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
1,706 reports, newest first.
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.
Electrical system, Engine, Feb 5, 2024
happening more if we left it on, as default, all the time. We have reported it to our dealer, they "cannot replicate" it and claim "that's unusual" despite knowing there is a massive recall for this exact issue. They claim it needs a tune up, and we fear that your 1% of cars effected estimate is off and not including many more cars being effected by this. This Auto Idle option needs an override that could save lives. Please re-open the investigation, press Honda for information they may not be sharing from their dealerships regarding the extent of this (they're probably not documenting each time someone complains about this, since they can't "replicate it.") Help. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Suspension, Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 5, 2024
I was driving my vehicle on the highway at approximately 70 kph when the engine seized and all of the warning lights in the dash went out simultaneously. The car would barely accelerate but I was able to pull over and get it towed to a shop. The shop diagnosed total engine failure as a result of tension rod shavings showing in the oil filter. I researched recalls for my model & year and found November 13, 2023 NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 23V751000. Although my specific VIN is not yet included, both the model/ year and symptoms of the issue match exactly with what happened to me. I urge you to include my VIN in this recall.
Engine, Feb 2, 2024
When going a consistent speed, the engine RPM flutters up and down which jerks the car back-and-forth while going around 40 mph. Independent mechanic said there’s something wrong with the VTEC system and one of the cylinders is not getting enough air
Engine, Jan 30, 2024
I was driving and the engine was making noises and started losing power. I heard a loud noise and the engine died. There is a recall on these engines. and my car is the year make and model.
Engine, Jan 29, 2024, fire
Hi Sir/Madam, Wish you are going well. I own a 2016 Honda Pilot Touring AWD . Recently on [XXX] while i was driving in it with my family to New York airport the engine suddenly started making some noise and before we could pull over the car to the shoulder the engine got fire , fortunately we escaped by jumping out from the car as soon as we were on shoulder. The car was then towed to the service station and after inspection the service station informed that this is a case of engine failure due to crank shaft connecting rod failure. For repair the engine needs to be replaced and the estimated cost would be around $7000. I checked for 2016 Honda pilot recalls and saw this latest recall XG1 and GG0 which describes the same issue . However, my VIN No. does not show any recalls. Request your kind advice as i am not in a condition to afford the repair, the insurance does not cover this and i am stuck as i cannot to go anywhere without car. Is there any way i can get the car repaired free of cost by Honda ? Do i need to file a lawsuit for that? A Recall law suit is possible? Can I include claims for defective vehicle and negligence as I got the vehicle serviced from Honda Service station recently and they didn’t checked/informed for this issue causing fatal safety concern for my entire family. Looking back for your kind advice. Wish you a wonderful day. Thanks & Regards, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jan 23, 2024
Vehicle audio has a kind of its own, on/off/ up/ down all without touching the screen or buttons. Goes all the way to max volume without warning. Definitely a safety risk when you are not expecting noise at all.
Electrical system, Jan 22, 2024
The entertainment/audio/entire media system malfunctions after 25 minutes of driving, causing extremely loud static that gets louder and louder to the point that you can’t hear yourself think. After several minutes of static the system sound dissapears and cannot be turned on until the vehicle is left off for an underground amount of time.
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.
Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 22, 2024
Had a indicator light for "Emission System" come on. Used fuel injector cleaner on next fill up and the light went out. Light came on again a few weeks later. Ran another bottle of injector cleaner and once again the light went out. A couple of months later the light can back on and the car gave an audible warning to pull over and shut off the engine and to make sure we were not near an ignition source. After a short time with the car off it was restarted. The "Emission System" light stayed on but the car drove ok. We took the car to the dealer. They checked everything and said that the issue was the fuel injectors needed to be replaced. They told us the parts are on a "National backorder" and they have no idea when they will become available. The car is undrivable and remains at the dealership.
