2016 HONDA PILOT Unknown Or Other Problems

284 NHTSA complaints on file

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Unknown Or Other Issues in the 2016 HONDA PILOT

284 unknown or other complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2016 HONDA PILOT. Of these, 2 involved a crash, 0 involved a fire, and 0 resulted in injury.

284
Complaints
2
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

All Unknown Or Other Complaints

#11719739 |
When driving vehicle shuts off for no reason. Then I have to put my four-way on and turn my vehicle back on. It has already happened four times, and no one seems to know what the problem is or what is causing the issue.
#11719096 |
Three times at a stop light my car goes into the engine idle stop mode and when the light turns green my car won’t get out of the mode. I have to put it into park and restart the car to go. I have almost been hit twice.
#11713546 |
Auto idle stop function causing car to not start back up. Could be at a stop sign, in a left turn lane, in the middle of an intersection waiting to turn. Very stressful and unsafe driving conditions. This has been ongoing for years. Dealership has blamed it on the battery, which has been replaced theee times (one of those times under warranty), dealership has looked at the car multiple times. Also made recommended Honda repairs per the issued safety bulletin. But it continues to happen.
#11704506 |
We had road issues recently and the care stalled on Thanksgiving. We ended up having it towed to 2 mechanics, the final mechanic determined that this issue is a recall for other Hondas. Ours is not listed. I called the recall hotline and they will not fix the car under the recall because they did not add our VIN number to the recall. They informed us we could pay for the repair and keep our receipt for reimbursement if/when the VIN number is added. I was not happy with this outcome as if it's a problem with other vehicles why are we not being added. The recall is "a manufacturing defect in the connecting rod bearing that could cause the engine to seize and fail, leading to stalling while driving."
#11697555 |
UNKNOWN - The hydraulics of the power tailgate in the 2016 Honda Pilot are defective. After opening, it randomly starts 1 long continuous beep while the power tailgate closes - and it will not stop. I have had multiple items crushed. I have known other owners of the 2016 Honda Pilot where the hatch closed on them and trapped them in it. This is a huge safety issue! I am afraid when my teenage son opens the power tailgate that it will happen and trap him! It has happened since the purchase of the vehicle, which was brand new off the Honda dealer lot, in 2016. Honda dealer blew me off multiple times. They cannot "recreate" the issue - but it is random, however it does seem to happen more often once the air temperature is below 40 degrees.
#11685070 |
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.
#11685079 |
paint chips all over pealing
#11684134 |
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?
#11683459 |
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.
#11683219 |
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...
#11682384 |
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...
#11678006 |
At high rate of speed on two lane road the hood would lift when another vehicle coming from the other direction. was driving cross country when this first happen. Call the local dealer who looked up by vin an showed no recall. They wanted me to come in and pay out of pocket repair. I feel this should be a recall because if you look it up by year it shows there is a problem with either the hood or hood latch.
#11670116 |
AIS is failing. Car stalls out multiple times. Sometimes car will not even start when turning trying to turn on the first time. Weird instances occur all of the time: screen going black, radio going to full volume and not able to turn down, screen not working at all. Reached out to Honda several times with specific dates of incidents, and they ignore.
#11662008 |
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...
#11657797 |
When the Auto Idle feature is on, the car will often completely turn off when at a red light or in stop & go traffic. When it is time to move again, I cannot go. Cars are honking at me to move, but the car will not start. I have to put the car in park, completely turn it off, and restart it. This sometimes happens on the interstate in heavy traffic, which can be extremely dangerous. My car’s engine light had been having a warning sign “emissions system problem”. I took it to the dealer, and told them about the auto idle problem & the light, but they could not find anything wrong. A few months later, my engine failed & they said it wasn’t covered under the recent recall so I had to pay $7,000 for a new engine. Now a few months later, the auto idle problem...
