2016 HONDA PILOT Power Train 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...

Honda is aware of thousands of 9 speed transmission failures. but worst of all they tell you that you failed to change trans fluid as scheduled, but there is no schedule printed in their owner's manual, nor in their vehicle service maintenance manual. the service manual only speaks to the quality of fluid required, and that it not be mixed with other brands of trans fluids. it then goes on to say "HAVE A DEALER CHECK THE FLUID LEVEL AND REPLACE IF NEEDED." I have owned cars with sealed trans that required no maintenance, which is not the case with the Honda's 9speed trans. The Honda 9 speed is a sealed unit. I am currently face with an estimated bill of $10,600 to replace my failed trans. There is a reaccuring problem with the 9 speed, that Honda should pay for. I am requesting an investigation, and a reimburstment of...

The front facing camera on my pilot failed over a year ago. We took the vehicle to honda its over 2,000 to fix it. When the camera gets hot all adas lights will go off and it effects the transmission my car went into limp while reversing I also have to pull over in unsafe areas to turn off my vehicle bc the camera heats up and the car freaks out

Complete engine failure on highway

I own a 2016 Honda Pilot AWD with approximately 160,000 miles. Within a week of purchase, the engine suffered a crankshaft/rod bearing failure. While driving, the engine suddenly began knocking, lost power, and stalled in traffic. I had to quickly turn onto a side street to get out of traffic, and smoke started coming from the engine bay. The vehicle is now not driveable. I already went to a Honda dealer, and when they checked my VIN, their system only showed warranty extensions for the fuel injectors and the start/stop switch. No recall or campaign appeared for the known rod bearing defect. However, my vehicle experienced the exact failure described in recall 23V-751 and the current NHTSA investigation into Honda V6 engines. I also contacted Honda corporate recall center directly, and they opened a case under my VIN. I have the case number available if needed This poses a serious...

Transmission slipping and motor making a grind sound since like 120k and dash problems and paint chips every were paint is coming off on its own. I did not about that i can do a complete here.

transmission slipping

There was a small ticking/knocking noise that started the week before I took my Honda Pilot in to the dealer. I took the car in for regular service and told them about this noise. Under further inspection, I was advised by the Honda dealership that the piston connecting rod bearing had failed causing damage to the motor. I had to pay to replace the motor at my own expense. This is a safety issue as I did not really have a warning that anything was wrong with the vehicle and the engine could have seized up and caught fire while I was driving putting my family and other vehicles in harms way. It is my understanding that Honda had a partial recall on this issue in which my VIN was not covered. I was not notified that this was even an issue for the 2016 Honda Pilots and I should...

2017: transmission replacement UW 2021: Vehicle stopped/ lost power on I44 at a speed of 70 mph. I immediately pulled over and called Roper on a recorded line per roper Honda. Took it to roper- needs a new motor. 2021: motor replacement Not UW 2024: vehicle was called in about hatch defect . Apparently, Roper reports that it is fixed yet- it IS NOT. I was unaware of the rods recall. That would explain why I need another motor. 2025: motor is knocking. Not UW 2025: AIS: vehicle has stalled at busy intersections after an idle stop. Scary when you have a car full of kids and your car doesn’t want to go. Now the car will just loose power and not start at a stop light regularly. I paid $43,000 for a vehicle that may have all the bells and whistles but it is complete trash to say the...

The vehicle has started displaying numerous codes/error messages on the display. Vehicle jerks while attempting to accelerate and loses power. Dealership diagnosed the problem as a camshaft, stating the camshaft, timing belt, camshaft thrust cover, and spark plugs would all need to be replaced. They also said this may have caused damage to the converter, which will not be known until other repairs are made. This is apparently a common and widespread issue with these Hondas despite no recall being issued.

Transmission Temperate Too Hot warning came on in summer of 2023. Ended up needing to replace the engine. Fast forward to 6/25/25 and the light came on again. We take very good care of this vehicle and do all scheduled maintenance so this is very disappointing.

I had to replace my transmission in my 2016 Honda Pilot. Honda paid for part of the repairs and I was responsible for the remaining amount. It has been well documented that this year and model have transmission problems. I asked Honda to reimburse me for the amount I was responsible for, but they refused to because of the mileage and age of the vehicle, even though I reported transmission issues when the vehicle only had 38k miles. I sent several emails and left several voicemails with no meaningful response. They have been very difficult to deal with.

