2016 HONDA PILOT Electrical System Problems

To Whom It May Concern, I am submitting this complaint to report ongoing engine and emissions system problems with my 2016 Honda Pilot that raise serious safety concerns and may be related to a broader defect currently under investigation. I purchased this vehicle from a dealership in April of 2024 and the issues began shortly afterward at approximately 67,000 miles. The vehicle currently has approximately 74,600 miles and has received regular oil changes and routine maintenance. The vehicle has repeatedly displayed emissions system warning messages and engine fault codes. It has experienced persistent engine misfiring even after a mechanic performed repairs on cylinder 1. In addition, the vehicle exhibits rough engine shaking during driving and idling, engine stalling, and rough or delayed gear changes continuously since 2024. Despite attempted repairs, the problems continue to occur to present. The stalling, misfiring, and unstable engine operation create a potential safety risk, particularly...

We started having problems with the catalytic converter clogging so we put Heat in it and then only used 100%gas. Then we went to my daughter’s house and when we went to leave the car wouldn’t start. We could smell burning. We had it towed to our mechanic and he replaced the starter but he had a hard time getting it off because it was almost fused because of the heat. Then 3-4 days later all the check engine lights came on. We had it checked out by Christian Brothers and he had to replace all of the fuel injectors. He also had to replace the ERG valve. It all I feel was caused by the fuel injectors and was causing problems in the engine and causing the burning smell. I have read that this has been a problem on the vehicles and wanted to report it for a Recall....

warning engine light came on. Emission control system light came on too. Honda Pilot 2016 Milage 70,662. Vehicle operating normally. Had car parts store use OBD electronic scanner and it revealed a code P0328: "Knock Sensor voltage High". Code was deleted after scan. I was told by tech at car parts store that the sensor was detecting odd electronic signals and sent info to the cars computer, which intern made the computer to display the warning lights on the dash panel. Warning lights were then off, and then a day later, the engine warning lights came on again. There are no physical or audible signs that any mechanical errors are happening, The car/engine is operating as normal. next day; made appt with Honda dealership to check system with their equipment and the warning lights did not come on , prior to the trip to the dealership. Dealership scan (Dec 23,...

My keyless start system is going off and on and this is supposedly a well known problem with this year and model and the start stop buttoning going off and car stalling etc. it says to report to you all online.

Following all repair/recall/warranty work recommended by Honda, the Auto Stop/Start feature is again failing. This results in the vehicle not restarting after the auto idle engine stop is engaged while in traffic, stop lights, stop signs etc. This is a random occurrence, but results in a significant safety hazard as a stopped vehicle in a lane of travel. This is a recurring issue, no specific date of incident.

When the vehicle idle is on and I break at a red light or stop sign it has NOT started back up. This has happened a few times. Today at a red light it cut it did it and I needed a jump start to get it back working.

Honda issued Service Bulletin 20-117 regarding a Warranty Extension for the 2016–2017 Pilot and 2017 Ridgeline addressing a Keyless Start System Error with DTC B12C5. Following an NHTSA investigation, Honda extended warranty coverage to 9 years or 125,000 miles under this bulletin. My 2016 Honda Pilot currently has 107,000 miles and is only six months past the nine-year time limit. Earlier this year, the Keyless Start System warning indicator began appearing intermittently—illuminating for a few seconds before disappearing for days or weeks. Recently, the warning began to stay on continuously. Per Honda’s initial guidance, I replaced the key fob battery and even swapped fobs with my wife, but the issue persisted. On October 16th, I brought the vehicle to Honda of Chantilly, where technicians diagnosed a faulty start/stop button requiring replacement. I then opened case #15920037 with Honda, but they declined to cover or reimburse the repair, despite it being a known defect covered under the extended warranty for others. I respectfully...

instrument panel

Engine developed noises while driving and seized up. Prior to engine seizure, auto start/stop was having issues where it would not restart after stopping at a light or stop sign. Rear unibody rusting really badly due to cheap quality metal?

