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 1 of 7)

problem #131

Jan 082025

Pilot

  • miles

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

We have always taken great care of our Pilot, regular oil changes, tire rotations, checking the fluid levels. Just before we went on vacation, our Pilot's check engine light came on and started blinking under normal driving conditions. When we hooked up the code reader, it was for a misfire in the second cylinder. Having changed the spark plugs about 30-40k before this incident, we tested the plugs and assumed it was the coil. We changed the coil. After returning from vacation, we drove the car minimally yet after about 40-50 miles, the code returned with knocking sound. We had the car towed to our residence...to find the same code. We inspected the plug and coil, no issues were present and the code was cleared. The next day, the code came back on and the engine was knocking very loud and had definite performance issues. I checked the Honda recall page and our car had no open recalls. I noticed that other Pilots with the V6 engine in our model year range were included an investigation by the NHTSA. Our mechanic drove our pilot for 30 feet and immediately called me to tell me that he would not suggest even spending money on diagnosing the problem....as he believes the engine is a total loss. It seems unfair that Honda would not address this issue as it seems a wide spread problem after a simple google search.

- Lees Summit, MO, USA

problem #130

Sep 062024

Pilot

  • miles
I was driving down the highway when I started to hear a knocking sound at certain RPM. No check engine light and I was unable to safely pull over. As I continued driving looking for a safe place to park the vehicle, within a few minutes the noise in the engine got worse and then suddenly the vehicle completely lost power and would only drive in limp mode. Luckily I was able to pull off to an offramp and get the vehicle into a gas station parking lot. I called for a tow truck and had the vehicle towed to the nearest dealership. At the dealership they inspected the vehicle and found that it was damaged similar to the Safety recall related to NHTSA Action Number: RQ24013 and advised me to have it towed Calgary Honda. I called the Honda Dealership and they informed me that it did not qualify for the recall at the time but the issue sounded familiar. I had them and the current dealership quote me the pricing and decided that I would proceed with the repair from Honda directly. It took awhile to get a replacement engine in and I had to wait several weeks but I was finally able to have it replaced at Calgary Honda in November of 2024. It cost me $10,000 to replace the engine as well as have the work done to repair the alignment after the power failure and replace the battery due to the vehicle sitting for weeks in the cold. I believe my vehicle is part of the same issues as: NHTSA Action Number: RQ24013 and wanted to submit my report to hopefully get reimbursed by Honda for the engine and all other costs associated with the Recall

- Calgary, MT, USA

problem #129

Apr 032023

Pilot

  • miles
Fuel pump inside the fuel tank failed while driving and caused my engine to stall and almost causing an accident in the highway. Several 2016 Pilots had a recall but my specific VIN does not show in the recall even though I had an issue with the Fuel Pump in 2023.

- Fuquay-Varina, NC, USA

problem #128

Dec 202024

Pilot

  • miles

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

A few years ago I was told my fuel injectors needed to be replaced. Last month, I was told that my suspension needed to be replaced and it wore out. Shortly after that my struts were leaking and making noise. I do not drive my car over rough terrain, just regular street driving and I get my vehicle maintained regularly.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #127

Jan 012024

Pilot

  • miles
My vehicles engine will stop running sometimes while the car is at a complete stop and sometimes while it's in motion. Sometimes the vehicle restarts immediately and sometimes it struggles to restart. The problem happens sporadically sometimes going weeks between occurrences. This has caused me to be stalled in busy traffic and has also caused more dangerous situations where the vehicle loses power while in motion. I have taken the vehicle to a dealer and a local repair shop and neither were able to reproduce or confirm the problem. They each performed what they thought could be helpful maintenance procedures but these did not seem to work. Other than the local repair shop and the dealer nobody else has inspected the vehicle.

- Los Banos, CA, USA

problem #126

Nov 152024

Pilot

  • miles
Car keeps hesitating to accelerate, stalled a few times & is burning through gas extremely quickly. Error code "engine emissions problem" came up, believe this is part of the recall

- Alhambra, CA, USA

problem #125

Oct 252024

Pilot

  • miles

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

Driving our well-maintained 2016 Honda Pilot with 133K with cruise control set at 65 on [XXX] in Kingman, AZ in October 2024, when the "check engine" light came on. I pulled off as soon as I could on the exit ramp 1.5 miles later. By that time, the engine was ticking and clicking loudly and all of the various system errors were flashing on the dash. The engine then started vibrating and sounded like a box of marbles being shaken violently. At that point, the engine had 10% of less of the normal acceleration. The local shop in Kingman, that I managed to limp to, said the engine had blown. I had it towed to the Honda dealer in Kingman (Anderson Honda) and they confirmed that a new or rebuilt engine and quoted me approximately $19K or $13.5K, respectively. They made no mention of the existing recall for three weeks of Pilot production, but I found that on my own, along with many frustrated Pilot owners. I'm now weighing whether I should have the work done by the Honda dealer in Kingman, whether I should have the Pilot towed to Phoenix, Arizona, where I live and there are more repair options, or whether I should wait and see whether the NHTSA forces Honda to expand the existing recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #124

