Honda · Known Issues
2016 Honda Pilot Problems: 21 Known Issues
2016 model year · 8,505+ owner reports · Updated September 2026
2016 · All trims · All engines
Choose the year and equipment for your written issues and visual request.
2016 model year · 8,505+ owner reports · Updated September 2026
2016 · All trims · All engines
Choose the year and equipment for your written issues and visual request.
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According to Au7o's analysis of 8,505+ owner reports, the 2016 Honda Pilot has 21 documented known issues, with 6 rated critical. The most serious are VCM System Causes Excessive Oil Consumption and Misfires, ZF 9-Speed Transmission Rough Shifting and Hesitation, Fuel Injector Debris Causing Misfires and Catalyst Codes, Expensive Timing Belt and Water Pump Replacement Required, Auto Idle Stop Engine Fails to Auto-Restart (No-Restart / Stall at Stop) ($0-$400 repair) and Honda Sensing / Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) Phantom Unintended Braking ($0-$600 repair). The most commonly reported issue is VCM System Causes Excessive Oil Consumption and Misfires with 2,843 owner reports. Across all issues with published estimates, repair costs range from $30 to $2,300. DIY maintenance guides at au7o.io.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Odyssey, 2019-2020 Passport, and 2019-2021 Pilot vehicles. Incorrect instrument panel control module software can cause the instrument panel to not display critical information, such as engine oil pressure, speedometer, and gear selector position until the next ignition cycle. Additionally, it can prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Control and Displays" and 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2021 Pilot, 2019-2020 Odyssey and 2019-2020 Passport vehicles. Incorrect central network software programming may cause several errors to occur that can delay or prevent the rearview camera image from displaying. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
TIRES
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Passport and Pilot vehicles equipped with Continental tires. On the affected vehicles, it is possible that one or more tires were cured for too long during tire production.
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020 Passport and Pilot vehicles. The certification label may have been printed with ink that can be wiped away with a solvent, removing the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) and Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) information.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Pilot and 2019 Passport vehicles. The front frame left and right side upper members may not have been welded completely to the unibody. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" and 219, "Windshield Zone Intrusion."
+ 18 more recalls. Check all on NHTSA.gov
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According to Au7o's analysis of 8,505+ owner reports, the 2016 Honda Pilot has 21 documented issues. The most frequently reported are: VCM System Causes Excessive Oil Consumption and Misfires, ZF 9-Speed Transmission Rough Shifting and Hesitation, Fuel Injector Debris Causing Misfires and Catalyst Codes. Of these, 6 are rated critical and should be addressed promptly.
The 2016 Honda Pilot has 21 known issues documented across 8,505+ owner reports. 6 issues are rated critical: VCM System Causes Excessive Oil Consumption and Misfires and ZF 9-Speed Transmission Rough Shifting and Hesitation and Fuel Injector Debris Causing Misfires and Catalyst Codes and Expensive Timing Belt and Water Pump Replacement Required and Auto Idle Stop Engine Fails to Auto-Restart (No-Restart / Stall at Stop) and Honda Sensing / Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) Phantom Unintended Braking. Prospective buyers should inspect for these issues and factor potential repair costs into their purchase decision. Regular maintenance following the manufacturer's schedule helps prevent many common problems.
Repair costs for known Honda Pilot issues range from $0 to $2,300, depending on the specific problem and whether you choose DIY or professional repair. Au7o provides step-by-step DIY maintenance guides that can help reduce repair costs.
Variable Cylinder Management (VCM) causes excessive oil consumption (1 quart every 1,000-1,500 miles), engine misfires, and fouled spark plugs. The reciprocating effect creates vacuum that pulls oil past piston rings. Leads to premature failure of spark plugs, catalytic converter… Severity: high.
The ZF 9HP transmission produces rough and delayed shifting, loud noises during shifting, sudden harsh accelerations/decelerations, jerking/hesitating at all speeds, and loss of power. Problems stem from improper software calibration and electrical connection defects. Honda issue… Severity: high.
2016-2018 Pilots suffer from debris in direct-injection fuel system causing internal wear or clogging inside injectors. Causes misfire codes (P0300-P0306), catalyst efficiency codes (P219A/B, P0420/P0430), rough idle, and stalling. TSB 20-100 addresses this defect. Honda extended… Severity: high.
3.5L V6 uses timing belt (not chain) that must be replaced every 105,000 miles or 7 years. Timing belt failure causes catastrophic engine damage (bent valves, damaged pistons) costing $3,000-$6,000. Water pump is driven by timing belt and should be replaced simultaneously since l… Severity: high.
On third-gen Pilots with the J35Y6 V6 and ZF 9-speed automatic, the Auto Idle Stop (engine stop-start) system shuts the engine off at a stop but the engine then fails to automatically restart when the driver releases the brake, leaving the vehicle dead in traffic and sometimes re… Repairs typically run $0-$400. Severity: high.
