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 and engine cooling
45 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that his wife was driving at 35 MPH when she depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed by an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine failed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) however the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered no assistance informing the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall and the repairs were completed by an independent mechanic. The failure mileage was 135,830.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle hesitated with an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 126,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that there was an abnormal knocking sound at start up. There were six unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine rod was blown, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact's wife pulled over at a gas station and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, who referred the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the engine failed due to connecting rod bearing wear. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 24, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, she noticed an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's wife veered to the side of the road, where she inspected the vehicle, but could not determine the cause of the failure. The contact's wife was able to drive to the residence. The contact who is an independent mechanic, had replaced the water pump and the timing belt; however, the failure persisted. The contact diagnosed that the rod bearings were significantly worn and fractured. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 168,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment, after which the vehicle lost motive power. The driver was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to restart. The low-oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the connecting rod bearing. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 142,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 45-50 MPH, the engine made an abnormally loud banging sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive to the residence. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer sent a claim to the manufacturer; however, the claim was denied. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the engine was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The contact followed up with the manufacturer and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
Engine and engine cooling, May 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the crankcase bearing had failed, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to a Honda dealer who confirmed the diagnostic result; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) because neither the VIN nor the model year was included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle a knocking noise was present coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who discovered metal shavings in the engine oil and determined that the engine rod bearings had failed causing severe damage to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic informed us of a manufacturer's recall related to the failure. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: [XXX] (Engine, Engine Cooling). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced that same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 95,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH, the engine made abnormal clicking sounds and was shaking while accelerating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic recommended that the contact wait to see if the vehicle was included in an upcoming recall. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, and it was recommended that the rocket oil pressure switch and an oil change be performed. The vehicle was previously repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired due to the independent mechanic recommending that the contact wait for a recall. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) as a possible solution however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that assist might be provided under a Good Will Program. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Feb 8, 2024, fire
The contact owned a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 35-40 MPH and approaching the red traffic light, she depressed the brake pedal to come to a complete stop. The contact noticed smoke coming out of the cowl of the vehicle. The contact then turned on the AC and smoke came through the A/C vents. The contact opened the windows. The contact stated that the smoke became thicker and brownish while pulling into the parking lot of a nearby shopping center. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact parked and turned off the vehicle. The contact then noticed that there was a hole in the middle of the hood, and there was a flame coming through the hole. The contact stated that the hood and the windshield became engulfed in fire within 3 minutes even though it was raining. The fire department extinguished the fire, and police officers arrived at the scene, but the contact did not know whether a fire department report and a police report were filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, awaiting to be totaled. The local dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an abnormal knocking sound was coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was discovered that the engine was damaged due to excessive wear of the connecting rod bearing. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which was linked to the failure. The vehicle was also taken to an independent mechanic and the failure was verified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment before the vehicle lost motive power. The contact's wife continued to drive; however, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact believed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and attempting to accelerate, she heard an abnormal clicking sound coming from the engine compartment. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the rod and crank in cylinder #3 were damaged, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, she heard an abnormal clanking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle stalled and the contact coasted to a stop. The contact stated there was warning light illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the connecting rod to the crankshaft had failed, and the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V751000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.
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.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 30, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that while the Auto START/STOP feature was engaged, the engine failed to restart after a stop. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Action Number: PE22005 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Jun 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated while driving 50-55 MPH, the vehicle started jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact depressed the brake pedal and continued driving at slower speeds. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving. The contact also stated that the vehicle lost motive power while reversing. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was an oil leak. The oil pan, rear main seal, the engine mount, the crankshaft speed sensor, the spark plugs and the transmission mount were replaced. The contact stated that other unknown repairs were completed. However, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the hood of the vehicle would fail to remain open as needed and would close independently. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The contact also stated that she smelled a strong gasoline odor inside the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Jun 6, 2017
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 HONDA PILOT. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE CONTACT NOTICED AN OIL STAIN ON THE GROUND. THE CONTACT MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER. STREAM VALLEY HONDA IN NEW YORK DIAGNOSED THAT A NEW RADIATOR WAS NEEDED AND THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE FLUSHED THREE TIMES. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD FUNCTION NORMALLY BECAUSE THE RADIATOR COOLANT LEAKED INTO THE TRANSMISSION AND IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT A NEW TRANSMISSION WAS REQUIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED CASE NUMBER: 06048532. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,000.