Nov 012024

Pilot

  • miles
Vehicle has strong fuel smell after driving. And took to mechanic and fuel is leaking out

- Fort Mohave, AZ, USA

problem #123

Feb 252024

Pilot

  • miles
I was driving on the interstate last March of 2024. I have a Honda Pilot 2016. Im going 70 miles an hour or so and my engine just stalls and quits. So many alerts come up on my vehicle as well. Check engine lightTrailer Stability Assist Problem, Power Steering System EPS Problem, Trailer Stability Assist Problem, Hill Start Assist Problem, and others. I make it to the off ramp coasting this is a huge problem because I could have killed someone or someone could have killed me or provided Serious injury. I get it towed and I called the dealership and no recalls. I take it to my Mechanic and discover it was reading Code (P0087) The fuel pump not working at all. I had to replace it to drive the car. I am so livid as I see on the Honda Service Bulletin of a Safety Recall for 2016-2021 Pilot Fuel Pump Motor. This revision supersedes the previous recall of the Fuel Pump Motor from July 19th, 2024. I can see why their wasn't a recall when I checked. Cars from those years are now having this problem and should not be subject to certain VIN# on cars. I called Honda today 10-18-24 and was told this isn't covered.because my VIN wasn't in covered cars. How the heck does a VIN number cover or not cover you. Those years are what matter and my safety was at risk and could have proven fatal. Not warning was given it just happened as I going down the interstate 121 in Texas.Lucily I did not go over a high bridge which was another way to get home and one of the most dangerous interstates in the area I-25E. I could have flipped over the bridge and killed someone else going a descent speed. Im usually really careful on super high bridges cause they are scary. Getting stalled on that bridge is deadly. I'm really Upset over this and gave up my awesome Toyota 4Runner for a Honda Pilot and now this happens. I also stalled 3 to 4 other times after I turned on my hazards and restarted the car. it was 7pm and dark so it was quite scary my vehicle out of nowhere just quit on me.

- Little Elm, TX, USA

problem #122

Sep 042024

Pilot

  • miles
On 9-4-2024 my 2016 Honda Pilot was being driven on a city street when the engine stopped. The vehicle re-started and was driven to my residence. Messages had appeared on the dashboard. I scheduled an appointment with Courtesy Honda for the next day. On 9-5-2024 the vehicle started and I proceeded to drive it the 6 miles to Courtesy Honda. About halfway there the engine died. Multiple messages appeared on the dashboard. My wife had been following me in her car when the Pilot died. She helped me by steering the Pilot as I pushed it off the busy street manually to a side road. It was a hazardous situation. The Pilot would not start. I called a towing service to tow it to the dealership. At Courtesy Honda a service technician examined the vehicle and diagnosed the problem as -?? high pressure fuel pump failure and low pressure fuel pump failure.-?? He recommended replacement. I approved the repair. It was completed for a total of $1754.46. I researched Recalls Of Honda Pilots For Fuel Pump Failure. I found there was a massive recall of thousands of Honda Pilots from 2016 and beyond. Letters were sent from Honda to owners authorizing replacement of fuel pumps. My VIN number was not included in the recall. It should have been.

- Dunedin, FL, USA

problem #121

Nov 032021

Pilot

  • miles

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

In 2021, my 2016 Honda Pilot had routinely had restart issues from when going idle at stop. In some situations, it simply would not start again and had to be jumped off. I ended up getting the battery replaced multiple times, but on [XXX] I went to my vehicle to start up and it was dead yet again. I then hooked up a jumper and the vehicle instantly started smoking from under the motor. Within 20 seconds, fire had started under the hood and it caused extreme damage to my home. The car was also destroyed. There seemed to be some sort of electrical system issue. I was able to get my 1 year old daughter safely away and nobody was hurt. However, this caused extreme losses. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Flowood, MS, USA

problem #120

Sep 052024

Pilot

  • miles
The vehicle will delay driving with auto turn off enabled almost causing collisions. Then vehicle delays switching gears. Not daily The vehicle smells like gasoline occasionally after a fill up. O2 censor replaced twice. Electrical system issue

- Brandon, MS, USA

problem #119

Apr 042024

Pilot

  • miles
Car shuts off when idle or when ac is used Car vibrations Car not trying to start Engine light on and off

- Ny, NY, USA

problem #118

Jun 242024

Pilot

  • miles
I have an active recall on my honda, the fuel pump. I have had symptoms of this problem over the past year even prior to the recall. Bradenton Honda is refusing to do the recall now, stating my car hasn't stalled and there is no light on. They are waiting until FALL to do the recall but there is a long list. They said they can only do recalls on cars that stall. My car has intermittent losses of power when accelerating. I have issues where all the lights on the dash would just turn on and then it disappeared. Now the alternator is dead and a faulty fuel pump can cause this. I don't want to pay twice for a faulty alternator if Honda won't honor the recall. Honda is stating the recall is not really needed and they feel Honda is making customers nervous. I would like you to contact Bradenton honda and have them honor the recall now.

