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:
0 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
10,682 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 lights problems

lights problem

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2016 Honda Pilot Owner Comments

problem #13

Aug 072023

Pilot

  • miles

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

My 2016 Honda Pilot was recently repaired as the Cam-Shaft had move within the care engine. My car has 109,000 miles on the vehicle, and should not have this issue given the cars age and the way that the car is driven. I am a suburban mom, who drives the car to work and with both of my children within my car. This put my entire family as risk driving within the care and could have hurt other drivers if the malfunction happened in the middle of the free-way or otherwise. The vehicle was inspected by the Honda Dealership for the issue. The vehicle has all of the dash lights flashing and the car was driving erratically, so much so that mid driving the car, it we were in a near miss accident due to the mechanical malfunction. The 2nd issue that has presented itself, it the start and stop button within the vehicle. It is a known defect to the vehicle.

- Midlothian, VA, USA

problem #12

Jun 172023

Pilot

  • miles
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" The auto stop idle feature in my 2016 Honda Pilot Touring failed to operate correctly. This feature automatically turns off the engine while keeping the electrical systems on. I can make the vehicle available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The malfunction of the auto stop idle feature jeopardized my safety and the safety of others. When I stopped at a red light, the engine turned off as expected, but when I pressed the gas pedal to resume driving, all the vehicle's systems shut down. I attempted to start the car by holding the key fob to the Start/Stop button, but it would briefly start and then turn back off. The sudden loss of power and inability to restart the engine left me in a precarious situation. As a result, I was unable to activate the hazard lights, putting me at risk of being involved in a collision or not being visible to other drivers. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? At the time of filing this complaint, the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. However, I strongly recommend conducting a thorough investigation by a certified technician to replicate the issue and address it appropriately. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The vehicle has been inspected by the police who responded to the incident when it occurred at the red light. However, no inspections have been conducted by the manufacturer, insurance representatives, or other parties at this point. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms indicating a problem prior to this failure. The feature had been working.

- Huntsville, AR, USA

problem #11

May 112023

Pilot

  • miles
When car is locked alarm sporadically goes off on its own also when the headlights are set to auto and the car is turned off the headlights will come on sporadically and drain the battery. Having electrical components come on on their own is obviously a safety concern. The dashboard lights and warning icons will also flicker. There have been numerous complaints of this kind on the Honda Pilot forum Piloteers.Org

- Marlboro, NJ, USA

problem #10

Feb 212023

Pilot

  • miles

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

The instrument panel is flashing all alerts when the car is off. I am able to drive the car. It is unknown which component has malfunctioned. Several Honda owners on Google say to check the fuel injectors. I am hoping you all can assist me with that. My safety was put at risk as the alarm goes off randomly when the car is off. It is bothersome at my workplace. I am afraid to drive the vehicle. One of the alerts that flashes is the Antilock Brake System. I am afraid the brakes will go out during driving. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. I hope to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. All warning lamps and messages were blinking after the car was turned off. There were no signs of issues prior to turning the car off. Since the first initial flashing of alerts, the alerts now stay on during driving however not all lights are flashing. Could it simply need a software update? I do feel this needs investigating and a recall issued.

- Gaffney, SC, USA

problem #9

Jan 132023

Pilot

  • miles
My car (2016 Honda Pilot Touring) SHUTS DOWN due to the auto shut off feature at least once a month and I am very nervous to hand it over to my daughter in a next year when she is old enough to drive. I have been stalled out at intersections...it is irresponsible of Honda to not issue a recall. People are going to get into accidents if they can't start their car in the middle of intersections! Why is this not being recalled. I understand it will cost Honda a substantial amount of money to correct, but it has to happen. What if you have an older battery that is losing its charge. Does this mean that WE are to blame for getting into an accident because the battery is not brand new and can't handle this auto shut off feature? It's totally unacceptable! I realize we can turn the feature off...but what happens if my daughter (new driver) forgets to push that button EVERY time she gets in the car. I'm sorry...I know some will say it's the driver's fault for forgetting but the potential of that mistake is real and the possibilities could be devastating.

