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:
4 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
21,837 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2016 Honda Pilot Owner Comments (Page 15 of 19)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #82

Nov 212019

Pilot

  • 50,000 miles

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

Car brakes by itself, shakes the steering wheel and shuts off and loses power ranging in speeds from 20 -60mph. On double lane roads to interstates in the rain and sunny dry days.

- Statesville, NC, USA

problem #81

Jul 012019

Pilot

  • 45,000 miles
My Honda Pilot will stall out when coming out of the auto start/stop feature at an intersection. This problem started happening in July 2019 after having the transmission double replaced. This problem has now happened four different times and extremely dangerous for my wife and kids who are left stranded at an intersection. My wife has to attempt to recycle the power to the Pilot by holding down the power button to the Pilot. My wife has captured multiple videos of the dash with all the error messages popping up after it has died.

- Raeford, NC, USA

problem #80

Oct 052019

Pilot

  • 67,000 miles
Previous complaint NHTSA id 11111894 submitted 7/17/18. For car stalling after entering into auto idle stop. Replaced battery in August 2018 and didn't have any problems until now. Has happened at least 3 times now in Sept. And Oct 2019.. at first, radio or dvd player would cut out but has progressed to full on stalling after entering auto idle stop. Same problem as before and all other complaints. After car goes into idle stop, it does not restart after take foot off brake. Have to put car in park, press brake, and push start button to get it to restart. Can take several tries and several minutes.

- Rockville, MD, USA

problem #79

Oct 242019

Pilot

  • 44,000 miles

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

On October 24, 2019 at approximately 10:00 am cst. Engine completely lost power while driving at approximately 65 mph on interstate I-80. Was in the left lane passing vehicle in right lane. Another vehicle was ahead of mine. Tapped the brakes to slow a bit as vehicle in front was merging right after passing. Hit the gas pedal and all power to the engine was lost for about 1.5 - 2 seconds. Tachometer dropped to 0. took my foot off the gas and then re-engaged. Power to engine came back on and was able to resume normal vehicle operations. Auto engine on/off feature was disabled. Regular cruise control was on, had been set but wasn't currently engaged. Parking sensors were on. Lane departure was off. Forward collision warning on. No other issues for the rest of the 1300 mile (round) trip. We have had this vehicle for about 1 year and this is the second time this has happened. First time was not reported or documented. If engine/power hadn't been restored, there could have been a serious accident. This cannot be normal vehicle operation. Please look into this Honda and NHTSA.

- Lincoln, NE, USA

problem #78

Oct 242019

Pilot

  • 88,000 miles
Twice now my 2016 Honda Pilot elite with auto idling stop feature has stalled at intersection lights. While stopped at the red light the engine goes off and normally when I lift my foot off the brake it restarts and accelerates when I push the gas pedal. However, in these instances when I lifted my foot off the brake and went to accelerate, the engine completely stalled. A couple of warning lights came on, unfortunately I didn't read which ones because I was at busy intersections. The car would not start even after putting it into park. It took about 2 minutes before the engine would start. Other drivers were trying to get around me, honking. The 2nd time, I was going to make a left turn and just had to wait until I could start it, watching in my rear view mirror hoping I wouldn't get rear-ended. I drive 75+ miles to work on a very busy and slow moving California freeway with lots of stop and go traffic. I am very concerned about our safety if this were to happen on a busy freeway where drivers don't realize I am dead in the water. I called american Honda and they advised me to get it into a dealer right away. I got an appointment for this am at 0700 but as of now (11:30am) haven't heard a word. They are charging me $125 just to run diagnostics despite the fact I have an extended warranty. The service person had a definite "could care less attitude". after reading on this website and others, this is happening a lot and Honda doesn't seem to have an answer. This is the 2nd major issue with this car. The last issue involved my car basically shutting down on the freeway at 70mph, going into a lower gear, every possible warning light on the dash lit up. Had to drive one mile on the shoulder to get it off the freeway. This happened twice to me and a "computer patch was done". it seems fixed but now I am not sure at all what is going on with this car.

- Nuevo, CA, USA

problem #77

Oct 232019

Pilot

  • 111,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. After purchasing the vehicle from an unknown used car lot and traveling 65 mph, the vehicle stalled. Also, the emissions and transmission failure indicators illuminated. The voice command instructed the contact to pull over as soon as possible as the vehicle completely shut off and lost braking and steering ability. The contact coasted the vehicle to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle; however, the emissions indicator was still illuminated. The vehicle was driven back to the used car lot, but they were not able to replicate the failure. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the nearest dealer. The vehicle was taken to autonation Honda spokane valley (8201 East sprague ave, spokane valley, wa 99212), but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was currently at the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 111,000.

