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:
2 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 0
Average Mileage:
26,439 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 fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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2016 Honda Pilot Owner Comments (Page 4 of 7)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #71

Dec 132020

Pilot

  • miles

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

My 2016 Honda Pilot is giving me problems on filling up my gas tank. My car has 46000 mile and I don't think any parts are damaged cause it only 5 yes old. I tried looking for answers in the web but no one had a clue yet there was lots of people familiar with this problem. Is there anyway you guys can help me with this. It happens every time I try to fill my gas tank it stops filling as if it's full but it's not. It takes me a long time to fill it up.

- Ozone Pk, NY, USA

problem #70

Dec 212020

Pilot

  • 107,000 miles
Check engine light on and when diagnosed by the repair shop the code P0456 which is very small evap leak. This should have been taken care of with the recall on this car. The repair shop printed all of the recalls and told me most likely it would need the fuel tank replaced which is cover under a recall. They told me to go to the dealership and see of the recall work has been completed. The dealership advised that the recall was done in the past.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #69

Aug 172020

Pilot

  • 77,000 miles
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/.

- Swansea, IL, USA

problem #68

Dec 092020

Pilot

  • miles

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

When my car fuel went down to empty the light came on and I pulled over to get gas. When I pushed the automatic release button my fuel door would not open. I searched up possible causes and found a video of a man demonstrating where you can find a manual lever to pole to release the fuel door. I found the lever and pulled it at the door would not open. Thankfully I was not too far away from home and drove home on my empty tank. If I had been somewhere far away this could have been disastrous. I took it to the Honda dealer who had to pull apart half of my car to get to the place to fix it. I had also read online that this has happened to other Honda Pilot owners. It seems dangerous.

- Reston, VA, USA

problem #67

Oct 232020

Pilot

  • 35,000 miles
When pressing the gas pedal, the vehicle has a hesitationin to it. My foot remains on the gas pedal and still has the hesitation or jerking motion, which can be felt in the front passenger seat. We had the oil changed the week before we left to go out of state. It has continued on since then.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #66

Oct 312020

Pilot

  • 53,737 miles
A known tsb# 18-025 (fuel injector problem) was outside our warranty and Honda would not replace it. Due to the fuel injector issue the vehicle burns excessive amounts of gasoline per tank. I have recorded approximately 160 miles per tank of fuel. In addition to throwing emissions related check engine codes.

- Morgantown, WV, USA

problem #65

Sep 052020

Pilot

  • 55,000 miles

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

My car will die after being stopped (ex. At a red light, stop sign) and will not restart right away. Sometimes it doesn't die completely. When it does you are unable to put the car into park or engage the emergency lights. This has happened where we were stopped at a red-light and the car died and would not restart. A car behind us was approaching the light and saw that it was green, quickly came up behind us honking their horn and lucky was able to move to the other lane to avoid hitting us. This seams to happen when we forget to turn off the auto idle stop. This is something you have to push everyone you start the car. I took the car to the dealer they put in a new transmission and changed the timing belt. Previously I had the cars fuel injectors replaced. After all this work the car is still dying and it is happening more frequently. The dealership says they have heard of this problem but don't know of a fix yet.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #64

Mar 252020

Pilot

  • 88,000 miles
Bought my Honda in February a month later a emission system started popping up I have replaced all 4 sensors maf map sensors still isnt fixed they are telling me it's the fuel injectors and I have no warranty said it's a Honda thing and needs recalled can cause poor driving Honda really needs to fix it and the AWD light pops up and goes away and comes back no mechanics can figure that out

- Linton, IN, USA

problem #63

Oct 092020

Pilot

  • 80,000 miles
I've had several issues with my 2016 Honda Pilot in the past few months. I currently have 110K miles on my vehicle but my problems began at around 80K. My check engine light and several other lights illuminate constantly. At first they would light up and go away. Brought it to service. They said there were no recalls and they change my spark plugs and told me to drive my car on at least a half tank of gas. Problem continued and then my car started running rough and idling rougher. I brought it in again and was told I needed to replace my fuel injectors. That was taken care and I still have a check engine light illuminates along with emissions system problem warming and my car still runs rough and has trouble accelerating. Song with all of these issues I've also had to replace my ignition and key fob and my auto start is not working. I have over A100K on the car which I understand can cause wear and tear but all of these problems far exceed the definition of normal wear and tear. I'd like to know if there is a recall on anything and what can be done to remedy these situations. My car is at service yet again trying to find out what is causing it to run so rough. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

- Wayne, NJ, USA

problem #62

Sep 012020

Pilot

  • 69,700 miles
The fuel injectors failed just before 70,000 miles on my 2016 Pilot and had to be replaced at a cost of $1000. After some research, I have discovered this is a ridiculously common occurrence on the 2016 Pilot; so common that I cannot believe Honda hasn't done anything about it. The fuel injectors should not be failing...period. I'm disappointed with Honda and done with Honda after this car.