#11657425 |
My name is [XXX] . I am submitting this formal complaint regarding the repeated and serious transmission failures on two 2016 Honda Pilot vehicles that I own. Both vehicles were purchased together and have developed nearly identical transmission problems, posing serious safety concerns. Despite regular maintenance, including expensive and frequent transmission fluid changes, both vehicles have experienced significant drivability issues. I brought one of the Pilots to an authorized Honda dealership, where I paid out-of-pocket for an inspection, but Honda refused any assistance, citing mileage. However, I believe the nature of the defect, not the mileage, is the true concern, as transmission failure affects the safe operation of the vehicle. Transmission failure at any speed, especially in family SUVs like the Pilot, presents a real danger to occupants and others on the road. High mileage should not excuse serious mechanical defects that directly impact vehicle safety. Given that there are...
#11657643 |
This is my second complaint regarding my other 2016 Honda Pilot (VIN: [XXX] ). Like my first Pilot, it suffers from serious transmission issues — jerking, rough shifting, and occasional loss of power. Both vehicles were maintained properly and now have the same safety-related defect. Honda refused to replace the transmission, citing that the vehicle is over the mileage limit for warranty coverage. I believe this is unacceptable, as safety issues like this should not be dismissed based on mileage. A known defect that puts lives at risk must be addressed, and I urge NHTSA to investigate this pattern. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
#11655711 |
While stopped at a busy intersection, the “auto idle” feature turned the car off. When the foot was removed from the break, the car is supposed to turn back on and go. This time the car made a sound like metal grinding on metal, then the car automatically shifted into neutral. It would not shift back into drive. We had to put the car in park, turn it off and restart. Fortunately there was no one behind us at the light, this could have ended very differently since we were unable to move when the light changed.
#11651546 |
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
#11648870 |
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...
#11647836 |
This accident happended about three months ago. While I was driving on highway, all of suddend, most the signals popped up like firework, AWD/VSV/EPS/TSA and Hill Start Asssitance and etc. My pilot just like lost power and hardly to be speeded up. This was really scarily on the highway. Then I managed to drive to my friends' garage. My friend, who owns a garage, helped me to diagnosis the issue and failed to find anything significant (See attached) . He then cleaned up a the signals above, and let me drive home. Amazingly after a the error signals cleaned up, my pilot was running normally. So couple of weeks later, I sent my car to DavisHonda, a dealer close to my home, to have a close check. Unfortunately, the report shows that everything is normally. At this moment, I am so surprised how could that happens to my car. My...
#11646531 |
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).
#11641529 |
The Auto Idle Stop System sometimes stalls car instead of re-starting it. It is still in gear when it stalls and can roll on its on. You expect it to start up the way it should and for you to accelerate but it stalls and rolls on its on. You need to put it in park, shut it off and restart it. Not very safe if you were stopped in traffic.
#11638672 |
Our 2016 Honda Pilot Elite sputtered as we tried to accelerate and then the engine died. It is available for inspection upon request. The engine stop unexpectedly while driving limiting control of the vehicle. The problem has been reproduced for an independent service center. The Honda service center, and two independent service centers are unable to determine the cause from the vehicle codes. There were no warning lamps, messages or symptoms prior to the engine dying.
#11624807 |
Idle stop feature caused the car to fall dead and go stuck into neutral while at a stop sign and getting ready to pull off into traffic to make a right onto the feeder of a busy freeway. I had to place the car into park then press the ignition button to turn the car back on then shift back to drive before being able to pull off.
#11624635 |
I began having intermittent issues with my electric start button. I called Honda of mentor where I purchased the car. They told me I'd need to bring it in for diagnostic. Initially since they claimed this wasn't something they had heard of as an issue and since it was only an Intermittent issue I didn't take it in. The issue got worse until 1 day at work my car didn't want to start. I again called Honda of menor and explained the issue and asked if they had heard of anyone else having the same problem and was told no and all I could do was bring it in for diagnostic. So I scheduled the appointment and once off the phone I got on Google and found a service bulletin for my exact issue so I was obviously upset and felt lied to. I took the bulletin to the appointment...
#11622141 |
I just purchased this vehicle this year if any components failed I do not know of it.
#11620538 |
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.
#11620082 |
When at a stop at an intersection the engine auto idle/stop feature will engage and when you let off the break the engine comepletely dies and you have to put car in park and restart the car. This is extrememly dangerous when at intersections and in turning lanes.