Pilots equipped with Honda Sensing exhibit 'phantom braking,' where the Collision Mitigation Braking System applies sudden, hard, unexpected braking when no obstacle is present. Owners report it triggering on overpasses, near oncoming traffic, over bridge shadows, or on open high… Repairs typically run $0-$600. Severity: high.
Center console touchscreen goes completely black or becomes unresponsive. Audio/navigation system may enter infinite loop during shutdown that drains battery. Loose fuse connections in 2016 models and software glitches across all years are common. Class action lawsuit includes 20… Severity: medium.
Honda Pilots experience excessive parasitic battery drain (over 80mA) causing dead batteries after 24-48 hours. Common causes include radio/audio staying active when off, Bluetooth module constantly searching, and AC compressor clutch relay sticking on. Normal draw should be 12-3… Severity: medium.
Honda Pilots experience premature wear and failure of Active Control Engine Mounts (ACM), especially front and rear mounts. 2016+ Pilot uses 28-volt ACM system with sensors and actuators that cancel vibration. Rubber and metal components degrade due to heat, oil, and road conditi… Severity: medium.
The Omron A/C clutch relay (Honda part 39794-SDA-A03) is defective and gets hot, causing failure. Honda-specific part with reduced coil current known to be problematic. When relay fails, either battery dies overnight (relay stuck closed) or AC stops working (relay stuck open). Lo… Severity: medium.
AWD Honda Pilots experience rear differential fluid leaks from temperature/pressure sensors, axle seals, and case deterioration. Loose or damaged fluid pressure sensors drip onto axle seals. Some cases involve holes in differential case with extensive aluminum deterioration. Leak… Severity: medium.
Third-gen Pilots lose A/C cooling because the parallel-flow condenser leaks refrigerant (R-1234yf) at the lower corner around the receiver/dryer cap, due to poor O-ring compression against the receiver/dryer barrel wall. Honda documents this in Service Bulletin 18-080. Owners rep… Repairs typically run $200-$800. Severity: medium.
On the J35 V6, the rubber valve cover gaskets and the integrated spark plug tube seals harden and shrink with age and heat, allowing oil to weep onto the hot exhaust manifolds (burning-oil smell) and, more seriously, to pool down inside the spark plug wells. Oil saturates the ign… Repairs typically run $250-$700. Severity: medium.
The Pilot's three-way catalytic converters lose conversion efficiency with age and contamination, setting P0420 (Bank 1) and/or P0430 (Bank 2) and illuminating the check engine light. Symptoms include reduced power/fuel economy, a rotten-egg (sulfur) smell, and a rattle from a br… Repairs typically run $500-$2,300. Severity: medium.
AWD Pilots use Honda's VTM-4 rear differential, whose internal hydraulic clutch packs make a shudder/judder and noise during low-speed tight turns (e.g., parking lots, U-turns) when the VTM-4 differential fluid degrades or becomes contaminated by clutch-friction particles and/or… Repairs typically run $65-$150. Severity: medium.
The plastic air-mix (blend door) actuator behind the dash, near the left side of the glove box, strips its internal gears over time. When it fails the vehicle loses the ability to modulate temperature (air is stuck all-hot or all-cold and cannot be blended), and a repetitive clic… Repairs typically run $150-$450. Severity: medium.
On power-liftgate Pilots the gas-charged support struts weaken and lose nitrogen pressure prematurely, so they no longer help lift or hold the heavy tailgate. This forces the power motor to carry the full load, which leads to the liftgate opening then immediately closing, grindin… Repairs typically run $60-$800. Severity: medium.
The EVAP canister purge valve sticks open and allows fuel vapors to flow into the intake when they shouldn't. On 3rd-gen Pilots this commonly sets P0496 (EVAP high/incorrect purge flow), and can accompany P0455/P0441; drivers notice a check engine light, rough idle, and pronounce… Repairs typically run $30-$250. Severity: medium.
Honda Pilot models with white paint (Taffeta White, White Diamond Pearl, White Orchid Pearl) suffer from paint defects causing peeling, bubbling, and flaking primarily on roof and tailgate. Defect stems from problems in Honda's "three-stage" white paint application manufacturing… Severity: low.
Individual door lock actuators fail so a door stops responding to the key fob or lock switch, sometimes working in only one direction (locks but won't unlock, or vice versa), and can produce repeated clicking or random lock/unlock cycling. Multiple actuators often fail around the… Repairs typically run $150-$400. Severity: low.
Content on this page was compiled with AI assistance using NHTSA complaints, TSBs, owner reports, and public automotive data. While we strive for accuracy, this information may contain errors. Always verify repair procedures and specifications with your vehicle's service manual or a qualified mechanic.