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: engine
812 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 10, 2023
1. The camshaft on the engine, took to a mechanic and Honda dealership, they are both saying its the camshaft. 2. Cannot drive the vehicle because every time I get up to about 20 - 30 mph the shuts off without warning while driving, not even coasting to a stop enough to pull over to a shoulder of a highway, leaving me and my 3 kids stranded in the middle of busy roads/highways. 3. yes, Honda issued a "technical service bulletin" but refuses to fix the issue without causing unnecessary hardship to owners who are affected. 4. The manufacture Honda Co., is aware the Camshaft was "not machined according to spec" based on their own bulletin. 5. No warnings as far as I can tell, it just started happening more and more frequently until I can hardly drive it anywhere without it breaking down. Once it breaks down a bunch of unrelated warning lights come on such as, "Emission system problem, power steering problem, Vehicle stability /assist problem, Hill Start problem, Trailer Stability Assist problem, Road departure mitigation system problem, Keyless start problem, along with the check engine light.
Engine, Oct 3, 2023
REFERENCING PRIOR SERVICE BULLETING HONDA 20-117 Warranty Extension: 2016-17 Pilot and 2017 Ridgeline Keyless Start System Error with DTC B12C5 This failure continues to occur but Honda will no longer cover since mileage is greater than 125,000 miles. The time is within the limits. This appears to be a known issue which is why the service bulletin was issued. My car has now had this issue but it wont be covered since I have 140,000 miles on my vehicle. Yet if its a known issue , its a known issue?
Electrical system, Engine, Sep 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the PUSH-to-START button was inoperable intermittently. There was no option to start the vehicle with a key. The key less start error message was displayed. The contact called the local dealer, who stated there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty extension coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The contact stated that the failure was related to the START/STOP switch assembly located under TSB: 20-117. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Electrical system, Engine, Sep 25, 2023
Engine Auto Start failure at stop-light. Total vehicle shut-down instead of just the Engine Auto-stop/start. Happens several times annually - first noticed probably in 2021. Then can't restart car until I manually "Turn-off" vehicle. It's crazy - at a stop light and the car then car wants to fail when I release from the brake - when the light turns green. Have cars behind me honking. It's a major vehicle safety issue.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Sep 25, 2023
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.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the emissions warning light illuminated. The light was illuminated for approximately five days and then disappeared. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed but was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 123,600.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 30, 2023
vehicle died/lost power on interstate traveling near 75mph in heavy traffic. warning lights on dash came on. trying to maneuver through traffic to get to the side of the road was very dangerous. car taken to dealership and had a P0716 CODE stored in the computer. was told that there was a TSB for the issue but it was no longer in effect. they said it needed a TCM update. this is not an TSB issue but is a safety issue that should be addressed with a recall.
Steering, Exterior lighting, Engine, Aug 29, 2023
My 2016 Honda Pilot was recently repaired as the Cam-Shaft had move within the care engine. My car has 109,000 miles on the vehicle, and should not have this issue given the cars age and the way that the car is driven. I am a suburban mom, who drives the car to work and with both of my children within my car. This put my entire family as risk driving within the care and could have hurt other drivers if the malfunction happened in the middle of the free-way or otherwise. The vehicle was inspected by the Honda Dealership for the issue. The vehicle has all of the dash lights flashing and the car was driving erratically, so much so that mid driving the car, it we were in a near miss accident due to the mechanical malfunction. The 2nd issue that has presented itself, it the start and stop button within the vehicle. It is a known defect to the vehicle.
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 14, 2023
Smart Control unit that controls keyless entry, Alarm and ignition will set off the alarm and start this electrical condition that will connect the power and then disconnect the power to the auto. The problem will suddenly go away and then come back again. Its unpredictable and varies in severity. 60% of the time the car wont start when this electrical event is occurring. See this video: https: [XXX] This should be a recall by honda. Acura is having same problem as well: https: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Jul 21, 2023
I drive my vehicle with the auto stop on. When I get to a stop light or traffic light and stop the vehicle, the engine shuts off as it should. When I let off of the brake and go to accelerate, the engine appears to start, then shuts all the way off. This happens multiple times during the ride and each time requires engine to be started manually.