- Baton Rouge, LA, USA

problem #61

Aug 152019

Pilot

  • 52,500 miles

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

My wife was driving the 2016 Pilot back home one afternoon(8/15/2019) and she saw the emissions system problem light came on. The miles are exactly 52500(3.5 years of ownership). I drove the Pilot to the Honda dealer next day morning and the technician said the fuel injectors have gone bad and the cost is around $1239.48 to replace the fuel injectors. As we need to have the Pilot all the time for our family for our daily needs, I didn't have time to talk to Honda and explain what happened. So, I paid the said amount and got it repaired immediately. Then I contacted Honda by email(case #09801917) to reimburse me and the Honda customer service agent said I'm out of warranty and Honda can't help me in any way. I told them that fuel injectors are like the heart of a vehicle, and they should not fail so early in a car's life and that they should run for life of the car. But still the Honda representative insisted that my 2016 Pilot is out of warranty and Honda can't reimburse me. I've all the receipts of the work done and can provide upon request

- Suwanee, GA, USA

problem #60

Mar 102018

Pilot

  • miles
My 2016 Honda Pilot was only 2 years old when I began having problems with it. While driving, my car began acting strange and I was unable to accelerate immediately.the engine kept hesitating and shaking when I pressed the gas, almost causing several accidents. The lights on the dash all came on and would not turn off. I took it to the dealership I had to pay for a diagnostic test $125 and they said I needed new fuel injectors on my almost new car.the dealer said it was no longer under warranty. I would have to pay $2000 out of pocket.I couldnt afford it. Called Honda corporate, they also refused to help.so I took it to a friend mechanic who couldnt believe I needed new fuel injectors when I only had 60K miles on the car. He replaced all the fuel injectors and the car worked for a while. However, after driving another 40K miles I am having the same issue again. Something is wrong with this car and is not safe to drive.I have read online that many people are having the same issue due to new direct injection technology that was installed in the Pilot and Honda is refusing to do a recall or fix the issue. I cannot afford to replace my fuel injectors every 40K miles. I still owe money on the car and have 2 more years left to pay. I am stuck with this horrible unsafe vehicle until then.I need it to get to work. I will never purchase from Honda again. I have submitted a copy of the invoice from the second mechanic diagnostic I went to after I went to the Honda dealership. I am still searching for the first Honda mechanic diagnostic invoice.

- Mckinney, TX, USA

problem #59

Sep 072020

Pilot

  • 70,000 miles
During driving the vehicle, emissions system failure warning came on the display on Sept 1. vehicle was driving ok, called dealer could get appointment for 9/11/2020. During driving my kid to practice, the sign came on again, and the vehicle started to sputter violently. Was forced to pull over in the middle of an active traffic and had the car towed to dealer for diagnostic.

- Telford, PA, USA

problem #58

Sep 042020

Pilot

  • 36,942 miles
Emission system problem light came on at 36,942 miles. I am being told that the fuel injectors will need to be replaced at a cost of $1,500. This problem has occurred at 942 miles out of warranty. Emission system problem light came on while driving at highway speed.

- East Flat Rock, NC, USA

problem #57

Aug 092020

Pilot

  • 56,127 miles
On August 9, 2020, I was driving, at 75, with the cruise control on, I needed extra speed to pass a vehicle on the right side, I pressed the gas pedal with the cruise control still engaged and the vehicle went into a power down mode with the dashboard flashing codes and then went blank. The engine downshifted and the engine speed increased to 7,000 RPM. The car completely shut down, at 75 mph, and restarted with the dashboard lighting up again. After panicking, tried to give the car gas and it would not go. Now at 65 mph, I pulled over to the right lane and coasted down to 40 mph and the car started having power again. We pulled over and shut off the car. I restarted the car and an "emissions system problem" was displayed on the dashboard. The car has 56,217 miles on it. I have a video of this problem. The dashboard warning system displayed the following codes, "emissions system problem"; "all wheel drive system problem"; "transmission system problem" and the "D" drive symbol was flashing on & off. An earlier incident, May 6, 2020, happened to my wife while driving the car in local traffic. Driving at 50 mph, the engine speed increased and the car would not move forward. She also tried to give more gas and the car would not move. She stopped on the side of the highway and shut off the car. She restarted the car and pulled off the highway. She called the Honda dealership and immediately took the car into the service center. They took the car and drove it around the building and said they checked the computer for codes, but none where present. At this time the car only had 55,000 to 56,000 miles. They told her next time this happens to take a video so they can see what happens to the car. Take a video while driving a car that is shutting down is their suggestion....

