NHTSA Complaint #11386601 — 2016 HONDA PILOT

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT (CEL) APPEARS, RANDOMLY WHEN PARKED OR IN MOTION, INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH EMISSIONS SYSTEM. CEL BEGAN TO APPEAR AT APPROXIMATELY 77,000 MILES. CAR NOW HAS OVER 85,000 MILES. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED, WHEN IT HAD 68,000 MILES. I HAVE NEVER DRIVEN OUTSIDE OF THE U.S.. CEL APPEARS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS BETWEEN 0 AND 60 MPH. WHEN IN MOTION AND CEL IS DISPLAYED, ENGINE HESITATION OCCURS CAUSING ME TO INCREASE VEHICLE SPEED AND ENGINE RPM TO ENSURE I HAVE SUFFICIENT POWER TO: COMPLETE A TURN, PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, OR MAKE IT UP A HILL. I AM NEVER SURE I WILL HAVE ENOUGH POWER. ADDITIONALLY, THE MILEAGE ECONOMY DISPLAY CHANGES FROM SHADES OF GREEN TO SOLID WHITE. CEL REMAINS VISIBLE ON DASHBOARD UNTIL IT RANDOMLY DISAPPEARS. CEL WILL REMAIN LIT RANGING FROM 30 MINUTES TO SEVERAL DAYS AND DISAPPEAR AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. WHEN IT DISAPPEARS, ENGINE HESITATION STOPS AND ECONOMY DISPLAY RETURNS TO SHADES OF GREEN DEPENDING ON WHETHER ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING. I FIRST BELIEVED IT TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL TANK CAP. HOWEVER, THE CAP IS A HINGED FLAP THAT RETURNS TO THE CLOSED POSITION AFTER I HAVE FINISHED REFUELING. I PREDOMINANTLY USE E87 OCTANE WITH ETHANOL. BUT E89 FUEL MAKES NO DIFFERENCE BECAUSE THE CEL AND HESITATION RANDOMLY STILL OCCUR. I HAVE NOT TAKEN TO A REPAIR SHOP BECAUSE I HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WHEN THE CEL IS DISPLAYED. THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THEY CAN ONLY DIAGNOSE WHEN THE CEL IS DISPLAYED. SIMILAR DESCRIPTIONS FROM OTHER HONDA PILOT OWNERS CAN BE FOUND AT HTTPS://WWW.PILOTEERS.ORG/THREADS/EMISSIONS-SYSTEM-PROBLEM-CHECK-ENGINE-LIGHT.157705/.