- Sarasota, FL, USA

problem #117

Jun 062024

Pilot

  • miles
This is a 9 year old vehicle that should not be stalling and shutting down. I had to be towed twice and have the fuel pumps replaced. Honda feels like they are not responsible. The fuel pump on the 2016 Honda pilot is no good. I should not have to replace the fuel pumps in a 9 year old car. Honda should reimburse myself and several others. Please make this a recall or a warranty extension. I almost crashed and rear ended because the vehicle stop working on the highway. Please help all of us 2016 Honda Pilot owners.

- Staten Island, NY, USA

problem #116

Dec 012022

Pilot

  • miles
The car just stopped while being driven in the freeway around December 2022. It was towed to the dealership and they said that the engine "seized." We wrote a letter to Honda and they said that it was our fault (car has very little miles- it's a family car). The engine light was never resolved even after engine was replaced. Honda then came out with a recall for 2016 Honda Pilot for engine seizing but they said my VIN did not qualify although this was the exact same issue. I tried reaching out with them to no avail. I am afraid to transport my children in this vehicle and I have already spend over 10k fixing it. It also feels unethical to sell the vehicle knowing it's defective. If possible, please look into the VIN's that are part of the recall since I am afraid there are a lot more cars driving in the freeway from the manufacturer that has the same issue which pose a safety concern to the passengers and the cars around it.

- El Monte, CA, USA

problem #115

Dec 162023

Pilot

  • miles
Had a indicator light for "Emission System" come on. Used fuel injector cleaner on next fill up and the light went out. Light came on again a few weeks later. Ran another bottle of injector cleaner and once again the light went out. A couple of months later the light can back on and the car gave an audible warning to pull over and shut off the engine and to make sure we were not near an ignition source. After a short time with the car off it was restarted. The "Emission System" light stayed on but the car drove ok. We took the car to the dealer. They checked everything and said that the issue was the fuel injectors needed to be replaced. They told us the parts are on a "National backorder" and they have no idea when they will become available. The car is undrivable and remains at the dealership.

- North Augusta, SC, USA

problem #114

Jan 172024

Pilot

  • miles
My engine broke and the 2016 Honda Pilot awd engine locked up and the dealership is saying it-??s the same issue as the 2016-2019 recall. Also I own a 2008 Honda element awd windshield cracked. The recall for every Honda Element year except 2008. 2003-2007, 2009-2011. That doesn-??t make since either. Phone [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #113

Mar 012021

Pilot

  • miles
Since 2021 the vehicle has stalled everywhere we go and has a gas/electrical burn fume. The vehicle had stalled in the middle of the highway and didn't allow us to shift it into any gears while flashing all dashboard lights. The vehicle was towed to Legend driven Honda where they couldn't find any issues and said they just reset the transmission code. For our peace of mind, we thought it would be best to have the full work up on the transmission since the dealership seemed incompetent with our vehicle's malfunction. The vehicle continued to stall and even had trouble starting up at times with the continued gas fumes. Well, it wasn't long before the issue returned and we were back to where we started, along with our A/C unit failing on us. We left the vehicle idle in the driveway for a bit as it was a safety concern for our families' wellbeing. We later received a recall notice on the auto-idle stop mechanism which we figured must have been the issue all along. We took it back to the dealership where they did their full inspection and came up with our transmission needing its regular full work-up which we had proclaimed that we already had done in the earlier months. After the alleged recall fix, the problem continued. We took the vehicle back and were told it was our battery and recommended our timing belt be replaced otherwise it would cause major issues down the road(it was concerning to us as these issues were never brought up the multiple times we had brought it in for the initial issues). Surely, we had it all fixed and replaced for the safety of our families well being having had our vehicle stall numerous times on the road which has now caused our children to be frightened of driving anywhere. Well on return home from the dealership, the vehicle did not stall, 2 hours later went to turn it on, it did not want to start and made a loud knocking noise. Currently towed to a different dealership

- Tipton, OK, USA

problem #112

Dec 192023

Pilot

  • miles
While driving my car started doing a jerking motion as if it wanted to stall. Then all the warning lights the car could possibly have started flashing. All wheel drives engine warning came on as well as emissions systems problem warning light. I was able to park it for the night and made an appt to have it checked but by morning the warning lights were gone. A week later the emissions systems problem warning came back on but went away a fee days later before I could get it to the shop. This problem has happened twice already and I have had to have my fuel pump replaced, the sensor and the fuel injector. At this time my car has trouble starting as if not enough fuel is being injected and the transmission sounds not right.

- Oakland, ME, USA

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