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: other or unspecified
291 reports, newest first. Show all
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.
Other or unspecified, Jan 5, 2023
The auto start on vehicle is defective. When sitting at red light the vehicle shuts off and the when you go to excelerate the car stalls. I have taken to 2 Honda dealers and have been told that your agency is investigating problem. This has happened repeatedly and the dealer doesn’t have fix. Does it take someone getting hurt for Honda to address issue.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Back over prevention, Dec 12, 2022
When car stops due to Auto Idle it then stalls and gos into neutral shutting of engine completely With collision warning coming up. Then have to shut car off , put into park before it struggles to restart. I have documented on 2 other occasions with NHTSA and to be honest if I was to document this every time you would have 100’s of reports from me. This vehicle is dangerous due to Auto Idle. I try to over ride it if I remember but that’s not always the case. I have taken it to Hoehn Honda in Carlsbad CA multiple times but to no avail can they fix it. As a consumer I’m trying my best to take safety seriously as this car will kill someone. When will Honda or the goverment take this seriously. The defect in this car the auto idle needs to be looked at or recalled.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Dec 9, 2022
The engine fails to restart on its own from a complete stop at a traffic light or road intersection with the Auto Start/Stop function engaged. Vehicle must be placed in park and attempt to restart. Sometimes restart does not happen for several tries. Has happened 10-15 times over the last 3 years, since around 30,000 miles, and dealership has tried investigating and have failed to remedy after 3 separate visits. Date indicated in this report is the latest occurrence.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 22, 2022
i driving home from a local costco and slowed to a stop at an intersection not far from my home. The car stalled and would not restart. After several attempts the car completely shut off and I was unable to even turn on any of the accessories. Ultimately I had to have the vehicle towed to a local shop because I was obstructing traffic and was at a dangerous intersection. I late continued to have similar issues after several battery replacements and jump starts. I had my vehicle serviced at a local dealer and they advised that it was the central power module that was bad. I was advised that this also controls the Intermittent Idle control function that is designed to save gas when the car is idle and not running. The car was was not under warranty so I had to pay for the new part and installation. The car is now experiencing similar issues. The car will randomly loose power and most recently will be completely non operational and jump starts are necessary to restart the car. A Keyless start System error has now been appearing randomly. Their is a TSB out for this particular part but have been advised that code has to be present in order the the local dealership to initiate a repair. I am going to attempt to have the vehicle brought to a local dealer for inspection.
Other or unspecified, Nov 16, 2022
All warning lights turned on during a normal drive. The dealer said it is a harness issue and needs to replace the harness to fix the issue. Surprised that a part that does not move had to be replaced. It has happened a couple of times before.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 10, 2022
Hi, today my 2016 pilot elite stop working on a red light. Once the brake pedal was released, the engine stop and warning lights appeared on the dash board: Neautral message light and Battery light. My wife and two daughters were scared and helpless. Cars were honking. After around 2 minutes and at least three tries to turn on, it finally did. We are happy to know that Honda is working on this matter, thanks.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Oct 21, 2022
2016 Honda Pilot touring Model Issue: Idle-stop Feature While driving the vehicle and comes on the intersection/stop light when you hit brakes the idle-stop feature will turn off your engine but once you release the brakes the engine wont turn on. To able to turn on the engine, you need to turn off the vehicle by pressing ignition button then you need to press it again to turn on engine (is like starting the vehicle again). Here some stances happened while this idle stop didnt work well. Driver at the back, you're using cellphone, start honking and when they by pass you yelling stop using cellphone. Or simple honk you and when you look they're confused as we're you what's going on. Honda or other people saying its related to battery but even with new battery this still happened. If this will not be fix or resolve soon, this cause an accident. either remove this feature or fixed this issue.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 19, 2022
My 2016 Honda Pilot has been experiencing an issue with the auto start-stop system, in which the vehicle's engine fails to restart after a stop and/or the dashboard indicators flash on and off with multiple error codes displaying. This has happened many times on the highway and on streets, one time where it would not restart on the highway and cars were going around me on both sides which was very dangerous. I reported this to Honda corporate and opened up a case, which was open for many months while the Pauly Honda dealer in Libertyville, IL and the Muller Honda dealer in Gurnee, IL tried to diagnose the problem. They ended up trying several fixes, including replacing the battery, but nothing has fixed the issue. The dealer also contacted the engineers at Honda Corporate, and they indicated that they were not aware of the issue and have not been able to provide any fixes. This is still an issue today, and the only workaround I have is to disable the auto start/stop function manually, every time I start the car. Dates: - I checked and we actually brought our car into Muller Honda of Gurnee in September 2021 where we reported an issue where "C/S (customer) feels like it wants to die coming to a stop. Dash lights turn off like vehicle died. All displays go dark." They felt that it was "Caused by: Technician verified keyless remote system problem light on dash. Tech found code B12C5 stored in system. Corrected by (Y9300) (6S100) Warranty extension. Keyless start system error with DTC B12C5. BulletinS". This did not fully resolve the issue. - Then in October 2021 we brought the car into Pauly Honda of Libertyville where we again reported the same issue where "Customer states in eco mode the center screen now goes blank then cycles and comes back on." This did not fully resolve the issue. - Then in the spring of 2022 we brought it back to Pauly Honda as more severe issues started occurring. I also opened up Case #13103604 with Honda Corporate.
