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.
It's probably a design problem for the engineers to fix and Honda should come out with a procedure/policy to remedy the problem.
I have a 2016 Honda Pilot and had my first oil changed when I took it in to the dealership to fix the recall on the odometer. When I got the Pilot back I parked it in my garage. I did an errand and parked it back in my garage. Later, I discovered two oil spots, one large and one small in my garage. I called San Tan Honda and they scheduled an appointment the very next day. They said it is residual oil that landed on the sub frame during the oil change and that the oil filter was intact. The service adviser told me the mechanic cleaned the sub frame of the residual oil. I brought the pilot back home, parked it in my driveway so I could clean the oil spots in my garage. When I moved the pilot back in the garage, I discovered oil spots in my driveway (post cleaning by the mechanic). I called that in to San Tan Honda and they were kind enough to offer to send a cleaning unit to clean my driveway....I told them I already clean the oil stain. Kudos to San Tan Honda (Auto Nation Honda Chandler) for going over and beyond in customer service.
Here's the problem, the engineers placed the oil filter right above the right front sub frame of the 2016 Pilot. There's no room to put a the drip pan to catch the oil that leads into the barrel. If the oil filter tilts a little upon removal or falls over you can have up to a 1/2 cup of oil spill unto the sub frame. No amount of cleaning short of steam cleaning the sub frame will removed the spilled oil. I hand only one oil changed and already my sub frame on the right front is greased up due to the spilled oil.
There's four solutions:
l) after an oil changed, parked your 2016 Honda on the street for a month or buy a large drip pan for your garage.
2) Have Honda engineers redesigned the engine so there's nothing directly under the oil filter so that the mechanic can placed the drip pan directly under the filter to catch the old filter and any residual oil.
3) Come up with a policy/procedures for the Honda mechanics to follow to redirect the residual oil into the drip pan....such as: have a piece of sheet metal (12" by 18") with a center crease placed under the oil filter that is about to be removed, with the lower end of the sheet metal placed above the drip pan. That way the oil filter and any residual oil would still drip into the drip pan and not the the sub frame.
4) Do your oil change yourself and put more care about channeling the residual oil into a drip pan then the mechanic....keeping the sub frame from getting all greased up.
Let me make a note that Auto Nation Honda Chandler was very accommodating and this design flaw is by no way reflect on their ability to remedy the situation.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
It's probably a design problem for the engineers to fix and Honda should come out with a procedure/policy to remedy the problem.
I have a 2016 Honda Pilot and had my first oil changed when I took it in to the dealership to fix the recall on the odometer. When I got the Pilot back I parked it in my garage. I did an errand and parked it back in my garage. Later, I discovered two oil spots, one large and one small in my garage. I called San Tan Honda and they scheduled an appointment the very next day. They said it is residual oil that landed on the sub frame during the oil change and that the oil filter was intact. The service adviser told me the mechanic cleaned the sub frame of the residual oil. I brought the pilot back home, parked it in my driveway so I could clean the oil spots in my garage. When I moved the pilot back in the garage, I discovered oil spots in my driveway (post cleaning by the mechanic). I called that in to San Tan Honda and they were kind enough to offer to send a cleaning unit to clean my driveway....I told them I already clean the oil stain. Kudos to San Tan Honda (Auto Nation Honda Chandler) for going over and beyond in customer service.
Here's the problem, the engineers placed the oil filter right above the right front sub frame of the 2016 Pilot. There's no room to put a the drip pan to catch the oil that leads into the barrel. If the oil filter tilts a little upon removal or falls over you can have up to a 1/2 cup of oil spill unto the sub frame. No amount of cleaning short of steam cleaning the sub frame will removed the spilled oil. I hand only one oil changed and already my sub frame on the right front is greased up due to the spilled oil.
There's four solutions: l) after an oil changed, parked your 2016 Honda on the street for a month or buy a large drip pan for your garage. 2) Have Honda engineers redesigned the engine so there's nothing directly under the oil filter so that the mechanic can placed the drip pan directly under the filter to catch the old filter and any residual oil. 3) Come up with a policy/procedures for the Honda mechanics to follow to redirect the residual oil into the drip pan....such as: have a piece of sheet metal (12" by 18") with a center crease placed under the oil filter that is about to be removed, with the lower end of the sheet metal placed above the drip pan. That way the oil filter and any residual oil would still drip into the drip pan and not the the sub frame. 4) Do your oil change yourself and put more care about channeling the residual oil into a drip pan then the mechanic....keeping the sub frame from getting all greased up.
Let me make a note that Auto Nation Honda Chandler was very accommodating and this design flaw is by no way reflect on their ability to remedy the situation.
- Thomas D., Chandler, AZ, US