Engine, Jul 12, 2023
i have a 2016 Pilot touring (69k miles on it now) and have now had this problem 5 times in the past 4 months where, I stop at a signal, the idle stop will engage and shut off the engine, but then it won't start for almost 20 seconds when i keep pressing the start button. Once the engine gets to start, it wont happen all the time but when it happens it creates a safety risk. I tried to get inspected and there is no issue with battery or the remote key fob. Considering the panic it creates for the passengers on the road, appreciate some action is taken to prioritize the fix or recall the parts that might contribute to this shut off.
Power train, Engine, Jul 6, 2023
Car left us stranded at busy intersection. Auto start system failed to restart vehicle. Car would not restart even after placing car back into park.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Jun 19, 2023
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The auto stop idle feature in my 2016 Honda Pilot Touring failed to operate correctly. This feature automatically turns off the engine while keeping the electrical systems on. I can make the vehicle available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The malfunction of the auto stop idle feature jeopardized my safety and the safety of others. When I stopped at a red light, the engine turned off as expected, but when I pressed the gas pedal to resume driving, all the vehicle's systems shut down. I attempted to start the car by holding the key fob to the Start/Stop button, but it would briefly start and then turn back off. The sudden loss of power and inability to restart the engine left me in a precarious situation. As a result, I was unable to activate the hazard lights, putting me at risk of being involved in a collision or not being visible to other drivers. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? At the time of filing this complaint, the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. However, I strongly recommend conducting a thorough investigation by a certified technician to replicate the issue and address it appropriately. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The vehicle has been inspected by the police who responded to the incident when it occurred at the red light. However, no inspections have been conducted by the manufacturer, insurance representatives, or other parties at this point. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms indicating a problem prior to this failure. The feature had been working.
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, 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.
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.
Engine, Apr 28, 2023
2016 HONDA PILOT ELITE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO IDLE STOP RESTART PROBLEM.
Engine, Mar 15, 2023
Engine repeatedly fails to restart after automatic engine idle stop. Failure is unpredictable but seems to occur more frequently when the ambient temperature is high (summer) and the engine has been running for a while. Failure to restart disables the vehicle in a vulnerable position, particularly to rear end collision from another vehicle in the same travel lane. The dealer has not confirmed nor reproduced the results despite five or more visits for the problem. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone other than the dealer. There is no warning prior to failure. Multiple warning indicators appear after the engine fails to restart.
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.
Engine, Mar 3, 2023
Honda has a known issue with its emissions. A warranty extension Service Bulletin 22-002 has been issued to replace fuel injectors up to 10 yrs 150,000 miles but they do not identify other malfunctioning components that also need replacement. My vehicle has the MIL with codes P0420 and P2096 for the past year. I had the fuel injectors replaced and O2 sensor replaced in August of 2022 but the MIL continues to report the same codes. Next I am being told to replace the catalytic convertor which should also be covered under warranty but is not. I have a Honda Pilot 2016 Elite 101,000 miles.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 22, 2023
This problem is the auto stop/start mechanism. This has been going on for at least 3-4 years. The car will automatically stop when we are at a red light or a stop sign, but then will not start when you press the gas. The vehicle is completely dead. It is completely cut off. It has powered down. You are in the Drive gear, so you must have the presence of mind to switch the vehicle to Park, put your foot on the brake and press start. It's very frightening if you are at a big intersection. This happens every time you drive for any distance. It doesn't happen at every intersection; it's an intermittent problem making it worse. We try to remember to disable the auto stop/start when we start but sometimes we forget. There is NO WAY to permanently disable the feature or we would. It's a scary pain.
Engine, Jan 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while making a turn out a parking spot, the vehicle would not auto start, and the collision mitigation warning light was illuminated. The contact shifted the vehicle into park and restarted the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer was contacted and stated the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 50,000.
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.