The engine shuts off while driving and the car shifts the transmission to Park or Neutral.

My 2016 Honda pilot has continued to have engine restart issues with the automatic engine stop feature after taking it in for the initial recall. Upon telling this to the dealer, they said the recall work was already done and won’t address it further. They only did the software upgrade and did not tell me about the 2nd stage of repairs available. The issue is random but happens commonly, and seems to be worse on hot days. It also can sometimes struggle to restart after putting it in park after the auto restart fails.

The fuel injection system routinely fails or misfires. Not only does this cause an issue with said system but it also triggers a host of other dashboard alerts. The alerts display all wheel drive problem, emission system problem, power steering problem, hill start problem, vehicle stability assist problem. This is a safety issue because the amount of alerts especially unrelated alerts is obfuscating any actual problems and making it difficult to diagnose the real issue. Investigation shows many other drivers having the same issues with this model only going away when the fuel injection system is replaced. It's also safety issue because if the fuel injection is failing then the car may shut off at a danger to the driver and the public. Given that it is known and chronic it should be a recall

In my 2016 Honda pilot a lot of buttons are popping up on the screen with no information about how to fix it. My car is having trouble accelerating and is hesitating when needing to accelerate. I was unable to speed up while driving to get to 45 mph Because it would not speed up. All the buttons that are coming up on my car or not correct it’s showing trailer issues and I’ve never once trailed anything with my car. It seems like it’s having extra trouble when the air condition is on as well. I’m unable to figure out what is wrong with my car because all the buttons are not coming up correct when they plug it in for a diagnostic. I have had the alternator replaced and that did not change anything.

My battery was being drained until dead by a faulty keyless control module. I paid to have the battery replaced after my son and I got stranded 1.5 hours from home. All the lights on the dash went off and nearly every error code displayed as well. Currently at Honda dealership getting the module replaced at a mere $840 after I paid $370 for battery installation when my car "broke down". Now to see I am not the only Honda customer with this issue in this model of vehicle. The car started displaying all the error codes about a week before it began just completely draining the battery that was on 6/23. Battery replaced that day and by Saturday 6/28 was unable to start my car due to battery being completely dead. Had to jump my car and take to dealership on sunday 6/29. So was late to work and...

Check engine light on emissions system problem and transmission system problem, there is loss power of engine light, after 2 gear transmission feel like it jerks I don't have save to drive my car, i would like to request a recall to be inspected and repair by warranty of Honda because my car is defective by manufacturer Code are: P0420 (rear bank catalyst system efficiency below threshold [bank 1]) P0430 (front bank catalyst system efficiency below threshold [bank 2]) P0300-P0306 (misfire) P219A (air-fuel ratio variation of cylinder [bank 1, rear bank]) P219B (air-fuel ratio variation of cylinder [bank 2, front bank])

Car sound system distort and no sound after 10 minutes of driving. No bluetooth audio, radio, music working. Changing volume, sound setting, factory reset the info system but the problem still exist. Increase the A/C fan speed and driving through pumps seems make the problem start earlier. Sometimes, turn off the car and restart the car after 30 minutes, the sound system is back on, but after the 10-15 minutes the sound went off again. This problem could cause safety issue as I relied on navigation sound while driving. There seems to be the same problem that being recalled in newer model.

The alarm continuously goes off unprompted while the car is off. The dashboard lights will flash as if the car is attempting to start without any input from the driver. Clicking can be heard from the dashboard during this time. The battery is drained from this continuous issue. Other systems then seem to be impacted. The car has begun lurching out struggling to shift gears. In the last 3 years, all fluid systems have been flushed, battery replaced, oil gauge replaced, and keyless remote entry module replaced. The issue persists. All recalls have been completed as well. When the car is in ACC mode, the battery indicator is on and the flashing of the dashboard indicators still happens (as when the car is off right leading up to the alarm being tripped). Once the car is started , the indicator goes away. There is no apparent clicking or changes in...

