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.
Visibility, May 17, 2023
Rear glass window exploded outward. It was parked in the parking lot and was not forcefully shut or anything. Luckily, I was not driving when this happened and no one was hurt but it was very odd. No extreme temperatures. No extreme pressure from inside the vehicle. It is very unusual what happened.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, May 15, 2023
When coming to a stop and the engine idle stop is activated the car will sometimes die. The car will then need to be shifted into park after a complete reset of the system in order to start. Very dangerous.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, May 15, 2023
When car is locked alarm sporadically goes off on its own also when the headlights are set to auto and the car is turned off the headlights will come on sporadically and drain the battery. Having electrical components come on on their own is obviously a safety concern. The dashboard lights and warning icons will also flicker. There have been numerous complaints of this kind on the Honda Pilot forum Piloteers.Org
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Forward collision avoidance, May 8, 2023
The keyless start systems problem light has been on for about a month and sometimes I have issues starting the vehicle.
Power train, May 5, 2023
Torque converter on transmission failed at 86,643 miles. This is a common problem on most Honda Pilots
Engine, Apr 28, 2023
2016 HONDA PILOT ELITE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO IDLE STOP RESTART PROBLEM.
Other or unspecified, Apr 17, 2023
Unless I remember to disable "Auto engine idle stop" my car will die at a light or any place I'm stopped. A bunch of random lights or warnings flash across the dashboard , brake won't push in, and I am unable to put it in neutral for my vehicle to be moved off the road or interstate. I have had cops park behind my completely dead vehicle stating "I just want to make sure the other cars on the road stay off your back so you don't get hit" all while we figure out why we can't even put it in neutral just to move it. We then have to jump-start it to get it moving again with no promises it will either start or stay on once started. Because this has happened multiple times, my vehicle has now been having issues starting at random, once happening the afternoon of 4/16/2023 after it wasn't driven the day before. My battery and alternator have both been checked and are excellent condition.
Electrical system, Apr 13, 2023
When car is off and locked, alarm will go off unexpectedly. There is a repeated clicking noise and the lights on the dash will flicker and it sounds and appears like the car is trying to start itself. Very disconcerting to have an electrical issue, particularly where the car seems to want to start itself. Also can’t lock it overnight as alarm will continuously go off. Problem is all over owner forums for 2016 Pilots. Honda needs to investigate. Dealer tried to fix but doesn’t seem able to identify issue.
Electrical system, Apr 8, 2023
The cars emergency horn will go on for no reason and the dashboard lights will flicker on and off. Honda dealer has my car and the part is back ordered now for 2 weeks and they don’t know when it is coming in. I have been reading several issues with this. This needs to be recalled with so many having issues and it being about $800.00 to repair
Other or unspecified, Apr 6, 2023
While traveling from northern Illinois to Sarasota, FL, vehicle transmission stopped functioning along I-75 near Tifton, GA. It had been raining the entire trip. No one was injured. We were passing a vehicle in the left lane, and without any warning the transmission just stopped. We couldn’t accelerate. We coasted to the shoulder. We couldn’t put the vehicle into park. 2 warning lights/messages came up: emissions system failure and AWD system failure. We turned off the car, waited 10 minutes, then drove to the nearest exit and turned off the car for an additional 45 minutes. The Honda Dealership in Sarasota said it needed a software upgrade. After paying for the upgrade we learned from a previous Honda engineer that it’s a known problem.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Apr 5, 2023
My sunroof glass spontaneously exploded. It was not hit by an object nor were temperatures extreme. Had my inside sunroof visor not been closed, the broken glass would’ve fallen on the vehicle occupants causing injury. I received a minor glass cut will taping the glass so that the vehicle could be driven home. The issue has been reported to insurance but no inspections have yet been made nor were police reports filed. There were no warning signs prior to the glass explosion, just a loud pop as the glass began popping up and cracking. I watched it happen from outside the car. Little pieces popped up onto the roof, then a wave went through the glass, portions fell into the sunroof, and then cracks ran though the entire pane. After researching, I learned this is a known glass defect issue with certain makes and models. I am fortunate that I had just parked; if I had been driving, the glass could’ve fallen into the car inurying occupants or could’ve flown off the car and hit other cars or pedestrians.
Other or unspecified, Mar 27, 2023
Auto idle stop randomly fails to restart engine when attempting to accelerate from stop. After coming to a stop and the idle stop feature engages, the vehicle may not restart. While in heavy traffic on interstates the failure to restart creates panic. Car stalls to neutral. Car must be turned off and restarted and then shifted to drive in order to accelerate. Same at traffic lights, or turn lanes, on hills, a sudden shut down requiring a complete restart. There are several steps required to get the vehicle to restart. This takes several seconds (enough time that traffic lights cycle). This results in following vehicles attempting to pass if a lane is available, angry motorists, and panicked driver. Car has been inspected by dealer but there is no fix for the problem. There are no warning lights or indicators that the system will or is about to fail. The problem apparently does not create any kind of “code” in the system. The only solution is to turn the system off each and every time you start the vehicle. The system cannot be legally disabled and by default it is always on when vehicle is started. This problem began approximately 18 months ago when the vehicle had @ 90k miles. Honda recently announced a software update and a warranty extension regarding the problem. The software update has been completed on the vehicle. However the problem continues. Honda’s apparent solution is to extend the warranty on the parts involved - the starter, or starter relays, or adjust the valves on the engine. But there is no “fix” for the problem. We are told to simply “continue to monitor”.