Electrical system, Engine, Jan 22, 2024
Severe risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. At 5:00 am in the morning the alarm on my car went off by itself and there was no way I could turn it off or even start the car. I finally disconnected the battery to stop the car and later reconnected the battery assuming the issue was gone. When I went back to check on the car later, found that the car had started by itself and the garage was full of fumes. I installed a carbon monoxide sensor in all rooms and parked the car outside. The car now randomly tries to start itself(and all warning lights go on and dash indicates an error with all systems) and when it does start(by itself) there is no way to shut it off except for disconnecting the battery. The car is now at the dealership but a quick google search reveals that this is a frequent issue with 2016/2017 Honda Pilots and a part - 38320-TG7-A420 (remote control unit) needs to be replaced and that this part is under serious backorder nationally (indicating a serious problem). Requesting NHTSA to investigate this issue and part.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 19, 2024
My engine broke and the 2016 Honda Pilot awd engine locked up and the dealership is saying it’s the same issue as the 2016-2019 recall. Also I own a 2008 Honda element awd windshield cracked. The recall for every Honda Element year except 2008. 2003-2007, 2009-2011. That doesn’t make since either. Phone [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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, Jan 17, 2024
The connecting rod bearing has gone bad resulting in slippage and engine rod knocking. The bearing has gone bad because the crankshaft was manufactured/machined out of proper specifications per Honda America. The problem in question is already posted on the NHTSA website. “Engine Damage from Connecting Rod Bearing Wear” The noise occurred while driving to North Georgia with seven people in the 8 passenger car. Once we heard the knocking we immediately pulled over, 115 miles from home. Further driving could have caused the engine to seize, slip, or explode. The problem has been confirmed by both a certified master mechanic at the Honda dealership as well as an independent mechanic who worked for a dealer for a number of years. Yes the 2016 Honda Pilot has been inspected by the certified master mechanic at the dealer. There were no warning lights that came on until the time of the noise. Once the noise was apparent the oil lamp, check engine light, and other warning lights began to flash.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 13, 2024
Since 2021 the vehicle has stalled everywhere we go and has a gas/electrical burn fume. The vehicle had stalled in the middle of the highway and didn't allow us to shift it into any gears while flashing all dashboard lights. The vehicle was towed to Legend driven Honda where they couldn't find any issues and said they just reset the transmission code. For our peace of mind, we thought it would be best to have the full work up on the transmission since the dealership seemed incompetent with our vehicle's malfunction. The vehicle continued to stall and even had trouble starting up at times with the continued gas fumes. Well, it wasn't long before the issue returned and we were back to where we started, along with our A/C unit failing on us. We left the vehicle idle in the driveway for a bit as it was a safety concern for our families' wellbeing. We later received a recall notice on the auto-idle stop mechanism which we figured must have been the issue all along. We took it back to the dealership where they did their full inspection and came up with our transmission needing its regular full work-up which we had proclaimed that we already had done in the earlier months. After the alleged recall fix, the problem continued. We took the vehicle back and were told it was our battery and recommended our timing belt be replaced otherwise it would cause major issues down the road(it was concerning to us as these issues were never brought up the multiple times we had brought it in for the initial issues). Surely, we had it all fixed and replaced for the safety of our families well being having had our vehicle stall numerous times on the road which has now caused our children to be frightened of driving anywhere. Well on return home from the dealership, the vehicle did not stall, 2 hours later went to turn it on, it did not want to start and made a loud knocking noise. Currently towed to a different dealership
Engine, Jan 11, 2024
While driving on the highway, the vehicle suddenly stalled, and many notifications came up on the dash. Some of the warnings include: emissions system warning, power steering system problem, trailer stability assist problem, power steering problem, hill start assist problem, vehicle stability assist problem, all wheel drive system problem. While driving on highway, the vehicle stalled, lost the ability to steer and brake, and had to roll to the side of the road. There was total engine failure. Dealership diagnostics indicate a problem with crank shaft/ connecting rod, and the entire engine needs to be replaced. There is an existing recall for my year, make, and model of vehicle 2016 Honda Pilot for this exact problem, but it has not been applied to my VIN yet. The recall needs to be extended to cover my vehicle. My family's safety was compromised by complete engine failure on a highway during rush hour.