I am writing to report a persistent powertrain issue with my 2016 Honda Pilot, specifically regarding hard shifting between first and second gear when accelerating from a stop. Honda has acknowledged this issue and released an ECU software update intended to resolve it; however, in my case, as well as for many other owners who have reported similar concerns, the update did not effectively correct the problem. My vehicle currently has 76,000 miles, and despite Honda’s attempted fix, the hard shifting continues to impact performance and drivability. Given the widespread nature of this complaint, I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter further and take appropriate action to ensure a proper resolution. Thank you for your time and attention to this issue. Sincerely,

I was on my way to work and was in a neighborhood going 25 mph and came to a stop. My engine cut off and would not restart. I bought the car with somewhere around 120,000 miles in 2021.. it is the end of May 2015 and the car has a little less than 152,000 on it. I kept up with required oil changes and I have been told that the engine is siezed. As well as the torque converter being stuck... sounds like the SAME ISSUES listed in the recall

While driving vehicle lost power and started smoking; and would not restart. Towed to honda, they stated engine siezed and connecting rod was protruding out of the side of engine. Took to another shop and they confirmed rod bearings failed and caused connecting rod to break causing it to go through the engine. When attempted to restart car check engine light was on. Heads to the engine were good. Had to replace engine at 157k with all service being done at honda on time or early with all maintenance being done on time. Vehicle lost power on highway in far left lane, very dangerous.

On 4-24-25 my engine had a knocking sound. I took it to a Honda Service center and they ran a diagnostic and found a rod bearing issue. Their recommendation was to replace the engine and quoted me an estimate of about $9000. I was told to not drive my car anymore and the rod can blow at any time and it is not safe for me to drive back home. I left my car at the Honda dealership. I have done regular maintenance- oil changes, filter changes, tune ups, etc. My car is at 171,000 miles and had no issues up until this. I purchased the car ten months ago. I saw that many consumers complained of the same issue and had got stuck on the side of the road, and paying costly repairs. I contacted Honda today and they told me that my VIN number is not affected by...

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.

The engine is making a very loud internal noise and it is available upon request. There is a major fear of the engine seizing while driving. I don't know if the vehicle has been taken to a dealer for this issue before. The vehicle or component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. There weren't any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.

The ATF Warmer failed. This allowed engine coolant and transmission fluid to mix. This caused the engine and transmission to overheat. No warning messages appeared up until the transmission overheated. A warning appeared about the transmission, but not about the engine. Honda says that they do not think my VIN was impacted by this known issue. And, yet, my car has a textbook defective ATF warmer with 100% overlap in symptoms with a known service bulletin issue (17-035 from April 7, 2018).

The brakes have been repaired and replaced repeatedly. The vehicle locked down yesterday 2/25/25 when the driver was headed to school to pick up the children. The car came to a complete halt and was a danger to others with a "transmission engine" warning light on the dash. This vehicle has numerous repairs in addition to being too dangerous to drive down a two lane road due to the severity of the following issues: •Abrupt jerking or 'juddering' while accelerating, which can cause sudden unintended movement. •Noticeable hesitation when pressing the gas pedal, impacting the vehicle's response time. •Unusual clunking noises or hard downshifting, indicating potential internal damage.

Connecting rod to piston broken of damaged. Loud rattle on engine startup and acceleration. Not shifting well. Engine cutting off at stops and not restarting without shifting to park and restarting

To whom it may concern, My name is [XXX] . I hope this message finds you well. I am writing this message with a heavy heart, to advise of our story that is ending with a tragic experience. On [XXX] my wife, [XXX] , and I, walked in a Honda dealership. We drove away confident about our new vehicle, a 2016 Honda Pilot. It was highly recommended by the salesman. Since then, we have maintained the vehicles services. Sadly, on Saturday, [XXX], the vehicle malfunctioned and engine stalled on the highway. The steering wheel locked, the vehicle would not accelerate, and the brakes failed. I managed to pull over, but we were terrified and stranded for over forty minutes. The vehicle was towed home, and we contacted the dealership, who agreed to inspect it. It was taken to the service center in early December and has remained there since. The...

