for approximately six months or so. I' have taken it to two different mechanic shops locally and both have stated that some of the fuel injectors are not working properly and 5 cylinders are misfiring. That is the reason the vehicle is loosing power. But they don't understand why the engine light or any other light are not coming up on the cluster board. Vechicle continues to jerk and shudder everytime we stop and only happens on 2 and 3 gear to the point we have to stay two cars back everytime it is in use to avoid rear ending any other vehicles. Feels like it looses power to the point of turning off then begans to pull. The RPM needle jumps up and down when the shuddering begins. It is a great concern such that i feel it poses a risk to my family and other drivers. I have been to the dealership but they will not do anything about it unless the engine light is on which at this point it has not turned on making impossible to diagnose the issue through the dealership. I did provide the dealership with documentation from other shops but they wouldn't accept them as they would have to run diagnostic themselves. I did check for recalls and other complaints. A recall was issued for the fuel injectors but as stated dealership will not do anything unless the engine light turns on. They wouldn't even test drive it to confirm the issue. I feel that if this issue isn't addressed my family or others drivers will end up getting hurt. There has been hundreds of people who have complained of the same issue on the internet forums and many have filed complaints with the NHTSA. This complaint is for record purposes in the event of injury due to engine failure on my vehicle.

- Yuma, AZ, USA

problem #157

Apr 152024

Pilot

  • miles

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

Transmission slip/jerk/clunk when going above 2 RPMs. This has happened before 3 times with the first time happening in 2019, then 2022 and then again on [XXX], 2024. I've taking it to the dealer all 3 times and they performed a transmission fluid flush since apparently the transmission fluid gets too hot and needs to be flushed every so often. This last time they told me I needed a new torque converter ($5,500) to fix the issue. This a huge safety issue especially when driving in the highway as the cars loses speed and begins to jerk. I see similar issues with the 2017-2019 models [XXX] ) which sound the same as to what's happening to the 2016 models. There are a ton of complaints on the web for 2016 Pilot which the NHTSA should take into consideration. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Union, NJ, USA

problem #156

Mar 292024

Pilot

  • miles
Through diagnostic at Honda Dealership, the #5 bearing failed causing engine damage (crank shaft and connecting rod). This pilot year is included in the current Part 573 Safety Recall Report, however this particular VIN is not currently included.

- Owatonna, MN, USA

problem #155

Mar 012024

Pilot

  • miles
1) First and most annoying is the start button displays code on the screen "keyless start system problem ". Its done it for about two three now. There is no recall for my VIN. 2) Back wheels brakes make very loud kicking noise when car put in reverse and moves in reverse. It started 4 years ago. I took it to dealership and they said breaks are fine and they don't know why its kicking. In cold weather break sensor displays warning "apply break before putting in park" while breaks are applied. So it can't sense that breaks are applied. 3)blue ray DVD player quit working years ago. 4) Transmission is jerking when switches to third gear. This car has 56000 miles. 5) Roof molding in the front came off while driving. The clips somehow broke and it flew away. This car has been parked in the garage during the day and driven carefully with all needed oil changes and one owner. It should not have this problems. 6) the tires fell apart when car was 4 years old with about 25000 miles on it. The dealership said they don't know why and its was not normal. The top of the tires pilled off in chanks.

- Abilene, TX, USA

problem #154

Jan 172024

Pilot

  • miles

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

My engine broke and the 2016 Honda Pilot awd engine locked up and the dealership is saying it-??s the same issue as the 2016-2019 recall. Also I own a 2008 Honda element awd windshield cracked. The recall for every Honda Element year except 2008. 2003-2007, 2009-2011. That doesn-??t make since either. Phone [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #153

Dec 062023

Pilot

  • miles
Engine made noise. Engine stopped suddenly on highway. Vehicle with 3 occupants had to be towed from highway and transported to Honda dealership for repairs. Vehicle has been inspected at gunn Honda, 14610 I-10 w san antonio, tx advised by the dealer the vehicle will require extensive (replace engine) repairs. There is a recall for 2016 Honda Pilot (23V751000) for connecting rod bearing however this vehicle does not fall within the mfg window.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #152

Nov 292023

Pilot

  • miles
The dash began displaying 4 error codes EPS problem, VSA problem, Hill Assist problem, and TSA Problem. It began to jerk and lose power similar to running out of gas necessitating hazard lights and pulling off the road x3 after dark. 3 different shops ran a diagnosis code of P0369. The recommendation from Honda after having the car three days was to replace #2 cylinder head assembly at an estimate of $6400! There would also be no guarantee that this repair would fix the problem. The vehicle only has 83,000ish miles. After speaking with American Honda, they were aware of this problem but said my vin number wasn-??t included in the pool of -??faulty manufactured parts-?? but did say that didn-??t mean that I didn-??t get faulty parts though. The vehicle is no longer under warranty. I just paid this vehicle off in May. This certainly doesn-??t support Honda-??s reputation as being a manufacturer of reliable vehicles. I have never owned a used vehicle that required this depth and cost of repair. I am waiting on their Goodwill Review to see if they decide to help me with this. The two representatives including a case manager I spoke with didn-??t seem as though it was likely going to happen.

- Belton, SC, USA

problem #151

Nov 242023

Pilot

  • miles
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

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

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
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
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
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

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