2016 Honda Pilot Engine Problems
Owners have filed 771 complaints with NHTSA about engine problems on the 2016 Honda Pilot, 45% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 61,700 miles. The words owners use most often: “rod bearing” (14% of reports).
- 771engine complaints
- 61,700median miles at failure
- 5mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- $8,900typical repair cost reported by owners
- 51%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Rod bearing: mentioned in 111 of 771 complaints (14%)
- Idle stop: mentioned in 69 of 771 complaints (9%)
- Put park: mentioned in 48 of 771 complaints (6%)
- Auto start: mentioned in 41 of 771 complaints (5%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine repair on the 2016 Honda Pilot at $8,900, and half of them between $7,350 and $11,100.
Based on 40 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2021–2026), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine problems happen?
Based on 195 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 771 complaints, 5 mention a crash, 8 a fire, 1 an injury.
Honda Pilot engine complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Pilot | 33 | 16% | 4,298 |
| 2024 Pilot | 11 | 9% | — |
| 2023 Pilot | 13 | 9% | 36,000 |
| 2022 Pilot | 34 | 21% | 71,551 |
| 2021 Pilot | 108 | 24% | 30,000 |
| 2020 Pilot | 101 | 21% | 11,650 |
| 2019 Pilot | 235 | 26% | 44,298 |
| 2018 Pilot | 157 | 36% | 80,873 |
| 2017 Pilot | 474 | 51% | 43,434 |
| 2016 Pilot | 771 | 45% | 61,700 |
| 2015 Pilot | 22 | 20% | 51,000 |
| 2014 Pilot | 31 | 27% | 27,000 |
| 2013 Pilot | 79 | 29% | 5,500 |
| 2012 Pilot | 35 | 20% | 22,650 |
| 2011 Pilot | 31 | 11% | 66,924 |
| 2010 Pilot | 28 | 25% | 87,500 |
| 2009 Pilot | 35 | 26% | 104,500 |
| 2008 Pilot | 10 | 8% | 99,889 |
| 2007 Pilot | 14 | 7% | 133,532 |
| 2006 Pilot | 22 | 8% | 112,000 |
| 2005 Pilot | 48 | 7% | 107,000 |
| 2004 Pilot | 22 | 4% | 106,650 |
| 2003 Pilot | 25 | 3% | 145,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling:engine:hard parts internal/mechanical
Problem: 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.
Risk: A damaged engine may run improperly or stall while driving, increasing the risk of a fire, crash, or injury.
Fix: 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
My 2016 honda pilot has 97,500 miles. The engine stop working and I have it replaced a used 3.5 engine. The transmission has transmission overheating problem and I took a picture on the dash board. I show it to the service advisor and they won't acknowledge about the overheating problem. Honda care…
Catastrophic internal engine mechanical failure. My 2016 Honda Pilot (3.5L V6 engine) has developed a severe connecting rod bearing knock that is highly audible during cold starts and heavily intensifies upon pressing the gas pedal to accelerate. This issue is an exact match to the mechanical…
Engine blew up and forced the hood open while driving, obstructing view, and then started smoking black smoke. The engine is ruined and all of the oil drained from it. Pieces of pistons were laying on the oil tray. The car had been inspected with an oil change within 1k miles.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2016 Honda Pilots have engine problems?
No. NHTSA has 771 owner complaints about engine for the 2016 Honda Pilot (45% of the 1,712 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Honda Pilot engine?
Yes: 1 safety recall list engine. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do engine problems start?
The median reported mileage is 61,700 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine problems on the 2016 Honda Pilot?
Owners report a typical cost of $8,900 (half paid between $7,350 and $11,100), from 40 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine problems on the 2016 Honda Pilot?
The most frequent phrase is “rod bearing”, in 111 of 771 complaints, followed by “idle stop” (69).
Other 2016 Honda Pilot problems
See all 2016 Honda Pilot problems or engine problems across all Pilot years.