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.
There's a keyless start system problem display on/off intermittently. This is annoying. Honda Dealer is asking for diagnostic test for $99 to determine what is wrong. Don't understand that when warning is "keyless start system problem", then they should have list of couple of items which can be wrong. Didn't liked vague answered from dealer. Dealer said that repair can cost between $500 to $700 depends on what they find.
After reading all the complaints and breakdown due to this error, I am very worried about driving the car. The dealership had the car three days to fix the problem and claimed it was related to the transmission issue. Not true, because one hour after getting the car back the keyless entry issue popped back up on the dash. Also the lights do not work properly. I do notice the power tends to cut out a tad when radio or bluetooth is activated.
I bought my 2016 Pilot from a Honda dealership earlier this month and after only one week driving, less than 100 miles, a message started appearing on the dash saying "keyless start system error". I scheduled an appointment to take it in to the dealership but the message went away the day before I was scheduled to take it in. Right now I am not sure if I should still take it in, seeing that there will be nothing to show as proof of the problem.
I bought it at 46,000 miles and it seems like on average (based on other reports from this site) it is at this point that this problem usually pops up. I am now worried that the problem will reappear and hoping that I did not make a big mistake by purchasing this vehicle!
I am very disappointed about the quality of this start/stop switch. My car is 4 years old but I saw many newer Pilot models have the same problem. I will research on this and other issues before my family next car. My 2012 Lexus (8 years old) has similar start/stop switch but never give us a problem. Honda has quality control problem and they should fix it now!!!
- Goldman F.,
Allen, TX, US
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
My pilot only has 27500 miles and one day the ‘Keyless Start System Problem’ light came on and it last two days before disappearing. It has been a couple of days and didn’t come back. I am not sure if there’s something wrong with the car or just fault error. Very annoying!
NO clear fix for the keyless start system issue. I replaced batteries under hood and in key fobs - they could work but often do not work. Replacing the start-stop button seems to work for some, but the walk away lock feature dies in the process. I would like a definitive fix covered by the manufacturer.
keyless start system problem display on/off intermittently sometimes cannot start engine, need to jump start battery, could not depress brake pedal down to start engine, changed new battery good for only one day.
now keyless start system problem come back on again.
I have 48000 miles on a 2016 Pilot EX-L. I recently began getting a Keyless Start System Problem error message in the instrument cluster. I tried to change the battery but problem still persist. It's intermittent but annoying. Not sure what the fix could but I am taking it to Honda tomorrow and they said they will charge $90 for the diagnostics which can be used towards repair. Not sure if they would be able to fix based on the reviews I am reading in different threads.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
There's a keyless start system problem display on/off intermittently. This is annoying. Honda Dealer is asking for diagnostic test for $99 to determine what is wrong. Don't understand that when warning is "keyless start system problem", then they should have list of couple of items which can be wrong. Didn't liked vague answered from dealer. Dealer said that repair can cost between $500 to $700 depends on what they find.
- pilot405, Streamwood, US