#11617390 |
Keyless entry malfunction. Vehicle not starting at times. Replaced battery. Error lights on dash. A known issue by Honda
#11616659 |
The A/C in my 2016 Honda Pilot is blowing hot air. On my first visit to the dealer, dye was added to detect the leak at a cost of $422. Upon returning to the dealer a second time, the dealer replaced the A/C condenser at a cost of $1,075, which did not solve the problem. Upon returning to the dealer a third time, the A/C condenser was replaced again, and that also did not solve the problem. Upon returning to the dealer a fourth time, the dealer now recommends replacing the A/C evaporator at a cost of $2216. I believe these parts are defective, as Honda has already issued service bulletins extending the warranty to 10 years for the A/C Condenser in certain vehicles. This new warranty extension applies to the Accord, Accord Hybrid, Clarity, Civic Type-R, and Insight. [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] According to the service bulletins "This warranty extension...
#11615765 |
For the last few years the idle stop feature has resulted more than one dozen times of me being stuck at a stop light and not being able to get the car started. It will idle off and when I lift my foot off the break it will have trouble starting back up. If I wait a minute or so it can sometimes start back up but at least four times it has required a jump start to get it started again. It’s extremely stressful and scary to be at a light and stuck there with people honking and having to get out of the vehicle in a busy intersection to try to jump start the vehicle. I try to remember to turn off the feature every time I start the car but I forget sometimes. After the latest time being stuck with a toddler and trying to get someone...
#11610325 |
A few years ago, I reported a problem with my car's auto idle stopping, causing the car to stall, and taking a few minutes to restart. Honda offered to update my software to fix this issue, which I did last March. Today, driving, the car stalled again. The issue has not been fixed with the software update. Again, after stalling, the car needed to be put in park and started again. This took a few minutes. I was in traffic, and numerous cars behind me honked and were frustrated. A few weeks ago, we drove the car on a very slow, crowded freeway. I was extremely concerned the same thing would happen. I have three teen drivers. We were so concerned about this issue that we purchased a new car for them (we would not have otherwise). This cost us a significant amount of money. I am anxious each time...
#11607508 |
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...
#11595082 |
Keyless Start System Problem message has recently started appearing on the screen when I start the vehicle. The key fobs do not appear to work to their proper capability either. The locking feature when walking away does not work. Vehicle has continued to drive properly for now but other reports show the vehicle may shut off while driving. Some research shows a recall but local Honda dealership does not see anything regarding this. This needs attention as it appears to be an ongoing issue.
#11586470 |
This issue occurred [XXX]. The fuel door would not open when we were at the gas station to fill up. We opened the side panel inside the back of the vehicle and tried to open using the emergency lever but that did not work either. Had to take to our local Honda dealer, Swickard of Thousand Oaks in Thousand Oaks, California. Our vehicle had only 59,088 miles when this stopped working. On the service order from our dealer In the description of the concern it states that after inspecting the fuel door actuator, fuel door cable and the fuel door grommet it was found that the cable was kinked, causing the plastic grommet to break apart. From the description from the dealer it sounds like the cable was installed incorrectly when the vehicle was made causing the failure. We were fortunate that we were not traveling and not been near...
#11586610 |
I purchased this vehicle a little less than two months ago… this vehicle is babied and I make sure to stay on top of everything possible as it’s a primary transportation to bring my toddler to his many appointments. While operating on the highway, everything was smooth sailing as expected, until I heard a noise. I glanced in the rear view mirror to see a part flying off of the car and colliding with the vehicle behind me. I couldn’t locate where the item came from. Today, I went to pick my son up from preschool and noticed the entire piece on the roof was hanging outward, right off and over the side of the vehicle. Had I not noticed, it could’ve caused further danger to others. I hopped up to look at my roof to realize the rear trim is the piece that flew off, and the following straight...