Other or unspecified, Oct 5, 2022
On multiple occasions, the engine fails to restart after the auto start/stop function has engaged. I have previously had this addressed by a Honda Dealer at which time they replaced some parts having to do with the ignition system. The problem is still occurring and the only remedy is to manually shut off the auto start/stop function each time the vehicle is driven.
Other or unspecified, Sep 23, 2022
Auto idle stop malfunctions regularly without any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms before the malfunction. This causes the vehicle to restart automatically or it requires the driver to restart the vehicle manually. An error message appears on the console screen for less than one second at the time of the problem, but no warning or error messages before or after. This presents a safety issue (i.e., risk of collision) to the driver and other passengers when attempting to accelerate when a traffic light turns green, proceeding after a stop sign , or turning left in front of oncoming vehicles. Service technicians at multiple Honda service centers have reproduced the problem, with the only solution being to replace the battery on two separate occasions (Jan-2020 and Sep-2022). However, the issue pre-dates Jan-2020 but the Honda service center did not perform any repairs after the diagnostic scans.
Other or unspecified, Sep 20, 2022
My car often does not start back up at stop signs/traffic lights. I feel very much in danger. It is difficult to get my car to start back up after it fails to start back up. I usually have to press really hard on the brake and even this is difficult to get it to restart. This is supposed to save fuel but I’m so afraid that someone is going to crash into me and put us all in harms way. Please help!
Other or unspecified, Sep 5, 2022
My 2016 honda Pilot Touring model won’t restart after idle stopped. I have to place car in park and restart using the start button. Issue occurs only when can idle stops. This has happened to us about 5 - 6 times over a course of 1 year. Detailed says they are unable to find the issue after a software scan. This is a serious safety concern.
Other or unspecified, Sep 4, 2022
This like the third time this has happened where the stop-start feature on my Honda Pilot almost have gotten me into a serious accident. It has happened during stop and go on I95 when I was heading to Maine and I stopped and it literally almost shutdown after I got ready to go forward. Most recently it happened 4 Sep 2022 at about 11:05am EST and was in a turning line in Chelsea, MA and it when it into stop idle shutdown feature but then completely shut off and it took about 2 to 3mins to get it to start back up. The car behind almost hit the back thinking I was pulling off but my Honda Pilot shutdown right when I was getting ready to take off. This is serious danger and defect in this when I see other vehicles operate with no problem with this feature. This could cause someone to get into a serious accident especially in Massachusetts.
Other or unspecified, Aug 28, 2022
When you start the car it is always in economy mode so that the engine can shut off when you are stopped. I like to turn this feature off manually as a few times if I don’t the car has stalled and also goes into neutral. Happened while I was on California highway 80 in stop and go traffic which was pretty scary as I was in the center lane. This was about two months ago. It happens about 10% of the time when I am in this mode if not completely stalling it splutters and feels like it won’t start or delays to restart. Happened yesterday at a light. Became a safety issue as cars tried to go around me by getting into the next lane which was flowing freely. Basically if I don’t turn the function off when I first start the car it is not safe. The dealer took a look about a year ago and found nothing and said they had not heard of the issue. I pointed out I had read about the issue in Honda forums they could find them easily it however they had no interest, maybe because they focus on known issues? Love the car apart from this issue.