Electrical system, Mar 19, 2023
Auto-Idle Stop Feature malfunctioned at intersection. Engine failed to restart which required towing. None of the systems of the vehicle were able to be reactivated, including hazard lights. This created a major safety hazard, as incident occurred at busy intersection. Honda dealer informed me that this issue was just recalled. I received documentation from Honda that my vehicle was eligible for repairs, but this arrived after the car died and failed to restart. The Honda dealer was able to replace several gaskets, starter relays and assays which Honda claims fixes the issue. There is no way to permanently disable the auto-idle stop feature, it must be manually disabled each time the car is started. I have not, and likely will not, test the functionality of the auto-idle stop feature again given the numerous reports I have read regarding the issue.
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.
Equipment, Mar 14, 2023
Electrical system makes a glitching noise as if it wants to start something. Lights go on, then about 5 minutes later the alarm goes off. My alarm has been going off now for the last 18 months and cant seem to find the issue. All over the Honda pilot boards they say it is the "OEM Anti-theft Locking Smart Control Module Honda Pilot 2016-18 / 38320-TG7-A420 part that needs replacing. It is a faulty part and costly and a know problem. Please look into this as it is expensive to replace.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 6, 2023
I see couple of safety concerns with 2016 Honda Pilot touring. 1) There is no option to disable 'tailgate opening & closing by FOB' in 2016 Honda Pilot touring. Even with an unintentional small press of fob key tailgate button, the tailgate can open & hit anybody (may be the car next in school lane) or anything in the back (may be garage door) 2) There is no option to adjust height of tailgate in 2016 Honda Pilot touring. It can hit top of garage of any house & cause safety issue Honda should take action to recall & rectify those part for human & property safety.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 4, 2023
idle-stop feature. When the idle-stop feature activates as the vehicle is stopped at a traffic signal, the vehicle fails to restart when the brake is released and accelerator pedal pressed. I turn on the emergency flashers. The vehicle usually restarts within 3 minutes. I am afraid I will be rear-ended at high speed as I am stopped at a green traffic signal. This also causes others drivers to swerve around my vehicle causing unnecesary danger. This happens weekly.
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, Visibility/wiper, Feb 24, 2023
Sun visor part number 83230-TG7-A11ZA has failed twice now (6/24/2019 and again 9/29/2021). What happens is that the tension spring internal to the sun visor fails causing the sun visor to flop down impeding the driver's vision directly forward. We had to purchase new replacement sun visors twice. This is likely to happen again, so I'm keeping a close watch for it. This puts the safety of driver, passengers, other vehicles and pedestrians as risk as it happens suddenly. Honda has made no attempt that I am aware of to remedy the problem.
Other or unspecified, Visibility/wiper, Feb 24, 2023
Front windshield wiper washer jet hood nozzle sprayer fell off and is lost. Called Honda dealer. They checked with Honda corporation and are advised that there are 1,100 of these on back order. Lead time is approximately 4 months! Without this part, windshield cannot be cleaned by the windshield washer should it be urgently needed while traveling down highway. This puts safety at risk.
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.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 21, 2023
The instrument panel is flashing all alerts when the car is off. I am able to drive the car. It is unknown which component has malfunctioned. Several Honda owners on Google say to check the fuel injectors. I am hoping you all can assist me with that. My safety was put at risk as the alarm goes off randomly when the car is off. It is bothersome at my workplace. I am afraid to drive the vehicle. One of the alerts that flashes is the Antilock Brake System. I am afraid the brakes will go out during driving. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. I hope to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. All warning lamps and messages were blinking after the car was turned off. There were no signs of issues prior to turning the car off. Since the first initial flashing of alerts, the alerts now stay on during driving however not all lights are flashing. Could it simply need a software update? I do feel this needs investigating and a recall issued.
Electrical system, Feb 5, 2023
My car has suddenly started showing "Keyless Start System Problem" when i start the car. While the car starts okay when i press the ignition, i am scared that the car may not suddenly start as usual and i can get stuck if it does not. - Also when the "Keyless Start System Problem" is shown on the dashboard in orange, it prevents us from seeing any other information on the dashboard (including speed etc) - I thought looking at some videos that it may be a battery issue with my remote. However even after I changed the battery (an original replacement for the battery of the remote start / Driver 2 Key), the issue shown on my dash board does not go away. - After researching it online, it seems it is a pretty common problem with 2016 to 2018 Honda Pilots (esp Honda Pilot 2016 for which there are umpteen number of cases shown on Youtube). However I do not see Honda doing any recall on such an important part of the car. This is a big safety issue not only because of the car start issue but also because the error while being shown on the screen, does not allow me to see any other information on dash board.
Electrical system, Feb 1, 2023
The auto-stop idle feature activated at a red light. When the light turned green, the automobile would not restart but became entirely dead with not even being able to turn on the headlights or hazards (this was during the night as well). As a result, my family had to hang out the window to try and flag cars approaching the intersection to keep from being hit. The vehicle was taken to a Honda dealership the next day at which time the incident could not be replicated as either a code was not thrown or the code was not saved. The dealership did state that there was a recall that required a software update which they performed but when researching this only addresses the tolerances for which when the auto-idle stop will be initiated and not to mitigate the "black-out" that can occur. Escalated to Honda and found it curious that various Honda/Acura models have been impacted and that our particular vehicle's warranty for this functionality was extended to ten years past the vehicle's purchase date. When asked if they would replace with a new module, was told no due to the dealership not being able to replicate. FYI - no warning lamps or any other indication was displayed ahead of said event. So now the family is left with a vehicle that could potentially have this occur again.
Electrical system, Jan 30, 2023
After 30 - 40 minutes of driving the audio is overcome by extreme static and popping and affects all componets ( radio, DVD, XM, CD, etc) would seem something is getting hot after 30 minutes so a possible fire or melting situation . Honda dealer does not seem to know an answer and this issue is being discussed on Honda Pilot owners blog and it quite widespread