#11585345 |
-Defective Keyless Access Unit (dealer kept old unit) -My car completely lost power -Honda dealer confirmed defective keyless access unit -Car not inspected by others, except for AAA who had to replace my battery 2 times due to drainage of power -The problems experienced were that the car start would be hit or miss and then complete drainage of battery happened
#11575093 |
The car just stopped while being driven in the freeway around December 2022. It was towed to the dealership and they said that the engine "seized." We wrote a letter to Honda and they said that it was our fault (car has very little miles- it's a family car). The engine light was never resolved even after engine was replaced. Honda then came out with a recall for 2016 Honda Pilot for engine seizing but they said my VIN did not qualify although this was the exact same issue. I tried reaching out with them to no avail. I am afraid to transport my children in this vehicle and I have already spend over 10k fixing it. It also feels unethical to sell the vehicle knowing it's defective. If possible, please look into the VIN's that are part of the recall since I am afraid there are a lot more...
#11573758 |
getting intermittent exhaust fumes inside the cabin. co2 and other exhaust gasses getting inhaled by my family
#11569916 |
I was driving my vehicle on the highway at approximately 70 kph when the engine seized and all of the warning lights in the dash went out simultaneously. The car would barely accelerate but I was able to pull over and get it towed to a shop. The shop diagnosed total engine failure as a result of tension rod shavings showing in the oil filter. I researched recalls for my model & year and found November 13, 2023 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 23V751000. Although my specific VIN is not yet included, both the model/ year and symptoms of the issue match exactly with what happened to me. I urge you to include my VIN in this recall.
#11567308 |
Vehicle audio has a kind of its own, on/off/ up/ down all without touching the screen or buttons. Goes all the way to max volume without warning. Definitely a safety risk when you are not expecting noise at all.
#11565290 |
Since 2021 the vehicle has stalled everywhere we go and has a gas/electrical burn fume. The vehicle had stalled in the middle of the highway and didn't allow us to shift it into any gears while flashing all dashboard lights. The vehicle was towed to Legend driven Honda where they couldn't find any issues and said they just reset the transmission code. For our peace of mind, we thought it would be best to have the full work up on the transmission since the dealership seemed incompetent with our vehicle's malfunction. The vehicle continued to stall and even had trouble starting up at times with the continued gas fumes. Well, it wasn't long before the issue returned and we were back to where we started, along with our A/C unit failing on us. We left the vehicle idle in the driveway for a bit as it was a safety concern...
#11564612 |
I am reporting a problem with the 2016 Honda Pilot audio system. It sounds identical to the reported problems that have lead to a recall for the 2018-2022 models. The system works fine initially, but after 30 minutes of driving, the system becomes filled with static noise. The static noise starts out low, but quickly gets to the point where nothing else can be heard. This is across all input channels: AM/FM radio, Bluetooth, XM Satellite, etc.. The system then eventually shuts down and no sound can be heard.
#11563952 |
While driving my car started doing a jerking motion as if it wanted to stall. Then all the warning lights the car could possibly have started flashing. All wheel drives engine warning came on as well as emissions systems problem warning light. I was able to park it for the night and made an appt to have it checked but by morning the warning lights were gone. A week later the emissions systems problem warning came back on but went away a fee days later before I could get it to the shop. This problem has happened twice already and I have had to have my fuel pump replaced, the sensor and the fuel injector. At this time my car has trouble starting as if not enough fuel is being injected and the transmission sounds not right.
#11552059 |
Auto Start/Stop feature has repeatedly struggled to restart car at stop lights. Disabling this feature manually after starting the car is the only way to disable this feature. Initial failures were due to battery wear, but after replacing the battery we still have intermittent issues where the vehicle will not restart after the auto stop feature has shut off the engine. This is very dangerous in traffic or in an intersection when expecting the vehicle to restart when you remove your foot from the gas and it instead shuts the vehicle off and puts the vehicle in park. It can take multiple tries to successfully restart the car after this shut down event. The dealership has not been able to replicate the issue.
#11551522 |
I am reporting a problem with the 2016 Honda Pilot audio system. It sounds identical to the reported problems that have lead to a recall for the 2018-2022 models. The system works fine initially, but anywhere from 10 min - 1 hour into driving the system becomes staticky. The static noise starts out low, but quickly gets to the point where nothing else can be heard. This is across all input channels: radio, ipod, XM Satellite, etc.. The system then eventually shuts down and no sound can be heard.
