2016 Honda Pilot
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 1,706 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the highest complaint count among 23 Pilot model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 23 involved a crash and 10 involved a fire. 20 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Structure, frame and membersJun 4, 2026
American Honda Motor Company (Honda) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Honda Pilot, 2017-2023 Ridgeline, 2019-2023 Passport, and 2014-2020 Acura MDX vehicles that were sold in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, or Wisconsin. The rear subframe may corrode at the suspension mounting points, which can result in rear suspension component failure.
Failure of rear suspension components, such as the rear control arm, can cause a loss of vehicle handling and control, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Dealers will inspect the rear subframe and install a rear subframe reinforcement kit and, as necessary, repair or replace the rear subframe components, free of charge. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed July 27, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated in the fall of 2026. Owners may contact Honda's customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are AOU and AOT. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 10, 2026.
Campaign 26V365000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, fuel pumpDec 18, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2013-2023 Honda Accord, Civic Coupe, Civic Sedan, Civic Hatchback, Civic Type R, CR-V, HR-V, Ridgeline, Odyssey, Acura ILX, MDX, MDX Hybrid, RDX, RLX, TLX, 2019-2022 Honda Insight, Passport, 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid, 2018-2019 Honda Clarity PHEV, Fit, and 2015-2020 Honda Accord Hybrid, Pilot, Acura NSX vehicles. The fuel pump inside the fuel tank may fail.
Fuel pump failure can cause an engine stall while driving, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the fuel pump module, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed September 6, 2024. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are KGC and KGD. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall numbers 21V-215 and 20V-314.
Campaign 23V858000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engine, hard parts internal/mechanicalNov 13, 2023
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Acura TLX, 2016-2020 Acura MDX, 2016 and 2018-2019 Pilot, 2017 and 2019 Ridgeline, and 2018-2019 Odyssey vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the connecting rod bearing in the engine may wear and seize, damaging the engine.
A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Dealers will inspect and repair, or replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed March 28, 2024. 2016-2017 Acura MDX owner letters were mailed November 1, 2024. 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed in mid-December 2024. Honda began mailing owner notification letters as of March 18, 2024. 2015-2016 Acura owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-December 2024, 2018 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed the end of March/early April 2024, 2019 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-May 2024, 2020 Acura TLX owner letters are expected to be mailed mid-June 2024, and 2016-2020 Acura MDX owner letters are expected to be mailed January 27, 2025. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's numbers for these recalls are XG1 and GG0.
Campaign 23V751000 on NHTSA.gov
Structure, body, hoodNov 29, 2021
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019 Passport, 2016-2019 Pilot, and 2017-2020 Ridgeline vehicles. The hood latch striker may become damaged and separate from the hood, which can result in the hood opening while driving.
A hood that opens while driving can obstruct the driver's view and increase the risk of a crash.
Dealers will either repair the hood latch striker, or replace the hood if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 18, 2022. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is PBV.
Campaign 21V932000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storageMar 30, 2017
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD and AWD vehicles. The affected vehicles have fuel tanks that may leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is KE8.
Campaign 17V219000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, storage, tank assemblyJun 9, 2016
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2015 Acura MDX 2WD and MDX 4WD vehicles, 2016 Acura MDX 4WD vehicles, 2015-2016 Honda Odyssey vehicles, and 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD and 4WD vehicles. The affected vehicles have fuel tanks that were manufactured with insufficient welds which may separate and allow fuel to leak out.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may result in a fire.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tanks, free of charge. Owners may contact Honda/Acura customer service at 1-888-234-2138. The recall began on July 29, 2016. Honda's numbers for this recall are KA9 (Honda vehicles) and KB0 (Acura vehicles).
Campaign 16V417000 on NHTSA.gov
Electrical system, instrument cluster/panelOct 16, 2015
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Honda Pilot 2WD vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to September 8, 2015 and 2016 Pilot 4WD vehicles manufactured May 7, 2015 to September 4, 2015. In the affected vehicles, when one of the safety systems such as tire pressure monitoring, anti-lock braking or electronic stability control malfunctions, there is potential that the instrument panel will not illuminate the corresponding warning light, however the warning lamps will illuminate when the ignition is turned off and then turned back on. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic stability control systems", number 135, "Light vehicle brake systems" and number 138, "Tire pressure monitoring systems".