Other or unspecified, Aug 25, 2022
My 2016 Honda Pilot is displaying a "Keyless Start System Problem". There is a Service Bulletin 20-117 that extends the warranty for affected vehicles so they can be repaired under the warranty for free. The Service Bulletin states that ALL Trim levels are affected vehicles, however, my vin #[XXX], does not come up as an affected vehicle. My vehicle needs to be included in and covered by the Service Bulletin 20-117, which will extend the warranty so I can have my vehicle repaired. Please address at your earliest convenience. Thank you. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Aug 21, 2022
The auto engine idle feature malfunctions. When stopped in traffic and at intersections the auto engine idle feature turns off the engine; however fails to restart. I can put the car into park, but the brake remains engaged and the ignition button blinks white. I have attempted many different things to 'reset' the computer. Putting the car in park, waiting, unlocking seatbelt, open/shut door. The last time, i had to walk away from the vehicle with the key fob in traffic. Locking and unlocking the car seemed to reset the computer. This placed me in dangerous traffic. It has happened in a construction zone on interstate, at intersections several times, during rush hour when it was impossible to leave the vehicle due to high speed traffic, and once while towing. Each episode has generally taken about 15 minutes for computer to shut down/reset. There is no message on the dash before , during or after. I now disengage the auto engine idle button when driving due to fear of being stranded in dangerous traffic situations. If I forget to turn it off, it is likely to malfunction. I have contacted the dealership about this problem before. There was no code, so the problem was deemed a mystery and remains unresoved by Honda.
Other or unspecified, Aug 20, 2022
On multiple occasions when the auto idle engages the car stalls. The dashboard looks like the car is running by its not. In order for me to be able to drive it I have to put it in park, turn it all the way off, and then restart. This has happened at dangerous intersections where I’ve almost been in an accident. I read that it’s a known problem but Honda isn’t doing anything about it The last time it happened is noted below
Other or unspecified, Aug 19, 2022
After turning a corner vehicle turned off, in the middle of the road, stated put in park and press engine start button, had to press 2x for the car to start
Other or unspecified, Aug 14, 2022
My vehicle is equipped with with an Automatic Engine shutoff. The vehicle shuts off at traffic lights and then fails to turn back on. I have contacted Honda but only told that there is not currently a recall and it would cost 200$ for a diagnostic test to be ran and if they don’t find the problem I am still responsible for the 200$ charge.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 10, 2022
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. This happens intermittently, but has put my family in danger on several occasions. When the light turns green, the car turns off, and has to be put in park and restarted. I have come close to being rear-ended during these situations, as approaching vehicles have to stop suddenly because my car is disabled. I have taken a video of these incidents, but Honda is unable to recreate the issue and has not offered a solution.
Other or unspecified, Aug 8, 2022
While stopped at a stop light the car totally shuts off when you go to start to move again causing you to have to put the car in park. Then start the car back up a begin to drive. This has happened 8 times now. There are no warning lights. The engine just seems to shut totally off in mind stream. What am I supposed to do with this issue that causes this to happen.
Other or unspecified, Aug 4, 2022
The stop/start system Isn’t working properly. When I stop at a light or stop sign the car will stop and the engine will stop like it is supposed to. But when I take my foot off the brake the car doesn’t start back up. The lights on the dash light up. The dash then tells me to put the car in park and press/hold the start button. It will then start. This has been going on for over a year now. I normally just try to remember to disable it by pressing the button but I shouldn’t have to.
Other or unspecified, Aug 4, 2022
My car shuts off and goes into Park at intersections or highway while stuck in traffic if the Auto Engine Idle is not manually disabled. It can take up to 3 minutes to restart my car.
Other or unspecified, Aug 2, 2022
The auto stop on my 2016 honda pilot is causing the car to not restart and have to put in park, restart and then put back into drive. If it doesn't stall completely, everything with shut off (AC, radio) and then start back.