Other or unspecified, Jan 10, 2024
I am reporting a problem with the 2016 Honda Pilot audio system. It sounds identical to the reported problems that have lead to a recall for the 2018-2022 models. The system works fine initially, but after 30 minutes of driving, the system becomes filled with static noise. The static noise starts out low, but quickly gets to the point where nothing else can be heard. This is across all input channels: AM/FM radio, Bluetooth, XM Satellite, etc.. The system then eventually shuts down and no sound can be heard.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 6, 2024
While driving my car started doing a jerking motion as if it wanted to stall. Then all the warning lights the car could possibly have started flashing. All wheel drives engine warning came on as well as emissions systems problem warning light. I was able to park it for the night and made an appt to have it checked but by morning the warning lights were gone. A week later the emissions systems problem warning came back on but went away a fee days later before I could get it to the shop. This problem has happened twice already and I have had to have my fuel pump replaced, the sensor and the fuel injector. At this time my car has trouble starting as if not enough fuel is being injected and the transmission sounds not right.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 2, 2024
On December 21, 2023, at approximately 2:25pm, while driving approximately 63 mph on the freeway, my 2016 Honda Pilot suddenly stopped accelerating and I was unable to accelerate the vehicle. During this time, I received several dashboard warning notifications. These notifications stated the following: -Blind Spot Info System Problem. -Stop Driving When Safe. Transmission Problem. See Manual. -Transmission Problem. Apply Parking Brake When Parked. -All Wheel Drive System Problem. -Emission Systems Problem. I pulled over to the shoulder and parked my vehicle. While parked, I was still unable to rev the engine, and the warning indicators continued to flash on my dashboard. I turned off the vehicle. After a few minutes, I turned on the vehicle. At this this time, I was able to rev the engine by pressing on the gas pedal. All of the indicator warnings disappeared with the exception of the Emission Systems Problem. I drove home and parked the vehicle. For the remainder of the day, the vehicle was not used. On the following day, I turned on the vehicle and noted that there were no dashboard warnings. Additionally, I was able to rev the engine by pressing on the gas pedal. For the next 14 days, the vehicle operated normally with no issues. (PS. I attempted to upload the photos of the warning indicators but your NHTSA application is not working properly.)
Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, Dec 29, 2023
These 4 warning lights keep coming on such as lane keep assist problem, adaptive cruise control problem, collision mitigation system problem, and road departure mitigation system problem. Many Honda Pilot owners report this ongoing issue with no real solution. This is a serious concern that needs to be looked into further.
Latches/locks/linkages, Structure, Dec 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Honda Pilot. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V932000 (Structure, Latches/Locks/Linkages). The contact stated that while driving at high speeds, the hood vibration was visible after the recall repair. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the hood needed to be replaced due to a crack. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,481.
Engine, Dec 29, 2023
My vehicle stalled and had a horrible noise while stalling. Dealership took it back to their shop as we thought if was due to yhe work they just finished and after inspecting they determined a rod bearing had spun. The safety issue is we stalled out on the highway in the middle of traffic, almost got into several wrecks with my child in the vehicle. Only light that came on while stalling was the check engine light.
Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 27, 2023
All warning lights came on Vehicle stability assist (VSA) Problem, Hill Street Assist Problem, Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) Problem, Power Steering System (EPS) Problem, Emissions System Problem. Car was stalling and sometimes not starting at all. Took it in to the Honda dealer in mid November 2023 and they said it was reporting low fuel pressure but that it was probably low fuel in the tank that caused the issue and not to worry about it since the warning lights were off. After a month, the car stalled while diriving in the middle of the highway and all warning lights came on again. Had trouble starting car again but I was able to drive it my local mechanic which told me I had to replace both fuel pumps since they were the cause of my issues. I ended up getting both pumps replaced at a cost of $2,250.00. After reading about the Honda recall last week for 2017-2020 fuel pumps exhibiting the same symptoms, I dont think it's coincidence that my 2016 Pilot model is also having the same problem.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 24, 2023
Components that failed: engine blew up on a Freeway; car experienced oil leaks; air conditioner stopped working; electrical problems- windows and sunroof suddenly open on their own. Facts: In Feb. 2019, I bought a certified preowned 2016 Honda Pilot with 40K miles. I drove it for less than a year before COVID-19 began and I started working from home. Shortly after I bought the car, it started leaking engine oil, which Honda later repaired. In summer 2021, the air conditioner system stopped working. On June 4, 2023, I was driving the vehicle on the 57 Freeway, Northbound, when my engine suddenly blew up and failed in the middle of the Freeway. The sudden engine failure put me and others at risk of serious injury. Since purchasing my car, I had my car regularly serviced by a Honda dealership. After inspecting my car, the Honda dealership said they did not know what caused the engine to blow up. There were no warnings, messages, or other symptoms before the engine failure.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 22, 2023
There was a recall on the fuel injectors system and now this problem is causing the computer system to send false codes to the car and then the warning “fuel emissions problem signs turns on showing false code problems and then they go off and back on” In April I had fuel injections done and now in December I got the emissions system problem signal and was told at a honda service location that it was faulty Catalina converter problem but the emissions system problem signal tuned off on its own a day later, mean while the honda service place told me it would cost me $2287 to correct a problem that didn’t need to get repaired it’s this faulty emissions system computer system that needs to be updated on all these vehicles with this emission system problem. If they up date the program that they use on the emissions system we will not have to pay for false readings codes that are being generated because of this false reading by the emissions system soft ware.