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:
5 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
34,421 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 drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2016 Honda Pilot Owner Comments (Page 2 of 8)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #127

Jul 182022

Pilot

  • miles

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

The engine begins to idle rough, after a few days of driving a lot of cluster lights come on starting with check engine light, VSA as well as others. Disconnecting battery works to clear the the codes, engine will appear to idle ok but after a week of driving it will start idling rough again, then the cluster lights will light up as before. I believe this is due to Service Bulletin 20-100 or Service Bulletin A20-100 which states that issues with the fuel injectors were found relating to quality control. The TSB listed above states that if your vehicle is affected by these symptoms your warranty will be extended to 10 years of manufacture date or 150,000 miles. Our Pilot currently has under 80,000 miles on the odometer.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #126

Jun 202022

Pilot

  • miles
Transmission has hard shifts and jerking when accelerating at a normal rate and approaching your designated speed. This occurs almost daily as the problem persist and started occurring approximately 36,000 miles. I also had an issue when I was trying to accelerate up a mountain where the transmission did not want to switch to a lower gear and accelerate. Instead the gear was stuck and I had to remove my foot from the gas pedal and try again. I have taken the vehicle too two different dealerships and they could not replicate the problem. One dealership checked the transmission cooler and stated it was in good condition. I believe they cannot replicate it because every time a technician takes the vehicle on a test drive they accelerate at a high rpm level which the vehicle will not replicate the issue. Now it is doing it through more than one gear change. Feels like the transmission is going to break at any point

- Porterville, CA, USA

problem #125

Jan 132022

Pilot

  • miles
Multiple times the vehicle wouldn-€™t start. The start stop switch is the culprit after 7 months of dealing with it and taking it to dealership finally. Car will cut off at stop light but won-€™t turn back on. Takes like 4 tries to get it back on. Also at 126k or 128k engine had a knocking sound and needed replaced and it cost $7000 the air conditioning doesn-€™t work and this is very upsetting this isn-€™t why I buy Hondas. The start stop event happens everyday and every time I start the car and don-€™t deactivate the start/stop system

- Atlanta, GA, USA

problem #124

Apr 282022

Pilot

  • miles

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

Vehicle stalls and shuts off at a stop when engine idle stop is enabled. All lights on dashboard are illuminated and vehicle automatically sets to N gear. Upon attempting to restart engine, It takes several attempts to put vehicle back into P gear and start engine by pressing the push start button as well has having foot on the brake pedal. After doing so, the vehicle will start up right away and can be driven off normally with no warning lights illuminated on dash. This issue has happened numerous times. When engine idle stop is disabled, it does not happen. Battery has been replaced as well as push start button switch per service bulletin 20-117. Software update for TCM/PGM has also been performed as per set DTC P2638 (torque management feedback signal A range/performance) U1211 lost communication with shifter, U0404 invalid data received from shifter. Dealership has not been able to duplicate the problem.

- Milpitas, CA, USA

problem #123

Mar 052018

Pilot

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the vehicle hesitated and started jerking. Additionally, the vehicle occasionally stalled and the failure was intermittent. The contact stated that the check engine, emissions, and stabilitrak warning lights were illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the fuel injectors needed to be replaced. The catalytic converter and fuel injectors were replaced by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

- Mckinney, TX, USA

problem #122

Feb 252018

Pilot

  • 33,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving approximately 80-85 MPH uphill, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the warning message "Transmission Overheating" was illuminated. The contact stated that he continued to drive at a slower speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that they could not replicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving uphill. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Moss Bros. Honda (27990 Eucalyptus Ave, Moreno Valley, CA 92555) who did not diagnose the vehicle but informed the contact that the transmission fluid needed to be flushed and replaced. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the transmission fluid was replaced. The contact also stated that the steering wheel was shaking whenever the brake pedal was depressed. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the front rotors needed to be replaced. The contact stated that he was unable to replace the front rotors himself as there were abnormally small compared to the replacement parts. The contact also stated that the front rotors were abnormally smaller than the rear rotors of the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and a case was opened. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

- Moreno Valley, CA, USA

problem #121

Dec 052020

Pilot

  • miles

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

Unpredictably when my auto idle is engaged my vehicle will stall, resulting in me being unable to move my vehicle without forcing a prompted restart.This occurs at very random times to include when I am stopped at a stop light, waiting in a drive-thru line, in traffic, or any additional times when the auto idle engages. This is very dangerous because it results in my vehicle being an unexpected stalled obstacle for all participants on the road. The vehicle has been inspected and the engine start/stop button has been replaced twice. Unknown if there were any warning laps messages or other symptoms.