- Hamburg, NY, USA

problem #8

Feb 012018

Pilot

  • 30,000 miles
It happened to myself w/ my child in my car & then my spouse driving my car alone. However the same problem is known to Honda but until someone is killed, they are refusing to acknowledge, the camshaft shutting off all controls while driving on a highway is completely dangerous. As an experienced driver, I was able to avoid a collusion on a major highway surrounded by tractor trailers going 65mph. Although the Honda dealer has replaced the camshaft twice on my 2016 Honda Pilot with less than 46,000, I am fearful this will happen again. We are left with a balance to pay off, the safety of our family while driving this unsafe vehicle and just cut out losses. However, this will not solve the problem for those who cannot afford to purchase another vehicle. I had a 2006 Honda Pilot with very little problems for 10 years, 95K miles on it. It was why I purchased another Honda Pilot. However, I spent a lot more money. This 2016 Pilot was $30K with the $10K trade in. We maintain all our vehicles as well as garage keep them to protect them from the harsh pa winter elements. As a driver for over 32 years and zero accidents, I do not want to be the cause of a serious accident because Honda is neglecting to acknowledge this new german made engine as well as the transmission is a significant problem. There have been other problems like this one that began one yr after purchase I brought to immediate attention of the dealer. I am sure they report these findings to the manufacture as well. The remote key stopped working, several interior outlets for charging has stopped working, a dome light doesn't work, the garage door opener can't be programmed anymore and other features are no longer working. It is a dangerous car to drive with the risk of starting on fire as well as stopping abruptly like it did for me in 2018 and 2021 for my husband. Vinart lv Honda emmaus,

- Fogelsville, PA, USA

problem #7

Jan 132020

Pilot

  • 30,000 miles

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

On January 13th, I left my home to pick up my son, Julian, 3 years old, at preschool. His preschool is approximately 3 miles from our home. I picked him up, and drove the same distance back to our house, arriving home around 4:45pm. I had no unusual warning notifications or any unusual experience driving to and from the preschool. I parked the car in our driveway. Julian and I exited the vehicle, and walked to our front door. As we approached the front door I smelled smoke, and looked back at the car. I noticed a small flicker in the passenger side lower headlight. Upon closer look, I realized this was in fact a flame. Julian and I left our bags on the porch, stepped off of our front porch, and moved away from the house and car, and called 911. As we waited for the fire department, we watched this small flame grow to full flames, engulfing the engine, front hood, and front of the car. The police and fire department arrived, and put out the fire. The car was towed out of our driveway. A police report was filed with the montclair police dept. Officer anthony swan #232 patrol division montclair police headquarters, 647 bloomfield ave., montclair NJ 07042 aswan@montclairnjusa.org report # 20-005325 I then called our insurance provider, usaa, following the incident. They have taken the car into their possession and initiated an origin & cause investigation. We purchased the car new. We have not been in a collision. The car has been serviced twice annually. It was serviced last week. It has ~30,000 miles on it. The dealer that sold us the car, paul miller Honda, in NJ, has been unresponsive, telling us to reach out the the national Honda office. I have filed a case with Honda, and have been told someone will reach out to me. That has not happened.

- Montclair, NJ, USA

problem #6

Apr 182019

Pilot

  • 67,851 miles
It engine is idle all the time when the ac is

- Brooklyn, NY, USA

problem #5

Jul 072017

Pilot

  • 10,100 miles
The 2016 Honda Pilot has a bad headlights being too dimmed during night drives, this is especially true when your windows and windshields are tinted. Secondly, the reverse or backup lights are located in a very low position down at the bumper, wherein it may not be seen by cars from behind when we're reversing. These lighting issues are a safety risk. Third, the front seats are quite uncomfortable, poorly designed for long-drives and is a safety risk especially for hard and tight turns where we slide off to the sides of our seats.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #4

Oct 092016

Pilot

  • 20 miles
I bought a brand new 2016 Honda Pilot SUV on 10/8/2016. On the first night driving I noticed that the vehicle is lack of brightness from the headlights and fog lights. It seems very dark when I drive at night with the headlights and fog lights on. I talked with the person who install my license plate from Honda dealer, but he said this is normal. I really believe this is a safety hazard, because this is not my first vehicle, all my other vehicle and minivan has never had this issue. Please help.

- Southlake, TX, USA

problem #3

Oct 022015

Pilot

  • miles

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

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact recently purchased the vehicle; however, the headlights were dim. The contact adjusted the headlights and stated that they could not replace the headlights. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Wolfforth, TX, USA

problem #2

Sep 222016

Pilot

  • 40 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the illumination level from the headlights was at an unsafe brightness level. The contact had difficulty seeing while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 40.

- Redding, CA, USA

problem #1

Oct 212015

Pilot

  • 857 miles
My 2016 Honda Pilot exl sensing has very poor headlights for seeing the road surface in front of the vehicle even with the driving/fog lights turned on while in motion on city streets. These headlamps are also not the best on distance objects. I leave the switch in the auto position so I have to turn them on and off sometime to see if they are even on at night or if it is just the daylight running lights that are on. With the vehicle stationary about 8 feet from my garage door the headlamps beam has a sharp cut off for any objects above 33 inches and for any objects below 21 inches. This presents a narrow horizontal beam of light of about of about 12 inches, this may be the new standard or great for fog, but it makes me uncomfortable in a car I bought primarily for safe transportation.

- Wolfforth, TX, USA

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