If a safety system cannot immediately warn the driver when needed, the driver may be at increased risk of a crash.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. The recall began on December 11, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-888-234-2138. Honda's number for this recall is JV7.
Campaign 15V668000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, rear/otherJul 6, 2015
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Honda Pilot vehicles manufactured May 4, 2015, to June 5, 2015. Due to an assembly issue, the third row seatbelt may be trapped between the rear seat and the rear sideliner.
If the third row seatbelt is trapped, the occupants may not be restrained properly, increasing the risk of injury.
Honda will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the rear third row seat belt, free of charge. The recall began on August 6, 2015. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1-310-783-2000. Honda's number for this recall is JS7.
Campaign 15V424000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: electrical system
579 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Jun 16, 2023
The Keyless Access Control Unit (Smart Unit) is defective. After the car is shut off and locked, the dash lights, interior lights, head lights will flicker on and off. The car alarm will also be activated. All this causes the battery to be drained. The work around is to disconnect the battery when parked or not lock the car.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 14, 2023
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.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 5, 2023, crash
Unintended Acceleration While at a standstill , on a hill, holding a foot on the break pedal , I lifted my foot from the break pedal to drift forward down the hill, (without ever getting near the gas pedal ) The car accelerated at a very high RPM. I pressed down on the break pedal to stop the car, but it was at such a high RPM rate that I was unable to stop the vehicle from hitting another vehicle in front of me, caroming off of it and my vehicle landed atop a hugh shrub suspending it several feet in the air. My vehicle was totaled and the vehicle it hit was severely damaged. There were no serious bodily injuries to any passengers in either vehicle. There are two issues here. The unintented acceleration, and the inability of the breaks to stop the vehicle.
Electrical system, Jun 1, 2023
2016 HONDA PILOT ELITE- Consumer is writing to about the exceptional service provided at the motor company after a software update. After the motor company installed TSB 23-0087, PGM-FI Idle Stop Software Update on the consumers vehicle, the vehicle had problems with idle stopping and no auto or cold restart. Consumer lodged a complaint with the motor company. Motor company reached out to the consumer in reference to the issue. Consumer states the motor company went "above & beyond" to fix and assist & fix the issue. Consumer greatly appreciates everything and thinks highly of the motor company "Top Notch" and thank you.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 30, 2023
1. My moonroof/sunroof will not close. when trying to close it, it comes close to closing then opens up again. Tried to close multiple times and the same result. Then I tried to hold down the wind deflector as it closes and hope not to pinch my finger. after trying that multiple times, I was able to close my moonroof/sunroof. 2. with a moonroof unable to close, weather could come in and compromise the safety of everyone in the car. Further, holding down the wind deflector while trying to close could injure someone if the timing is not right. 3. Have not taken it to dealer yet. 4. Has not been inspected yet. 5. No warning lamps or messages prior to failure of closing moonroof.
Electrical system, Engine, May 20, 2023
1. When Engine Idle Stop is engaged vehicle cuts off or stalls when you let up off of brakes. - Honda could not tell me why it was doing it. - no warning -car cut off completely in the middle of traffic at a stop light during rush hour. I was able to get it to cut back on after 2 minutes. - I fear for the safety of my family while in this vehicle. 2. Malfunction of stereo system cause a continuous screeching static sound through speakers. GPS and all other voice function stop working at this time.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, May 19, 2023
keyless control module, alarm Goes off randomly with headlights coming on, draining the battery.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, May 15, 2023
When coming to a stop and the engine idle stop is activated the car will sometimes die. The car will then need to be shifted into park after a complete reset of the system in order to start. Very dangerous.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, May 15, 2023
When car is locked alarm sporadically goes off on its own also when the headlights are set to auto and the car is turned off the headlights will come on sporadically and drain the battery. Having electrical components come on on their own is obviously a safety concern. The dashboard lights and warning icons will also flicker. There have been numerous complaints of this kind on the Honda Pilot forum Piloteers.Org
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Forward collision avoidance, May 8, 2023
The keyless start systems problem light has been on for about a month and sometimes I have issues starting the vehicle.