We have always taken great care of our Pilot, regular oil changes, tire rotations, checking the fluid levels. Just before we went on vacation, our Pilot's check engine light came on and started blinking under normal driving conditions. When we hooked up the code reader, it was for a misfire in the second cylinder. Having changed the spark plugs about 30-40k before this incident, we tested the plugs and assumed it was the coil. We changed the coil. After returning from vacation, we drove the car minimally yet after about 40-50 miles, the code returned with knocking sound. We had the car towed to our residence...to find the same code. We inspected the plug and coil, no issues were present and the code was cleared. The next day, the code came back on and the engine was knocking very loud and had definite performance issues. I checked the Honda recall...

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.

Engine failure consistent with recall 23V-751, and would like this included in NHTSA investigation RQ24013. Lost acceleration and check engine light came on. Pulled off of Interstate, turned off vehicle and restarted. Check engine light was off and vehicle accelerated normally for about 5 minutes. Then problem repeated with increased engine noise. Was able to limp the vehicle at no faster than 40mph to Honda dealer in Napleton, IL. River Oaks Honda of Napleton is able to verify the problem. Safety of occupants was put at risk due to large volume of traffic on [XXX] during holiday season and inability of the vehicle to maintain required minimum speed. Symptoms of this problem did appear in May 2024 and was diagnosed as P0369. Front bank camshaft was replaced by Hendrick Honda of Sarasota. Symptoms appeared again in October 2024 and vehicle was brought to John Hinderer Honda of Newark, OH. They...

Our 2016 Honda Pilot suddenly lost power on [XXX] and simultaneously developed a loud knocking sound coming from the engine on Monday ([XXX]) evening sometime between 7 and 8 PM. My son who was driving the vehicle was lucky to avoid an accident because it was difficult to pull to the right side of the road as there were fast-moving cars merging onto [XXX] from the westbound lanes of [XXX] . He pulled onto the right shoulder of [XXX] at just about [XXX], [XXX] . My other son and I drove to him. I was able to start the car but the knocking sound was still there and the engine struggled to stay on. I drove 0.5 miles safely and slowly (20-25 mph) to Midas at 1410 S. Nevada Ave. Midas diagnosed the vehicle with "a bad engine rod knock and main bearing squeak" that they could not fix. We...

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. That contact stated while driving 35 MPH, multiple warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the gear shifter failed to move. The contact stated once the vehicle was stopped the transmission failed to shift. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed. The contact stated that several unknown repairs were performed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was referred to a local dealer for assistance. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V858000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was 140,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while test driving the vehicle after the repair, the transmission was slipping. The vehicle was then towed to a transmission specialist. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

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 2016 Honda Pilot engine rods failed on 1/31/2024 causing complete engine failure. My pilot was not recalled. Honda wanted $10920 to replace my engine. I negotiated with Honda and my out of pocket cost was $7000.

Purchase Honda Certified with around 38,000 miles. Within days of owning became apparent there were drivetrain issues. In higher gears while cruising at speeds between 25 and 60 MPH, the car would pulse -- the speed goes up and down and the tachometer indicated same with RPM pulsing. I've had the vehicle at the dealership shop 7 times and very little was done to remedy. Very nearly one year later - near the end of the extended warranty they finally correctly identified, acknowledged and made an attempt to solve with a triple flush of the transmission fluid. That seems to have solved the pulsing issue, but a couple months later the transmission began making a loud clunking judder noise when shifting lower gears while accelerating. Also apparent the transmission is slipping. Very poor gas mileage and tach shows unreasonably high RPMs for given speed. Vehicle still has less than 60,000...

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 vehicle will delay driving with auto turn off enabled almost causing collisions. Then vehicle delays switching gears. Not daily The vehicle smells like gasoline occasionally after a fill up. O2 censor replaced twice. Electrical system issue

HONDA PILOT 2016 -THE TRANSMISSION CAUSES THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TO OVERHEAT. THE OVERHEATING ISSUE LEADS TO A 'JUDDER' IN THE TRANSMISSION. THE CAR ACCELERATES IN A VERY JERKY WAY ESPECIALLY BETWEEN 30 AND 50. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE IF YOU ARE TRYING TO PASS SOMEONE. AS SOON AS THE VEHICLE REACHES 80,000 MILES HONDA WILL NO LONGER COVER THE SO-CALLED 'REPAIR' to flush fluid and update software. HONDA IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM.