- Coeur D Lane, ID, USA

problem #76

Oct 182019

Pilot

  • 101,000 miles

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

Our 2016 Honda Pilot jerks and hesitates; appearing that it does not know which gear to shift into while driving on the highway and on a city street. As recommended by Honda, the transmission service was done at 30,000 mile intervals. However the problem persists. I took the vehicle to the local dealership and was told that the vehicle need a new powertrain control module at a cost of $1400, with no guarantee that it will solve my problem. Option #2 is to replace the transmission at a price of $5,000. I called Honda's corporate customer service and was told that since the vehicle was not under warranty, they could not do anything for me unless their certified mechanic at the dealership let them know that the root cause of the problem was a mechanical defect from the manufacturer. I was given a case number. This is a high risk hazard that needs corrections and corrective actions, not rhetoric. Honda corporation needs to recognize near misses can easily escalate to incidents, if effective controls are not implemented. In addition to this persistent transmission problem, the vehicle's emissions warning light comes on at various times. The dealership says that all of the fuel injectors need to be replaced. I asked about possibly cleaning them. I was told by the service representative that his directive is to replace them and that Honda does not have a procedure in place for cleaning fuel injectors. I was also told by the service representative that a Honda computer code, P0776 (pressure control solenoid B performance or stuck off), was shown. My vehicle was bought new (zero miles) and now have 101,000 miles. It has been served at the recommended intervals stated in Honda's service booklet.

- Fort Mitchell, AL, USA

problem #75

Oct 182019

Pilot

  • 62,500 miles
We bought a 2016 Honda Pilot ex AWD from a dealer a month ago with 62K miles on it. Three days ago an emission system problem and check engine light came on. We took it to the Honda dealer immediately and the codes were P0430 and P219B. They diagnosed that one of the cylinders was running rich and misfiring. All 6 fuel injectors and a flex pipe needed to be changed. The estimated cost was $1700. I called Honda America thinking this is happening too early to a 3 year old car with relatively few miles on it. My other 2011 Honda is at 145K and never needed fuel injector replacement. I researched it online and found that this is a common problem among 2016 Pilot and there is a service bulletin for it 18-025. Honda America said there is no recall on it and that the 3 year 36K warranty is over. I am aware of those, but a 3 year old Honda should not need this replacement. They are researching if they should assist with the cost of the repair, and will get back to me in a few days. However, I would urge others with similar problems make a complaint here and pressure for a recall. If this problem continues and the car goes to limb mode in the middle of driving, it could lead to an accident. It would also not be safe being stuck next to a highway with a car not working. I am glad in my case it was noticed early on when the light came on. This is also an expensive repair early on in a car and should be fully covered by Honda.

- Conroe, TX, USA

problem #74

Oct 212019

Pilot

  • 25,000 miles
Vehicle continues to completely shut down (engine completely turning off, all lights turning on in console, requiring vehicle to be placed in park and then ignition button pressed to restart engine.) when stopping at a redlight. Continues to get worse and more frequent. Took to dealer and they say nothing is wrong. Please fix this! my families safety is top concern@

- Dumfries, VA, USA

problem #73

Oct 072019

Pilot

  • 71,500 miles
While stopped at a traffic light the car put itself into park without my (the driver) knowledge. When the light turned green I attempted to accelerate however the car was in park. I attempted to shift the car into drive and it would not do so. I had to turn the car off and then back on in order to place the car into drive and proceed through the intersection.

- Fontana, CA, USA

problem #72

Oct 122019

Pilot

  • 27,170 miles

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

Keyless start system problem light on. Not sure exactly what it means or what triggered.

- Houston, TX, USA

problem #71

Oct 112019

Pilot

  • 39,000 miles
My 2016 Honda elite Pilot randomly shut off while driving on the freeway. I had the engine idle stop feature turned off while driving and the vehicle stalled, the dashboard warning lights turned on and the vehicle turned off completely. The dash said to put the car in park and hit the ignition button which I had to do several times before the vehicle turned on all while in rush hour traffic, I have approximately 39,000 miles on the vehicle.

- Alhambra, CA, USA

problem #70

Oct 022019

Pilot

  • 45,000 miles
2016 Pilot does at red lights when it goes into hybrid/idle mode. Car takes several minutes to restart.