Electrical system, Apr 13, 2023
When car is off and locked, alarm will go off unexpectedly. There is a repeated clicking noise and the lights on the dash will flicker and it sounds and appears like the car is trying to start itself. Very disconcerting to have an electrical issue, particularly where the car seems to want to start itself. Also can’t lock it overnight as alarm will continuously go off. Problem is all over owner forums for 2016 Pilots. Honda needs to investigate. Dealer tried to fix but doesn’t seem able to identify issue.
Electrical system, Apr 8, 2023
The cars emergency horn will go on for no reason and the dashboard lights will flicker on and off. Honda dealer has my car and the part is back ordered now for 2 weeks and they don’t know when it is coming in. I have been reading several issues with this. This needs to be recalled with so many having issues and it being about $800.00 to repair
Electrical system, Mar 19, 2023
Auto-Idle Stop Feature malfunctioned at intersection. Engine failed to restart which required towing. None of the systems of the vehicle were able to be reactivated, including hazard lights. This created a major safety hazard, as incident occurred at busy intersection. Honda dealer informed me that this issue was just recalled. I received documentation from Honda that my vehicle was eligible for repairs, but this arrived after the car died and failed to restart. The Honda dealer was able to replace several gaskets, starter relays and assays which Honda claims fixes the issue. There is no way to permanently disable the auto-idle stop feature, it must be manually disabled each time the car is started. I have not, and likely will not, test the functionality of the auto-idle stop feature again given the numerous reports I have read regarding the issue.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 6, 2023
I see couple of safety concerns with 2016 Honda Pilot touring. 1) There is no option to disable 'tailgate opening & closing by FOB' in 2016 Honda Pilot touring. Even with an unintentional small press of fob key tailgate button, the tailgate can open & hit anybody (may be the car next in school lane) or anything in the back (may be garage door) 2) There is no option to adjust height of tailgate in 2016 Honda Pilot touring. It can hit top of garage of any house & cause safety issue Honda should take action to recall & rectify those part for human & property safety.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 4, 2023
idle-stop feature. When the idle-stop feature activates as the vehicle is stopped at a traffic signal, the vehicle fails to restart when the brake is released and accelerator pedal pressed. I turn on the emergency flashers. The vehicle usually restarts within 3 minutes. I am afraid I will be rear-ended at high speed as I am stopped at a green traffic signal. This also causes others drivers to swerve around my vehicle causing unnecesary danger. This happens weekly.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 21, 2023
The instrument panel is flashing all alerts when the car is off. I am able to drive the car. It is unknown which component has malfunctioned. Several Honda owners on Google say to check the fuel injectors. I am hoping you all can assist me with that. My safety was put at risk as the alarm goes off randomly when the car is off. It is bothersome at my workplace. I am afraid to drive the vehicle. One of the alerts that flashes is the Antilock Brake System. I am afraid the brakes will go out during driving. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. I hope to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. All warning lamps and messages were blinking after the car was turned off. There were no signs of issues prior to turning the car off. Since the first initial flashing of alerts, the alerts now stay on during driving however not all lights are flashing. Could it simply need a software update? I do feel this needs investigating and a recall issued.
Electrical system, Feb 5, 2023
My car has suddenly started showing "Keyless Start System Problem" when i start the car. While the car starts okay when i press the ignition, i am scared that the car may not suddenly start as usual and i can get stuck if it does not. - Also when the "Keyless Start System Problem" is shown on the dashboard in orange, it prevents us from seeing any other information on the dashboard (including speed etc) - I thought looking at some videos that it may be a battery issue with my remote. However even after I changed the battery (an original replacement for the battery of the remote start / Driver 2 Key), the issue shown on my dash board does not go away. - After researching it online, it seems it is a pretty common problem with 2016 to 2018 Honda Pilots (esp Honda Pilot 2016 for which there are umpteen number of cases shown on Youtube). However I do not see Honda doing any recall on such an important part of the car. This is a big safety issue not only because of the car start issue but also because the error while being shown on the screen, does not allow me to see any other information on dash board.
