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 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
8 / 0
Average Mileage:
29,105 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 6)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #59

Sep 072020

Pilot

  • 70,000 miles

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

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

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

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

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

#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

problem #51

Jul 032020

Pilot 6-cyl

  • 66,000 miles
The fuel emissions system light keeps coming on.

- Petaluma, CA, USA

problem #50

Jun 302020

Pilot

  • 80,000 miles
Vehicle shutdown after start when moving from park to reverse. Keyless start system problem appeared. Emissions system warning reappeared after having it cleared at Honda dealership 2 days earlier.

- Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

problem #49

Aug 122019

Pilot

  • 46,473 miles

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

Started car in the morning and multiple warning lights appeared - car worked just fine the night before when it was parked. Took it to dealer to diagnose and it came back with code P0304 and a recommendation to replace all fuel injectors and rails (pipes) for a total cost of $1,311.19. Car only had 46,473 miles. I bought it brand new and have had on time service always and only serviced by dealer. Can provide repair invoice if needed

- Frisco, TX, USA

problem #48

May 222019

Pilot

  • 53,000 miles
Emission systems problem

- Hays, KS, USA

problem #47

Feb 212020

Pilot

  • 54,000 miles
On Friday, 2/21, the 'emissions system problem' came on my dash (again). Dropped it off at the dealer on Monday, 2/24. We were told the fuel injectors all needed to be replaced. Then we got a call back that after they got in there, all the seals needed to be replaced too. I have only had this brand new car for 4 years & 4 months. Very disappointed in Honda.

- Moseley, VA, USA

problem #46

Nov 012019

Pilot

  • 78,196 miles
We have been having issues with our Pilot since November. I went to start it one day and a lot of lights on the dash turned on. It has been determined by Honda that the issue is fuel injectors, it sounds like this is a well known issue with this year Pilot, we have been in contact with many others who have told us this. The lights come on when the vehicle is first started and stay on through all driving. We have checked the codes that pop up and it switches the misfire code from one cylinder to another, and also shows multiple misfires.

- Lester Prairie, MN, USA

problem #45

Feb 102020

Pilot

  • 39,737 miles
With less than 40K miles, the vehicle received a message about an engine problem. Took to dealer and was advised that it would require new fuel injectors, at a cost of approximately $1300. I have had other Honda vehicles that have gone 100K miles and more without such problem. This is unacceptable. It should be covered on such a low mileage vehicle reqardless of vehicle age.

- Hampstead, NC, USA

problem #44

Jan 302019

Pilot

  • 70,000 miles
At just over 70K miles, I get the dreaded "emissions system problem" when I start my car the other morning. I immediately take it to a Honda dealership for diagnosis and I am told I will need all 6 fuel injectors replaced. Interestingly enough, Honda's tsb 018-25 indicates the probable cause of this fuel injector issue as an issue that occurred during the manufacturing process, yet they have not been fully transparent about the issue, nor have they issued a recall. My vehicle is also returning the exact error code as indicated in the bulletin (P0301). The bulletin I am referring to (version 2) was released in April 2018. Had Honda been transparent and notified customers of this issue during this time frame, it seems as though many customers would have had the opportunity to have the injectors replaced, for free, during their 3 year/36K warranty. Well, now many of the Pilot owners are beyond this point and figuring the issue out the hard way and potentially having to foot a $1500-$2000 bill. Deceptive and deceitful behavior like this should not be tolerated. I have owned five Honda automobile/motorcycle products in my lifetime and this is the first issue I have ever encountered. The 2016 Pilot has severe quality issues. This is also a safety issue and should be a warranty repair without a doubt.

- Milwaukee, WI, USA

problem #43

Jan 252020

Pilot

  • miles
Emission issue started showing as a warning sign. And, it comes and goes to even properly report the issue. However, after 3 years mark (42, ooo miles) it showed all the possible signs on the screen. Honda service center says that fuel injectors went bad. It takes $1350 to fix it. I have picture proofs saying that the emission issue popped up well before 32 months after purchase (in warranty).

- Morgantown, WV, USA

problem #42

Jan 262020

Pilot

  • 80,000 miles
Emissions system error displayed on the dashboard while driving. Next day I took to the dealer and he said that there is an issue with the fuel injectors and the whole fuel injector unit should be replaced. Since my vehicle is out of 3 yr/36000 miles warranty, the dealer quoted $1700 to replace the fuel injectors. I'm very suppressed see this issue on relatively new vehicle.

- Daleville, VA, USA

problem #41

Nov 222019

Pilot

  • 87,000 miles
While driving my 2016 exl Honda Pilot AWD, it began displaying multiple codes such as hill start assist, road departure, emissions system, power steering, and, tsa. I took it right away to a nearby auto zone and the code they gave me was P0304 cylinder misfire. When I took it to hendrick Honda the codes were no longer flashing. But they ran the diagnostic and performed regular maintenance on the car and I informed that their was a $1,500 repair charge for fuel injectors. After researching this problem I found out that their was service bulletin 18-025. This service states that the probable cause is debris from the high pressure pump or the fuel inceptor machining process can cause interval wear or clogging inside the injector which requires replacement of the fuel injectors. This is a big safety concern for me and my family. A failing fuel injector could leave us stranded or stall out on a highway. In addition, it lowers gas mileage, increases emissions, and can lead to a host of other dangerous failures in your vehicle. It is my hope that Honda will be required to issue a recall for their faulty fuel injectors.

- North Charleston, SC, USA

problem #40

Jan 102020

Pilot

  • 41,460 miles
Multiple warning lights on the dash, check engine light is on including road departure mitigation warning, trailer stability assist warning, hill start assist warning, vehicle stability assist warning, emissions system control warning, all wheel drive system warning, power steering warning and acc warning where all came up at the same time with a sudden jerk and car cannot go beyond 20 mi/hr while I was driving in the highway that almost got me into an accident with an individual on the rear almost bumped me. Now I'm afraid to drive it. I actually got the attention of my dealer (norris Honda) when the jerking started at the mileage of 34,100 miles and happened several times but with no warning light coming on. They did a test drive and it so happened that it didn't happen when they tested it and no check engine light on. They told me that they have had several incidence of the same problem with other customers with Honda Pilot 2016 and 2017 and is a common issue and ended up having to change the fuel injectors and have solved their problem. The problem though is, my car is only 3yrs old and having all these problems now and they charge $1800 to change the injectors, which I think is way too much for a fairly new car with dealer being aware of the first jerking problems before the warranty ended. I have been having all Honda cars since I started having a car because of its reliability and performance and now this happened. It has been a very common problem but no recall has been made. I hope that there will be no accidents with one losing life before a recall is made. I hope you can help me out with this, thank you

- Perry Hall, MD, USA

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