- Spring Lake, NC, USA

problem #120

May 012018

Pilot

  • 26,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started jerking. The contact stated the gears reverse, neutral, and drive lights were changing independently however, the vehicle continued to move forward. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that 2 days later, he experienced the failure again. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated he continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle for the third time to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing to change the transmission oil. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure after 6-8 months. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing an unknown sensor to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The vehicle was not repaired but was pending repairs. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.

- Mount Kisco, NY, USA

problem #119

Dec 062021

Pilot

  • miles
Two incidents occurred: 1) On 12-6-21, while travelling in the high speed lane, my wife's car shut down causing her to become stranded on the side of the highway. The first system report from the incident can be found attached as indicated permanent transmission codes of P0716 and P0700. Our body shop consulted with a Honda dealership, neither could pinpoint the issue, but they were able to get the car running. 2) On 1-21-21, at a stop light, the car shut down and ran through all the error codes on the dash. My wife was able to turn car on, but could only put it into neutral. The second system report indicated permanent transmission codes of P0730, P07A6, P190B, P286D and temporary transmission codes of P0730, P07A2, P07A6. My wife discovered a thread of comments about others who experienced the issue and they said a new battery fixed the issue. A new battery was put in the car but it only drove in reverse. Our body shop consulted with the same Honda Dealership discovered Honda Service bulletin 19-004, which mentioned a transmission software issue, much like my wife experienced the first time, not the second time. Our body shop indicated the only fix would be a new transmission, which was confirmed by a Honda Dealership.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #118

Dec 272021

Pilot

  • miles
Throughout last trip I noticed the transmission would make jerking shifts. While on the interstate during a pass travelling at 73 Mph the transmission down shifted and made a loud banging sound, engine lost power but was revving high, I could not accelerate to get away from surrounding traffic. A transmission error come up as I maneuvered the vehicle out of the road to avoid being hit by other vehicles. The AWD error came one and later an emissions error. Once the car was out of the road safely I was able to engage the e-brake then put it into neutral then park. AWD and emissions error remained on. After a minute turn car off then on, emissions error remained on and the car could operate. This scared the family as we could have been rare ended in traffic. Honda dealership in my town could not diagnose the issue. This is the second time this has happened.

- Newnan, GA, USA

problem #117

Dec 292021

Pilot

  • miles

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

There is no way for the driver of the car to put the transmission into neutral if needed with an electrical/battery failure. According to Honda, there is a special mechanical device that tow truck drivers would have that physically attaches to the engine to shift the car into neutral. In addition, the honda mechanic that I talked to today said even if the average driver had one of these devices, they would not recommend they use it due to likelihood of causing damage to the engine or transmission. This is fine if the car is already in park, since it would most likely be located in a parking lot, residence, etc. The two times that would be a safety issue and could very easily cause an accident would be if the car was in drive, stopped at a traffic light with the engine off due to the Auto Start/Stop feature, and suffered a battery failure, preventing the engine from starting. Now the car would not be able to start, but more importantly couldn't even be pushed off to the side of the road and clear the intersection, since there is no way to move it into neutral. Another example could be with an alternator failure while driving, where the battery then surges and drains itself, with the engine and car now shut down. If you are unable to move the car to the side of the road as this is happening, maybe stuck in traffic or stopped at a traffic light, the car is now unmovable until a tow truck driver arrives and installs this mechanical neutral unlock device. There should be a way with an electrical problem to be able to place the car into neutral and move it. Otherwise, this turns a routine auto problem (that has had an acceptable solution) into a true safety issue, both for occupants and other vehicles and their operators.

- Goodyear, AZ, USA

problem #116

Dec 172019

Pilot

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 15-60 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed but hesitated to respond, and the vehicle started jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to continue to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had recurred while driving. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

- Washougal, WA, USA

problem #115

Dec 012021

Pilot

  • miles
For the last couple of months, the transmission has had gears slipping out of gear and takes a few seconds to find the gear to accelerate up to speed. I've taken it to the dealer twice to address the issue but it's still causing an issue.