Electrical system, Feb 1, 2023
The auto-stop idle feature activated at a red light. When the light turned green, the automobile would not restart but became entirely dead with not even being able to turn on the headlights or hazards (this was during the night as well). As a result, my family had to hang out the window to try and flag cars approaching the intersection to keep from being hit. The vehicle was taken to a Honda dealership the next day at which time the incident could not be replicated as either a code was not thrown or the code was not saved. The dealership did state that there was a recall that required a software update which they performed but when researching this only addresses the tolerances for which when the auto-idle stop will be initiated and not to mitigate the "black-out" that can occur. Escalated to Honda and found it curious that various Honda/Acura models have been impacted and that our particular vehicle's warranty for this functionality was extended to ten years past the vehicle's purchase date. When asked if they would replace with a new module, was told no due to the dealership not being able to replicate. FYI - no warning lamps or any other indication was displayed ahead of said event. So now the family is left with a vehicle that could potentially have this occur again.
Electrical system, Jan 30, 2023
After 30 - 40 minutes of driving the audio is overcome by extreme static and popping and affects all componets ( radio, DVD, XM, CD, etc) would seem something is getting hot after 30 minutes so a possible fire or melting situation . Honda dealer does not seem to know an answer and this issue is being discussed on Honda Pilot owners blog and it quite widespread
Electrical system, Jan 18, 2023
Keyless entry problem error continues to pop up. Car will not always shut off. At times when I’m stopped at traffic light it tells me to put car in park
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 16, 2023
The car consistently stalls out when we stop and the auto idle begins. When we remove foot from break the car doesn’t restart and takes a few minutes of turning it on/off before vehicle resumes functioning. Honda says nothing is wrong but it has been an issue since purchase. It is more likely to occur when ac is running. I have to manually turn off auto idle every time I turn on vehicle to prevent stalling.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Jan 16, 2023
My car (2016 Honda Pilot Touring) SHUTS DOWN due to the auto shut off feature at least once a month and I am very nervous to hand it over to my daughter in a next year when she is old enough to drive. I have been stalled out at intersections...it is irresponsible of Honda to not issue a recall. People are going to get into accidents if they can't start their car in the middle of intersections! Why is this not being recalled. I understand it will cost Honda a substantial amount of money to correct, but it has to happen. What if you have an older battery that is losing its charge. Does this mean that WE are to blame for getting into an accident because the battery is not brand new and can't handle this auto shut off feature? It's totally unacceptable! I realize we can turn the feature off...but what happens if my daughter (new driver) forgets to push that button EVERY time she gets in the car. I'm sorry...I know some will say it's the driver's fault for forgetting but the potential of that mistake is real and the possibilities could be devastating.
Electrical system, Jan 12, 2023
2016 Pilot Touring electrical issue, issue with keyless control unit, panel / relays flicker, alarm goes off unexpectedly.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 7, 2023
The automatic start/stop function works intermittently when I come to a complete stop or turn off the car for a short amount of time. Most of the time, when I make a complete stop, the Honda Pilot won't automatically restart. I have to put the Honda Pilot in park and restart the engine, which still doesn't work. I have to wait a significant amount of time before reattempting the ignition. If I disable the automatic shut-off feature when I turn on the Honda Pilot, the SUV drives like normal. However, there is no permanent vehicle setting to disable the automatic shut-off. Lastly, the SUV usually won't restart even if I make a short duration stop, such as pump gas or running inside a store. At first this was a rare occurrence. Over tha past year, the Honda Pilot has gotten worse. Now, it's an everyday occurrence.
Electrical system, Engine, Jan 6, 2023
Beginning in the summer of 2020, intermittently when the auto idle was engaged the engine will not restart but will stall out and requires multiple efforts to restart the engine. It does not happen every time auto idle engages. It seems to happen more in the summer months. It has happened while at traffic lights, stop signs and while idling in heavy traffic. The safety of myself and my family is at risk due to having to put the car in park and go through several rounds of attempting to restart the engine. Just before the engine turns off, there is a flash of a warning light for the collision mitigation system. I took it to my local repair shop. They thought it might be the ignition switch and replaced it. That did not help. My local repair shop based upon their knowledge from other pilot owners said it was an ongoing problem and suggested I take it to the local dealership. The local dealership told me there was nothing wrong and acted like I was crazy. The issue has happened when my husband and brand new teen driver have driven the car. Now upon entering the car we turn the auto idle off to ensure our safety.