#11550024 |
Unable to open my gas cap door either by pushing the gas opener button by driver side door or manually from the latch located in the trunk. I was running low on gas and am unable to refill the gas. Others offered to help by forcing the gas door open but said they would definitely damage the car. Gas attended looked at it and was unable to open gas door to refill gas tank. Without gas, my car is unable to turn on and drive. My kids were in the car with me and we were stranded. My car did not show any signs of warnings for this issue.
#11545850 |
the auto engine idle stop repeatedly malfunctions causing the stopped car to not start up when it is time to go. It takes several seconds to restart the car and, in the middle of an intersection, this is very dangerous. It has happened numerous times. The dealer repeatedly says that there is nothing wrong with it. There are no warning signs when this happens. I am reporting the date of the last incident below
#11543948 |
WHILE DRIVING HOME, ABOUT 30 MPH, MULTIPLE WARNING LIGHTS CAME ON, TRANSMISSION FEELS LIKE IT IS SHIFTING ODDLY, THE STEERING GETS HARDER TO STEER THE LONGER YOU DRIVE AND IT GOT HARDER TO BREAK LIKE THE BRAKES WERE FREEZING UP.

Other 2016 HONDA PILOT Problem Areas

Engine 698 complaints Electrical System 562 complaints Power Train 193 complaints Fuelpropulsion System 154 complaints Structurebody 46 complaints Electronic Stability Control Esc 37 complaints Vehicle Speed Control 37 complaints Engine And Engine Cooling 36 complaints Service Brakes 28 complaints Steering 16 complaints Air Bags 14 complaints Exterior Lighting 14 complaints Fuel System Gasoline 10 complaints Forward Collision Avoidance Warnings 9 complaints Visibilitywiper 9 complaints Wheels 9 complaints Seats 8 complaints Forward Collision Avoidance Adaptive Cruise Control 7 complaints Suspension 7 complaints Forward Collision Avoidance Automatic Emergency Braking 6 complaints Lane Departure Warning 6 complaints Seat Belts 6 complaints Structure 5 complaints Electrical Systemstarter Assembly 3 complaints Lane Departure Blind Spot Detection 3 complaints Latcheslockslinkages 3 complaints Back Over Prevention Warnings 2 complaints Electrical Systemsoftware 2 complaints Engine And Engine Coolingenginecrankcamshaft Position Sensor 2 complaints Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryfuel Pump 2 complaints Visibilitysunmoon Roof Assembly 2 complaints Back Over Prevention Rearview System Braking 1 complaint Electrical System Instrument Clusterpanel 1 complaint Electrical Systemalternatorgeneratorregulator 1 complaint Electrical Systemhorn 1 complaint Electrical Systemignition 1 complaint Electrical Systemignitioncoilhigh Tensionspark Plug Wires 1 complaint Engine And Engine Coolingcooling Systemradiator Assembly 1 complaint Engine And Engine Coolingexhaust Systememission Control 1 complaint Equipmentappliancetvradiospeakers 1 complaint Equipmentelectricalanti Theft Devices 1 complaint Equipmentelectricalnavigational Systemglobal Positioning System 1 complaint Forward Collision Avoidance 1 complaint Fuel System Gasolinedelivery 1 complaint Fuel System Gasolinedeliveryhoses Linespiping And Fittings 1 complaint Fuel System Gasolinefuel Injection Systeminjectors 1 complaint Lane Departure Assist 1 complaint Latcheslockslinkageshoodlatch 1 complaint Service Brakes Hydraulicfoundation Componentsdiscpads 1 complaint Structurebodyhood 1 complaint Tires 1 complaint Tiressidewall 1 complaint Vehicle Speed Controlaccelerator Pedal 1 complaint Visibilityglass Siderear 1 complaint Visibilityrearview Mirrorsdevicesexterior 1 complaint Wheelsrim 1 complaint
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