My spouse was stopped at a traffic light, when the light turned green she accelerated but immediately lost power and the vehicle was stalled in the middle of the intersection. She tried to start it but would not restart. We had to leave the car in the intersection while waiting for the police and towing.She worried that a vehicle would collide with our vehicle and until she was able to exit the vehicle and move to a nearby sidewalk.. Luckily she made it safely and no-one collided with the car. We had it towed to our local mechanic. The inspected the car and found that the bearing had seized up the crankshaft. I connected with Honda and they told me to take it to a local dealer to have it inspected by them. The dealer had the vehicle for two weeks and came up with the same conclusion. After a...

My vehicle has been loosing power when accelerating. This has been an ongoing issue for approximately six months or so. I' have taken it to two different mechanic shops locally and both have stated that some of the fuel injectors are not working properly and 5 cylinders are misfiring. That is the reason the vehicle is loosing power. But they don't understand why the engine light or any other light are not coming up on the cluster board. Vechicle continues to jerk and shudder everytime we stop and only happens on 2 and 3 gear to the point we have to stay two cars back everytime it is in use to avoid rear ending any other vehicles. Feels like it looses power to the point of turning off then begans to pull. The RPM needle jumps up and down when the shuddering begins. It is a great concern such that...

Transmission slip/jerk/clunk when going above 2 RPMs. This has happened before 3 times with the first time happening in 2019, then 2022 and then again on [XXX], 2024. I've taking it to the dealer all 3 times and they performed a transmission fluid flush since apparently the transmission fluid gets too hot and needs to be flushed every so often. This last time they told me I needed a new torque converter ($5,500) to fix the issue. This a huge safety issue especially when driving in the highway as the cars loses speed and begins to jerk. I see similar issues with the 2017-2019 models [XXX] ) which sound the same as to what's happening to the 2016 models. There are a ton of complaints on the web for 2016 Pilot which the NHTSA should take into consideration. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C....

Through diagnostic at Honda Dealership, the #5 bearing failed causing engine damage (crank shaft and connecting rod). This pilot year is included in the current Part 573 Safety Recall Report, however this particular VIN is not currently included.

1) First and most annoying is the start button displays code on the screen "keyless start system problem ". Its done it for about two three now. There is no recall for my VIN. 2) Back wheels brakes make very loud kicking noise when car put in reverse and moves in reverse. It started 4 years ago. I took it to dealership and they said breaks are fine and they don't know why its kicking. In cold weather break sensor displays warning "apply break before putting in park" while breaks are applied. So it can't sense that breaks are applied. 3)blue ray DVD player quit working years ago. 4) Transmission is jerking when switches to third gear. This car has 56000 miles. 5) Roof molding in the front came off while driving. The clips somehow broke and it flew away. This car has been parked in the garage during the...

My engine broke and the 2016 Honda Pilot awd engine locked up and the dealership is saying it’s the same issue as the 2016-2019 recall. Also I own a 2008 Honda element awd windshield cracked. The recall for every Honda Element year except 2008. 2003-2007, 2009-2011. That doesn’t make since either. Phone [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The dash began displaying 4 error codes EPS problem, VSA problem, Hill Assist problem, and TSA Problem. It began to jerk and lose power similar to running out of gas necessitating hazard lights and pulling off the road x3 after dark. 3 different shops ran a diagnosis code of P0369. The recommendation from Honda after having the car three days was to replace #2 cylinder head assembly at an estimate of $6400! There would also be no guarantee that this repair would fix the problem. The vehicle only has 83,000ish miles. After speaking with American Honda, they were aware of this problem but said my vin number wasn’t included in the pool of “faulty manufactured parts” but did say that didn’t mean that I didn’t get faulty parts though. The vehicle is no longer under warranty. I just paid this vehicle off in May. This certainly doesn’t support Honda’s reputation...