- Haubstadt, IN, USA

problem #56

Jul 312020

Pilot

  • 72,000 miles
Multiple warning lights on dash when car was turned on. Engine is running rough and occasional misfiring, especially around 30-40 mph. Mechanic tells me fuel injectors are clogged, and possible damage to catalytic converter. 72K miles on car so past it's warranty. Service bulletin 18-025 issued but I do not believe it should be owner's responsibility to pay for the damage being caused by faulty fuel injectors with intense psi which is causing metal particles to contaminate fuel. This should warrant a recall as it is a safety issue if not repaired and Honda should have the burden of paying, not the consumer.

- Huntingtn Bch, CA, USA

problem #55

Jul 212020

Pilot

  • 40,100 miles
Car hesitates from 0 mph while revs are increasing on highway or city streets and while gears are changing or when acceleration is requested then the engine feels like it's hesitant to increase power. Also when going uphill or on inclined bridges on cruise control it hesitates to maintain speed and feel like its jumping forward. I have read many other similar complaints from other Pilot owners and if it was because they recommend from the factory to use regular gas, maybe its an octane problem. Bottom line it hesitates when stopped and starts in motion and also when you request some more power while on highways. It is never happened before. I do not drive my Pilot like a sports car I'm careful and take care of my investment.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #54

Jul 072020

Pilot 6-cyl

  • miles
I went to the Honda dealership in fredericksburg because I had a sign on my car saying emissions system problem and all wheels drive system problem. Once I got to the Honda dealer they said the fuel injectors failed and you need new ones. I was shocked because I just bought this car 3 years ago partially new with little miles on it. To get the fuel injectors replaced the dealership is asking me $1500. That is insane because its clearly not my fault this car never got into a accident and I maintained it top notch.I went online again adn did my research on this matter come to know there are over thousands of complaints. How is that possible that this is never been recalled. I will not pay for something that is a manufacturer problem. I am a single mom with four kids it is not safe for me to drive like this.

- Fredericksburg, VA, USA

problem #53

Jun 152020

Pilot 6-cyl

  • 66,000 miles
#1 keyless remote entry has not worked for over a year now, dealership wants to charge $300. Automatic lock feature is not working any more. Based on my research it is a known issue that Honda keep guessing on and charging for replacing, with no real fix. #2 when driving, all of the sudden all engine lights start coming on, break, power steering, vehicle stability...all of them one by one. At the time my Pilot started "pulling", and RPM gage was jumping up and down. A few days later took it to the mechanic and this time, it only had the engine light on and a code P0304 was detected. Changed all spark plugs and coils, engine light went away for a week. Again, driving on the highway all lights start coming up again and the same "pulling" happens. This is definitely not safe to be driving on. Other Honda Pilot same year drivers are having the same issue.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #52

Jul 072020

Pilot 6-cyl

  • 58,000 miles
Emissions system error notification began shortly after vehicle purchase at 38,000K miles. Light would come on and go back off periodically, contacted local dealership and brought vehicle in. Was advised that code could not be reviewed at that time but as warranty was close to expiration, note would be added and may assist if light stayed on. Took my vehicle to a new dealership when we relocated, this time mileage at 58,000, was advised vehicle needed fuel injectors replaced as well as fuel pipe. Review of message boards and service bulletin 018-25 appears to show issue is ongoing and widespread. Contacted Honda service and was advised outside of warranty and Honda would not assist. Assistance or lack thereof appears to be based on reprentative, several customers report financial assistance vouchers offered others, myself included were told good luck and goodbye. Honda dealerships regularly advising that parts on national backorder due to known issue but refuse to recall. Problem first began only on very warm days but would disappear when temperatures dropped. Is now ongoing. Vehicle also occasionally fails to re-engage after the auto shutoff on idle.

- Norwalk, IA, USA

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