December 2017 I was driving my 2016 Honda pilot back from Florida and the car immediately reduce speed to about 25 to 35 mph. I had my OBD2 in the car so I reset the code and the car start driving fine and every time I will leave the gas station it will do the same thing dealership took the car said it was a throttle position sensor fixed it and the car broke down two days after getting it. I was told it was corrected for sure this time. However I'm saying a recall on Honda engines 2016 but my engine is not included. In 2024 I took the vehicle in for service and they said there was a recall for the ignition switch however since they fixed the ignition switch I have issues at times starting the car. I've also had to pay to get the electronic steering...

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the Lane Departure, Adaptive Cruise Control, and two additional warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the Blind Spot System and Cross-Traffic warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the START/STOP button failed to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the multi-purpose camera and all safety system features, and the START/STOP system had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer confirmed that the repair was not covered under recall or warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Auto Start/Stop not working at stop. Vehicle fails to restart when engine has turned off at intersection. On occasion, vehicle fails to start and loses total power. Often, it takes several minutes to regain power. This has occurred in intersections, almost causing accidents. The car was repaired per a TSB, but the issue continues, and has for the last 4 years since purchase.

ECM Failure with fuel rail/system pressure code. Safety issue due to no prior issue and all of a sudden engine stalling in the middle of a busy intersection and taking 10 mins to get started and shift gears to get out of the way of oncoming traffic with all dashboard lights illuminated to include check engine light, trailer stability assist problem light, hill assist problem light, LKAS light, and ACC light.

Car stalled at intersection due to start/stop feature. Engine did not restart when my wife removed her foot from the brake pedal and went to press the gas pedal. Engine stalled. After turning the car completely off it would start back up.

Vehicle was fixed for auto start stop under recall. They changed all the parts including capacitors. Within 5000 miles it started happening again. I’ve informed Honda about this from 20k miles. The vehicle now has 165k. I’ve told them on multiple occasions that this is a serious safety issue. They said they have this fixed and they do not. They closed my case even though I asked them to keep it open as they have not proved to me that it is fixed. The only way to fix this is to have Honda program the care to not allow start stop as someone is going to get killed. It’s just a matter of time.

Pilot has auto start/stop problems. when it stops, if the exact pedal procedure isn't followed the car will lurch forward and stall engine. After that is it difficult to restart. This situation creates a dangerous situation as the vehicle fails to pull out in traffic under power. Very POOR design by Honda and should be permanently disabled for driver/occupant safety

The car has trouble starting. It has been occurring for years. (1) It cycles like it has a bad battery. (2) It cycles like the starter is not getting power or is bad. (3) Sometimes this causes the engine starting cycle to completely fail and restart is not immediately possible. (4) The auto stop/restart feature cannot be used because it requires frequent stopping and starting of engine which is not possible. I’ve had many Honda dealers and Honda mechanics looking at the issue and none have been able to determine the problem.

Auto idle restart and transmission is unexpectedly put in Park upon restart. On occasion then car goes into limp mode and powers off.

I have to drive with my idle off because when I drive with it on, there were 4 instances where my car idled & it idled so much that the whole car just turned completely off when I was waiting at an intersection or at a red light or getting off an exit & there were numerous cars behind me waiting. I would have to keep pressing different buttons or drive to park then try to turn the car back on & it would take awhile to turn back on. So to avoid this, I would just drive with my idle off. I did bring it up the the service department at the dealership but they said they didn’t see anything wrong, because it doesn’t happen all the time or maybe because they were just driving around one block, I don’t know. But it happened with me and when my...