- Ponte Vedra, FL, USA

problem #114

Nov 272021

Pilot

  • miles
The car on prior occasions would not start and it would show emission alert as well as other alerts, have the car for servicing and they started checking and replacing everything. Same problem happened 2 weeks ago but resolved on its own. Today while driving, all the emergency lights came on including emissions malfunction, as well as other malfunction and then accelerator was not working, D was flashing and started making clicking sounds in transmission. Luckily we were close to a fire station house and stopped there, where the car was not going into park, was not changing any gears to reverse or neutral and when turned on, all emergency lights were flashing and could not even get it into neutral to push it away as it seemed to be transmission wheel jammed. Also a burning smell came from the engine when we attempted to restart and put in gear and the transmission clutch made horrible sounds and the car was revving up on its own. If we were on a major Highway this situation could have been a disaster with the family in the car, as the car was stalling on the road and could have resulted in a crash, loss of Life or injury to others. The novel is an elite 2016 pilot and has given my wife recurrent similar issues but we-€™re lucky it happened in a parking lot. The dealership always states the problem is assessed and fixed but at year 5 and only 75000 miles this is a disappointing situation. We bring this to the notice of NHTSA as this could be a life threatening issues for family owner drivers

- Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, USA

problem #113

Oct 012021

Pilot

  • miles
Auto engine Idle shut/off malfunctioning. At red light...when turned green, took foot off brake to accelerate...car completely shut off. Dashboard lights came on and instructed to shift vehicle to park and restart. Vehicle in rear view coming up fast and thought I was going to be rear-ended and quickly found hazard lights and luckily driver was paying attention and shifted to other lane. Never happened when brand new now happening few times a week. Of course am making an appt with Honda but if they can't replicate the problem in the shop they can't/won't fix. This is a safety issue and people are going to get rear ended! Honda needs to rectify this situation as I have seen many threads with others stating the same problem.

- Palm Bay, FL, USA

problem #112

Mar 012021

Pilot

  • 80,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 20-30 MPH, the vehicle would shudder. The dealer was made aware of the failure and scheduled an upcoming appointment for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Amherst, NY, USA

problem #111

May 012020

Pilot

  • miles
1| The problem is with the transmission. When we are driving, the Pilot makes jerky movements and the odometer bounces up and down during this time. This happens most of the time... it is rare when the transmission feels smooth. Also, sometimes when in reverse the Pilot jerks and makes it hard to control when backing up into a parking spot. This happens from time to time, but not every time. There is a known issue about the Honda Pilot 2016 having major transmission issues where it makes the vehicle jerky when accelerating. Yes, we can provide the vehicle for inspection. We only had the Pilot for a year and it just reached 90K. https://www.motorbiscuit.com/the-2016-honda-pilot-had-an-alarming-number-of-transmission-problems/ 2| With the jerky movements, I find it unsafe when merging onto the interstate with moving traffic. It is a struggle to get up to speed when it feels like the Pilot is losing power. Also, once I backing up into the parking spot, the Pilot was making jerking movements and I could have damaged the cars that were parked behind me if I didn't throw the Pilot into neutral. Overall, it is a safety concern for my family of six. 3| The Honda dealerships seem to be aware of the issue but will not do anything about it. They recommend a transmission flush and computer repair/upgrade but are not willing to guarantee it will fix the issue. Others online have reported that the flush and computer repair did not fix the problem. We called Honda of America directly about the problem and were not willing to help us out. They offered no solutions. 4| No, we reached out to Honda of America and they are not willing to help us. We are not sure who to reach out to about the issue. Hopefully, NHTSA can finally help us. 5| Not sure if this issue was related to the transmission problem but the emissions light came on a month after purchasing the Pilot. Honda is known for having oil dilution problems and it could have lead to the issue.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

problem #110

Apr 012021

Pilot

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the transmission failed to shift up to a higher gear. The contact mentioned that the RPMs were shifting faster than the speed. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

- Chico, CA, USA

problem #109

May 222021

Pilot

  • miles
My vehicle shut down while driving with error messages on screen: emissions transmission, vehicle stability assist, hill start assist, trailer stability, assist, power steering, road departure, collision mitigation, blind spot, transmission, battery light, oil light. Coasted into safe place and had towed. Could not turn car back on other than seeing the above warnings.

- Marion, IA, USA

problem #108

Mar 212021

Pilot

  • 64,000 miles
While changing lanes (car in motion 65 mph) in the city, warning lights in the instrument claster started to appear. Engine lost power ( could not accelerate) had to change lanes in traffic almost got hit by semi trucks. Managed to drift to side of the road, car went into neutral and could not get into park. Used parking break to keep car from rolling. The instrument cluster finally made up its mind and settled on emissions error. Before that in was showing all sorts of errors. Turned off the car waited a few minutes and was able to drive home. Very scary with kids in car.

- Newnan, GA, USA

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