- Mckinney, TX, USA

problem #69

Aug 172018

Pilot

  • 28,524 miles
This vehicle stalls when the brake is depressed. The engine should restart when your foot comes off the brake. It does not restart. In order to restart the engine, the vehicle has to be put in park position, put foot back on brake, & hold the start button until the vehicle restarts. This is a serious safety issue in traffic.

- Covington, LA, USA

problem #68

Sep 202019

Pilot

  • 66,000 miles
Previous complaint submitted 06/20/2019 complaint # 11221559 this is the 5th time I have taken the vehicle in for the same problem. Car has engine idle when vehicle comes to halt, but what it keeps doing is the engine completly shuts down and gos into park and then the engine turns off. This has happened on freeways.and regular streets. Vehicle is not safe. In June Honda kept my car for 5 days and updated software so they can see problem as they can not relpicate. This car once again is not safe and I fell I will be killed in it.

- Carlsbad, CA, USA

problem #67

Aug 082019

Pilot

  • 37,000 miles
Our Honda Pilot shuts down while being operated, typically while attempting to resume driving after having been stopped at intersections, making turns, red lights, etc. All electrical components become unresponsive, including starter, shift controller, hazard lights, etc. Typically takes to 5 minutes to restart, leaving us stranded in traffic; an incredibly dangerous situation. This has occurred (5 times so far) with the "auto engine idle stop" engaged and is suspect. 1st attempt by dealer to diagnose & repair involved replacing the battery despite testing "good". shutdowns continued; the last occurred in a 5-lane highway with my wife and 3-year old child on board. 2nd attempt to diagnose & repair, took 4 weeks and a suggested repair of replacing the battery (previous battery less than a year old) and a new starter @ $1,600; even though the technician stated both were "good". conversations with the dealership/technicians acknowledge the suspected problem electrical/computer based but the on-board computer does not record these events. The dealership/technicians state they reported and researched this issue via their in-house tech site but we were told this issue is unknown and isolated to our car. Our solution being a mutually acknowledge, unnecessary repair. I debated their $1,600 "solution" and questioned warranty coverage and was informed if not done, would be recorded as "customer refuses repair". when I asked if the $1,600 would be refunded when the issue resumed (since well agreed the suggested repair was not the solution), I was informed "no". we have not done the repair. A simple internet search shows this is not an isolated problem as we were told and is even recorded here on the NHTSA website numerous times, verbatim to our experience.

- Thomasville, GA, USA

problem #66

Aug 292019

Pilot

  • 38,000 miles
Car turns off completely while driving, does not respond to attempts to restart right away

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #65

Jul 092019

Pilot

  • 37,500 miles
When driving in eco mode the car shuts partially down at red lights and other stops as is expected, but lights, radio, ac., etc still function. Every 5 or 6th time my car now shuts off completely and requires me to restart it.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #64

Aug 192019

Pilot

  • 30,000 miles
The Honda Pilot has a feature called auto engine idle stop. To meet emission standards, this feature puts the engine into a stop/off mode when you brake for more than 3 seconds. However, this feature sometimes causes the car battery to fail and the car to stall. This could happen when stopped at a traffic light or on a highway stopped in traffic. If the battery hasn't had enough time to recharge, the car might stall and need to be completely shutdown, wait a while and maybe will restart. We bought our car in late 2015. The issue presented itself by 2016/2017, mostly as brief blips and the car would restart. In summer 2018, after repeated visits to Honda and numerous times of the car completely stalling at traffic lights, we chose to replace the battery. Our Honda service centers kept telling us that the battery tests showed it was fine and that the feature isn't suppose to engage if the battery doesn't have "enough juice" to restart. But clearly, that doesn't work, because my car would indeed completely stall and need to try to restart. I once had to wait five minutes stuck at a light in the middle of a 3 lane road, and my car finally restarted. But once we paid to replace the battery (that supposedly was fine), the car didn't blip or stall. But one year later, it started happening again. Sometimes the car will just blip, where all the lights, radio and air conditioning will briefly cut out and then come back on as the feature re-engages the engine. But sometimes, it just won't restart. There is a button you can hit to disable the auto engine idle stop feature. But you must remember to hit every time you start the car. If you forget, all it takes is stopping at one traffic light and the car could stall. There are numerous online reports of similar issues with this feature.

- Charlotte, NC, USA

problem #63

Aug 152019

Pilot

  • 50,000 miles
Seeing an issue with fuel injectors associated with this and I think there should be a recall issued for it.

- Toms River, NJ, USA

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