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:
3 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
29,036 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.
The auto shut off feature turned the engine off at a red light - and would not turn the car back on once the brake was released. We needed to jump the Pilot to get it to turn over again. As this happened at an intersection on a state highway, we were very lucky to not be rear-ended! very unsafe and the mechanic said there is nothing wrong with battery!!
Problem with the auto stop/start feature- the engine stops but doesn't always start. It tries to start but doesn't. pressing the start button (ignition) doesn't always work right away. Seams you have to put the transmission in park, and press the start button (sometimes 4-5 times) before the engine starts. This is nerve racking and dangerous when you are in traffic- say at a light, or trying to cross over oncoming traffic. The time is takes sometimes to re-start the engine is about 10-15 seconds. This problem is intermittent. (doesn't always happen). It's not the battery. I had a new battery replacement. I also tried using a trickle charger to "top off" the battery incase it wasn't fully charged. No luck.
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that on several occasions while at an intersection or stopped, the vehicle failed to switch to auto-start mode and the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate for several seconds. While the vehicle was in reverse, the taillights failed to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to Honda of downtown los angeles (780 w martin luther king jr blvd, los angeles, ca 90037, (213) 266-7366) where it was diagnosed that the PCM needed to be reprogrammed and the battery was draining power. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The contact mentioned NHTSA campaign number: 15V668000 (electrical system) as a possible solution to the failure however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 35,383.
Keyless start system problem error. Intermittent for months. Not present when taken to dealership twice. Scheduled service again next week was told by dealership it would cost $134 per hour to diagnose issue. Walk away auto lock no longer functions trunk hatch intermittently does not power open or closed. I have read hundreds of similar complaints with this make and model so I am very disappointed in Honda for not issuing a recall.
- Geneseo, IL, USA
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Car is parked in my garage. Car will not start. Remote keyless start error. Called the Honda dealer. They said to have it towed in. Waiting on the tow truck right now.
When turned off, car makes clicking noises while dash indicator lights and cabin lights flicker intermittently. Often I get a keyless start system problem error message. Other times just lights and clicking noises. Also, horn sounds intermittently throughout the day while car is locked and fob is untouched. Horn begins and stops randomly. This occurs when vehicle is turned off, in both parking lots and garage. Took to dealership. They did not know what it was. It has continued for several months.
There are two major problems, but the dangerous one is the auto-idle doesn't always allow the car to restart. When I go into idle at a stop sign or red light and I start to accelerat, all of the lights inside shut off and the car stalls after a foot or two. So far it has always managed to restart itself, but I've started turning it off whenever I get into the car because this is dangerous. This has been going on for months and it has only gotten worse (it probably started a year ago). At the same time this has happened, I got a "keyless ignition problem" warning light. The walk away lock feature doesn't work anymore. I've read numerous reports that say fixing the keyless switch doesn't help with the auto idle and there's no specific error code for issues with the auto idle system.
The automatic start system turns the car off and on when stopped at a red light or stop sign for example. The feature sometimes without any warning fails to restart the car automatically. The driver must put the car in park, push down on the brake, restart the car and then shift into park taking a considerable amount of time. This is dangerous for so many reasons and it must manually be turned off because it defaults to on. With no warning your car could be turned off and not automatically start when it's supposed to. This has happened to me multiple times stopped at red light, stop signs and in stop and go traffic. I would like to either have a warning in place or be able to permanently disable this dangerous feature.
Keyless start system error. Car have been showing this error intermittently. Replaced batteries and still shows error. When I pressed the button to start or turn off my car, it doesn't recognize it and it takes a few presses before it'll start/turn off my car.
Check engine light (cel) appears, randomly when parked or in motion, indicating a problem with emissions system. Cel began to appear at approximately 77,000 miles. Car now has over 85,000 miles. I purchased the vehicle used, when it had 68,000 miles. I have never driven outside of the U.S.. cel appears at various speeds between 0 and 60 mph. When in motion and cel is displayed, engine hesitation occurs causing me to increase vehicle speed and engine RPM to ensure I have sufficient power to: Complete a turn, pass another vehicle, or make it up a hill. I am never sure I will have enough power. Additionally, the mileage economy display changes from shades of green to solid white. Cel remains visible on dashboard until it randomly disappears. Cel will remain lit ranging from 30 minutes to several days and disappear at various speeds. When it disappears, engine hesitation stops and economy display returns to shades of green depending on whether accelerating or decelerating. I first believed it to be a problem with the fuel tank cap. However, the cap is a hinged flap that returns to the closed position after I have finished refueling. I predominantly use E87 octane with ethanol. But E89 fuel makes no difference because the cel and hesitation randomly still occur. I have not taken to a repair shop because I have not had the opportunity to when the cel is displayed. The repair shop stated they can only diagnose when the cel is displayed. Similar descriptions from other Honda Pilot owners can be found at https://www.piloteers.org/threads/emissions-system-problem-check-engine-light.157705/.
Engine light displays and warning message reads keyless start system error. I've replaced the batteries on both key fobs and it did not resolve the issue. No other issues at this time. Warning lights has displayed for about the last 1,000 miles. The alert did disappear for about 50 miles and returned.
When the car is started, dashboard displays message "keyless start system problem." This is being reported frequently on the internet and appears to be a common problem for this vehicle. When it occurs, the automatic walk away door lock feature also quits working. Supposed fix is to replace the start/stop switch which I did. This resolved the dashboard error message but not the automatic lock issue. This same result is being reported frequently on the internet and the problem is being reported for Honda Pilot beginning with the 2016 model and continuing up to the 2021 model.
All of my warning lights turned on back in Oct 2020.. we did some driving the day before, . but nothing crazy... every light went off.. so took it to dealership and they said it was fuel injectors.. so they replaced it all.. and said it should fix the problem... then I drove it to southern ca during thanksgiving and then all of sudden coming down from (grapevine) the car stalled, I press the gas and nothing.. I was able to coast it to side of the road..attached is a pic of what was coming up.. then I put car in park and and the RPM started to go up 4-5 RPM without me pressing gas, so I would turn off car.. 10 min later I started the car and was able to drive it off the freeway.. but couldnt drive more than 50 mph.. so the transmission would change.. so after getting towed and took few days.. took to Honda dealership in ventura ca.. worst service ever.. pretty much didnt want to look at vehichle.. so then took to another dealership more helpful.. all the error light was gone.. they told me only error was some oil pressure down.. and suggested that oil filter wasnt N authentic oil filter and thats what could have caused problem.. yes idont typically send to dealership but I do go to a authentic oil change company... so pretty much this error has caused twice in 3 months.. vehicle only at 61K when the 2nd one happen.. and not real solution.. I had my 2 kids and my wife when this all happen.. not safe at all.. please find a solution.. my local dealership offered to take my vehcile and drive it home with a technician to see if anything come up.. but now im seeing a lot of people having the same problem.. either transmission.. oil change.. reason I took Honda is due to the safety and relaiability.. but now im havign doubts.. please help!!.. luckily all under extended warrenty.. but for how long?
I am getting an error message on the dash that reads 'keyless start system problem'. stays on until I turn the car off and when I start the car the next time the message does not appear but when I start the car the next time it appears again.
Keyless start system problem warning message and associated warning light appears on dashboard display. Occurs when starting vehicle and while driving vehicle
Error message 'keyless start system problem' keeps appearing after no change in driving, weather, or other factors. It comes on at start up or when parked. Multiple times. After holding the brake down for about a minute the message disappears but has since reappeared four times in the last month since first occurred. After researching on the internet it seems that there are hundreds of Pilot with the same issue.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- East Windsor, NJ, USA