Engine needs to be replaced vehicle only has 123,000 miles. Diagnostic states sounds like rod bearing has come apart in cylinder 2 Honda Recall #23V-751 involves certain 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot vehicles. This recall is due to a manufacturing error that may cause the connecting rod bearing in the engine to wear and seize, potentially damaging the engine. But yet Honda states my vehicle is not eligible for said recall.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the stability control, head start, TSA, and other warning lights were illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, who diagnosed that the fuel injectors had failed. The fuel injectors were replaced. Approximately one month after having the vehicle repaired, while driving approximately 60-65 MPH, there was a rumbling noise coming from underneath the vehicle and the vehicle started shaking abnormally. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact decelerated the vehicle, turned on the hazards, and continued to drive home at speeds of approximately 40 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the engine failed due to a driveshaft failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact learned of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and was linked to the...

Our stop/start feature consistently causes the car to stall instead of restarting the engine. This leaves us stranded in or at intersections while waiting for the car to respond to pressing the park and restart buttons. This regularly takes enough time we have narrowly avoided being hit multiple times from suddenly not being able to move. Because it can turn off at any time you are fully stoped we have been caught after having to make a complete stop in the middle of an intersection and then still being stalled when the light changed. Honda has experienced the problem and has only been willing to change the battery. A fully charged and new battery does temporarily reduce the number of occurrences. This has only been inspected by Honda because we have not had an actual accident yet. There are no other warning lights on the car at any point. This...

When I was paring my phone to Bluetooth I noticed my car started to pop up alerts in accessory mode (low power state engine off) that my Honda was hiding critical safety alerts with the Brake System and Charging System Problem and a Anti-Lock Brake System Problem when fully powering the car most of theses alerts are fully hidden from driver view the only thing I was able to see consistently was the U3006 control module input power fault with my scan tool this is very concerning that a driver would have to do all of this work to find essential hidden driver major safety alerts

The engine shuts off while driving and attempting to accelerate, happens frequently.

REAR PASSENGER DOOR IS MARKING OPEN WHEN DOOR IS LOCKED

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? "Keyless Start System" message has been haunting me for close to a year now. Yes, available for inspection and has been by a local Honda service center. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I was left stranded when my vehicle would not start. Battery jumped and I was able to get on but the issue is not my battery, it is the start/stop electrical malfunction that so many others have cited experiencing. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes and I've scheduled an appt. with local service center (again). Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure,...

The engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the Auto Start/Stop function engaged. Vehicle struggles to restart on various occasions. Honda America has an extended warranty to replace the starter.

I was driving the car and suddenly it stopped working in the road luckily I was near my home when it happened it was due to my alternator dying without any warning besides a low battery warning on my car I later took it to the dealer and was told it was due to a oil leak on the alternator luckily I was not on the turnpike or the expressway or I would be dead

We have had consistent, non-stop, unknown and unresolved engine issues from the day we purchased this vehicle. The dealership has not been able to identify or resolve these issues, which include the Rocker Arm, Cam Shaft and Cam Shaft sensors, numerous electrical, fuse and sensor failures and more. The symptoms appear to be the same as those cited with the connecting rod bearing issues but for some reason our vehicle has not fallen under the recalls.

In 2021, while driving on a highway all vehicle warning lights came on. Engine ran at high rpm and low speed. Honda said is was a software update. Charged for update. This seemed to resolve issues. Car is regularly maintained and transmission fluid changed 2/1/2024. In 2024, the vehicle warning lights (in multiple & varying groups) began coming on and off at various intervals. The car stalled while at a red light on at least two occasions. When I was not near home I would stop at AutoZone for computer readings; misfiring of cylinder 2, random multiple misfire detected, system too rich bank 2. Car was at Honda for 2nd software update and lights were off at pickup. Lights started again. The mechanic found the vehicle was sending upwards of 100 codes. Repairs were made (and paid for) at local shop 2 separate times. Car is now at Honda diagnosed...