ENGINE MADE NOISE. ENGINE STOPPED SUDDENLY ON HIGHWAY. VEHICLE WITH 3 OCCUPANTS HAD TO BE TOWED FROM HIGHWAY AND TRANSPORTED TO HONDA DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN INSPECTED AT GUNN HONDA, 14610 I-10 W SAN ANTONIO, TX ADVISED BY THE DEALER THE VEHICLE WILL REQUIRE EXTENSIVE (REPLACE ENGINE) REPAIRS. THERE IS A RECALL FOR 2016 HONDA PILOT (23V751000) FOR CONNECTING ROD BEARING HOWEVER THIS VEHICLE DOES NOT FALL WITHIN THE MFG WINDOW.

When driving down the interstate with a car full of people. We noticed a clicking sound coming from the engine. The sound proceeded to get worse and louder. We pulled over and stopped driving. Had the car towed home and had our mechanic look at it who diagnosed it as a Rod knock. We have now towed it to the dealer and waiting for a “official” diagnosis from “master Mechanic.” Honda doesn’t seem to promising in resolving the issue or willing to replace the engine. This car will be worthless if they are unable to live up to their quality control, take some ownership for their mistakes, and do the right thing to fix the car they messed up from the beginning.

vehicle has been to standard maintenance at dealer. Rod problem at 100,000 miles resulting engine replacement. Transmission is not suitable and slips after 100,000 miles.

On 9.14.23, rod to crankshaft broke leading to catastrophic engine failure and damage. I had to coast off of the exit ramp I was on to the side of the road; then have vehicle towed to Martin Honda Services. ~$13k in repairs. This was prior to their knowledge that on Nov 13, 2023, Recall Report 23V-751 was issued. For the reason my engine blew up. However, my VIN is NOT covered in this recall. My hope is they expand the netting of VIN population to include ALL impacted 2016 Honda Pilots! $12,694.00 REMOVED OIL PAN FOUND BROKEN CYLINDER #3 PISTON ROD,DAMAGE ENGINE BLOCK AND CYLINDER HEADS. P&A ON SHORT BLOCK AND BOTH CYLINDER HEADS AND ALL NEEDED GASKETS $529.50 PERFORM V-6 VALVE ADJUSTMENT WHICH INCLUDES REPLACING BOTH VALVE COVER GASKETS.

I have a very loud knocking noise in the engine of 2016 Honda Pilot. The dealership told me it was a bad rod bearing. The same day the dealership told me there was going to be a recall on my vehicle for this exact problem. They are now telling me my VIN number is not covered in the recall for this exact problem. I find it hard to believe this problem occurred on my vehicle and is not related to recall. Thanks

While driving at freeway speeds of 80 mph, and while passing a vehicle, Engine wants to temporarily slow (like it's dropped a cylinder or two), and the car will NOT speed up. Then engine warning light starts to blink, Emissions Problem light starts to blink, then car downshifts several gears and slows dramatically - or will rev at 4500-5000 rpm. ON THE INTERSTATE! DRAMATICALLY UNSAFE. I've reported this to my dealer, Penske Honda in Carmel, IN - and they can't resolve any issue or see a stupid "error code". This has happened three times in past 3 years. IT"S TERBBYLY UNSAFE. Car goes from 80 to 60 and engine and transmission go on the blank.

When driving vehicle between 20 to 60mgh the vehicle judders. The vehicle almost feels like it's going to come out of gear. The vehicle also seems to not speed up or react to the accelerator. This being an SUV that my wife and kids drive everyday seems to be a very high safety issue for our family. If this vehicle does not accelerate in time or shift in time it could potentially put my family in harm's Way. And the other vehicles involved as well. The dealership has inspected and acknowledged that there is a problem with the transmission shifting or shuttering. But they only say that the transmission needs servicing. I service the transmission at the Honda dealership 10 months ago and it's reoccurring again. A 10-month transmission service and it reoccurs seems to be excessive. Attached is a Honda service bulletin that I found and mentioned to the...

The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while at a stop light, the vehicle shut off with the "Shift to Park and Restart Vehicle" message displayed. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle operated normally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and a software update was performed on the transmission but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that an update on the started software was needed. The update was performed but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but no failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 90,000.

while driving on highways and streets, car would jerk and transmission downshift or not work, causing a grinding noise within the car. pilot would just shut off and slowing decrease speed by itself. happens many times already and is a safety concern for people who purchased this vehicle. Pilot transmission needs to be recalled before it causes death for people who drives this vehicle.