This vehicle was recently recalled for the START / STOP in 2023 after complaining about it since 2017. The vehicle was repaired which resulted in starter and all related components associated with the recall. I questioned the repair as if you can't duplicate the failure (turn it on and turn it off) how do you know you have it fixed. They assured me they replaced all the associated components. Guess what the same problem is happening again. Start/Stop system is not working properly again post recall and software update. The US Government should go after Honda on this as it is truly a safety issue when your car dies at a stop and go light and then you have cares approaching you from behind at 55mph.

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.

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

I have a 2016 Pilot (Touring), and about a month ago, I started experiencing static in the audio. It begins faintly in the background and gradually increases in volume until it completely overtakes the audio, leaving only static. The issue persists regardless of the audio source selected.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, all the warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the highway where the vehicle stalled and restarted. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined the failure was due to the fuel pump. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact there was no recall coverage. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.

Rolled into a parking lot and the car suddenly stalled right before I could get into the spot - electriconics were still working and what not. Turned the car off and on and pulled in and then proceeded to charge my portable jumper just in case. Came back a few hours later and drove it home - all sorts of sensors were going off but the car was still fine. Once I got home, I swapped the battery with one that I was charging. At this point there was light flickering and more sensors failing. I went to replace with a new battery and it drove fine for a day or two. On the last day, my girlfriend said it started happening again, and she turned around and came back home where it stalled out again. We are terrified to drive this vehicle and purchased a different one out of...

- The idle engine function does not work. I turn it off in general because if it is on, when I stop the car dies and the dashboard and electric functions, malfunction. They turn on and off and I cannot automatically start the car; it takes several times for the car to restart. - Today, I went to a pharmacy and when I tried to restart my car to leave, it would not begin. The dashboard went on and off and it took 1 minute for it to restart properly. - My teenage son is now a driver but I will not let him drive the car because it will stall. We drive to school everyday 45-60 minutes there and back; we are in the car a lot. - When I went to the dealer 1 year ago, they were going to charge me $200 for a diagnostic and then...

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)

Car started displaying "Keyless start system problem". I changed both batteries in the key fobs, but it continued. After about 2 weeks of this, the car would not start. Just clicking and flickering of lights and gauges. Would not jump off or anything, so I had to tow it home. After researching it and checking the brake light switch to make sure it was still operational, and after purchasing and installing a new start/stop button, I decided to get a new battery. I took the old battery in and they said it was good, but I still got another one and installed it. The car started up and has been working for about 4 weeks, but now the same message is popping up again. I am worried that my wife will drive it somewhere and get stranded. I have seen that there are recalls on this on some of the...

On several occasions in 2024 1 - 2 months apart I have been stopped at a light in my 2016 Honda Pilot I have around 150,000 miles on it. The car will stall out and I can barely make it to the side of the road. All the dashboard lights come on Vehicle Stability Assist Problem, Power Steering System Problem, Emissions System Problem, Road Departure Mitigation System Problem, Trailer Stability Assist Problem, Hill Start Assist Problem. I had the Catalytic Converters changed about 2 months ago at a cost of $3,000 and this is still happening. Once the battery is disconnected the codes go away and the car drives fine for a while, but not this last time. We had AAA come out and put a new battery, they AAA service drove off, I pulled out 3 feet and the car cut off again and all the lights came back...

After coming to a stop at a red light, the engine auto stop engaged as normal. About a minute passed, and when I took my foot off the brake and tried to start driving, the engine did not start again. The screen on dashboard the said to switch to park and turn the car off. This car has already received the PGM-FI roughly a month ago, after this happened previously.

2016 Pilot has an annoying issue. When it is turned off, the panel lights flicker. You can hear the relays clicking behind the panel. The headlights come on. Often the car alarm randomly goes off. They want to charge us $800 to replace the Keyless control unit. and nothing was resolved with this issue. It seems they are just throwing darts at possible solutions. They won't guarantee this will fixe the issue. They will not refund us the $800 if this part isn't even a problem ;-( To our knowledge, we don't think we have had the issue occur when the car is unlocked. It doesn't happen every time the car is locked